When Volkswagen first e-mailed me to let me know they’d be dropping off a 2012 Beetle Turbo, let’s just say I was a little saddened. I was hoping for something with the letters GTI in it. But that’s neither here nor there at this point.

I had been out of town for a few days and upon arriving at my house, the new Beetle was waiting for me to immediately pick apart. As always, I grab the keys, do my ol’ dealer walkaround -the check for dents, dings, scratches, imperfections, personal opinions on style, etc.- I notice that I really like this new design theme. I’d seen the new Beetles on the road, but never really took the time to stop and take a real gander at them. With my walk-around, I also noticed the overall muscularity of the body and shape. This is starting to be less of a sad week ahead and instead I raise an eyebrow to the potential mischief I’m going to try and find with this car. Hmm…

Styling:

The Beetle was never really a good looking car, let’s be honest. Even the original wasn’t necessarily attractive, but was just ergonomic in its design. The next gen Beetle, the previous generation to the current model, was just downright ugly, in my opinion. Again, though, it was simple and thought out to provide as much interior volume possible for such a small car. It was also very much a feminine car. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, to quite Seinfeld. I should say my cousin has a ’99 Beetle with a manual and she loves it, as do her three female children.

The Beetle Turbo that I had, however, is actually quite striking. Seeing it on the road I’m interested in looking at it. It’s not something I’d seek out, yet it’s appropriate to take a second glance. With the previous Beetles an extra look was never needed.

Interior:

Opening the driver’s door and sliding on to the leather seat I’m greeted by a well thought out interior, proportional steering wheel, and big gauges. And when I say big, I mean it. The fuel gauge is almost the same size as the speedo. I’m not really sure why Volkswagen made the Beetle’s gas gauge so large, because you’ll hardly ever need to look at it. While I didn’t get out on the highway much -I was incredibly sick the week I had the Beetle Turbo- I did drive enough around town to average roughly 24 mpg for city driving, but more on that in the driving section.

As I got behind the wheel and started to look around I feel the comfort of the seats is just perfect; the seats could be a tad more bolstered, but the overall feel and driving comfort is just right.

Without a doubt, my favorite part of the Beetle Turbo is the Fender stereo system. For a car costing right around $30,000, I’ve never heard a better sound system. The Harmon Kardon system in my M3 is quite good, and at the price it could be a bit better, but it has rather good abilities. A Beetle being in the 20-30,000 dollar range, Fender provide one of the best sounding systems I’ve heard in any car of any price range. So to say Volkswagen and Fender have a great working relationship is an understatement.

The Fender system in the Beetle Turbo is so good that Volkswagen put a CD in the player with a list of music ranging from Hip-Hop, Jazz, Rock, all the way to great Blues music. Being a Blues musician, as well as a semi-Jazz trained guitarist, I look for the right sound. To say I’m anal about it would be putting it lightly. I don’t want just bass and treble to play with; I need the mids, too. Fender gives you an eargasm with great sound. If you’ve never listened to Junior Wells’ -arguably the greatest Blues harpist ever- version of Use Me by Bill Withers, you’re seriously missing out. If you haven’t heard Buddy Guy’s 74 Years Young, you haven’t let your ears hear the world through someone who’s lived a life of Blues like few others. Buddy is one of the greatest musicians ever, period. Let alone one of the greatest Blues guitarists.

Driving:

After I get my sight-seeing done, it’s time for the initial drive; just an around the block affair. That is, before the tire squealing were to happen in the Beetle Turbo.

A quick drive to the local highway to get to some nice back roads seemed a must, and definitely something very easily done. Pulling power getting on to the highway is very good, and then passing power once you’re on the road is good, too, provided you wait a second to drop down the one to two gears needed. All the while you’re sitting in the most comfortable seats this price range has to offer.

Getting to the back roads I was worried the Beetle Turbo’s suspension and transmission might not be up to the task, to be honest. Front-wheel drive can be a lot of fun for some types of hard driving. Unfortunately there’s always this thing called understeer that throws your fun under the bus. The Beetle? Not like that, thank God. Once I’m on the b-roads I’m having a good time. The DSG transmission is letting me down, but the twin-turbo inline-4, making 200-hp and 207 lb-ft of torque is a blast! I leave the gearbox in the lowest gear possible to hear that inline-4 that doesn’t sound like any four-banger I’ve ever listened to. Instead of a gritty four-cylinder, it sounds like a punchy inline-6 with great torque. Even better, starting from a stop the front tires can be made to squeal like a man in a hardware store. Even better, mashing the gas pedal as you throw the car into a slow 2nd gear corner produces wiggling at the rear in the right amount of flair. Not too much, but just enough to let you know you’re having a grand time.

Throughout this whole even the steering wheel stays perfectly in your grasp, but I could go for a little more feel and feedback. At slow speeds the wheel is a bit light for my taste, but may just suit most people fine. As you go faster it gets a little heavier and starts to feel about right.

Transmission:

I’m not much for dual-clutch, or any autotragic gearbox for that matter. VW’s DSG is nothing special, in my most humble of opinions. Although the transmission was fun to play around with, because the paddles on the steering wheel make it a little more entertaining when trying to have a good time on some back roads.

With that said, I’m not sure I’ll ever enjoy DSG, I’m sorry. The biggest problem, for me, is the fact that the Beetle’s Turbo feels like it’s going to conk out on you when starting off because of the gearbox; it’s quite odd. As a regular driving transmission, it acts like any automatic should, and it does achieve good gas mileage. Unfortunately, it makes the Beetle a bit less engaging to drive.

Luggage Space:

For a young college student the VW Beetle would be perfect. The interior space wouldn’t be, at least when moving in to your dorm. But going home to visit, or going on a short to medium distance road trip with some friends to see your favorite band, the Beetle would be great. Even for a guy.

In The End:

In the end the VW Beetle Turbo is a great car for the money. Is it better than a Mini Cooper? God no, but it doesn’t have to be. Where the Mini will always be the sporting driver’s preferred choice, the Beetle will always have a lot of heart that hits you the right way. It’ll never be the first round draft pick, but it will most certainly be that second round choice that miraculously turns into a big star.

So for you Football fans out there, Tom Brady was taken as the 199th pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. But he’s won 3 Super Bowls and been a two-time MVP. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo has proven to me that it has plenty of talent to win that special spot in any person’s driving heart.

My Beetle Turbo was a pre-production car with no sticker to show me the price. A call to VW’s PR team cleared this right up. My car, which you can buy now, was the top of the line Turbo model with navigation and sunroof. If you were to buy this car you’d be getting Xenon headlights added to the package for $30,095, not including the $775 destination fee. If you were to equip a manual instead of the DSG (RawAutos recommended…) you’d be out of the dealer for $28,995, again, not including the destination fee.

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The Good:

The Price is better than good, especially for anyone starting out buying their first car; Style is key to winning over customers, and the Beetle did it right for the newest generation; Fender sound system is just so good to your ears.

The Bad:

Punch buggy hasn’t gotten any easier for me… because now you see the second and third gen Beetles everywhere; Some people may still count the Beetle Turbo out because the Mini Cooper S is that much more of a sports car by comparison.

The Ugly:

The Beetle Turbo is nice, but straight guys ask me if it’s still a girl’s car, and they’ll do so for years to come; Girls still dig the Beetle more than most other cars; The DSG just doesn’t do the Beetle Turbo justice in the fun department.

The Truth:

The 2012 Beetle Turbo is one of the best small cars I’ve driven, especially at the 30,000 dollar price range; Luxury and naturally sporting qualities are what make this the right choice for anyone who’s looking for a car to get to work and still have a good time in.

Mercedes SL roadsters bearing V8 engines are a bit of a dream niche for many. They are generally not my clan of people, but, hell, to each his own. Few of these cars come along that grab the attention like the SL 63 AMG and I’ve just been among the first to pummel the southern French B roads in one.

Honestly speaking, the $105,500 “base” SL 550 with 429-horsepower 4.7-liter turbocharged V8 is the pinnacle of Côte d’Azur or Santa Barbara or Miami South Beach cruising style and spirit, though it is not ever to be confused for a sports car. Actually, I have been pretty hard on this starter SL since while sitting in it and driving I had never felt so far away from the road in all my life. The emphasis on dynamics here is effectively “0” on a scale of 1 to 10 when keeping in mind the class of car we’re talking about. It made me bleeding angry.

So, I was eager to jump in the new SL 63 AMG – estimated base cost $147,000 – and feel how successfully (or not) the without-direct-rival big two-seater transforms itself into a carver of corners, be they French, Swahili, or American.

I first tried the SL 63 with optional Performance Package, taking power from 530 hp up to 557, torque from 590 pound-feet to 664, and the price from $147k closer to $157k. Add the carbon ceramic brake discs, exterior carbon fibre details and all else, and the price arrives at nearly $175,000. That starts to border on idiot money for an albeit more sophisticated German Corvette ZO6.

For those with the coin, however, it will be worth the investment so far as I can tell from the storming drive. The steering is thankfully not of the new electrical type as seen on the SL 550, so executing the many curves was a dramatically more pleasurable deal. No, still not Porsche 911 Turbo-like and a light-year or two away from the Ferrari California, but it is not meant to be these cars.

As on the base SLs, the entire body of the new-generation SL 63 AMG is formed in aluminum, a move that peels off 275 pounds when compared to the previous SL 63. The aluminum also adds a large measure of rigidity as well, so the behavior at full chat is much more steady now than previously. The SL 550 acted as though the fancy new body and the chassis were developed on two separate planets that rarely communicated with each other. Then the bastard-child steering numbness helped nothing. The SL 63 fixes most of this.

Aerodynamically, the SL 63 at a Cd of 0.27 slips through the air unlike any other in this high end drop-top world and with roof shut the wind noise is truly contained even while cruising quickly on three-lanes. While I was coddled nicely in full-on Designo optional leather treatments, even the non-optioned interior is a place of fine finish and surprisingly spacious comfort.

