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.

Calling the all-new Rapide beautiful is akin to saying water is wet. Its allure is so instantly obvious, so fist-bitingly apparent that the point is moot. Still, until the car was parked in my driveway, just how pretty (fine, stunning) wasn’t clear. When in traffic other cars look like refrigerators and washing machines. When parked it’s like a Rodin on four wheels. The Rapide, then, is another case, and perhaps the ultimate case, of pictures not doing a car justice. This is not meant as a slight against our ace photographer Drew Phillips, who did a bang-up job capturing the Rapide on digital film. It’s just that when compressed down to only two dimensions, many of the achingly gorgeous curves are flattened out. As such, I spent perhaps thirty minutes staring at nothing but the Aston’s curvaceous front fender. During that time I had no thoughts of anything else.

Nor should I have. Many pundits have been bemoaning the downward slide of car design since Federal regulations mandated five-mph bumpers and side marker lights. For a ton of reasons too varied to get into here, they’re right. The Rapide, however, is a big time, major groundswell of an exception. People were stopping us on the street to guffaw. During the photoshoot, deep in Santa Clarita’s meth country, a patrol car with a pair of officers rolled up to hassle us. After “Bad Cop” questioned us and checked our IDs, “Good Cop” jumped out of the Crown Vic, proclaiming, “I can’t take it any more” and began snapping his own iPhone shots of the Rapide. This car is beyond lovely; so comely in fact that all its flaws (and sadly, there are flaws) are quickly – if not instantly – forgiven by all the blindest and most aesthetically dead. As such, we’re going to structure this review as something of a Choose Your Own Adventure. If, like many, we figure, you don’t care about how the car drives, its interior or any of the small stuff and are only interested in the Rapide’s luscious shape, skip on ahead to the end. For the rest of you I-dotters and T-crossers, here we go.

One of the reasons for the Rapide’s arresting good looks is its length, a length necessitated by the rear doors. That’s right, this is the first four-door Aston Martin since the equal parts loved and bemoaned Lagonda (1976-1989), a car, by the way, that Aston Martin weirdly seems to deny ever existed. What to do then with the “first ever” Aston Martin sedan? I decided to show off the Rapide at a gas station where I’ve made friends with the owners over the years by showing off all the pretty cars I get to drive. The Rapide blew their minds. So much so, that they insisted (insisted) on giving the Aston a free wash and hand detailing. I think they just wanted to touch it. Rightly so, but here’s the thing. When you open either of the rear swan-doors, the back windows automatically retract all the way down. Meaning that your freshly washed windows are automatically streaked if anyone climbs in the back seat. A small trifle, of course, but odd, no?

Then there’s the backseat which might just be the world’s loveliest torture chamber. There’s almost no foot room, no shin room, no knee room, no head room and just barely enough hip room for a man. Ladies, look elsewhere. All that said, the Rapide’s rear sure is a gorgeous leather and Alcantara dungeon to be packed into. The front thrones are worlds better in terms of comfort, however, the cockpit ergonomics are a disaster. The most prominent control is, of course, the seat heater/AC puck. Literally, your right hand (or left in Britain) most easily comes to rest on a large dial that in any other luxury sedan would control some sort of iDrive-like system. In the Rapide, it’s the butt-warmer. Or butt-cooler as the case may be, and you’ll never know during the day as sunlight totally washes out the tiny red or blue indicator lights. But don’t worry, all of the gauges are illegible when the sun is shining. Speaking of ill-placed controls, the buttons to turn on the beautiful, private jet-style interior lights are positioned right above the fan knob.

Particularly strong hisses and boos are reserved for the pop-up navigation system. First of all, not only is the display tiny and hard to read, but it looked like an afterthought when Aston Martin first did it in the DB9 with left over Ford parts. Guess what? The Byzantine, near impossible to work system is still an afterthought and it’s still based on a bunch of junk from the old Michigan parts bin. The worst part? There’s no way to close the ghastly thing while the car is turned on (it automatically folds back down when the Rapide is switched off). A hammer and nails might keep it hidden, but in reality, you’re stuck with it. I should say that perhaps there’s a way to close the nav-screen, but we couldn’t figure it out. And we tried. Also, the pop-up display’s square, panel-gapped slice into the center of the dash’s otherwise lovely wood is gauche. Speaking of gauche (and Ford), there’s still way too much Blue Oval inside the Rapide. From the window switches to fuel gauge to the traction control button lifted straight out of an F-150, there is way too much Dearborn in this upper-crusty house. Luckily for Aston Martin, most Rapide owners would rather eat their own ascots than sit inside a pickup truck, so they’ll never know the difference. But still…

Besides the binnage, there are just some cheap and screwy things that are out of place in a $211,095 car. For instance, the all-leather and thick carpet Blue Haze and Cream Truffle interior is outstandingly good looking, but why the basic black leather wheel? At least why isn’t there any contrasting cross-stitching like one might find in the 2011 Kia Sportage? Perhaps those are options, but why are all of the controls plastic instead of metal? Also, you have to see the dinky, three-inch tall sun visors to understand the joke. Then there’s the tiny, gray-fonted readout used to display everything from fan speed to radio information to phone connectivity that would have been considered inadequate in the 1990s. Worst of all, when the Bluetooth connection to your phone fails (and ours failed constantly), the screen says, “Connection Failed,” and continues displaying this obvious piece of information until the car is turned off, no matter how many buttons you whack. Not exactly cutting-edge luxury.

