Review: 2010 Aston Martin Rapide is a modern day Femme Fatale
Do you like noir? No, not the perfume, the literary and film genre. You know, hard-boiled crooks, wise-cracking private eyes, Los Angeles under cover of night and blondes so blonde they’ll kill you dead. Those blondes are, of course, are better known as femme fatales, and in truth, the color of their hair doesn’t really matter. Think Theda Bera, Rita Hayworth, Mary Astor, Barbara Stanwyck and Marlene Dietrich. And let’s not forget the lovely Lana Turner – she’s the one, in a case of life imitating art, with the daughter that killed Mickey Cohen’s strongman/goon Johnny Stompanato. In other words, women so pretty you’d throw your life away just so they know you’re throwing your life away.
Here’s the free, online-encyclopedia definition of femme fatale in case you’re still wondering: “An alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous and deadly situations.”
Let’s state up front that the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide is not, to our knowledge, unsafe in any way, shape or form. But man, oh man, is it seductive enough to make us overlook every single bad thing about it. That, or walk into an uncovered manhole cover while staring at it. Anyhow, “irresistible desire” and “compromising situations” are this British superstar’s raison d’etre. Philip Marlowe would eat his fedora just for a ride. Thankfully, we had to perform no such theatrics: Aston Martin simply let us borrow their car.
Categories: Aston Martin, Auto Review, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Aston Martin
First Drive: 2011 BMW Alpina B7 breaks the luxo-barge mold
Alpina is as familiar to German enthusiasts as Shelby, Hurst, Saleen and Yenko are to American gearheads. And like its American counterparts, Alpina has made a business out of taking the best vehicles from one marque and making them substantially better than anything rolling off the assembly line.
The relationship between BMW and Alpina started in 1962 when a German enthusiast named Burkard Bovenseipen realized his BMW 1500 had plenty of untapped potential. Bovenseipen developed a dual carburetor kit for the 1500’s four-cylinder, and as the carbs flew off the shelves, he realized there was a serious market for BMW-based performance parts. Mr. B formed ALPINA Burkard Bovenseipen KG in 1964 and in the decades since, the company has become known simply as BMW Alpina B7.
But while the name has changed, its mission remains the same, and its line of upgrades have grown considerably since its inception. Bovenseipen’s team continues to recognize the potential in almost every new BMW product, and the small but competent company, now managed by Bovenseipen’s son Andreas (his staff calls him Andy), delivers better, less compromised, higher-performance versions of BMW production cars.
Categories: Auto Review, BMW, Car Review, Sedans/Saloons Tags: BMW
2011 Nissan Versa gets priced, includes minor updates
The Nissan Versa hasn’t received any substantial updates since its 2007 debut. It’s a shame, since there’s some pretty stiff competition on the market these days, especially from the likes of the Suzuki SX4, Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta. Still, Nissan adds incremental updates annually, and the 2011 model year is no different. What’s most important, though, is that pricing for the latest Versa has gone unchanged, meaning the bottom-end 1.6 Base sedan still rings in at $9,990, and the top-end 1.8 SL hatch commands $16,900, with a variety of models in both body styles in between.
Visually, nothing will change from the 2010 car (pictured), but some new standard equipment makes its way onto some trims. 1.8 S Versa sedans now benefit from an in-dash six-disc CD changer, and mid-grade 1.6 sedans now come with standard ABS (sorry, 1.6 Base, you still have to do without anti-lock brakes).
Categories: Hatchback, Nissan, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Nissan
2011 Audi A8 available with factory-installed wireless internet hotspot
One day, we’ll be able to have wireless internet access from nearly every point on the globe. And while many cities and towns are making efforts to offer free wireless service across a broad range, automakers are now looking to bring WiFi connectivity to cars. Audi is on board, and it has just announced that the 2011 Audi A8 will be available with factory-installed in-car wireless hotspot.
The WLAN hotspot is located within the rooftop antenna, and passengers can connect to the internet via any laptop, netbook or new-age tablet, like the Apple iPad. Audi says that the network is capable of speeds up to 7.2 Mbit/sec and that WAP2 encryption is on hand in order to securely transfer data. Audi claims that this is the first such factory-installed system, although other automakers offer WiFi connectivity with dealer installed accessories.
Categories: Audi, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Audi
2010 New York Auto Show Live:2011 Kia Optima introduced with DI, turbo and hybrid
At the New York Auto Show today, Kia officially introduced its new 2011 Optima mid-size sedan and, as we expected, it shares much with the recently launched Hyundai Sonata. In spite of the same wheelbase and almost identical dimensions, however, this is no case of badge engineering. The Optima has completely different styling from its corporate sibling with a crisp, modern look that is in keeping with other recent Kia introductions.
What it does share with the Hyundai is its complete powertrain lineup, including a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter Theta II inline-four, a turbocharged 2.0-liter version of the same engine and the new 2.4-liter hybrid powertrain. The latter two configurations were both announced by Hyundai yesterday for the Sonata. Each of the engines features direct injection and variable valve timing with the non-hybrids being rated at 200 and 274 horsepower, respectively. All the powertrains are mated to six-speed transmissions, with the base model being available with a manual and the others being all automatic.
Categories: Auto Show, Hybrid, Kia, New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
2010 New York Auto Show Live:2011 Hyundai Equus arrives to take on the big guns
When the first Hyundai Excels rolled onto American roads in the late-1980s, it was hard to image the Korean automaker getting taken seriously as a builder of budget cars. Taking on the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW would have been an absurd thought. And yet later this year that is exactly what Hyundai is doing as the new Equus begins to arrive at American dealers.
Visually, the the Equus hasn’t changed much in its trip across the Pacific. For the U.S. market, the winged hood ornament had been discarded in favor of a flush mounted badge with the same logo that adorned the trunk lid of the Korean market model. The bars of the grille have been replaced with horizontal slats that make it look more like the Genesis sedan.
The Equus is equipped with all the techno-gimmickry one expects in a big luxury sedan today, including adaptive cruise control and navigation. The 4,376-pound is suspended on electronically controlled air springs and power comes from a 385 horsepower version of the 4.6-liter Tau V8 already seeing duty in the Genesis. The only thing the Equus lacks compared to a Lexus or Benz is an oversized sticker price. Hyundai says the Equus will be priced in the mid $50,000 range when it goes on sale later this year.
Categories: Auto Show, Hyundai, New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