While the SL 550 jets to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds, the SL 63 AMG with its “M157” 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8 can do the same in 4.1 seconds flat when set up with the Performance Pack, 4.2 seconds when stock. AMG bosses tell me, however, that the fully opted SL can do this acceleration in 3.9 seconds in reality. To me on this day, it really felt the business, too. Most satisfying of all is that even with the added performance, the SL 63 improves its average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by roughly 30 percent over the previous car.

Besides the much better steering, the AMG-upgraded Active Body Control adaptive suspension in optional Sport spec is much more sophisticated and precise than anything I felt in the SL 550. (Where I apparently felt little or nothing.) Wheel and tire sets are 19-inch in front and 20-inch in back, the big compound brakes with gold calipers or optional $12,625 ceramic brake discs with red calipers stopping the action with authority all day long. That brakeset price makes me laugh sardonically, by the way. Nuts. The two ABC settings – Comfort and Sport – are nicely different and can be calibrated independent of how you have the seven-speed gearbox set up.

That 7G-tronic snapping automatic transmission is in its very latest version on this SL 63 and playing within the gears was a clearly more satisfying experience than what I normally have in some other AMG treatments. The downshifts into corners are rollicking and well-timed, upshifts fairly brisk, and it is all proudly announced through the four-tip chromed exhaust system by Boysen. While on fuller throttle in tunnels, few other cars can yell as well and it’s a really nicely spirited voice compared to previous exhaust systems used by AMG.

Mercedes-AMG board member Tobias Moers – one of the goodest guys in power like that – confesses that Job One at this point at Affalterbach HQ is to develop a damned transmission that isn’t just mostly up to the task, but that is finally as sensational as the performance traits of the engines they create. This must happen as soon as possible.

The great United States of America starts getting its SL 63s as of late July. Thinking of the two trims available – with or without Performance Pack – I ended up preferring the standard car without ceramic brake discs to the hotted-up model; the value (if we can talk that here) is better and the SL 63 AMG in original setup simply feels more “of a piece” compared to the up-tuned car.

And ain’t nobody do it like I do, girl.

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TESTED

Mercedes SL 63 AMG

Price: $146,695 ($157,000 w/Performance Pack)

Engine: 5.5-liter twin turbocharged V8

Power: 530 hp (557 hp)

Transmission: Seven-speed 7G Speedshift automatic; rear-wheel drive

0-60/top speed: 4,1 seconds (4,0)/155 mph (186 mph w/Driver’s Package)

Economy/CO₂: 22.8 mpg/372g/mile

Equipment: Active suspension and body control, sport-tuned dampers, performance exhaust, carbon-fiber exterior detailing and trunk lid, optional carbon ceramic brake discs

On sale July 2012

GOOD

Despite its still not inconsiderable mass of 4,068 pounds, the new SL 63 AMG with V8 heart really delivers on thrills in this genre of sporting GT. The truer steering and AMG chassis upgrades make this muscle car the SL to get if you’ve got the means. That exhaust roar is quite convincing.

NOT SO GOOD

For the total sporting aspects, if compared to a Porsche 911 Turbo or Ferrari California, the SL 63 seems to have given up trying to compete. On the other hand, the Merc has nailed down the comfort and cabin fitment portions of this niche roadster segment. And, c’mon, it ain’t too shabby.

[“Snap” words & pics, some pics by Andreas Lindlahr]

The new SL body is lighter and more rigid, which should translate into better dynamics and sheer fun in a sports car. Call me another stupid, presumptuous journalist, I guess.

In mothership Daimler’s global business case, the Mercedes SL two-seater sales chart satellite pod is not really that important to the broader bottom line universe. (See how I tied in all that space stuff? Sweet.) The car’s value has always been more as a company image tool for attracting those who want to live the easy life of moneyed people who have nothing better to do. Or who at least want to drive something that tells others that message – whether it is actually true or not.

This “R231” SL is the sixth generation of the Mercedes playboy franchise and the theory to it remains essentially similar to recent versions: a sleek and stretched-feeling two-seat Riviera cruiser with an all-weather folding hard top.

But this SL 550 I drove is a full 275 pounds lighter than the fifth-generation “R230” that got that ugly facelift in 2008. How this is possible is through a very Audi-like emphasis on a new fully aluminum body. These lost pounds should absolutely lower the center of gravity and make this new SL a dynamic wonder.

Neither thing happens, however. The instant I started driving my fully optioned SL 550 unit, my expectations of what this car was supposed to do for me changed a lot. Well, essentially my expectations returned to the old SL mode: the SL is not a very satisfying true sports car and it remains realistically a socialite car for rich men’s wives or a leisurely GT reward/toy for a slightly greying man who made the millions, or at least one million. It is best kept on less challenging roads and at speeds up to only 125 mph on straight roads.

The SL 63 AMG, its Black Series mate, and the monstrous old school SL 65 AMG V12 are what I want when I want an SL, damnit. For the vast number of buyers, however, we have the SL 350 (just not in North America) and SL 550.

Am I being tough? I don’t think so; I’m just being realistic since it is clear to the seat of my pants and my inner ear exactly what Mercedes has in mind for this model. If you keep your SL 550 (or 350 V6 which was not here to test yet) driving within the limitations I just mentioned, the car is absolutely wonderful. There are few finer things to use while plunking along easily on the waterfront at Nice or Cannes or Santa Barbara or Marbella – and this test drive actually took place in Marbella, Spain, and over the famed hilly driving roads around the town. While at sea level on the boulevard and in Eco mode and with the optional Active Body Control (ABC) chassis and adaptive damping in Comfort, things felt just right.

Up in those curve-covered hills, however, the SL and I both felt like fish out of water, no matter how Sport I calibrated everything to be. A C 350 four-door with Sport Packet would have handled itself better even though the sheer power and torque of the SL 550 would certainly (hopefully) have placed it far ahead of the C sedan with six-cylinder by the end of the day. But just getting to a place earlier is rarely the point in a road-going performance car.

You need dynamics that bring a huge smile to your face. That maybe even require you to stop occasionally, take in the gorgeous view, and revel in the incredible drive leg you just had.

By contrast, my SL 550 in Manual mode with the shift paddles, and then with ABC in Sport, frequently was worrying me and my co-driver whenever we would try pushing the car harder over these amazing Spanish roads. Eventually I had to give in and just drive more easily and less ambitiously. And, of course, as I’ve said already, driven calmly and steadily the SL 550 is terrific.

Yes, I am clearly struggling with myself inside, trying to lower my sports car expectations and evaluate the new SL for all that it is good at when driven by its typical buyers. But…

I am in southern Spain and on these roads and in this style of car. A car which in a couple of months will let me drive its 63 AMG version in southern France, too. So, while I understand the need for a difference between the 350/550 level of SL and those AMG monsters, what I do not understand is why the difference has to be so vast. No other premium manufacturer handles it quite this way – and I am not personally comfortable with a company that makes its “civilian” models so basically girly, saving the actual dynamics for the cars that cost a lot more.

Having driven this SL 550 with all the options, including the ABC and now standard electro-mechanical Direct Steer, it took me a while to calm down and accept the reality as stated by the sales and marketing department in Stuttgart: the SL in baser trims will never be able to be a sports car. It will be a very expensive (the SL 550 starting at $105,500) Jaguar XK convertible style, or even Lexus style, cruiser for clients who are not that passionate about how their car could drive if pushed harder. You push such cars really hard on open, technical roads with curves only at your peril. Better a closed circuit with no tight lefts or rights.

You see how I feel, okay, okay. The basics of the SL that are really worth knowing are that the body is now 90 percent in aluminum and is actually sensationally stiff; the chassis and its damping – with ABC or without – are clearly left over from the old models and they feel disjointed from the body as I sit in it; there’s a stereophonic thing now from Harman Kardon called Frontbass which I don’t care about; there are the new Magic Vision Control windshield wipers that spout warm water all along the blades and they work fine.

The “M278” 4.7-liter V8 with two turbos is one of my favorite big GT engines and here it has 429 horsepower at 5,250 rpm and 516 pound-feet of torque between 1,800 and 3,500 rpm. In Sport or Manual modes of the 7G Tronic powertrain, the throttle is hugely responsive to the point where I worry for the women who’ll be driving the car, but the chassis sadly cannot comfortably handle it too well. In Eco mode, the throttle is soft and that actually felt best, as though the SL has been designed to take it smooth and easy like this. With max power up 12 percent, torque up a nice 32 percent from a 0.8-liter smaller engine, and weight down, the potential here is so great. But then the center of gravity has not lowered at all, according to SL development boss Michael Sheer, and in curves I felt top-heavy all the time and needed to back off. Plus side? Fuel consumption is down by 22 percent in a car that can thunder to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds or less.

Oh, crap! Yes, the new design. Frankly, I do not like the looks either. Both the headlights and taillights are way overdone, and, once again, Mercedes styling has removed me one more decisive step from what used to be a pretty sexy car. This SL just feels cold to me and out of step with the times, as though it was created and frozen about ten years ago. The grille, on the other hand, and its very retro aero star treatment with single silver slat running the full width actually appeal to me. There are all sorts of good bits to the design, but it feels like too many cooks were in the kitchen having these good ideas.

Both shoulder and elbow room are up significantly versus the last SL and the overall treatment of the passenger zone is pretty swellegant. I did bother to crank the tunes through the high-end optional stereo with its Frontbass (I always thought “Frontbass” meant the lead fish in a school of bass. All I know is I’ve used it in Scrabble.), but I failed to feel any dramatic sonic difference that makes the hoopla worthwhile. Give me a Fender system in a Passat any day.

And the roof goes up and down quite well, to be sure. You can get a solid roof, the see-through polycarbonate glass roof, or the Magic Sky Control version. The magnesium frame on these can save anywhere from 13 to 35 lbs off the weight of the last-generation car. Roof open and in a long tunnel while on the throttle in Sport setup…now that was the cause of much happiness for me at last.

Then I even tried an SL 550 without the dreaded ABC. The suspension now was the standard and slightly less adaptive steel setup with Sport calibration, always on beautiful 19-inch wheels dressed in soft summer tires from Continental. I honestly still felt completely removed from the driving experience happening beneath me. Whereas the electro-mechanical steering on many new Germans – the 3 Series and 991 911 included – is really good, this version on the SL is so damned soft and numb that it gives me no sense of security in curves taken with any heated intent. To repeat repeatedly, I felt forever compelled to back way off in many places where other two-seaters would have cheered me on and rewarded me handsomely for it.

