2012 Mercedes CLS 63 AMG by Carlsson..

At the end of 2010, Carlson revealed an striking modification wrap up for the new generation Mercedes CLS-Class. Now the tuner has moved on to the most powerful model in the CLS lineup: the CLS 63 AMG.

For the CLS 63 AMG package, the 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine has been updated to deliver an impressive 600 HP, up from the standard 518 HP and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Next to this, the tuner is offering a nifty aerodynamic package that includes a new front spoiler, an RS front spoiler lip (available in real carbon), a new rear spoiler, a rear apron, and a built-in diffuser which functions as a tail plane and ensures extra down force and more stable road holding at high speeds.

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2011 BMW Z4 320d by AC Schnitzer

With only a few days away from the Geneva Motor Show, AC Schnitzel has announce its line-up for Switzerland. All we have as of right now are the names of the packages plus a few images, but it looks like AC Schnitzler has done a great job, as usual.

The first package from the German tuner is called the Z4 99d and uses a diesel engine that delivers 190 HP and 420 NM of torque. With this amount of power, plus a weight reduction of 230 kilos (507 lbs.), the tuner has managed to obtain a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of just 6.9 seconds, while top speed is 146 mph. This performance is accompany by a fuel spending of 3.8 liter diesel per 100 kilometers and a CO2 emission of just 99.18 g/km.

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2011 Detroit: our take on the Good, Bad And Ugly From this year’s show

This yea Chrysler’s display is bright, full of new 300s, Dodge Chargers, Jeep Grand Cherokees, plus facelifted Chrysler Town & Countrys, and Sebrings magically turned into relatively tasteful 200s. Those 200s are short-timers, designed to help Chrysler’s midsize lineup limp along for another couple of years.

Amidst all the glowing bright lights. No, the paucity of concepts isn’t the sobriety of an auto industry that only wants to show realistic, near-production cars. The “dream” cars will be back in a year or two. This is the budget-cut hangover. 

Nevertheless, there’s plenty of reality and near-reality to love and hate at this year’s show. 

Most obvious best of this or any show, ever:

Porsche 918 RSR. It’s feel-good, relatively guilt-free speed courtesy a hybrid mid-engine 3.4-liter V-8 with an electric flywheel, producing 563 horsepower at 10,300 rpm until the driver pushes the KERs button for a 204-horsepower kick. With its carbon-fiber reinforced monocoque.

 est concept, by default:

  Actually, it’s both, a preview of the 2013 Ford Escape/next Kuga. It’s a stylish crossover that will be available with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four. Pay no attention to the very car-showy interior.

It was the best of reveals, it was the worst of reveals:

Frank Markus gives it two big thumbs up. Ed Loh calls it the “vomit toaster.” Jonny Lieberman is ambivalent, though slightly positive. Angus MacKenzie is largely ambivalent. Mike Floyd is ambivalent. Kirill Ougarov likes it. Scott Evans is indifferent. Mike Febbo doesn’t care, much. I think it’s the world’s best Saturn Ion, though that’s not nearly as negative as it sounds. It’s arguably the most interesting design here, and would have made a great, funky two-door coupe. Having two different b-pillars makes it that much more interesting, and it’s a very light, affordable little car with an optional twin-clutch transmission.

Concept most overwhelmed by another production model on the same stand:

Hyundai Curb. Looks like a 13/10ths scale Scion iQ. Nobody paid attention, because the Veloster looked like Hyundai’s concept.

Best killer app:

 Angus figures with a 43-mpg (highway) TDI option and best-in-class rear legroom, this is the midsize sedan for which middle-America has been waiting. Of course, the TDI is a long way from being the $20,000 base version. To me, sitting in the back seat feels like being in a de-contented Phaeton, which is not at all a bad thing. The question is, what if the market is about to revert to smaller c/d-size, with four-bangers only, again?

Biggest disappointment:

Did it give up the Civic’s proclivity for TARDIS-like big inside/small outside design, what with the deep-draw shoulder-line that makes it easy to distinguish from the 2006-11 Civic?

Jonny Lieberman’s Worst in Show:

 It’s worth it for the shorter name, alone. “One hell of a fine car (probably),” he says, “but wrapped in a tragic body kit. The front end looks like something your neighbor’s kid might graft onto the front of an Accord. From the side, the sills appear like they’re drooping, with the lowest part under the driver’s knees. The rear’s no peach, either, with odd slits cut into the bumper and strange flairs molded above the exhaust tips.

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The hunchback Of nordschleife, deutschland

From the grave “It’s not a Porsche,” to the grade school, “It’s really ugly,” insults come from all angles, aimed squarely at its hunchback. You won’t find me among the critics, because to define this car by its styling is to mock Apollo 11 for having food that isn’t particularly good.

I recently spent a week in a V-6 Panamera, facing both clear skies and a deluge that smothered Los Angeles. The verdict? It is a truly wonderful car.

 Handling is doubly impressive: Our tester generated a 0.99 g average around the skidpad. Its best, 25.0-sec Figure Eight lap time slots between the last M3 Competition package and C63 AMG we tested. Yet, lap times don’t explain the thrill of driving. Through light, sensitive steering, a telepathic twin-clutch gearbox, and an eager chassis, the Panamera evokes joy and a sense of responsiveness that may fall short of Boxster levels. 

