Autoblog

Motor Trend goes head-to-head-to-head in Cadillac ATS 3.6, BMW 335i and Mercedes C350 Sport

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Videos, BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

The latest episode of "Head 2 Head" from Motor Trend is a battle of the little luxury sixes, looking to see which of these $50,000 sport sedans, all equipped with automatic transmissions, can lay the largest claim to your money: the 321-horsepower, six-speed Cadillac ATS 3.6, the 302-horsepower, seven-speed Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport or the 300-horsepower, eight-speed BMW 335i.

Host Jonny Lieberman doesn't just look at dynamics. He starts off with an assessment of each car's interior and its infotainment interface: CUE on the Cadillac, COMAND on the Mercedes and iDrive on the BMW. A bit of a spoiler, CUE doesn't fare any better here than it did with Consumer Reports, for essentially the same reasons. Thankfully, the ATS has tricks beyond its touchscreen.

The victor and the overall ranking might surprise you. One of the contestants "goes around corners better than it goes in a straight line," one of them would have won the comparo if it were held a year ago, and one earns more mention of the word "rubbery" than you'll hear outside of a Kumho factory. Enjoy the episode in the video below.

Continue reading Motor Trend goes head-to-head-to-head in Cadillac ATS 3.6, BMW 335i and Mercedes C350 Sport

Motor Trend goes head-to-head-to-head in Cadillac ATS 3.6, BMW 335i and Mercedes C350 Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motor Trend pits BMW M5 against Porsche Panamera GTS

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, BMW, Porsche, Luxury

It's not like we needed it, but the latest episode of Motor Trend's "Head 2 Head" is more proof that those who spend six-figures buy whatever they want (or more likely, they buy three or four of them), not necessarily what wins the spec war or a drag race.

Jonny Lieberman took two German thunder chariots, the BMW M5 and Porsche Panamera GTS, to the desert for a quarter-mile blast and then up to altitude for duty in the high mountain esses.

In black and white, the M5 has it all over the GTS. Although the properly trunked sedan weighs 39 pounds more, its 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 harnesses 130 more horsepower and 196 more pound-feet than the naturally-aspirated 4.8-liter V8 in the GTS. The BMW starts at nearly $20,000 less than the Porsche, a savings which skyrockets to $42,000 when as-tested prices for these particular cars are compared. For those wondering, an even greater price disparity is the reason MT didn't use the Panamera Turbo, which might have seemed a fairer car to use for comparison from a performance standpoint.

But we don't live black-and-white lives, do we? There are reasons for Porsche reverence, one of them that it has always done more with what might, at first, seem like less. You should allow Lieberman the chance to explain further by checking out the video below.

Continue reading Motor Trend pits BMW M5 against Porsche Panamera GTS

Motor Trend pits BMW M5 against Porsche Panamera GTS originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Head 2 Head pits new VW Scirocco pitted against last model sold in U.S.

George Kennedy — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Volkswagen

The new Volkswagen Scirocco is a highly sought-after sport coupe, made even more desirable by the fact that we don't get it here. But is that exclusivity enough to make it more tempting Volkswagen than an original 1987 Scirocco? To help find out, Jason Cammisa of Automobile magazine went to Germany to pit the original Scirocco against the current model that we don't get to play with.

Its interesting to look at the way the two cars stack up on paper. The '87 Scirocco that belongs to Cammisa makes 175 horsepower and 150 pound feet of torque from a 2.0-liter 16-valve inline-four engine. Cammisa's 2.0-liter engine is larger and more powerful than the 1.8-liter found in the original car, but it sure makes this comparison interesting. The 2012 Scirocco utilizes a 1.4-liter turbocharged four pot to make only 160 horsepower but 177 lb-ft. Meanwhile, the wheelbase of the new car is exactly seven inches longer than the OG Scirocco. Oh, and the 2012 model is more than 700 pounds heavier.

Scroll below to see how the two cars stack up - it may be a lot closer than you think. Extra points for anyone who can pick up on the Inglorious Basterds reference. After watching, hit up the comments section and tell us which car you would rather have.

Continue reading Head 2 Head pits new VW Scirocco pitted against last model sold in U.S.

Head 2 Head pits new VW Scirocco pitted against last model sold in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motor Trend compares Lexus LFA to original Acura NSX

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Acura, Lexus, Luxury

There's a slice of yesterday and a slice of tomorrow in the latest episode of Motor Trend's Head 2 Head. Jonny Lieberman takes the captain's chairs in the Acura NSX, a sports car whose praises are still being sung as if by Greek chorus 21 years after its introduction, and the Lexus LFA, a kinetic banshee whose V10 wailing has seemingly reawakened the moribund Japanese supercar industry.

On top of the driving, Lieberman gives a lesson in the details that behind each coupe's development and the finer technological points that help define each car. We could tell you more, but that would cheat you out of a good show. Oh, and Ayrton Senna makes a cameo. Have a watch below.

Continue reading Motor Trend compares Lexus LFA to original Acura NSX

Motor Trend compares Lexus LFA to original Acura NSX originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bugatti Veyron, Lexus LFA, McLaren MP4-12C and Lambo Aventador in 1/4-mile shootout... who wins?

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Lexus, Luxury, MISC

Automobile Magazine scribe Jason Cammisa was sent into the desert to referee four carbon-fiber-bodied wild animals fighting it out over the quarter mile: the V8 McLaren MP4-12C, the V10 Lexus LFA, the V12 Lamborghini Aventador and the W16 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. It's a tough job, innit?

The Head 2 Head race was run elimination style, with the winner of each two-up challenge facing the next devil up the totem pole. Although you might not have any doubts about the eventual victor, how each of these supercars fared is good watching. See all the screaming for yourself in the video below.

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron, Lexus LFA, McLaren MP4-12C and Lambo Aventador in 1/4-mile shootout... who wins?

Bugatti Veyron, Lexus LFA, McLaren MP4-12C and Lambo Aventador in 1/4-mile shootout... who wins? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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