Test Drive

Mini Netherlands wanted to give its countrymen a good reason to test drive its cars, so it threw in a free cup of coffee with the spin – but not just any old cuppa joe. Cars were fitted with a sensor that analyzed the driver's style. The chip was then placed in a special coffeemaker that produced a blend to match the driving; middle-of-the-road test pilots would get a lungo (long) coffee, test-the-rollcage types were given a ristretto (short, and

How disinterested are consumers in their cars? According to a new study reported in The Detroit Free Press, more than 10 percent of new car buyers can't be bothered to take a test drive.

As you can see from the screen grab above, some people get to have all the fun. Jay Leno, who owns more cars than you will ever drive in your lifetime, was graced with the presence of a Fiat 500 Abarth at his garage.

Think of it as an extended test drive.

We drove 'em both at the 2011 Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin, Germany earlier this year, and now it's the rest of the world's turn to strap in behind the wheels of the Renault Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E. electric vehicles in one

If you're shopping for a vehicle near Naperville, Illinois, you may have a chance to put your possible purchases through the gauntlet on at a new facility. The town has joined forces with local dealers to create a driving course that would reduce the number of test drives on public streets and give buyers a better sense of the type of vehicle they were purchasing before they signed on the dotted line. The course features a variety of pavement t

Ford is offering car shoppers the opportunity to participate in a rather unique take on the test drive experience. Instead of simply handing over the keys and taking a lap around the block, Ford equipped a group of Focus test cars with telemetry equipment, commandeered a parking lot and set up an obstacle course. The data of the test run was fed through a recording device, and a real-life video ga

For some potential buyers interested in heading down to their local dealership to test drive a plug-in Chevrolet Volt, the wait is almost over. Chevy dealerships in the Volt's initial launch markets of California, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virgin

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T – Click above for high-res image gallery

A[nother] different kind of car company. A[nother] different kind of car. Apparently, as it once did with its Saturn division, General Motors is again fiddling with the tried-and-true dealership sales model by creating two separate new test programs that would potentially offer a low-pressure car buying environment.

Cornell's SAE Baja Buggy – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chevrolet Volt pre-production IVER prototype - click above for high-res image gallery

Click on image above to see a full gallery of the EcoDesafio Honda Insight in Barcelona

You've seen this concept before: Most folks can neither afford to buy exotic supercars, nor do they yearn for the headaches of ownership. But hey, it sure would be nice to get behind the wheel once in a while. That's where Supercar Sensation comes in.