Then there’s the matter of the push-button automatic transmission. It works just fine, but really? Push-buttons? There are four of them, P for park, R for reverse, N for neutral and D for drive. Easy enough to use, but we question why D is closer to the passenger than the driver. In truth, the Rapide is kind of a dog until you stick it in Sport mode by hitting the big button with an S on it, which shifts less often by holding the gears longer. Thankfully, Aston Martin saw fit to equip the Rapide with proper, column-mounted paddles. When you flip a paddle, the transmission moves out of automatic into full manual mode until (and again) the car is turned off or unless you know enough to re-press the D button. Fine by us, but we image a surgeon’s wife or two will be cheesed off when she inadvertently knocks a paddle and is forced to drive to Barney’s in first gear at 6,500 RPM. Speaking of 6,500 RPM, that’s a tick past redline, and the point where fuel cutoff occurs. We only mention this because according to the tachometer, there is no indicated redline. You might get the impression that the engine’s top spinning speed is a lofty 8,000 RPM, but it simply isn’t.

But enough grousing – what a mighty bomb of an engine. Six-liters, twelve-cylinders and all the fury such a configuration suggests. Rated at 470 horsepower and 443 pound-feet or torque, this all aluminum mill is unquestionably a perfect fit for the Rapide. Yes, of course, there are faster, more powerful V12s out there on sporty four-door sedans. The BMW 760Li for instance, makes 535 hp and 550 lb-ft from its twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 and can hit 60 mph a full second quicker than the Aston Martin (four seconds bests the Rapide’s five). But the big Bimmer looks like a pickle vat when compared to the Rapide, and it sounds like a German engineering convention. Whereas the British V12 is impossibly sweet sounding, endlessly sexy and flat-out wonderful. Biblical, too – especially for a four-door – either an angel’s trumpet or a devil’s trombone, depending on how far you bury your right foot. Even better is at low speeds when just a little kick from your Bruno Maglis sets off an explosion in the pipes pre-muffler that sounds like its coming out of the rear seats. Of course, that could just be your passenger, screaming from atrophy. To reiterate, the noise this V12 makes is not only intoxicating, but the kind of sound you wish all cars made.

It gets better. I was expecting the big-ish Aston to be straight-line fast, but daft, loose and wobbly in the bends. I’m not really sure what that assumption was based on, but there you have it. I was wrong. Even though it should have been obvious, the fact the Rapide is essentially all the good stuff from the DB9 – potent V12, rear-mounted six-speed transaxle, lightweight VH architecture and near 50/50 weight distribution with new sexy metal and an extra foot of length grafted on – had slipped my mind. Until the corners came. We took the Rapide over the same treacherous canyon road that we used for our V6 sports car comparison test. The Aston was a honey, dancing across the pavement, sashaying through the bends all the while sending essential feedback to my fingertips. Most coupes can’t do this; the Rapide is a four-door sports car at last. As our own Michael Harley said in his first drive, “The Aston Martin Rapide is a sports car first, a sedan second.” He ain’t lying, not one bit.

But it’s not a sports car in the modern sense of the word. You see, the Rapide trades brutal, tire-overwhelming, shoved into the seatbacks, traction-control tripping power for understated grace. By no means a light car (4,387 pounds, or about 500 pounds more than a DB9), the biggest Aston does weigh less than the bulk (no pun, no pun) of its super sedan competition – especially its fellow Brits. It is therefore able to glide around a corner rather than murder it. There’s no need for manhole cover-sized brakes because the Rapide can carry more speed through a turn. Additionally, since the handling is so predictable and neutral, you won’t find yourself caught off guard (or camber) and needing to slam on the stoppers. This Aston Martin, then, at least compared to its German rivals, is dignified in the way it handles back roads. You’ll never find yourself in the weeds, so to speak. The Rapide’s modus operandi is not a matter of programmers versus asphalt, but rather a consilience of machine and road. For those wondering about ride quality, it’s a little stiff though never impolite. “Properly sporty,” is how I’ll term it. In fairness to the Rapide, we spend 99 percent of our time with the suspension set to Sport. In fairness to our assessment, pushing the sport button didn’t seem to make too much difference.