So, just drive easily if you really have to have this SL, and then you’ll be extremely happy with your purchase. And meanwhile, I wait for my SL 63 AMG drive soon and know that it will feel like coming home again to a beautiful place where cars actually want to communicate something to me besides the weather.

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[Photo car: Mercedes-Benz SL 500; Review car: Mercedes-Benz SL 550]

{Mercedes-Benz SL 550}

Price: $105,500

Motor: 4,663 cc, 4-valve, twin turbocharged

Power: 429 hp

Torque: 516 lb-ft

Transmission: seven-speed automatic 7G Tronic + shift paddles

Fuel capacity: 17.2 gallons

Fuel efficiency: 25.9 miles U.S. gallon average (not final EPA figure)

Performance: 0-60 mph 4.5 seconds, top speed 155 mph

Length x width x height: 181.6 x 73.9 x 51.8 in

Wheelbase: 101.8 in

Curb weight: 3,935 lbs

Baggage volume: 17.8 cu ft

[Billy “Snap” MacGilicutty – SL 550 text, pics; pic help from Andreas Lindlahr]

It sure took VW Group long enough to get this done, but finally there’s a smarter and better Bentley Continental with a new V8.

In terms of how well a Bentley two-door with a humungous and thirsty 567-horsepower twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 engine can sell while green awareness grows….pretty well actually. Sales in the U.S. were up in 2011 by 31 percent and we were the n.1 Continental market worldwide. We should remain safely thus until maybe tomorrow on your calendar, as China storms past us to buy more of everything

Or it may stay neck and neck, now that the Continental GT and soft-top GTC get a second engine: the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with cylinder-on-demand as used in the latest Audi S6, S7, and S8, here tuned for 500 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque. One clear advantage is that these V8 cars can travel on average 40 percent farther than the same cars with the old W12, so drivers will have far fewer stops at gas stations and they’ll be polluting far less per mile. And maybe now bicycle advocates will stop spitting on Bentleys.

After a long and sporting drive on the well maintained roads of northern Spain’s affluent wine region, then a series of hot laps at the practically new Circuito de Navarra, I can easily say that this V8 Continental is exactly as the car should have come equipped from the start. Bentley still has a ways to go to get the GT and GTC exactly as I (and they) would like them to be, but this significant step over to eight strong cylinders is an inspired beginning.

For one thing, the V8 Contis now get a really satisfying voice throughout the rev range. From the two twin exhausts with a design that looks like two reposing 8s, the thunder and thrum is nearly constant, what with torque staying at the maximum 487 lb-ft from 1,700 to 5,000 rpm. Even prior to 1,700 revs, though, just pressing the throttle pedal starts the rumbling from beneath the chassis. The bi-turbo W12, due to its way of doing things technologically, just doesn’t provide this fantastic orchestra. The Continental is now appropriately more like a grownup Aston Martin V8 Vantage and remains much more capable than that Aston.

And, yes, I said that this Continental is 40 percent more efficient with fuel. Interestingly, the new engine is directly responsible for just 16 percent of this added efficiency with its fewer cylinders and consequently less weight. Then there’s direct injection, smaller higher-pressure turbochargers, and Cylinder on Demand – technologies that will finally be incorporated into the W12 only in 2014. The Continental GT V8 now uses an average of 18 mpg, while the GTC version reads 17 miles per delicious gallon of premium fuel. The CO2 emissions are down pretty convincingly on both cars as well.

Nearly all of this major improvement can happen only when the cars are driven very casually, obeying all traffic laws and speed limits – a major challenge for me when I have this much drama available to my right foot. The ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with torque converter that almost every luxury big car seems to be adopting these days is an excellent and strong gearbox for the normal everyday drive, even good for a slightly more sporting drive. It can hold higher revs on a lower gear for a certain amount of time when in the “S” sport setting or sequential “+/-“ manual position of the center console lever, and here is responsible for 6 percent of the fuel efficiency gains.

Out on the demanding 2.5-mile track of Navarra, however, the gearbox was giving me a few temper tantrums, to be honest. It had the uncanny ability of sucking most of the good fun out of each lap by upshifting automatically once the tachometer needle reached a few rpm short of the indicated 6,250 red zone. With full power arriving at 6,000 rpm, there was almost no time at all to enjoy it before the transmission decided it was time for the next gear up. Frankly, this is pretty shameful. In fact, at the Q&A we all had with Bentley bosses after the drive, even the Bentley Boys agreed with me and said that solutions are in place for a future Super Sports trim package that holds gears, or perhaps even a different gearbox in the future. I certainly hope so, even if just for the chance of taking a Bentley onto a track and being honestly blown away.

The cylinder deactivation technology that adds an additional 5 percent of the fuel efficiency for this 4.0-liter V8 is called Cylinder on Demand, just as on the Audi S cars in which it was launched at the end of 2011. During the many no-throttle moments of any drive while in the normal “D” setting for the transmission, cylinders 2-3-5-8 cease their valve-lift and combustion phases whenever the “no throttle load” time exceeds five seconds. Once there’s any downward throttle pedal angle change for acceleration, the special cam lobes shift back to engaging these four cylinders. I felt nothing at all and there is no special readout anywhere on the dashboard that lets me know how I’m doing in saving the planet. And this is perfect for such car buyers in my opinion, because research shows that they just want it to work and they don’t ever want to have to think about it. How owners will grow to notice it is in the fewer times they’ll need to go to the fuel station to fill the tank; the theoretical range for these V8 Contis is now 525 miles.

Dynamically, especially as shown on the demanding track, these Continentals are still heavy things. The 385 added pounds of the GTC V8 in particular were quite noticeable out on the Spanish country roads. I personally would not purchase the GTC over the hardtop GT simply because of the noticeable dynamic compromises. (If I had a nice house and garage in southern France or in Santa Barbara, well…) Either car is an improvement over their W12 originals this way, but more needs to be done somehow. Again, the Bentley Boys all nod in agreement to this point.

Nonetheless, the 55 lbs less weight at the nose of the car and freshened 40:60 torque split of the all-wheel drive are welcome touches that render the V8 Continentals more dynamically adept than the W12s. In fact, Bentley has decided to use the red Flying B logo for all of these V8 engine models, a sign that there are much better things to come that will make things less fat feeling. All together, I really enjoyed these twin-turbo V8 Bentleys and cannot wait for the next iteration of both. For now, acceleration to 60 mph for the GT V8 is 4.6 seconds, that for the GTC a respectable 4.7 seconds. Happily, top speed stays just over 185 mph for both, though the wind noise in the GTC should limit the soft-top car to 155 mph. But I am not the boss, of course.

What Bentley needs to do next with these cars is give them a more sophisticated dynamics package, such as used at distant VW Group relative Porsche with the Sport Chrono Plus technologies that really combine all the dynamic features into one interface instead of leaving everything separate all over the dashboard and console. That Porsche relation is also becoming less distant now that legendary former Porsche R&D boss Wolfgang Dürheimer now runs Bentley and new hire Rolf Frech now leads Bentley R&D, having been at Porsche prior to this where he originated…you guessed it…Sport Chrono Plus. Frech just looked at me after I shared my thoughts and said, “Don’t worry, Billy; you can be sure this is the way we are going in future.”

Bentley seems to think that the Continental GT and GTC engine split will be 50/50 between W12 and V8 twin turbo purchases. I say that’s wrong and that the split will quickly be seen as around 25:75 in clear favor of the better V8 powertrain and packaging.

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{Bentley Continental GT + GTC V8}

Price: $180,000; GTC – $200,000

Deliveries start: mid-April 2012 in U.S.

Motor: 4,000 cc, 4-valve

Power: 500 bhp @ 6,000 rpm

Torque: 487 lb-ft @ 1,700 – 5,000 rpm

Transmission: eight-speed ZF automatic w/shift levers on steering column

Fuel capacity: 23.8 gallons

MPG avg. city/hwy: 18 mpg; GTC – 17 mpg

Performance: 0-60 mph 4.6 seconds, v-max 188 mph; GTC – 4.7 sec., 187 mph

Length x width x height: 15’9” x 7’3” x 4’7”; GTC height – 1 mm less than GT

Wheelbase: 9’0”

Curb weight: 5,060 lbs; GTC – 5,445 lbs

Cargo space: 12.6 cu ft; GTC – 9.1 cu ft

[ Billy "Snap" MacGillicuty – Bentley Continental V8 words; David Shepherd – Bentley Continental V8 photos]

The 991 911 from Porsche is a major evolution of the sportscar and now the soft-top version gets ready for a new summer.

What a difference three months make. After the September 2011 introduction in Frankfurt of the new Porsche 911 – called the “991” – I drove the Carrera S version of that new masterpiece coupe with both the new seven-speed manual transmission as well as the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch version with fresher better software in California during a very warm and sunny November. Today, I am on the Canary Islands just west of Africa in February to drive the new 911 cabriolet. I even looked at the weather forecasts to make sure there would be lots of pleasant weather; it’s an iconic cabriolet and I did not want to close the roof at all.

The big difference for that first drive in November really was that I and other journalists were concerned and a little scared to think about a 911 that is so different from the traditional 911 recipe. Before the drives in California, there was some tension in the air, to be quite honest. But after the drives, I realized that the wonderful 911 history would continue on to new great achievements with this 21^st-century car that is a big improvement both visually and dynamically over the 997 generation.

It’s very appropriate that I get excited over finally driving the cabriolet, too, because Dr. Porsche’s original 356 in 1948 was, in fact, an open car and not the more famous coupe. That being a fact, however, it’s also true that the modern 911 Carrera did not have a drop-top version until 1982 with the G-model 911 SC.

It would be pretty easy to say that this 991 cabriolet is just the coupe without a solid roof, but one can never just say that and not expect to cause a donnybrook. For one thing, the cabriolet is the utmost statement of French Riviera or Santa Barbara wealth and leisure. It is much more a four-season lifestyle statement than is the coupe body, the latter being mostly for those who stress the sporting side of the 911 legend. The same personality shift holds true here.

