When we are looking for a sport utility vehicle that can negotiate the urban jungle as well as the real jungle, the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser TRD (Toyota Racing Development) is an outstanding option. This descendant of rugged Toyota off roaders is no longer a one trick pony and has added urban practicality to its impressive off road reputation. Toyota has made the FJ Cruiser TRD a utilitarian option that can do both jobs supremely well whether it is navigating the parking lot at the supermarket or crawling over a sand dune in the Sahara.
Of the different versions and options offered for the vehicle, we picked the the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser with the TRD package because it offers quite the bang for your buck ($33,461). For that price, we got a genuinely brilliant off roader that can seat five adults, but more importantly, receives a sportier feel with TRD 16-in. 6-spoke alloy wheels and hefty BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires. Then there’s the TRD-developed, high-speed–tuned Bilstein shocks for extra support.
The FJ is a relative newcomer to the market (introduced in 2006) . Now, the FJ is aiming to tackle the suburbs as well the trail. Let’s see if the FJ can truly be the best of both worlds.
Hit the jump to see if Toyota was successful.
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BMW is still keeping a tad bit mum when it comes to the new version of their smaller sedan, but automotive enthusiasts are not going to let something like that stop the flow of information. Our latest rendering of the 2012 BMW 3-Series takes the elements revealed from the most recent spy shots to unveil the BMW 3-Series in it full and naked glory.
Ever since the 3-Series began production back in 1975, BMW has done very little to mess with its overall design. Each generation has brought out some tweaks here and there, but nothing too drastic. The BMW F30 3-Series will be no different. The sedan takes some of the same design cues from the new 5-Series, and possibly the new 7-Series. There have been numerous reports that the new 3-Series will be longer than the current version by around an inch and a half, but it will have considerably shorter overhangs.
As for the engine, the 2012 BMW 3-Series will feature BMW’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine with an output of 240-horsepower and at least one inline six option. The diesel lineup will consist of turbocharged four-cylinder and six-cylinder variants and a hybrid model will also come into play sometime later.
After the sedan makes it debut - more than likely at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show - BMW will then bring out convertible, coupe, M3, wagon, and Gran Turismo variants.
Ford and Chevrolet have been competing since the beginning and with today’s challenging economic times, the rivalry has grown even more fierce. It was not so long ago that car dealerships were selling hundreds of vehicles a day and running out of inventory. Ford and Chevrolet could produce any vehicle of any quality level and have it be a top seller. As the consumer has grown more conscious and more knowledgeable, the business of selling automobiles has grown more difficult.
It is hard to negate the fact that the American auto manufacturers have made leaps and bounds in terms of quality and sustainability for the vehicles they produce. These companies have begun to emerge from the financial crisis and are plotting their return to dominance. New marketing tactics have helped lead the charge and get the consumer thinking about their products. One of the best ways to do this is by having the consumer be able to test the vehicles in a non-sales environment.
At the Barrett Jackson auction in Orange County, both Ford and Chevrolet had ride and drive events set up to stimulate the car enthusiasts at the auction. Without paying any money or being hassled by a greasy car salesman, I was able to test drive the full range of new General Motors products as well as several different Ford rides. After completing some test drives, I was then whipped around the track by a professional driver in a Corvette ZR1 which left little doubt in my mind that these companies know how to show off their stuff.
Hit the jump for more details on the Ride and Drive experience.
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Mercedes is prepping for the onslaught of customers readying their wallets for the 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG with some AMG Performance Studio styling. After all, no one wants to see the same E63 AMG passing by over and over again, especially if you happen to be riding in one as well.
As part of the new "AMG Performance 2015" model strategy, the E63 AMG will now come equipped with an AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine that delivers an output of 525 HP to 557 HP and a peak torque of 516 lbs-ft. The car will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and will be capable of a top speed of 155 mph. This is all fine and dandy, but customization issues are always a plus, and Mercedes is readying the attack AMG Performance Studio options such as a performance suspension, a ceramic high-performance composite braking system, an exterior Carbon package, and an AMG Driver’s package that will include the removal of the speed limiter.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG with AMG Performance Studio.
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What happens when you take a sports sedan and add sprinkles of practicality? You get the 2011 BMW 535i GT. This car lets you carve the corners and allows you to transport the kids in comfort..sounds like a winner in our book.
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Initially unveiled for the first time back in 1977 as the W123, the Mercedes E-Class took its name from the word "Einspritzmotor", which means ’fuel injection engine’ in German. Eventually, the letter morphed into being officially designated as the E-Class - or E-Klasse - to describe Mercedes’ line of mid-size executive vehicles.