If you decided to skip ahead, here’s the point where you can rejoin the narrative. Which, as it turns out, is exactly what future Rapide owners will mentally do. Crap electronics, commoner switchgear, comical sun visors, a tight back seat – what could matter less? If you have the briefcase stuffed with the cash necessary to purchase a Rapide, worrying about all that nonsense would be like not purchasing the Monet because you hate Claude’s signature – you’re missing the point. Like any great femme fatale worth her ill-gotten diamonds, the Rapide floods your mind with a lake of irrationality. Kiss logic goodbye. And that’s okay. As of 2010, no car is as sensual, as erotic, as wordlessly desirable, as flat out cool. Which leads to my final point: Forget about the gumshoes. If James Bond’s love interests would stop dying, the Aston Martin Rapide is undoubtedly the car he would use to drop the kids off at soccer practice. Lucky brats.

The six-cylinder Porsche Cayenne is hardly the automaker’s crown jewel, but it’s frequently one of the best-selling models in the lineup. Following on the heels of its more powerful siblings, the entry-level SUV can’t hide behind its engine displacement – it must prove itself through luxury, improved performance, fuel efficiency and value.

We just spent a couple days driving the all-new Cayenne in Germany, and unlike two months ago, when we put the flagship Cayenne Turbo and the eight-cylinder Cayenne S to the test at the beautiful circuit and off-road course at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park, the European venue gave us the opportunity to drive the entry-level Cayenne in crowded city streets and on the wide-open Autobahn. What’s under the hood of the six-cylinder Cayenne, and why is it unique? How does it drive compared to its eight-cylinder siblings? Most importantly, how does it compare to its competition?

Porsche will offer four different Cayenne models in North American in 2011: Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo and Cayenne S Hybrid. (We don’t get the Cayenne Diesel, but don’t get us started.) In typical Porsche fashion, the automaker introduced its top-level models first with the arrival of the eight-cylinder Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo in May, while the just-released six-cylinder Cayenne (and the Cayenne S Hybrid) won’t be unveiled at your local dealership until this Fall.

While the world is just now getting its hands on it, the arrival of the six-cylinder model has been anticipated for some time, but its powerplant specifics have been largely shrouded in mystery. With an all-new Porsche-developed 3.6-liter V6 on the table (recently fitted to the Panamera), the automaker had a choice between its own engine and an updated version of the carryover Volkswagen-sourced 3.6-liter unit. Economics won the battle, so the standard Cayenne will once again share powerplants with the Volkswagen Touareg.

Displacing 3,598 cubic centimeters, the direct-injected 10.6-degree V6 features an iron block and aluminum cylinder heads. Unlike the all-aluminum 90-degree V6 in the Panamera, the Volkswagen narrow-angle “VR6″ powerplant does not have balance shafts (our calibrated rears say the Porsche V6 is slightly smoother). While the Volkswagen variant makes 280 horsepower, Porsche engineers tweaked the tuning and gifted the engine with a new intake manifold to customize it for duty in the Cayenne. The result is a bump to 300 horsepower (at 6,300 rpm) and 295 lb-ft of torque (at 3,000 rpm). Bolted to the back of the engine is a standard 6-speed manual transmission (yes, a manual transmission). We didn’t get a chance to try it, as our test models were fitted with Porsche’s excellent new eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission. In both cases, power is sent to all four corners of the SUV through an electronically-controlled all-wheel drive system. There is no low range case anymore, as Porsche says the lower gears are sufficient for serious off-road travel. Even with six-cylinder power, the Cayenne is rated to tow the same 7,700-pound trailer as its siblings.

Aside from the missing cylinders, the six-cylinder Cayenne models also wear slightly smaller standard brakes. The fronts are six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers (painted black) on 13.78-inch iron rotors, while the rears are four-piston calipers on 13-inch iron rotors. Porsche’s composite ceramic brake (PCCB) system is optional (and obvious to everyone within eyesight with its huge metallic rotors and yellow calipers). Steel springs and gas pressurized dampers are standard, with air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) optional.

Realizing the wheel/tire/brake packages are upgradeable on all trim levels, it’s difficult to tell the models apart without checking the scripted badge on the hatch or catching a glimpse of the front. It’s the nose that differs. The Cayenne Turbo wears an aggressively large grille and intake, while the normally-aspirated models share smaller grilles (the V8 model is finished in black, while the V6 receives an aluminized finish). The Cayenne V6 also sports twin brushed stainless steel oval exhaust outlets, just like the Panamera V6.

The lighter powertrain pays off at the scales. The Cayenne SUV weighs just 4,399 pounds, undercutting its sibling Cayenne Turbo by nearly 400 pounds and leaving the competition in line at Jenny Craig, with the Mercedes-Benz ML350 coming in 330 pounds heavier and the six-cylinder BMW X5 lugging around an extra 531 pounds.

With the key in our left hand, we climb into a nondescript six-cylinder Cayenne wearing 19-inch wheels (wrapped with 265/50YR19 Pirelli tires). The all-new interior mirrors the elegant styling of the Panamera sedan – very upscale and meticulously finished from its beautiful wood and aluminum accents to the leather stitching on the dashboard. The seat and steering wheel are infinitely adjustable and outward visibility is good, although the backup camera does help.