As with the 991 coupe, the 991 cabriolet is anywhere from 100 to 130 pounds lighter versus the previous 997 911 cabrio. This is primarily due to the wider use of aluminum in the body and chassis – a full 50 percent is in aluminum. It’s remarkable what Porsche has done as part of its “Porsche Intelligent Performance” effort here, since the 991 has a wheelbase that is 4 inches longer than that on the previous model car and it is 1.2 inches longer overall. The difference in the handling between the most recent 997 II and 991 models equates to a major improvement for the 991, what with that greater wheelbase, wider front track, lower ride height, and less weight while having more power and torque.

At 3,274 lbs of curb weight (or roughly 121 lbs less than on the preceding 997 Carrera S cabriolet) with the optional PDK gearbox and 394 horsepower at 7,400 rpm from the 3.8-liter flat-six direct-injected engine, that’s just 8.2 lbs per horsepower in the Carrera S trim. (And 8.1 lbs per horse when you stay with the standard seven-speed manual shifter.) Then, of course, torque is a healthy 325 pound-feet peaking at 5,600 rpm. When I take the top trim Carrera S cabriolet with Sport Chrono Plus and the weight savings and stopping power of the optional PCCB brake discs, I can reach acceleration to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds as estimated by Porsche. That’s versus 3.9 seconds in the coupe body of the same setup. A day driving both this Carrera S 911 cabrio and the Audi R8 4.2 V8 Spyder with R-tronic would be a sweet day indeed, although the better side-by-side would be to wait for the 911 Carrera 4S cabriolet instead for it to be a true and fair comparison. The R8 Spyder may have 424 hp, but at 3,869 lbs it also weighs considerably more than any 911.

The biggest debate on the new 911 family has been the revolutionary change of electro-mechanical power steering for the very first time. Whereas on the new coupe I drove three months ago I felt very positive about the overall feel of this new steering strategy, especially the complete lack of resistance at the full left and right lock when driving quickly through tight curves, here in the cabriolet this new solution is almost perfectly matched. The balance between assistance and no assistance is ideally suited to the no-roof lifestyle, but it doesn’t ever go too soft. The directness of the action at the wheel in my hands while driving quickly in Sport Plus mode of the Sport Chrono Plus is really a pleasure here – even nicer than on the coupe.

Both the seven-speed PDK automated dual-clutch and seven-speed manual are based on the same set of gear ratios as set up by German supplier ZF. I enjoy both, this dual-clutch PDK in its third generation of development being every bit as good as the best Audi S-tronic seven-speed. The manual seven is as good as it needs to be, but the shift lever does go very far to the right away from me when the top gear is engaged. What Porsche has done to help minimize this feeling of reaching too far is to give the new 911 a center console similar to that in the famous Carrera GT. (Some might even say similar to the Panamera center console, too.) By doing this, the shift lever is closer to the steering wheel than before. The lock-out solution to avoid shifting into sixth or seventh gears until you’ve engaged fifth gear is another smart development, since those top two overdrive gears are a little long at 0.88:1 and 0.71:1 respectively in the manual treatment. In fact, top speed of 187 mph in the 911 Carrera S cabriolet with manual is reached soon after fifth gear with its 1.08:1 ratio. That ratio is the same for fifth gear in the PDK, but top speed in that case is 186 mph due only to the additional 44 lbs aboard..

The fundamental differentiator between this new model I’m driving here and the original coupe, of course, is the folding fabric roof. The exact weight to the car as a result of the roof, its actuators, and the structural changes to maintain chassis rigidity, is around 80 lbs, which is remarkably little. How do they do this? Porsche has engineered a magnesium “panel bow” structure for the tightly stretched roof fabric that significantly lessens the mass, while also maintaining perfectly the roof line as established by the hardtop 991 911. The main aesthetic result being that this cabriolet looks just as good as the coupe when it’s closed. Under the stretched fabric are four solid magnesium panels – the front section that attaches to the windscreen frame, two center segments, and the rear window whose framing is likewise in magnesium. While opening, the four segments lay one on top of the other neatly while the fabric part folds as before in a Z configuration. This all disappears into a rear bin over the engine compartment that is 9.0 inches deep and 21.7 inches across.

The action of the opening or closing of the new high-tech roof takes just 13 seconds, the rear steel tonneau cover being the only body part that needs to move while this occurs. The front section of the roof itself actually acts as the rest of the tonneau, if you will, once the roof is fully folded behind the rear seats. As for the wind deflector piece behind the front seats to lessen the buffeting within the cabin when the roof is open, this is now automated as well for the first time and can move into or out of position in just two seconds at the press of a new button on the console. Have to say: the organization of all this roof mechanism is terrifically easy and the most sophisticated feeling I’ve yet seen and experienced.

The other part about a loose roof is that the whole sound experience changes. Whereas the coupe body introduced the Porsche “sound symposer” – basically a mysterious membrane that transmits more intake sound from the engine through to the passenger cabin when the Sport Chrono Plus is set in Sport or Sport Plus – the effect of this here is understandably lessened by the increased wind noise while the roof is open. Trust me, though, the sound is still mighty nice and I’m getting a sun tan while driving this model in the Canary Islands. Not bad, I’d say, as trade-offs go.

The roads out here in the eastern Atlantic are a healthy mix of perfect surfaces but an occasional noisy and lumpy one. Given this, I generally preferred the 19-inch standard wheels on the Carrera base model instead of the 20-inch standard set now found on the Carrera S, particularly given the 991 model’s 2.1-in wider front axle when compared to the 997 generation (1.8-in on Carrera). On the other hand, whereas I feel the coupe does not much benefit from the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control with its dynamic sway bars, I do feel that I’d want to have this on my cabriolet when I buy one. With the added 44 lbs of weight and the less rigid chassis/body communicating to me (though there is an 18 percent improvement in chassis vibration frequency versus the 997 II equivalent), PDCC together with the standard (on Carrera S) Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus at the rear axle helps matters when I’m in a situation where I can drive the car hard.

I deliberately chose to test a Carrera S with PDK and the standard multi-function steering wheel instead of the new sport steering wheel with shift paddles. Even today, customers want the standard steering wheel more than the paddles because only the standard wheel can come with multi-function features. The drive on the 20-inch Pirellis on the public roads, and at a small pro circuit where we could go a little crazy, is exactly as you might imagine: very tight and very responsive to every move of the steering wheel. The 0.4-in lower ride height of the Carrera S with sport adaptive suspension really does provide a sports car with two distinct personalities over the road.

Apart from these practical details of the drive test, I have to admit that the longer wheelbase and lighter weight with more direct steering for the 991 911 Carrera or Carrera S cabriolet help a lot in making this 911 finally get on a level playing field with the Ferrari 458 Spider or hottest trims of the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Never has an open 911 felt so strong, well built, and quick to respond.

This might easily be the best summer of your life. You can buy the cabriolet 911s starting in mid-April.

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2012 Porsche 991 911 cabriolet

Carrera:

Length: 176.8 in; width: 71.2 in; height: 50.9 in

Wheelbase: 96.5 in

Track f/r: 60.6 in/59.7 in

Curb Weight: 3,197 lbs (3,241 lbs PDK)

Engine: 3,436cc “9A1” flat-six, 24-valve; direct injection

Transmission: seven-speed manual (seven-speed PDK option)

Wheels/tyres: front – 8,5 x 19,0-inch front, 11,0 x 19,0-inch rear; 235/40 ZR19 92Y front, 285/35 ZR19 103Y rear; Goodyear Eagle F1

Top Speed: 178 mph (177 mph PDK)

0-60 mph acceleration: 4.8 seconds (4.6 sec. PDK; 4.4 sec. PDK w/Sport Plus)

Carrera S:

Length: 176.8 in; width: 71.2 in; height: 50.9 in

Wheelbase: 96.5 in

Track f/r: 60.6 in/59.7 in

Curb Weight: 3,230 lbs (3,274 lbs PDK)

Engine: 3,800cc “9A1” flat-six, 24-valve; direct injection

Transmission: seven-speed manual (seven-speed PDK option)

Wheels/tyres: front – 8,5 x 20,0-inch front, 11,0 x 20,0-inch rear; 245/35 ZR20 91Y front, 295/30 ZR20 101Y rear; Pirelli P Zero

Top Speed: 187 mph (186 mph PDK)

0-60 mph acceleration: 4.5 seconds (4.3 sec. PDK; 4.1 sec. PDK w/Sport Plus)

[ Billy “Snap” MacGillicuty – 991 911 text & photo; Christoph Bauer – 991 911 photo help]

Betchyerass I’m waiting for the M3, but I prefer this one if my 3 Series is for every occasion

Can we judge how great a sports car is by the size of the fine the officer hands us? It depends, I guess, on the officer and how understanding he or she is, whether they like sports cars, whether they’re bowled over by my affable humility in accepting that I’ve been caught having too much fun on their beat.

Boy, did I get caught. California’s Highway 1 heading south out of Monterey was barren on a perfectly sunny day. Apparently the explanation was that there had been a landslide down south a ways and so people were avoiding the road out of fear of getting turned around due to the closure. It was a gorgeous day, a day absolutely made for the car I was driving, the latest BMW 335i sedan with 302 SAE horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque in Sport trim with standard six-speed manual. And in Melbourne Red Metallic.

BMW had a range of 328i and 335i sedans available, from the 328i in Modern trim with manual up to the car I was destined to pick, the turbocharged I6 on the Sport chassis with manual. They also had the 335i Sport with optional eight-speed automatic and the paddles of the sport steering wheel, but I was completely uninterested in that, or in any other trim 3 Series this day. I came to drive hard the car I would buy if I was in the market for a German sport sedan.

I’d been tear-assing southward through the famous curves and over the national landmark bridges built in the 1930s, loving every sight, feeling remarkable, not even really minding much the 19-inch Goodyear Potenza run-flats which tend to bother me with their deadness and weight as they meet the pavement. I came to just north of the remote village of Lucia and there opening before me was the last long-ish straight prior to the bunt-and-coffee stop. I laid into it in third gear coming out of the final well designed curve, hit 6,800 revs and pulled the stick down into fourth. I approached a little bridge with a large manzanita bush at the opposite end on the coast side. Right then, I said to myself, “Perfect spot for the CHP to perch.”

