Sports Car Addicts | Daily Automotive Reviews

Tech Dept.: The Latest on the Airless Tire-and-Wheel Combo

Admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:22:53 +0000

When Robert Thomson invented the pneumatic tire a century and a half ago, a rubber doughnut inflated with air was only one of several ideas the Scotsman proposed for softening the ride and reducing the power required to propel the carriages of his day. Thomson also suggested filling what he called his “aerial wheel” with sponges, springs, and/or horsehair to avoid flats caused by “concussion between the wheel and the roadway.” (more…)

Mini JCW Lineup to Adopt Revised 1.6-Liter Four and Available Six-Speed Automatic

Admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:21:19 +0000

The entire line of John Cooper Works Minis—Countryman, hatchback, Clubman, Convertible, Coupe, and Roadster—will be equipped with a slightly revised version of the 1.6-liter powerplant found in the previous generation of JCW models. Those revisions result in an output of 208 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, the same as the last JCW powerplant.

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Long-Term Test: Halfway Through the 40,000-Mile Gauntlet

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:22:27 +0000

For most of its history, the Volkswagen Jetta was the three-box version of the two-box Golf hatchback, which also meant that the performance-oriented Jetta GLI was simply the sedan version of the coveted 10Best-winning GTI. The Jetta’s sixth-generation makeover, however, included plopping the four-door onto new underpinnings. The idea was to give it a bigger back seat, a larger trunk, and reduced complexity to better compete with the likes of the Honda Civic, the Ford Focus, and the Toyota Corolla. (The Golf will move to VW’s new MQB architecture.) (more…)

Apple Patents a Remote Control, Apparently for Cars

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:21:44 +0000

An iCar? Not yet. But a steering-wheel-mounted remote control was among the 21 patents granted to Apple this week. We don’t typically track patent applications and grants for the Cupertino-based tech company—it holds or has filed for thousands of them—and came to this one through PatentlyApple.com. The device, as Apple describes it in its paperwork, is pretty simple: A disc with traditional iPod controls can be clamped to the steering wheel rim. It could then, we take it, remotely operate an iPod, iPhone, or iPad. Read full story »

2011 Mazda 2 Touring Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up

Admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:21:50 +0000

Our diminutive long-term Mazda 2, the least-powerful, least-expensive car in our fleet for quite some time, has completed its 40,000-mile stay. Few tears were choked back as, after 16 months in our care, it pulled away from our office for the last time. Sure, the minimalist Mazda was fun to toss around, but it illustrated the difficulty some manufacturers have faced in coercing Americans out of large cars and crossovers and into pint-sized hatchbacks. (more…)

Configurators for 2013 BMW M5 Sedan and 2013 M6 Coupe Power Up

Admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:20:57 +0000

Attention, dreamers: BMW has powered up its online configurators for the 2013 M5 and M6 coupe. Regardless of whether you have the scratch to afford the $90,795 M5 or the $106,995 M6 coupe, it’s always fun building out a fantasy ride.

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BMW Introduces 2013 135is Coupe and Convertible

Admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:20:53 +0000

BMW will extend its “is” badging to the 1-series starting this fall, when dealers begin taking deliveries of the 2013 135is coupes and convertibles. Whereas the 335is and Z4 sDrive35is are perhaps halfway between normal models and M cars—sort of M Performance cars before such a thing existed—the 135is is more like a 135i with existing off-the-shelf upgrades. (more…)

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 136

Admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:21:23 +0000

Hit play for an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note, and then share your guesses or get a few hints from other visitors in the comments below. Be sure to check back on Thursday for the answer!

How Active Safety Tech Is Developed, Wherein We Mow Down Dudes with Our Car.

Admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:21:35 +0000

I feel a little perverted driving into Carson City—but it’s not because I’m in Nevada, about to slink out to some brothel. No, I’m in a silent and snow-crusted part of western Sweden, a place where apparently you can mow down pedestrians and get away with it. (more..)

Chevrolet Trax to Join Global Lineup, Will Debut in Paris

Admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:21:15 +0000

We first saw the Chevrolet Trax concept at the 2007 New York auto show. Back then, the Trax was built on the bones of the Chevy Spark. Five years later, Chevy has announced that the Trax will go into production for global markets. Read full story »