As mentioned in our first driving impressions a few months ago, the Cayenne platform is incredibly enjoyable to drive. Its driving mannerism are more “big sedan” than oversized ‘ute, meaning the brakes and steering are responsive to the driver’s inputs, not merely taking suggestions. It doesn’t feel nearly as ponderous as the Audi Q7 or as heavy as the BMW X5 when touring tight city streets.

Acknowledging that it has less mass to haul around than its predecessor, the 0-60 mph sprint now takes about 7.5 seconds, putting it decidedly mid-pack among its competitive segment. Most importantly, with excellent gearing down low, you won’t miss the V8 or Turbo under 45 mph as the six-cylinder Cayenne moves off the line enthusiastically thanks to the aforementioned eight-speed Tiptronic tranny.

More than content with its performance around town, we steered the six-cylinder Cayenne towards the Autobahn to try its powertrain under more demanding conditions. As stable at high speeds as it is sitting still in a parking lot, the SUV easily held velocities between 80 and 110 mph. As expected, it does lose most of its stamina as the speed increases over 90 mph (e.g., the Cayenne Turbo rockets to 125 mph in about 13 seconds, while the Cayenne V6 does it in a longish 35 seconds). With patience, and a long open stretch of road, we were able to coax it up to an indicated 134 mph, although Porsche claims it will run 143 mph if given the opportunity. When it came time to bleed off the speed, the standard brakes were more than up to the task.

Porsche has priced the Cayenne very aggressively. The entry-level six-cylinder model starts at $46,700, making the base SUV the automaker’s least expensive offering in the States. Shaving more than another second off the 0-60 sprint, the eight-cylinder Cayenne S begins at $63,700. The new Cayenne S Hybrid begins $67,700, while the flagship Cayenne Turbo has a base price of $104,800.

The assertive base price means the entry-level Cayenne is priced in the thick of its European competitors, including the six-cylinder BMW X5 ($45,800), the six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz ML-Class ($45,700) and the six-cylinder Audi Q7 ($46,900). The Porsche offers more power than the Audi and Mercedes, but BMW’s new-for-2011 twin-turbo 3.0-liter under the hood of the X5 xDrive35i is stronger than the Cayenne’s 3.6-liter.

Porsche does not offer a “token” third-row seating option (like BMW and Audi), but its second-row seats slide on rails and the seatbacks recline/fold making the interior both accommodating and very configurable. To its dynamic advantage, the Porsche has the most modern and lightest platform. And, thanks to its Panamera-inspired interior, the Cayenne’s cockpit is arguably the most luxurious and inviting of the foursome, too.

But we wouldn’t buy the six-cylinder Porsche Cayenne for its engine.

Despite the fact there’s nothing inherently wrong with the lesser power unit – it’s more than competent – Porsche offers much better combustion routes if you are seeking pavement-pummeling power and a hybrid option if you are on a quest for fuel economy. Instead, consider the entry-level 3.6-liter V6 variant as a heavily discounted way to enjoy the Cayenne’s silky eight-speed Tiptronic, bulletproof platform, refined chassis dynamics, luxurious cabin amenities, surefooted all-wheel drive, accurate steering feel and impressive braking capabilities at less than half the cost of the Cayenne Turbo.

The Panamera sedan is currently basking in the brand’s sales-leading spotlight, yet the Cayenne will undoubtedly take back its top position when all the models fill the showrooms later this year. Unlike its predecessor, whose owners were often accused of driving the overweight SUV solely for the polished gold, maroon and black badge emblazoned on the hood, the new six-cylinder model is an agile, attractive and well-mannered gentleman. While it may not run as quickly as its athletic siblings, this Cayenne is stout enough to be distinctive on its own – with or without the Porsche crest leading its way.

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.

In Europe, Alpina offers variants of the 3 Series, 5 Series and 6 Series, dubbed the B3, B5, and B6, respectively. However, production constraints (and some concerns about M cannibalization, we’re sure) prevents sales of these hotted-up Bimmers in the States. That’s a crime, because the Alpina B7 – the only Alpina available in the U.S. – is easily the best 7 Series we’ve driven.

For the 2011 model year, there are four derivatives of the B7 available in the States: the B7, B7 L (long wheelbase), B7 xDrive (all-wheel drive), and B7 L xDrive. All feature generally the same equipment.

Exterior changes are limited, but critical. The front and rear fascias are new, and the entire body sits lower (15 mm in front and 10 mm in the rear) over Alpina 20-spoke, 21-inch wheels. Andy Bovenseipen explained that the wheels with 18 or 20 spokes manifest the ideal balance of maximum strength with minimal weight, which is why Alpina has used almost the exact same design for decades. But Alpina didn’t just throw on a pair of new hoops and call it a day – nestled within the wheel’s center cab is the valve stem, with air traveling through a single hollow spoke to inflate the tire. As is always the case with Alpina, it’s the details that matter.