Rain-fearing traffic may slow down, but the Porsche effortlessly negotiates bends, potholes, and the ever-present hydroplaning ne’er-do-well. And it will do so carrying four passengers and their cargo in comfort. Or Fido — those rear seats fold flat. Check out your window if you ever fly into Frankfurt International and you’ll see a fleet of black Panamanians pulling Benz S-Class duties.

Over dinner, they discussed art, namely, the importance of the third dimension that Alexander Calder brought to abstractionism — the very same Calder that BMW commissioned to create its first Art Car, a 3.0 CSL. The topic then turned to the Panamera and — shock — they admired its “interesting” shape. 

But so would a Leatherman; you don’t wield a fashion accessory. And yet this experience with my relatives leads me to believe that, by itself, the Panamera will only find criticism from cynics and so-called enthusiasts who carry some imaginary vested interest in the brand. 

Lest we forget, Porsche’s history revolves around this established hive mind hating whatever new vehicle it makes.

If the worst thing the Panamera does is offend your fragile aesthetic sensibilities, then it’s off to an amazing start. We will one day realize this and look at it with fondness.  Porsche’s hunchback will garner the respect and admiration it so rightfully deserves.

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Escalading the segment: Ca to Az in a Qx

Escalading the Segment: CA to AZ in a QX

The only time I had spent with Infiniti’s second-generation QX56 was during our 2011 Sport/Utility of the Year competition, in which the Nissan Patrol-based behemoth impressed me and every other editor with its athletic dynamics, advanced technology, and luxurious cabin. Still, a couple hours with a vehicle is a far cry from spending a couple weeks with one. So when I had the opportunity to sign-out our long-term QX56 for an extended period, I didn’t hesitate.

Arriving at the Hotel Valley Ho

For the holidays, my wife and I went to her folks’ house in Gold Canyon, Arizona, about 450 miles from our abode in Southern California. But before departing the surprisingly wet and cold confines of SoCal, where five straight days of rain wreaked flood and mudslide havoc, I first needed to get the QX’s windshield replaced, as it had turned a small rock chip into Charlotte’s Web. With 7500 miles on the odometer, the QX was also due for its initial maintenance, so I figured I’d have that done as well.

A Radio Flyer wagon filled with gifts, a couple messenger bags – I quickly realized that the big Infiniti offers plenty of room for most families’ needs – up to 95.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, in fact. I also realized that the QX’s power-folding third row is painfully slow, taking 20 seconds to raise or lower. That doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but when you’re holding down a button with one hand (it’s not one-touch) and carrying a screaming toddler with the other, it feels like a proverbial lifetime. What I would love to see in the QX is a manual one-pull release leash a la the Nissan Quest LE minivan.

For Around View, just hit the “Camera” button.

Traveling on Interstate 10 in the middle of the night (my wife and I chose this timeframe to allow our 19-month-old son to sleep; naturally, he chose to stay awake for five of the seven hours), I learned right away that the QX’s Xenon headlamps are truly spectacular. I can’t recall a vehicle whose lights – halogen, Xenon, LED, whatever – offered better coverage, intensity, or range. Perched up high, looking down upon a white-light net the size of a Little League field, I felt like I could have safely driven through a black hole.

In addition to the enlightening headlamps, the QX delivered a surprisingly quiet, luxury-car ride on the highway. For a vehicle of this mass, I was amazed at how serene the QX’s cabin remained. Even when traveling 80 mph, with strong desert crosswinds ripping over the hood, the QX just cruised along in total tranquility. Given the QX’s truck-based roots and large 22-inch wheels, I would have thought the ride would beat up the family. Negative. The fact that the QX was so quiet and smooth likely kept my son awake – some constant bumps and white noise would have no doubt knocked him out.

I found the QX’s so-called intelligent cruise control to be aptly named, proving a smart co-driver on the interstate. Working the ICC was as simple as using a button and toggle switch on the steering wheel to set a desired speed. From there, I just left it up to the laser-based system to maintain a comfortable distance (adjustable via the toggle) to the car ahead. For hours of highway cruising, I never had to touch the throttle or brake – the ICC did all the work for me. Knowing that I’d have to give up the QX in about 13 days, I began to wonder if I could live without such a convenience.

which includes traffic and weather updates as well as posted speed limits – the last is handy when setting the ICC. The 8-inch WVGA screen is clear and vivid, and even offers touch control, although I preferred to use the rotary knob and control buttons to avoid ugly fingerprints on the screen. Plus, keeping the screen clean helps when using the Infiniti’s always-awesome Around View monitor. In a rig of the QX’s size, AV is a technology I would not want to live without. Because it’s impossible to see the corners of the vehicle, AV provides an invaluable bird’s-eye view, incredibly handy for parking, reversing, or maneuvering through a tight spot. And operating AV couldn’t be easier – just hit the “Camera” button on the dash and, voilà, a 360-degree overhead view of the car.

That range, as I found out, is quite optimistic. Over 1500 miles of driving, most of which was highway, I averaged 16.5 mpg — that equates to a range of around 430 miles. Indeed, the QX’s on-board computer was often the bearer of bad news, displaying a range that seemed to drop quicker than a skydiver. After loading the QX full of sleeping baby and gear, I was hoping to make it the whole way home without stopping. Following a fill up (usually around $70), I was encouraged, the computer telling me, “Range: 488 miles.

I must say my only nits to pick are the snail’s-pace power third row and the somewhat disappointing cruising range. And the latter, mind you, isn’t even that bad, about on par with that of its competitorS.

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