When I saw the black fender panel of the Ford Explorer peak out from behind that bush, I must have been doing – yes – many mph and about ready to toss it into fifth gear like a pro.

BAM!! instead on the brake pedal, all my belongings on the passenger seat chucked into the right foot well, and the guilty sound of a muted skid as the whole stationary CHP Explorer went past the passenger windows as if in slow motion. I was making an officer’s day, maybe their week. The ventilated compound brake discs bit really well – not too soft and not too hard – and the feel at the pedal was pretty firm and steady. Car didn’t deviate one inch from its intended line of travel.

The officer was nice about it, gotta say. He ticketed me for 85 mph and saluted me by saying, “Man, I wish I could be out here patrolling in this car instead of that Explorer.” He even joked and said what I had thought just before: “Heck, you made my day!”

The rest of my time on Highway 1 was less hair-brained, don’t worry. But it is not easy to leash the hounds in this car. I do desperately love a good day in an M3 or Mercedes C63 AMG, but my choice would be either this exact car I’m driving or an Audi S4 with manual. The choice would be tough, but I do enjoy much more the new design language on this F30 generation 3 Series, so it’d probably win out. At $43,295 MSRP plus destination when U.S. customers can take delivery on February 11th, too, it avoids the nose bleed section of this sporting segment of cars. Fully duded up in Sport line clothes and just the way I like it, it’d still be under $50k, and that number does make sense to me. If you want a Japanese car or Korean car or American car that somewhat competes with this 3 Series, go right ahead. As far as overall experience behind the wheel, none of these nations’ models reach quite this high in true owner satisfaction. Drive any of the others alongside this 335i Sport with manual shifter and, unless you’re a person who thinks a car is an appliance that wanders occasionally from home and only price per horse matters, you’ll get what I’m talking about here.

After heading back north along the coast highway with my tail tucked between my legs, BMW had a treat for me that would easily make up for the salty fine and the point on my driver’s license record. They insisted that I take unending laps around Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in a car identical to that which I had driven on the road. What would have been a kick for me would have been to have the officer from that morning in the passenger seat with me as testament to the fact that this 335i set up this way is arguably impossible to drive within legal speed limits. I’m certain he would have torn up the citation right there in the pits. Dontchya think?

Laps on a track are the greatest way to see just what I might swap out on my 335i Sport in order to make my laps all the better. I would get a non-run-flat set of 19-inch tires that work perfectly with the car, maybe some Michelin Pilot Sports, and I would hunt around for a more robust brakeset. Basically, these are the items that are always on my list after thrashing around in any 3 Series-sized sport sedan. The run-flats are very predictable sliders in the bends, I must say, and they are fun in their way, but they slide simply too much of the time. I kept the car in Sport+ of the Driving Dynamics Control at all times and this made it easier to compensate for the lifeless tires by playing with the more responsive throttle and steering, and leaning on the more rigid suspension.

In Sport+, the Dynamic Traction Control is switched off while the Dynamic Stability Control stays on the job, albeit with a slightly higher threshold allowed by the ECU. The conditions were so ideal this day that I wanted to go further and switch off the DSC, too, but then I felt the loosey-goosey tires would work even more against me. Get the better tires for track day at least and, on a sunny day, poke off the DSC to let the real lap times begin. Nonetheless, the optional sport-tuned suspension on my car, which lowers the chassis by four tenths of an inch, was my greatest ally lap after lap. (Adaptive M Sport suspension is also available on the options list and lowers things to the same degree.) The grace and balance under the hardest lateral gs with the run-flats howling was exemplary. Definitely an M3 would nail all this like there’s no tomorrow, but then I don’t want to drive an M3 every day, not even in my dreams. This every day driver, however, I could see in my garage without a moment’s hesitation.

Which brings me to something that deserves to be in some hall of fame for sports cars: the Getrag six-speed manual “K” gearbox. The clutch and shift lever work like a vaudeville duo that’s been on the circuit for twenty years. The shifts are remarkably faithful, just notchy enough without being chunky style, and the exit and entrance into each gear is silky sweet. Not once did I find the wrong gear in the forward or rearward trio on the lever, and into and out of some of the eleven turns at Laguna Seca this is a regular occurrence in many other cars. Would I rather live with an essentially dead left foot and flicking fingers, or revel in the joys of well executed heel-and-toe shifts and blipped throttles? Need you ask?

The N55 TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder that’s getting so much attention these past couple of years is sensational here. The sport exhaust with separated twin blackened tailpipes is a sweet singer for a not-quite-an-M3 car. Pulling power and pushing torque from the rear axle and twin-scroll Borg Warner turbocharger with 8.7 psi of boost pressure are both so damned smooth, and the even smoother Getrag six makes the powertrain and drivetrain even more tank-like in their smoothness, if you get my drift.

And zero to 60 mph acceleration in 5.4 seconds? My ass. This manual 335i Sport in Sport+ can do this dash – I’ll swear by it – in 5.0 seconds flat, maybe even having a 4.9 in it somewhere. Top speed, a figure I really don’t care about at all unless the straights are really long on this or that track, is a typical BMW top trim 155 mph, or way more than adequate.

I do like the exterior-matching red trim accents on the interior in this Sport, and the leatherette with red stitching of the standard power front seats with lumbar support is attractive and comfortable for many miles. Go ahead and whine about the sobering colors of my car’s interior, but I want black in there if the exterior is red. The support from the seats while under lateral duress especially could use just a scootch more upper body assistance, but the three-spoke sport steering wheel kind of makes up for this by being really good to grip and leverage. And four adults can have a hell of a good time in there while on the track, too, although at that point maybe it would be time to admit the need for an M3 to transfer all that weight side-to-side and up toward The Corkscrew.

When driving that everyday route and with traffic, the timid new Eco Pro mode of the DDC helps save fuel and recuperate energy for the battery via smart charging using natural engine braking. This recuperated energy allows the air conditioning and other ancillaries to run off the battery directly instead of off the alternator which saps a surprising amount of power from the engine.

I have to admit: I didn’t like much the Eco Pro way of doing things in the 335i Sport with the manual. The shift indicator is almost immediately urging me to get to sixth gear and I don’t want to do that until speed is sufficient. The DDC with Eco Pro is most at home in the 328i with eight-speed automatic, which is no surprise, but I can thankfully just choose to not indulge it in this 335i with six-speed.

After about 25 hot laps at Laguna Seca, the 335i Sport and I were one. I found it was smarter to leave the Getrag ‘box in third through a few of the turns where some less ambitious drivers might force it to second gear. The amount of torque available down fairly low is just right for third-gearing like this while carrying through a bunch of speed and enough revs. I was having a ball and, like with our diligent CHP officer, this Bimmer had made my day.

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BMW 335i Sport

Price: $43,295 + Sport options

Motor: 2,979 cc, 4-valve

Power: 302 hp @ 5,800 rpm

Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 1,300 – 5,000 rpm

Transmission: standard six-speed Getrag “K” manual

Fuel capacity: 15.8 gallons

City/hwy combined mpg avg.: TBD by BMW

Performance (est.): 0-60 mph 5.4 seconds, top speed 155 mph

Length x width x height: 182.5 x 71.3 x 56.3 in (55.9-in height w/sport suspension or M adaptive suspension)

Wheelbase: 110.6 in

Curb weight: 3,571 lbs

Cargo space: 13.0 cu. ft.

[ Billy “Snap” MacGillicuty – text; BSM and Greg Jarem – pics]

Mid-Size/Econo-Luxury Car

2011 Kia Optima EX

Shocker here, I know. Even if there were any other cars in this category, I think the Optima would still have won, it’s that good. I’ve recommended this car to everyone I’ve come across looking for a great luxury car under 30,000 dollars. Our car was only $27,440, and in EX trim with heated steering wheel, front and rear seats, as well as cooled front seats, too. Oh, and it had navigation, panoramic sunroof, and a backup camera. It’s just so damn good, I swear.

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Sports Car

Runner-up:

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Plain and simple, if we didn’t rank this as one of the best sports cars of our year, we’d be nuts. So here ya go.

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The Winner!

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

under $40,000 with 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 times in under 4.5 seconds, enough machismo to do crazy burnouts, and then punch a BMW M3 in the face on the race track, it’s our winner.

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Utility Vehicle/Truck

Runner-up:

2011 Ford F-150 King Ranch

Seriously one of the most luxurious, coolest, and biggest trucks on the road today. Drive this anywhere, and everyone’ll know you’re better than them, and can run them over.

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The Winner!

2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD

With style, substance, comfort, navigation, backup camera, heated and cooled front seats, all-wheel drive with a locking differential, the Kia Sportage is a great vehicle. I’d recommend the new turbocharged motor since the standard 2.4-liter 170-horse, 163 lb-ft of torque doesn’t quite have what it takes to get you out of the way.

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Gas Saver/Economy Car

Runner-up:

2011 Mazda2

So it’s a tad more expensive than the Toyota Yaris, less powerful, fewer miles to the gallon, but it’s much more fun to drive. The 2 is also a great little hatch to buy for anyone you love. Safe to drive, but more than that, the gearbox and clutch are perfect.

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The Winner!

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport

$20,580 with 32 mpg between city and highway, it’s an obvious winner. It’s the car I’m trying to convince my parents to buy my 16 year old niece as her first car. ‘Nuff said. Sporty, frugal, and great looking. It’s our winner, beating the Chevy Volt and the Toyota Prius.

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Premium Luxury Car

Runner-up:

2011 Porsche Panamera V6

Our test car was $82,190, which makes it better than pretty much any car in its class with the amount of luxury, interesting style, and amazing double-clutch gearbox. Also, 500+ miles to a tank of gas is fun, but filling up 26.4 gallons is not. With how much fun it was, even with a V6, it would have been the best luxury car to buy…

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The Winner!

2012 Audi A7

Except for the fact that the Audi A7 with more options was only $69,630. So, uh, yeah. Congratulations to Audi for getting another car of the year award for the A7.