The subtle exterior changes are more than cosmetic. The front air dam directs air toward the additional coolers needed for the powertrain and drag has been cut by 30-percent at the front and 15-percent at the rear. While you can barely discern the upgrades, the exterior looks at once elegant and powerful.

Inside, the changes are also low-key. Stepping across the doorsills one sees the trick plates with “B7″ illuminated in blue. The gauges are also blue faced (Alpina’s signature color) and sport red needles. Available wood trims include a piano black finish and a pleasing Myrtle Burl wood that’s harvested on the West Coast of the U.S. The interior features black suede-like upper trim, adding to the B7’s sportiness, while a small plaque by the sunroof switches identify the car as a true Alpina.

Another Alpina design cue is the steering wheel. The rim is the perfect diameter and thickness, complete with buttons for up and downshifts. The Alpina system works well, if just slightly better than some of the buttons Porsche currently uses on its models. Another Alpina characteristic of the wheel is the rim’s parallel – as opposed to cross-stitched – sew pattern holding the leather in place. Bovensiepen explained that he and his father like the parallel stitches better as they create a smoother grip surface. Again, details.

In marked contrast to the restrained exterior and interior changes, Alpina has pulled out all the stops when it came to modifications under the hood.

The modified BMW twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 produces 507 horsepower – 107 ponies more than stock. More importantly, from Andy Bovenseipen’s point of view, is the torque – 517 pound-feet of the stuff. A winning race driver in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), Bovenseipen has firm opinions on torque, “What’s important is that the you have torque over a wide range of RPM, it can’t be peaky. Torque is important in racing and on the road, because you use it for overtaking.”

The company claims a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds, and with an electronically-limited top speed of 175 mph (due to an agreement between European tire manufacturers), overtaking is not an issue in the B7.

The B7’s all-aluminum 4.4-liter V8 is the same mill found in a range of BMW’s larger offerings, but each B7 engine is built to Alpina’s specifications on BMW’s bespoke engine line. Differences include larger – but lighter – turbochargers with a unique vein geometry that squeeze out 14.7 psi of boost (1.0 bar vs. the standard engine’s 0.8 bar). The blowers exhale into three air-to-liquid intercoolers, an arrangement that helps maintain maximum airflow even during long lapping sessions at a racetrack. Both larger and additional radiators are used to keep engine and transmission operating temperatures in check and a bigger (2.7-inch) dual exhaust system vents gasses out the back through the rear apron.

While some models in BMW’s 2011 7 Series range use ZF’s new eight-speed automatic, the B7 is fitted with a heavy-duty six-speed unit sourced from the previous-generation 7. Alpina’s Kris Odwarka noted, “Right now we can’t get the durability out of the new transmission that our application demands. The six-speed is robust, and it delivers the performance we’re looking for. Shifts happen in just 190 milliseconds, which is quick even for a dual-clutch gearbox.”

For those expecting the B7 to be a fuel swilling pig, even with 25-percent more power than the stock 750i, the B7’s EPA rating matches the 750i’s mileage at 14 mpg city, 21 mph highway. The greenies aren’t going to love it, but they can’t (completely) demonize it, either.

The chassis and suspension received the same level of attention that went into the powertrain. Alpina vastly altered the programming of the standard 7-Series’ adjustable suspension, with the Dynamic Damping Control modes of Comfort, Normal and Sport being tweaked to meet their exacting specifications. The Comfort model smoothes out rough, tiresome road surfaces to deliver a ride that befits the character of a luxury sedan, while toggling into Sport or Sport Plus reveal the better side of the B7’s personality. The throttle, shift and steering responses sharpen to a point that’s uncharacteristic of a sedan of this size. Because of Andy’s DTM experience, in certain situations, the electronic safeguards allow the rear tires to slip six to eight percent, meaning the B7 can be driven on the throttle. (We’re not sure how to write “YeeHaw!” auf Deutsch, but you get the idea.)

Riding at the end of a double-wishbone front, and multi-link rear suspension, huge Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires attach the B7 to the road surface (245/35R21 front, 285/30R21 rear). Inboard of the tires are half-shafts and brakes lifted from the armored version of the V12 760i. Special oversized pads are unique to the B7.

Right about now you’re probably wondering, “So how’s it all work?” Damn fine. After having the opportunity to drive in a variety of new 7-Series, the B7 reveals itself as exceptional.

On the road when driven as a normal car (as normal as any 7-Series can be), the Alpina performs flawlessly. In either Comfort or normal suspension modes, the ride is calmly controlled and fluid, not harsh. Other characteristics of the big 7 apply to the Alpina variant.

However, step into the throttle and everything changes. The big sedan suddenly feels like a muscle-bound 5-Series. As things start to happen faster, the B7 somehow seems to shrink in physical size and weight, loosing hundreds of pounds from its 4,564-pound curb.

