BY AARON ROBINSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MORGAN SEGAL

Quicker than a Subaru WRX, this new Lancer model offers fun on the run.

Mitsubishi knows the name Ralliart isn’t spoken with much reverence among American gasoline punks. That should change. Mitsubishi has watched Subaru ring up healthy sales with the mid-grade WRX, which neatly slots between the 87-octane Impreza and the high-test STI. (more…)

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BY CSABA CSERE

Traction that finally matches the power and balanced handling.

As engine outputs have risen over the past 25 years, front-drive cars have migrated towards four-wheel-drive to give their over-burdened front tires a break. Even Saab has finally capitulated with this 9-3 Turbo X.

A Haldex 4.0 center coupling shifts as much as 90 percent of the engine’s 280-hp output to the rear wheels via electronically controlled wet clutches. Its little digital brain anticipates when power is needed in back even before the tires slip. An electronically controlled clutch pack in the rear diff prevents side-to-side slip, while the traction control takes care of the front wheels. (more…)

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BY TONY QUIROGA, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY

Despite its humongous size, it’s a pickup that’s easy to live with.

With the discontinuation of the Ford GT, we wondered, What’s the best vehicle in Ford’s lineup? After trying out the 2008 F-250 Super Duty, we’re thinking a case could be made for this pickup.

When put up against its classmates, the heavy-duty Dodge Ram and GM pickups, the redesigned 2008 Super Duty brings home an impressive report card. (more…)

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BY STEVE SILER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MORGAN J. SEGAL

The quickest BMW you can get that doesn’t start with an M (until the 135i arrives, that is).

It used to be easy to write about the BMW 3-series. For the most part, we knew what we were gonna say before we ever got in the car. On the other hand, there were nuances about the character of the car that were extremely hard to put into words to convey just how good these cars feel. But we’d try, and it usually came out in the form of unbridled praise for perfect steering, elegant interior simplicity, and a brilliant ride-and-handling balance.

Maybe BMW got bored of hearing the same thing over and over again, because suddenly we had to come up with new words to describe the 3: controversially styled, technologically overwrought, and now this: quicker with the automatic. (more…)

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BY MARK GILLIES, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY

Hard to believe it’s a Porsche, Hard to believe it’s a sport-ute.

The Cayenne has always seemed an anomaly. On one hand, it has generated the cash that allows Porsche to continue building the sports cars we love, which is a good thing. On the other, a 5625-pound vehicle is antithetical to the creed of light weight and efficiency that Porsche has historically followed. (more…)

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BY ALISA PRIDDLE

An SX4-based concept for sports-bike enthusiasts.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation continues to show offerings in its Suzuki LIVE Series, launched last year as a line of concepts for life huggers and as a way to promote the fun quotient of the vehicles from which they are derived. Of the four rolled out this year, two are on Suzuki’s stand this week at the New York auto show. (more…)

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BY LARRY WEBSTER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL DELANEY

Only the Bugatti Veyron is faster.

It’s been more than five years since our backsides were intimate with the carbon-fiber seat of the only supercar made in Sweden, the Koenigsegg. That’s probably long enough ago that you’re saying out loud, Koenigswhat?? (more…)

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BY DAVE VANDERWERP, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY

Connoisseurs wanted: BMW blesses Alpina’s super 7-series for the U.S.

In the company’s words, Alpina builds fine automobiles for the connoisseur. These are big-torque BMWs with automatic transmissions, more of a luxury bent than BMW’s own high-performance M cars.

The first thing one of these connoisseurs might notice on the Alpina B7”it amounts to a hot-rodded 7-series”are the mammoth, concept-car-worthy 21-inch, 20-spoke BBS wheels. That’s because they are simply spectacular to behold. And that’s before they start moving; then the spokes blend together in an envy-inducing blur. Splendid. (more…)

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BY ERIK JOHNSON

Simply put, diesels are awesome. We’re such huge fans of diesels and their clattery goodness that we were beside ourselves with glee when Jeep announced last year that it planned to swipe the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel from the Mercedes powertrain lineup and stuff it into its Grand Cherokee SUV for 2007. After all, what vehicle wouldn’t be better off with a little sparkless ignition in its life? (more…)

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