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What a hell of a year it’s been, right? Protests on Wall Street, riots and middle east uprisings, tsunamis, earthquakes, crazy tornado season, Osama bin Laden was killed, Steve Jobs died, and a U.S. Senator tweeted his wiener (no pun intended). There was so much more news, but not much of it would pertain to cars.

However, 2011 was the year of car reviews for RawAutos. We had 18 total car reviews, 17 of them being brand new cars (the other was my personal 2009 BMW M3 in the comparison test with the 2011 Ford Mustang GT). Think of this as a sort of RawAutos Cars of the Year Awards, the ones we’ve personally reviewed.

2012 can only prove to be better, but until then, we need your help picking the very best cars in each segment for our 2011 year in reviews. Below you’ll find the full list of categories for which the cars can win. Feel free to click on the name of each car to check out the review, or just scroll through the browser images for each one.

Premium Luxury Car

2011 Porsche Panamera V6

What we said:

The Good: Charming dynamics; you’d never know it wasn’t a V8 from inside or out; performance is better than a V6 should be.

The Bad: Navigation can be a little awkward to figure out and work; not so hot soundtrack from out back; pricey options list; rear visibility not so great; don’t buy the V6 if you really want a four door 911.

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2011 Audi A4 2.0T

What we said:

The Good: Safer feeling than any other car in its class; top notch knee bolsters; 8-speed automatic allows for good fuel economy; perfectly sized trunk; Styling is killer

The Bad: 8-speed automatic not as well suited for sportier driving; seats have very limited side bolsters; non-attractive colors used for infotainment screen; steering wheel is BIG

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2012 Audi A7

What we said:

The Good: Sexy styling coupled with a fun character; Similarly optioned cars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz can be a teacher’s salary more; iPhone levels of technology and ability.

The Bad: Somewhat stiff ride with the bigger wheels and tires; A decent amount of road noise; Google Earth nav showed fewer points of interest than Google Maps on my iPhone; The 3.0 T badge is annoying when there’s a supercharged badge on the sides.

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Mid-Size/Econo-Luxury Car

2011 Kia Optima EX

What we said:

At the end of the day, is the new for 2011 Kia Optima going to steal buyers away from Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz? No, not quite. Not yet, at least. But it will make the people going to buy an Acura at $30,000+, or the Hyundai Sonata within the $20-35,000 price areas think twice. But the most likely hurt is the pile-driver it may put on the Honda Accord. The Honda Accord is, and should be, the direct competition to this car. I have no doubts that the Kia Optima will only move up the ladder from there to become the best that Asia has to offer for less than $30,000 worth of elegant sportiness.

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Sports Car

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

What we said:

And there you have it, the car that easily takes the cake, at this price range. Let’s be honest, had the Mustang GT been closer to 50 grand, it would have been a bigger dog fight between it and the M3. But let’s get one thing straight, Ford made one hell of a sports coupe. The Sync and Mach 1 sound system are fantastic, as is the ability to stream music from my iPhone via Bluetooth for way less than $40,000, a feature no 2008-2010 M3 has. The seats are terrible, though. As comfy as they are, they’re nowhere near as hold-you-in-place bolstered as my 2008 Bullitt Mustang’s were. I will say, too, get some xenons if you’re ordering the Mustang GT, because the stock halogens aren’t too great on back roads at night.

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2011 Chevrolet Corvette

What we said:

While some may sit there and think, “Why is the only sports car coming in last?” Well, in short, because it’s not versatile enough. There’s no breakup between the hatch and the cab, and I know first hand of what it’s like to have something come flying forward at you when you make a panic stop in a Corvette. That’s not to say it isn’t a good every day car, because it certainly is. With great gas mileage, comfortable seating, and easy to use everything, the Chevrolet Corvette is no pile o’ junk. However, give me a 2012 with the new interior updates (better seats and steering wheel) and we’ll see how this test plays out then…

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

What we said:

Yes, the SLS AMG coupe was and still is a thrilling space ship landed on Earth. But it’s clear that the real SLS AMG to lust after and loathe is this remarkably sexy roadster.

But it’s not only a Côte d’Azur fun show here; the SLS Roadster gets around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:43 according to director of engine development at AMG Friedrich Eichler. The coupe can do it in 7:36 officially, so the roadster doesn’t just fall apart into a wet noodle for want of a solid roof and adding 88 pounds of curb weight. Even though the actual structural weight added to the space frame aluminum chassis is only 4.5 lbs, the stiffness suffers only minimally when I start hammering it through the many famous curves of these coastal roads. I was definitely prepared for the infuriating waggle of the frame I always hated on the SLR McLaren Roadster. But it honestly doesn’t happen here. There is just a bit of give in the structure here and there, but nowhere near what happens on an SLR or Aston DBS Volante.

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2011 Mazda Miata SE

What we said:

All-in-all, I had a blast with the Mazda Miata Special Edition for a whole week. I had no issues with the people looking at me a little awkwardly as I had a creepy grin on my face, having just come from either a tight cornering exit-ramp, or a long b-road. My money’s on you having a great time, too, my friends. If you’re a man and are skeptical, just go drive one and see how much you love it. Ladies, uh, well we all know what you think already. So for $31,720, the Special Edition is worth the added 225 bucks for the shiny colors and beautiful interior color. I’m not sure if any are still available, so I’ll say that you should go out and buy A Mazda Miata. Thanks to Mazda for “Staying With the Stick” and continuing to give us these great sports cars the way we want them.

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2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe

What we said:

The Good: The Mini Coupe is just plain fun; 29.3 mpg average is quite good after a couple hours on the track, hard mountain, and speedy highway driving; Rear hatch has more room than you’d think.

The Bad: At $32,400 the Mini Coupe is a bit steep for just two seats with a harsher suspension and the same amount of power; Some really don’t like the styling; Could be a little more track focused.

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Utility Vehicle/Truck

2011 Ford F-150 King Ranch

What we said:

The Good: Big, manly and sturdy; Brakes that could stop the Earth’s rotation; Power that could get it spinning again; Comfortable cabin with limo rear seating; Optional 6.5-ft bed and side bed steps make this truck more usable every day.

The Bad: 16 mpg average; Isn’t what you’re always looking for these days, in terms of size; Is a truck that can drive over slower cars a bad thing?

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2011 Kia Sorento EX AWD

What we said:

So there you have it. The 2011 Kia Sorento is actually better than its competition from Honda. Sure the interior could be a little nicer without so many plastics, but for a price of $34,925, it’s very comfortable and well suited for almost any job. But while the Sorento beats out the Honda, it’s still second to the Mazda CX-9 who is the king of this market.

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2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD

What we said:

So while certain things of the car aren’t perfect, for the as-tested price of $29,990, it’s a pretty good deal for what you do get in terms of style, options and interesting features. Something that really is great at this price point is hill assist/descent, as well as a center-locking differential.

While the 2011 Kia Sportage may not be the best value for your dollar now compared to its competitors, keep in mind that ALG, a company specializing in analyzing automotive data and determining residual values has placed the new Sportage at 61% for a three year lease. That’s up where Hondas usually are…

So how good is the new Sportage? I’ll have to give it a 3 out of 5. It’s good enough to work for most people, but not quite enough to be the right tool for each job.

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Gas Saver/Economy Car

2012 Chevrolet Volt

What we said:

In the end, I came away very impressed with how the Chevy Volt drives, acts, and the innovation of having gas, mixed with lithium ion batteries, and plug-in capabilities. GM seems to have it all covered, except for the fact that I think this is just slightly better than a good enough product. It’s good, but it’s not great, nor is it the answer, I don’t think. The answer, for me, lay in the future GM vehicles that will take advantage of the current car’s concept of the future. Is it a bad car? By no means. Yet if the Volt, or any other PHEV is to succeed, we need more battery power. I’ve been told that the Chevy Volt uses roughly 60% of its full battery power to increase the overall battery life of the car due to charging. See, each time you charge a battery, you’re actually depleting its abilities over time. This is why I believe Chevrolet need to get government assistance to replenish or replace each Volt’s battery after about 3-5 years under a factory warranty to each owner. This way, it’ll always benefit from proper technology.

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2011 Toyota Prius

What we said:

Conclusion: The Prius is a mass-produced masterpiece, and in the world of hybrids, it is king. However, if I was in the market for a mid-$20k 5-door, I would never buy a Toyota Prius or a Honda Insight… I would buy the Audi A3 because I (and likely you, a car blog reader) am not the Prius’ target buyer. The Prius and Insight are devoid of performance, solely existing to be ecologically and economically responsible and, as a result, take the fun out of driving. In fact, while I was taking pictures of the Toyota Prius, I was quite distracted by a beautiful Porsche 911 Targa that drove by. When a car company produces a reasonably priced, quick, fun-to-drive, practical hybrid with Prius-like mpg stats, only then I’ll be interested. And a 20 mpg Escalade Hybrid doesn’t count. But for non-car enthusiasts, the Prius (and for those on a tighter budget, the Insight) is the perfect choice – fuel economy, an eco-friendly image, cargo space, and all the standard creature comforts.

Toyota Prius 2010

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Toyota Prius 2010

2011 Mazda2

What we said:

With the 5-speed manual transmission, this car is a blast to drive, though. Say what you want about its gas mileage and looks, but for what it lacks, it makes up for with sheer driving pleasure. It’s amazing, because I found myself driving the Mazda2 to the end of the earth just for the hell of it, for no better reason than to just row the gears of this baby BMW. And when I say baby BMW, I don’t mean it’s a competitor to the German car maker. No, I mean it’s the car every automaker can take a page from. The Mazda2 is a front-wheel drive master. It doesn’t act like your typical front-driver. And while it may not be as wallet loving as the Toyota Yaris, it at least makes sense to your heart. It’s not as roomy and class leading as the Honda Fit, but it does sport, luxury and spaciousness fantastically well. If BMW or any other car company wants to make FWD mpg cars, they might as well just buy a Mazda2 and slap their badge on it. If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em. This car is so solid, it’s easier to drive at highway speeds than my ’05 MINI Cooper S. At 80 or so mph, the Mazda2 feels as if it’s right at home. Sure, you know you’re going faster, but the car never really feels overloaded at speed.