The B7’s 507 horsepower has something to do with the sensation. Once you uncork the power genie, it’s nearly impossible to put it back in the bottle. It comes on in a turbine-like rush that didn’t trail off even as we crested 130 mph and doesn’t begin to trail off until the red speedo needle swings past 160.

BMW also gave us the opportunity to drive the B7 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. We drove it on the course called Lightning, and were easily hitting the same speeds as when piloting a 2011 M3. On one straightaway, we regularly crested 130 mph, at which point we tromped heavily on the brakes. The B7 handled everything with ease.

Andy Bovenseipen also gave us a ride around Lightning. It’s always a thrill to ride with a racer, because they attack the track with unbridled vengeance. Compared to our smoother, gentler driving style, Bovenseipen drove deeply into corners and braked with such force that our bodies threatened to fly through the windshield. At several points his braking was so brutal that the seatbelts forcibly retracted in response to the dynamic sensors anticipation of a head-on collision. (The B7 we drove on track was a development car, and this sensor error has reportedly been expunged from production units.) He then threw the car toward the apex and hammered the throttle to the floor until he needed to hit the brakes with the same Herculean force. The B7 responded to its creators’ commands without missing a cue. Out on the track, a standard BMW 7 Series would have been left in the B7 dust. And that’s just what a B7 buyer expects.

After learning about the B7, it is easy to understand that Alpina isn’t just a tuner. Far from it. They work hand-in-hand with BMW on every aspect of the vehicle. Their processes are integrated with BMW’s, so there’s little wasted energy or resources. This is why Alpina is classified as a vehicle manufacturer rather than an aftermarket firm. Here in the States, vehicle registrations show the manufacturer as BMW Alpina, even though Alpina’s models are sold and services at BMW dealers.

Annual production of about 1,000 units will see about half come across the Atlantic. If you must have the best 7-Series ever, get to your local BMW dealer soon with a deposit. They’re likely to get just one B7 per model year and with a the price of the standard wheelbase B7 starting at a tidy $122,875, there’s a good chance it’s already gone.

Second Look: 2011 Alpina B7

Our man Roy has it right – the Alpina B7 is simply astounding in its ability to mix limo-like comportment with the top-flight handling of a smaller sports sedan. That said, I’m still having trouble warming to some of the adjustments Alpina has wrought.

While I like the new steering wheel, the model-specific paddleshift buttons are a bizarre and unwelcome change from the standard 7 Series. Alpina’s manual cogswap solution is to fit a pair of tiny rubber-covered buttons to the rear of the wheel (think: Oxford shirt button-small), and while that’s fine while on the straight-ahead, it’s less than ideal during aggressive cornering maneuvers when your hands need to find them easily.

Surprisingly, the massive stagecoach alloys and watchband tires don’t kill the ride – even on Detroit’s mangled city streets – and they resist high-speed hydroplaning remarkably well. Better yet, they offer massive grip and a surprising amount of feel. I must admit, however, that while I’m generally a fan of Alpina body modifications, I’m not sure how I feel about the B7’s lip spoiler or its aforementioned alloys, which err on the flashy side of acceptable.

Still, there’s no denying that the 7 Series is the premier handler of the executive car class, and the changes Alpina has made to the suspension just plain work, allowing you to funnel as many of the 4.4-liter V8’s 507 horsepower and 517 torques to the ground as you’d like in nearly every situation.

Accelerating a big body as quickly and seamlessly as the B7 routinely does can result in a surprising turn of speed. It simply doesn’t feel like you’re accelerating to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds because you’re surrounded by a living room’s worth of fine furnishings and technology. It’s likewise dangerously easy to wind up with three digits looming back at you on the head-up display when all you meant to do was pass a doddering semi in the middle lane. Thankfully, the B7 is also fitted with equally stunning brakes, along with top-notch adaptive cruise control that’s useful if you lack the willpower to keep off the throttle.

All-in-all, the B7 is one hell of an executive express – but then again, so is the less costly 7-Series.

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Changes to the car include a completely remodeled front end that incorporates LED cornering lights, and bi-xenon headlights that touch either side of the chrome grille. The rear light cluster is also comprised of LEDs behind smoked lenses. In keeping with Volkswagen’s current design language, “horizontal lines dominate the geometry,” according to a press release.

Inside, the driver can get the benefit of items from the Volkswagen Exclusive line, including Alcantara, leather and wood. 18-way seating is also featured on the front seats, while the optional individual rear seats are electronically adjustable. Four-zone climate control can also be found to keep things comfortable, while the driver has access to a new braking system, Dynamic Light Assist, sat-nav and an infotainment unit. Conveniently, the infotainment system can update itself through a mobile UMTS connection when connnected to a mobile phone.