Over the course of its life, the E-Class has had many different iterations with the latest facelift coming in 1999 and the introduction of the latest model, the W212. Introduced for the first time at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 2009 E-Class’ design was inspired by the new design language Mercedes adopted at that time for the C-Class, S-Class, and CLS-Class.
With the purpose of competing in a luxury executive market that features competitors in the form of the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A6, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has become one of the staple vehicles amongst high-ranking executives and business people the world over.
Details on the 2009-2011 Mercedes E-Class after the jump.
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Some may remember the stark contrast of black and white used to set the original Mercedes E55 AMG apart from the pack. The black leather with white inserts and a swatch of white on the steering wheel gave the car an aggressive attitude. Wheels and More has taken the latest Mercedes CLS AMG and brought back some of that original flair, but this tuning company has added several tasteful components to make this one of the first tuned CLS models in the world.
To complement the bold white exterior, three piece black alloy wheels were added. These are the newest version of the 6Sporz model and they measure 9.5 x 20 in the front and 11 x 20 in the rear. That large wheel is backed up with some serious rubber from Dunlop; namely 255/30/20 Sportmaxx’s in the front and 305/25/20 Sportmaxx’s at the back. These huge patches of rubber should help keep this CLS glued tightly to the road.
More details on the Mercedes CLS by Wheels and More after the jump.
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Today most people consider the Ford Mustang to be the original muscle car. After all, it did start a revolution of sorts with companies building smaller cars with bigger engines to satisfy the appetite of the American consumer. Its seems to us that one legendary automaker, now more known for building your grandfather’s car, was poised to begin the horsepower arms race in the early 1950s. Oldsmobile was part of the larger General Motors conglomerate that had strict marketing and production plans for its various monikers.
The cars that utilized a big V8 were strictly Cadillac and LaSalle models. The main reason they needed a V8 was to move their behemoth bodies around, but GM also felt it helped distinguish those cars as the top of the line models. Oldsmobile was about to shake things up in more than one way. For starters, if they were going to make a more powerful production car that was also exhilarating to drive then they were going to need a completely new car body to work with.
At that time, the company had the compact 76 series cars and the very large 98 series. The company decided to use the underlying chassis of the 76 series, put a brand new V8 under the hood, and design a body to mimic the space race era. This would all come together to be the Rocket 88 car that is now legendary and truly began the muscle car era way back when it was introduced in 1949.
Hit the jump for more details on the Rocket 88
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Long relegated as a mid-tier, mid-size sedan, the Ford Taurus was one of those cars that needed a refreshed styling, especially considering the growing number of competitors coming out on the market these days.
Fortunately, the people at Ford seem to have taken the challenge to task by introducing a refreshed and much-improved 2013 Taurus at the New York Auto Show.
Suffice to say, it was a tough task for Ford to shed some of the negative stereotypes given to the Taurus. A lot of people said it was chubby while some had pointed words on the car’s overall design.
For the 2013 model, Ford seems to have addressed a lot of these connotations, giving the car a more appealing look to quiet down its naysayers. While the styling refresh certainly gave the Taurus a more palatable appearance, its the addition of a new engine - a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo engine - that seems to have given the Taurus the right kind of buzz.
Details on the Ford Taurus after the jump.
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George Romney, the then-new chairman of American Motors Corporation, had big plans for the small American Company when he took over in 1954. World War II was over and the 1950s were in full swing. Not only were sales up for the big three automakers in the United States, but Hudson and Nash were doing well also. Romney’s big idea was to have Rambler become a company on its own and expand into a sector that Ford, General Motors, and Chevrolet had ignored thus far. Most companies were offering only large sedans and small economy cars. Rambler was going to split the market wide open with a mid-size model that featured aggressive styling and plenty of power.
Little did Romney know that his new Rambler Rebel model was destined to become the grandfather of the muscle car era. The first thing that Rambler needed to do was find a suitable engine that would bring performance and excitement to a lineup that had never had it before. Clearly, offering a V8 was the answer, and the new AMC 5.4-liter was perfect.
As history shows, 1957 was destined to be the first and most important year for the Rambler Rebel. As time went on and the car’s name was adapted to newer models from AMC, the original feeling of the car was lost. It is something that happens with many companies when they use a classic marquee in the wrong way simply to boost sales in the short term. Nonetheless, the short and successful years of the Rebel production have spawned numerous car clubs and followers throughout the United States and remains popular today.
Hit the jump for more details on the Rambler Rebel
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