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2011 Kia Forte SX 5-Door

What we said:

The Good: The style of an Audi from Kia, again; Features and amenities will never have you second guess why you spent $23,640 on this car; This is a new Kia for a new customer; Tons of fun to drive around country roads.

The Bad: Kia is still questioned by some; I was asked many times, “This is really a Kia?”; Spirited driving has you falling out of your seat; Spirited driving hijacks your wallet at the pump; Awkward seating positions; Gas mileage isn’t the best and could use some work.

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport

What we said:

The Good: Bold, sexy styling worthy of awards; Drives like a sports car with a good trunk and an extra set of doors; Dude, it’s 20-grand and gets 32 mpg!

The Bad: With tech savvy Sync, computer geeks will enjoy the ease of use; But non-tech savvy will need to fiddle a bit; Needs more rear legroom and nicer interior materials; Needs a bit more power and torque to feel less sluggish.

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If you read or listen to what most people say these days, a Mini isn’t really that mini any longer. Mini now build 4 different versions of the Cooper lineup, including the standard Hardtop model, Clubman, Countryman, and their latest venture, the Mini Coupe. That’s what I had for a week before Christmas in the mountains of North Carolina. I hate my job…

BMW and I had decided that since Greer, SC isn’t too far away from my house in North Carolina, I could come down and take the new 2012 Mini Coupe around their track at the Performance Center. I was giddy like a school kid about to meet a famous celebrity for the first time. I was so excited, I brought my own racing helmet along, only to find out upon arriving that I wouldn’t need it, because I wouldn’t be carrying those kinds of speed around the track. Sad face… They said I could wear my helmet if I really wanted to, simply for the cool factor. However, I refused to be that guy on this occasion.

I arrived on a Monday morning with one of my friends, Tom, in tow, signing release forms for the two of us in case anything bad happened. I knew I’d be fine, but Tom, I’m never really so sure about.

I talked to Matt Mullins, the head instructor at BMW’s Performance Center, and Greg, who’s last name will remain silent because he probably isn’t looking for the type of fame RawAutos can provide him -none. We mainly talked about the new 6 Gran Coupe that had just been released shortly before, but then we got down to brass tax: Checking out the new 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe.

My particular car started out with a base MSRP of $24,600, excluding destination charges. The color and options are listed as: $500 for Eclipse Gray Metallic with black sport stripes; Polar Beige Gravity leather at $1,500; $1,750 for Mini Connected with navigation; $1,500 for the sport package, which gave me 17″ black bullet alloy wheels, xenon headlights, dynamic traction control and white turn signal lights; Sport suspension, oddly enough, is an extra $500 charge; $250 for the Chrome line exterior with $100 going for black headlight housings; $250 for a center armrest; and $700 Harmon Kardon sound system. Add on a $700 destination fee and you’re staring at a $32,400 Mini Cooper with just two seats. Honestly, I do believe that Mini charge a bit much for stuff that should be standard, such as a center armrest. Why isn’t that standard? Oh, and why not a sport suspension with the sport package? Isn’t that the reason why you buy the sport package for a Mini?

While I know this may sound like a lot of money, try and look at it as something else. After a week with the Mini Coupe I started to actually believe that Mini hadn’t created a car of their own. No, they just made a front-wheel drive version of the old Z3 coupe. A car that I dearly love, especially in M guise. But, I will agree that at over 30 grand, with very little competition, the Mini Coupe doesn’t look all that appealing from your checkbook’s point of view.

Let’s get started by telling you the track tale before getting into the ‘is it worth it’ conversation.

The Mini Coupe in Cooper S form comes with the same 181 hp, 192 lb-ft of torque TwinPower turbo 4-cylinder that the standard Mini hardtop comes with.

Matt and Greg led Tom and I out to go see the Mini Coupe, and upon first glance, I still believe it’s uniqueness is clever and cool looking. Then again, I’m a Mini fan, previously owning a 2005 Pepper White Cooper S with a 15% supercharge pulley, cold air intake, and an M7 carbon fiber shift knob. We chatted about our first impressions, with Matt soon turning to Tom and I and saying, “If there’s anything else you’d like to drive while you’re down here, please, feel free…” Tom just looks at me for slight approval. A face he usually has when he knows he’s about to use up my own personal favors for himself. I just give him a small grin allowing him to do what he wants. Matt then says, “I noticed you’ve been eying up that 1 M, Tom,” as he damn near jumps out of his Pumas for joy. Matt grabs the keys to his E92 M3 DCT instructor’s car, Tom gets the 1 M’s keys, and I jump into the Mini, excited to drive it on any road surface, much less a test track.

We head out, taking it easy the first couple of laps, just kind of feeling the cars out a bit. I allow Matt and Tom to get farther ahead of me before I proceed to my seven-tenths pace, getting a little more aggressive each short lap. I notice that the Mini Coupe is much more comfortable driving fast than my old Cooper S, and even though I felt a little bit of a weight difference, about 100 lbs heavier than the standard Cooper S -still less than 2800 total lbs- you feel a little extra rear-end happiness around a smaller track like BMW’s. You still feel that understeer at the higher limits, yet it’s less noticeable if you’re not driving very aggressively. I also noticed, to my delight, that the gearshifts are much smoother and more direct than my Cooper S, however on the track it translates to a slightly slower and lazier feel, almost as if it’s a little soft and light.

After my couple of hours trading cars on the track, Tom and I drove off in the Mini Coupe and had some lunch, revisiting the greatness of the morning. I was surprised when he said to me, “Ya know, I was expecting the Mini Coupe to be a slow dog after getting out of the 1 M and into it. But it wasn’t at all. It held its own and was a memorable drive because of how much fun it was.” Coming from Tom, that’s saying a lot. Typically, if it doesn’t have lots of horsepower and wild grunt, it isn’t really worth mentioning. However, he did enjoy my last Cooper S.

The Mini Coupe is very interestingly, if not boldly styled. The roof that you see is supposed to look like a backwards baseball cap, leading many to say that the car was ugly. I definitely disagree. While it’s not a pretty car, I would never say it’s ugly. If anything, it’s cool and positively drawn out.

Even though the Mini Coupe suffers from having only two seats and being slightly cramped inside, it’s not uncomfortable. I’ve read other reviews and talked to fellow journalists who believe it’s uncomfortable with a harsher ride. My 2005 Cooper S was a harsh ride. The 2012 coupe is refreshingly comfy, and takes the bumps and bad roads of the southeast a lot better, let me tell you. Although, I can say that you’ll never confuse the Mini Coupe with being a luxury car, that’s for sure. Driving through the mountains of North Carolina, the Coupe stacks up very well and always feels planted and ready to be pushed around public roads. Going too slow will cause the Cooper to not enjoy itself, and it’s a car you want to rev high and happily. On the boring highways back to Raleigh, NC, the Mini was fantastic, eating up miles with relative comfort and ease. When pushing the Mini Coupe to the 100 mph zone, you feel surprisingly planted and heavy on the road. Not tank heavy, so you certainly know you’re doing 100+ mph, yet it’s not scary.

Starting from BMW’s Performance Center track, going to the mountains, then back to my home -a roughly 4 hour drive from the mountains to my house- and then back to Greer, SC a week later, I was more impressed with the gas mileage than anything else. BMW rates the Mini Coupe at 27 city and 35 highway mpg, yet I returned it to BMW averaging 29.3 mpg between city and highway, with track time, high speed runs, and lots of mountain road fun. All in all, I think that’s great,  and the first time I filled up after I drove it to empty, I was sitting at 410.5 total miles on the tank. Again, taking into account the hard driving I did, I think the Mini Coupe is excellent in that department. And don’t forget it can hit 60 mph in about 6-seconds flat.

There are a few faults that should be mentioned. The Mini Coupe doesn’t really have a lot of blind spots, it’s small enough to see around them with the mirrors pointed properly. But when the rear spoiler pops up at 51 mph -it goes back down at 37 mph- you can barely see much out the back window, which is already small enough as it is. So to say rearward visibility is limited would be putting it gently. Also, headroom was just fine for me at 5’9″, but I know anyone in the 6 foot range is going to struggle with comfort and will probably be tilting their head to drive the Mini Coupe.

Something that totally redeems the Mini Coupe of any issues with size or interior space is the rear hatch. Opening up the back shows a nice sized trunk for a good amount of stuff. I had my camera, laptop and clothing bags all with me, as well as my racing helmet snug under the elastic mesh area. Yet even better than that is how you can get to your stuff without ever getting out of the car. There’s a little cubby hole with a locking door that leads you straight to the hatch area. I had left something in the trunk while driving and didn’t feel like pulling over on the highway, as I was making great time. I opened the door, reached my right arm through without disrupting my driving, and pulled out what I was looking for. It was genius, and kinda felt like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. And speaking of the trunk, because I had the Mini Coupe shortly before Christmas, I drove some gifts from my parents’ house over to my sister’s for her to wrap (she loves wrapping everyone’s gifts. No really, she does), and it was quite a few large bags. I already had some stuff in the hatch, but surprisingly, everything fit without having to take anything out.

In the end, I felt as though the Mini Coupe was the perfect second car to put next to my BMW M3. However, I would enjoy more power, maybe about 215-220 hp? I think a car that costs 32,000 dollars should be a bit more powerful, regardless of all else. With that said, Mini have figured out how to make the perfect BMW Z3 Coupe all over again, which makes the Mini Coupe a great deal. To say I enjoyed my time with the Mini Coupe would be accurate, but to add that I loved its fun factor with great gas mileage would be spot on.

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The Good: The Mini Coupe is just plain fun; 29.3 mpg average is quite good after a couple hours on the track, hard mountain, and speedy highway driving; Rear hatch has more room than you’d think.

The Bad: At $32,400 the Mini Coupe is a bit steep for just two seats with a harsher suspension and the same amount of power; Some really don’t like the styling; Could be a little more track focused.

The Ugly: It’s a smaller Mini with only two seats; It’s really ugly to some…

The Truth: The 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe is a great car for anyone to be seen in, especially since it’s fun and light on its feet. Even though the BMW Z3 Coupe isn’t heralded by many, the Mini Coupe is a better, spiritual successor to it.