The facelifted Phaeton has one turbodiesel and three petrol engines available. The V6 TDI kicks out 237 bhp (174 kW / 240 PS) with a 5.6 percent improvement in fuel consumption. It now uses 8.5 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers, or 27.7 mpg, while producing 224 grams of CO2 per km. A direct-injection petrol V6 that produces 276 hp (206 kW / 280 PS) is new to the Phaeton. Still available are the four-year-old 330 bhp (246 kW / 335 PS) V8, and the range-leading W12 engine generating 444 bhp (331 kW / 450 PS). Both could probably be tuned to be both more robust and more fuel efficient.

Pricing on the 2011 Volkswagen Phaeton was not yet revealed, even though the car will hit the European market later this month. The car will be sold in China beginning in August.

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).

We find the Versa to be a rather pleasant little economy car, but with fresher, more attractive offerings on the marketplace, Nissan will be wise to accelerate the development of its next-generation car. Still, with an unchanged price and more standard equipment on deck, the Versa should continue to sell relatively.

[Source: Nissan]

Set to enter competition next year, key design features include a new front fascia, a ventilated hood, a carbon fiber front splitter, a massive rear diffuser, and an enormous rear wing. Other goodies include an AMG race braking system, a six-speed racing transmission, roll cage and a steering wheel with buttons for the pit radio, headlight flashers and drink supply.

Under the hood, power is provided by a 6.3-liter V8 engine which is “virtually identical” to the one in the production car. The company declined to provide detailed performance data, but stated the GT3 can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0.2 seconds faster than the standard car) and hit a top speed in excess of 186 mph (300 km/h).

Customers can start ordering the SLS AMG GT3 in autumn 2010, with deliveries scheduled to occur before the 2011 racing season.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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While the enthusiast-inspired products like the FT-86 coupe are still a ways off, off-roading types have a new Toyota to test drive: the 2010 4Runner. We’ve long known that the 4Runner has been perfectly capable of wrestling with a bit of mud, as it helped define America’s sport-utility genre along with the original Jeep Cherokee way back in 1984. But this new model is at once bigger, more capable and more luxurious – and its styling has been designed to stand out in an admittedly thinning crowd of proper SUVs. We spent a week with a Magnetic Grey Metallic 4WD SR5 to see if Toyota has been right to stand by its mid-size mainstay while the rest of the automaking world has been busy turning its body-on-frame gas-guzzlers into pump-friendly softroaders.

Looking at our $37,649 tester from the outside, it’s abundantly clear that Toyota has zigged when the rest of the world’s utility vehicles have up and zagged. Our naked eye tells us the 4Runner is a cross between a GMC Terrain and Sloth from the movie Goonies. That’s a nice way of saying that we find the 4Runner a bit hard to look at. Its flat nose, square-rigged proportions and bold side moldings won’t win any beauty contests, but after a few days, its “more is more” look began to wear on us, if only a bit. One trait we just couldn’t get used to are the bulging headlights and taillights that protrude from the sheetmetal by a good two inches. We’re thinking there isn’t a huge market for taillights that appear to have an inoperable growth jutting out to the sides.

The 4Runner’s exterior definitely makes a bold statement, and that theme has been deftly carried over to the interior. Toyota has continued the big and bold theme inside the cabin, with oversized seats, a wonderful Delmonico-inspired steering wheel and a shift lever that could double as the barrel of a Louisville Slugger. Even the knobs are over an inch in diameter. The wide, squared-off center stack very efficiently packs in all the 4Runner’s supersized buttons and switchgear, and ergonomics are surprisingly good. The 4Runner’s overall length, at 189 inches, is three inches shorter than the Nissan Pathfinder, but the 4Runner is a far more useful 2.4 inches wider. That means more shoulder and hip room for passengers, more presence in traffic, and perhaps most importantly, more stability.

We liked the 4Runner’s comfortable leather seats, commanding view of the road and roomy dimensions, but there were a few notable problems within this Toyota’s cabin. First, one of the most amusing buttons we’ve ever seen in any vehicle appeared in our tester: the “Party Mode” button. Sadly, Ryan Seacrest’s short and suited self doesn’t pop out whenever we pressed it. Instead, the sound system’s music goes from clean to heavy on the bass and over-modulated. The stereo doesn’t actually sound that bad in “Party Mode,” but we’re not sure why Toyota has elected to place the button a foot away from the headunit and behind that massive steering wheel we told you about. We didn’t see the button for the first four days behind the wheel and may never have stumbled across it if one of our other editors didn’t alert us to its existence.

Interior quality is also a bit uneven, as the 4Runner’s dash plastic is unyielding, and touchpoints at the door and center armrest are surprisingly harsh and rubbery. We understand (but don’t like) the use of hard plastics on a meat-and-potatoes SUV dashboard, but touchpoints deserve a bit more love. An even bigger problem presented itself in the form of our tester’s third row seat, which is a $3,570 option that included leather seating surfaces and third row curtain airbags.

Since the 4Runner has a body-on-frame architecture, when the third row seat is folded, the load floor actually sits a few inches higher than in the standard five-seat model. The fully collapsed seats don’t exactly stow completely flat, either, and the slight downward pitch of the floor makes it next to impossible to throw groceries in the boot without something flying out when the tailgate is opened. There is no convenient way to access that third row when it’s needed, either. We found that we had to unfold the third row split-bench from the second row, which certainly isn’t the most user-friendly way to access additional seating.

