Autoblog

In the Autoblog Garage: Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Motorcycle

Click on the image for more high-res shots of the Night Rod Special

Harley-Davidson and the cruiser segment in general is currently being forced into the realization that such bikes are often considered playthings by their owners. Sure, there are plenty of die-hard HD fanatics who ride their bikes thousands of miles annually and attend faraway rallies to gather with other enthusiasts who share their passion. Many owners, though, spend more time polishing their chrome than out riding. Such weekend warriors make up a large portion of the cruiser market, and those owners are being forced to hold onto their current rides a bit longer than normal due to the slowing economy in the U.S. -- a country which easily makes up the bulk of cruiser sales.

Harley-Davidson and the rest of the industry could see this change coming long ago, and the V-Rod was its opening defense to this looming issue... and it was a good one by most accounts. The Motor Company, though, has not been content to rest on the original V-Rod as the only alternative to its classic line of air-cooled V-twin powered bikes. Thankfully, we have machines such as the Night Rod Special to provide a welcome diversion from the rolling pieces of nostalgia that make up the majority of HD's line. Does the Night Rod Special's riding experience live up to the promise made by its menacing looks? Read on to find out.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special

Photos copyright Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs Inc.

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In the Autoblog Garage: Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 May 2008 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Performance, Ford

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang

Sometime around late 2003, I first saw the car that was at that time still known as Condor. Condor was the Ford internal code name for the SVT version of the yet to be publicly shown S197 Mustang. At that time, most everyone outside of Ford was still anticipating that this car would be the new Mustang Cobra. Somewhere along the line to launch, Ford had settled its long standing conflict with Carroll Shelby and Condor ended up wearing one of the other classic Mustang badges from the '60s. The Shelby GT500 eventually started rolling off the Flat Rock, MI assembly line in both coupe and convertible forms for the 2007 model year.

Ford recently dropped off a Grey 2008 GT500 coupe at the Autoblog Garage for a few days, and we just had to share. By coincidence, the GT500 arrived about three weeks after the Mustang Bullitt we reviewed. While the Bullitt was about as understated as a modern Mustang can get, the GT500 is anything but. The Shelby is slathered in stripes, badges, spoilers and driving lights. The GT500 also has a very different powertrain from the Bullitt. Find out how the GT500 compares to the stealth 'Stang after the jump.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 May 2008 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Comparo: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX vs. STI

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:26:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Budget, Subaru, First Drive

Click above for high-res image gallery

Last year when the 2008 Subaru Impreza debuted at the New York Auto Show, many fans of the road-going rally car were taken aback. The older, aggressively styled four-door sedan now had a decidedly pedestrian look to it. Worse still, the cool looking mini station wagon of the previous generation had been dumped in favor of an oddly proportioned five-door hatchback. We only got to see the base and WRX versions in New York and had to wait until the Tokyo Motor Show in the fall for the hard-core STI variant. When the STI did finally appear, it had shifted from the four-door to the hatch body style. Fortunately for Subie fans, the aggressive bulging fenders and super-sized rear spoiler remained from the previous car, although the proportions still look a might peculiar.

The countdown to the inevitable EVO-STI showdown had begun. Unfortunately, you won't be seeing that battle here just yet. We did, however, have the opportunity to review a new WRX and spend a few days with an STI model only a week apart. Since we'll soon publish a solo In the Autoblog Garage review of the STI, we want to focus here on the two rally-inspired Imprezas and how they compare in day to day use.

Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2008 Subaru WRX

Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Continue reading Autoblog Comparo: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX vs. STI

Autoblog Comparo: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX vs. STI originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Infiniti EX35 [w/VIDEO]

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Crossover, Infiniti

Click above for high-res gallery of the Infiniti EX35

Infiniti first showed the world its new EX35 as a concept at last year's New York Auto Show and then put it on sale in fall essentially unchanged. Although the Acura RDX has been described as a sports car in CUV clothes, it's based on a fundamentally front-wheel-drive architecture. If Honda had instead taken the S2000 roadster, stretched it and jacked it up a bit, they would have come up with something more akin to the EX35. In fact, that's almost exactly what Nissan did.

The EX35 is based on the platform of the G35 sedan/G37 coupe and, of course, the fun loving 350Z. If you want a crossover with sports car genes, it would be hard to find something more suitable. Of course, wearing a badge from the Infiniti side of the family tree means getting a handsomely tailored suit and all the latest high-tech gizmos to go along with the go-fast hardware. It also means a few sacrifices to ultimate utility, but we'll get to that after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Infiniti EX35

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Infiniti EX35 [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Sedan, Chevrolet, First Drive

click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy Malibu LT

Once upon a time, General Motors' mid-sized models were the perennial top-selling passenger cars in America. Within my own lifetime, the Oldsmobile Cutlass topped the sales charts for years on end. But somewhere along the way, it all went pear-shaped for GM. Its cars went from being perpetual sales leaders into a perpetual sales decline. As GM's car sales tanked, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord picked up the slack and are now considered the standard by which others in the class are measured.

The first signs of a real revival in the GM sedan lineup appeared in 2006 when the Saturn Aura debuted to decent reviews though somewhat lukewarm sales. Then, last January at the Detroit Auto Show, GM debuted two new production sedans, the Cadillac CTS and the car that just spent a week in the Autoblog Garage, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The Malibu is here now, so let's find out what it's like to live with for a week.

Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Hatchback, Dodge, First Drive

click above image to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4

Picture the following scene if you will. It's early 2004. A meeting comes to order somewhere deep within the halls of a tower adorned with a five-pointed star just off I-75 in Auburn Hills, MI. A group of engineers and product planners gather to shoot around some ideas for what kind of car they want to create that will top off the upcoming Dodge Caliber line-up. The leader of the team opens the meeting by placing a cup in the middle of the table and declaring that anyone who utters the words 'subtle' or 'subdued' during the discussions must pay a dollar into the cup toward the beer fund. And thus, the Caliber SRT-4 was born.

We have absolutely no idea if it actually went down that way, but there's no doubt that the latest addition to the Chrysler SRT family is in no way subtle or subdued. If you are looking for a Q-ship, move right along because you will not find one here. In many ways the Caliber SRT-4 is the spiritual successor to the original Omni GLH, a rowdy rip-snortin' hot hatch, with too much power for a front-wheel-drive car. Read on after the jump to find out what it's like to live with the latest SRT-4.

Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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