Audi have put the A7 right in between their A6 and A8, which makes this somewhat of a Goldilocks-esque story for me. In my opinion, the Audi A6 is beautiful, very nice, but not quite my style. The A8? Well it isn’t beautiful, but it is very nice, also; yet again, just isn’t quite me. Now the A7, on the other hand, is 100% me. The right amount of interior space, a much sexier look than the other two, and more over, a hatchback.

Hatchbacks are tricky things to design into the modern premium cars. Porsche are still being crucified by some for the hatch Panamera -although sales wouldn’t suggest it being a bad idea. But for a car junky like me, a good ol’ fashion hatchback is like a girl in an Xbox Live game; lots of lust and weak knees. But Audi sure have done a pretty fantastic job with the A7.

The car arrived one chilly, early morning, and with no jacket, just jeans and a white undershirt, I stood outside studying the vehicle inside and out. No cold could penetrate the will I had to figure out what every little button and knob did. As a young man, directions are about as useless as a book filled with the answers to life. I don’t need any of that, I’ll find out for myself, thank you. This is the part of this job I love the most: Fiddling. Just standing there staring at the Audi A7 I came to a realization: this may be, quite possibly, the most beautiful thing with four doors in the world right now. Sure, Aston Martin’s Rapide is a gorgeous girl, as is the Mercedes-Benz CLS; the Maserati Quattroporte is a brutish looking gem that only Italy could create, and the Porsche Panamera is an excellent “why not?” to a question that wasn’t really pondered. But the Audi, the A7, it’s just breathtaking. When you look at it you’ll find that time flies by while you’re just trying to understand how it appears to be one continuous brush stroke of a design. You question how a car with so much can cost so little by comparison to its peers.

This leads us to the price. Audi will let you start with a base A7 at just $59,250. That’s $15,950 less than a base Porsche Panamera V6, and $12,050 less than a base Mercedes CLS (all prices exclude destination and handling charges). I won’t even try and measure the cost difference between the Audi and the Aston and Maserati sedans, as they’re really not going to be cross-shopped.

The 2012 Audi A7 that I drove had an as-tested price of $68,630. The options included $475 for Moonlight Blue Metallic paint; $6,330 for the Prestige package which includes: S-line exterior, 19″ wheels with all-season rubber, Audi navigation with MMI touch pad, Audi Connect with 6-months free (Audi’s in-car mobile hot spot), front/rear parking sensors with rearview camera, advanced key, 4-zone climate auto control, front seats ventilation, Bose surround sound, HD radio, power steering column adjustment, adaptive headlights, ambient driving lights, and a 7″ color driver information system (which pops up out of the center of the dash, but can be hidden away with the push of a button; Beautiful to look at and use, but sometimes annoying when driving). My car had optional 20″ sexy wheels with summer performance tires, instead of the 19s that come with the Prestige package, and also came with full LED headlights with the standard LED daytime lights. Tack on the $875 destination fee, and you’ve got yourself one beautifully optioned machine, I’d say.

The MMI touchpad navigation was one of the coolest and more useful pieces of tech I’ve used in a car. It takes a little getting used to, but you’ll like it. It allows you to write letters and numbers with your fingers when entering an address in the nav screen.

A couple of days after getting the Audi I left for the mountains with two of my best friends, a brother-sister combo, in tow. We headed southwest to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, hoping to find some great adventures along the way in the new 2012 Audi A7. Sounds like a dumb brochure, right? Honestly, the highways around here are pretty boring, so finding things to do in a car for nearly 4 hours becomes difficult when you’re over 21. I would have enjoyed playing I-Spy, but my friends would have shouted, “MUTINY!” as they threw me out of the car. So instead I remembered that the Audi had a built-in mobile hot spot for Internet use. Armed with a laptop and a camera, I opted to sit in the passenger seat for a little while snapping some photos and uploading them to the social media ‘verse that RawAutos belongs to.

When packing the car for the mountains, especially with the hatchback, there were many jokes regarding how many dead hookers, illegal aliens, etc. the rear hatch could fit. In the end, the Audi A7 can hold a ton of gear. With one girl in the car, and two guys, the A7 held all of our cares and woes. Again, a woman was on board… That should tell you enough right there. Too be fair, though, I carry more stuff because of laptops, cameras, clothes, and the like. More than the others, I’m guilty of carrying the most crap.

Riding along at 80 mph, it was really interesting being able to watch a YouTube video, or posting status updates to Facebook and Twitter. But now it was time for lunch and a pit stop to find a power inverter, as I had forgotten mine. After a full meal at Sticky Fingers, we set off and found a local Walmart, bought our inverter, and as we were getting back in the car, a girl no older than me (25) was loading her 1999-’02 Infiniti G20 and asked how much the Audi A7 cost. I told her, and we struck up a quick conversation about her seeing one at a local Audi dealer and just being in absolute love with its style. She wasn’t the only one, though. There were many affluent people taking notice and asking about the A7 for the week we had it.

This all brings me to the actual driving portion of the Audi A7. I, like most of the passengers who road in the Audi, had no issues getting in or out. However, my brother noticed, to my slight disagreement (I say slight, because I personally think he was being a bit nit-picky), that the Audi A7 had a decent amount of wind noise. We both agreed that it was most likely due to the pillar-less doors -when you open the doors, there’s no body/molding that covers the glass. My brother also said he wasn’t too fond of the harder ride for a near-70,000 dollar car, a point that no one else riding in the car at any point said they shared. I understand what he felt, but I had no issues with the car being in either Comfort or Dynamic mode -Dynamic being the sportier of the settings. What I believe he was noticing was the slightly rougher ride of the 20″ wheels with summer tires. My personal feelings, as well as the other riders, are that the ride is soft when it needs to be, a bit sportier when you want it to be, but always compliant, with not a lot of jarring road issues noticed in other cars of this caliber with a sporty suspension setup. Everyone agreed that the overall interior quality, particularly the wood, were all up to snuff. Everything felt just right when touching it.

When reaching the triple digits speeds and above, the Audi A7 feels well planted and without any real fault. The Quattro all-wheel drive system keeping everything in check, while the not-so-sporty four spoke steering wheel keeps your hands at ease knowing you have control, but it was lacking a bit of driving feel. I think the A7 has to be the most comfortable riding car I’ve driven at any higher rate of speed. And while you’d never confuse the Audi for a mountain road carver, you will always appreciate its willingness to pivot properly and drive sensibly into each corner. On some of the twistier mountain roads, it would be highly plausible to make a blindfolded passenger believe they were in something from BMW or Porsche.

Speaking of mountain roads, this drives me to my next love of the Audi A7: The 3.0-liter supercharged V6 motor that has to produce more than the 310 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque that Audi claim. The reason I say that is because the amount of thrust the A7 has, even while weighing 4210 lbs, is pretty damn good. For instance, the Porsche Panamera V6 that we tested in April of 2011 had a 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque naturally aspirated V6 motor; it also weighed just shy of 3900 lbs. Yet it could only hit 60 mph in about 5.8-seconds with the Sport Chrono package. The Audi A7? Well my buddy, Jonny Lieberman over at Motor Trend, recently tested an A7 against a Jaguar XJ and Benz CLS. The result of their 0-60 testing was 4.7-seconds… So what explains the 1.1-second difference in straight line speed? Don’t look at me, I just drive the suckers.

Driving at night on mountainous roads can be a treacherous thing, yet the Audi A7 does just fine with its full LED headlights. These bad boys are just nuts. Not once when driving at night did I feel uncomfortable, because the headlights make everything, literally, as clear as day. Then you hit the brights and everything becomes even clearer. The LEDs are also the only lights I’ve ever used that don’t add a different color to anything. No blues, purples, yellows, just a pure white light.

One thing I didn’t like about our test car was the four spoke steering wheel. Some that drove the car said they enjoyed the feel and size of it, but I didn’t get what I wanted out of it in terms of feel for the road. I much prefer the three spoke sport steering wheel Audi offer. Also, the 8-speed tiptronic autobox is great for gas mileage (more on that in a second), but lacks the fun you’d want from a car this good to drive. I’d much rather see a dual-clutch gearbox and torque vectoring rear-diff. Oh wait, I can see that car… in Europe. C’mon, Audi. If you build it, they will buy it, I promise. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the S7 to get all those goodies. No idea when we’ll officially see that car, though.

Even though I’m not fond of the 8-speed automatic gearbox, I was a fan of the gas mileage it could achieve. Audi claim 18 city and 28 highway for the A7, and I was getting about 21-22 mpg in the city and right at 28 on the highway. I remember one of the times I filled the car up I had about 30 miles left on a 430+ mile tank of gas. That was with some city driving, but mostly 80-85 mph highway driving. So the Audi A7 is quite good on a tank of 93 octane.

At the end of the week, I was sad to give the 2012 Audi A7 up. The price point, luxury features, ease of driving, all of it make the A7 just a really nice package. So it has a few faults: The Google Earth navigation couldn’t find a few points of interest, even though Google Maps on my iPhone could; the ride can be a tad firm at times, and the wind noise can get annoying. However, at just shy of 69 grand, I don’t think you can beat the amount of rear leg room, hatch space, and overall ability with a stick. An equivalent Mercedes-Benz CLS550 will run you about $84,843, or just over 16,000 dollars more, with a good bit more performance, maybe a bit more luxury, sure. But in this writer’s opinion, the CLS is no where near as sexy. If the A7 were a woman, I’d totally try and date her. However, she’d probably be too classy for me.

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The Good: Sexy styling coupled with a fun character; Similarly optioned cars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz can be a teacher’s salary more; iPhone levels of technology and ability.

The Bad: Somewhat stiff ride with the bigger wheels and tires; A decent amount of road noise; Google Earth nav showed fewer points of interest than Google Maps on my iPhone; The 3.0 T badge is annoying when there’s a supercharged badge on the sides.

The Ugly: Uh, I honestly have nothing to put here…

The Truth: The 2012 Audi A7 is quite possibly the best car for any young executive, or the family man who can’t give up his artistic loves and dreams.