But while the interior wasn’t exactly up to snuff, there were some considerable surprises once we got behind the wheel. The first area of delight came courtesy of Toyota’s 4.0-liter V6 engine. This writer just finished a week in a Tacoma with the same displacement V6, and we came away from that tester wanting far more power. The six-pot beneath the hood of the 4Runner is a different beast altogether, with dual independent variable valve timing helping to achieve 270 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 278 pound-feet of torque at 4400 rpm. The extra horsepower (up from 236 ponies in the Tacoma) makes the 4,700 pound 4Runner feel surprisingly fleet-footed, and Toyota claims an impressive 0-60 mph time of 7.1 seconds. Perhaps more surprising than the 4Runner’s perkiness is the impressive 19.5 miles per gallon we managed during a week of mixed driving (EPA figures: 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway). Not bad for a two-ton SUV with a five-speed transmission and large-displacement V6.

Our tester also proved to be very comfortable on the highway and around town, with the V6 providing reliable power and the chassis remaining well-controlled. Steering is a bit numb and could use a bit more heft when tooling around town, but it’s about what you’d expect in an off-road capable SUV. It’s true that the 4Runner’s ride quality tends to get a bit bouncy when encountering less-than-ideal roads, but that’s largely to be expected in a steel-spring off-roader like this.

The SR5 also has a not-so secret weapon in its very capable part-time four-wheel-drive system. On the highway, it can cruise comfortably using only the rear wheels for propulsion, but when the traction conditions turn foreboding, the driver can simply shift into Four High to keep momentum strong. When dirt turns to rock, the 4Runner can articulate over some pretty formidable terrain. Simply work your way into Four Low and let the 9.6-inch ground clearance, 25-degree approach angle and 24-degree departure angle work to your advantage. Toyota also has an even more rugged option in the form of a Trail package that includes a terrain response system, a locking rear differential, and skid plates for still more off-roading ability.

We rarely find ourselves short on fun when we’re off the beaten path, and here the 4Runner revealed itself to be a very capable partner. Substantial P265/70SR17 tires and above average wheel travel made most pits feel like small potholes, and the 4WD system proved to be very difficult to overwhelm. One problem we encountered was that it was fairly difficult to switch the 4Runner’s floor-mounted 4WD system shifter into 4WD High and Low. We got better with a bit of practice, though we’d much prefer a simple button or switch that interfaces with the 4WD system.

The Toyota 4Runner may be every bit as safe and reliable as Toyota models of the past, but it also has a bit of attitude in its design and capability, and that’s a good thing. And with the Chevrolet Trailblazer gone and the Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango about to reinvent themselves as crossovers, the 4Runner has very little competition in a segment that just a decade ago surpassed well over one million units per year. In the end, customers will have to decide if they really do want to go off-road every now and again. The genre’s sales may be dwindling, but with the 4Runner’s history spanning a quarter of a century and 1.5 million units sold over four generations, we’re guessing that Toyota will find enough loyalists who still think a bit of grit under their fingernails – and tires – is an attractive thing.

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According to the official recall statement from NHTSA, the Equator’s lower control link bushing collars may not contain welds that meet strength specifications, which can alter the wheel alignment over time. The safety recall is taking place as you read this, and dealers will replace one or both lower control links if necessary.

[Source: NHTSA]

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The project was developed with the blessings of the storied Italian supercar maker. With a vague assignment to simply design a race car, Filipchenko took inspiration from the Lamborghini Countach (1974-1990) but created something very new with modern touches such as the thin, horizontal line of the taillights.

The name was chosen to honor the ancient city of Cnossus (Knossus), a Bronze Age ruin on the Greek island of Crete, which had its heyday back in 1600 to 1400 B.C. where the sport of bullfighting was born.

[Source: cardesign.ru]

The base Vette starts out at a reasonable $48,950, and if you lose the fixed roof, the price jumps to $53,600. Move up to the Grand Sport and you’ll be staring at a $54,790 Monroney, while the GS ragtop is exactly $5,000 more than the base convertible. Move out of the GS and into the Z06 and the price rockets to $74,305. The Carbon Fiber package is $3,995 stand-alone package, while the Z06 Ultimate Performance Package (A.K.A. the Z07 package) is a healthy $9,495. The Corvette Blogger says the limited Carbon edition Z06 should come in at around $95,000.

The ZR1 gets by far the largest price increase of the bunch, as the starting price jumps $2,920 to $109,820. That’s a $6,320 price bump from the 2009 model. Add the ZR1 premium equipment group and you’re looking at $119,820, which is still a pretty handsome deal for the performance it offers. Head over to Corvette Blogger for more Vette pricing info. There are 19 different package options, 38 stand-alone options and nine tire choices.

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

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