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Pros:

• Legendary Range Rover all-terrain capability
• Same adaptive damping system as a Ferrari provides excellent ride quality
• Buttery-soft leather seats for all-day comfort
• Extensive list of customizable options
• Roomy for a small SUV
• Tiny 2.0 engine is efficient, powerful and torquey from 1750 rpm
• Excellent driving position and fun to drive with great balance of on road and off road handling

Cons:

• Oversized outside view mirrors
• Small number available worldwide for its first year of production
• visibility out of side rear windows is less than normal

The 2012 Range Rover Evoque is a compact, luxury crossover that offers premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, performance and renowned Land Rover all-terrain capability. Available as a coupe or 5-door model, the Evoque will be in high demand as only 2200 units are being built and sold worldwide in its first year of production which begins this summer.

CarReview was invited to test drive the new Evoque on the city streets of San Francisco. Granted, the potholes and broken asphalt of a concrete jungle are not considered a true test of the Evoque’s off-road capabilities, but it was a good proving ground to show off how well the Evoque can maintain a comfortable ride on roads that could qualify on the list of top ten worst maintained roads in the U.S.

Fortunately, our cars were equipped with the optional MagneRide™ adaptive damping system, which is almost the same hardware used in Ferraris. Essentially, the damping system quickly reacts to conditions so that big bumps and frenetic cornering are handled with superior finesse, but also loosens to allow the ride to stay cloud-soft when conditions are not so demanding. When in action, harsh ridges and potholes are smothered with luxury-car quietness.

Scooting around the city, we found outward visibility is very good for the driver. The opera windows on the C-pillar aid the driver when changing lanes or maneuvering in tight spots. The only thing hindering visibility is the overly large outside mirrors which can block your view at the 11 o’clock position.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged 4-cylinder engine which pumps out a prodigious 240 horsepower and can giddy-up from zero to 60 in 7.1 seconds. Not bad for a crossover that has all-terrain capability and can wade through water up to 19 inches without suffocating.

Combined city and highway fuel economy for the turbocharged gas engine is 27 mpg overall. EPA estimates have not been released, yet. Premium gas (91 octane) is recommended to keep the peppy 4-cylinder engine happy.

The Ford Anglia 105E from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, lined up alongside the pink FAB1 from Thunderbirds, James Bond’s Ford Mondeo from the 2007 film Casino Royale, a Ford Granada as seen in The Sweeney TV series and Dr Who’s yellow Edwardian vintage car.

One of the most watched vehicles in film history is the turquoise Ford Anglia 105E seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

“I’d been involved with Ford Anglia clubs for 30 years when I was asked by the film makers to provide a car for the movie,” said owner John Colyer. “After that it just took off and I ended up supplying around 15.”

One of the most eye-catching vehicles at Elstree was the six-wheel Ford-badged FAB1, that starred in the 2004 live action film Thunderbirds. Famous for its multi-function ability on the road and in the air, FAB1 is, of course, road-legal and fully operational.

For Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond, in Casino Royale, which debuted ahead of the launch of the production Ford Mondeo in 2007, he took to the wheel of a hand built prototype.  Following the film’s release, the car was donated by Ford to the Ian Fleming Foundation and can now be seen at the Bond exhibition at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

On the small screen, Ford vehicles have featured in many series including two popular British programmes − gritty police drama The Sweeney and science-fiction drama Dr Who.  The familiar car chases of The Sweeney helped the Ford Consul GT and the Ford Granada achieve cult status with car fans − and are still loved 40 years on.

The canary yellow Edwardian vintage car with unique WHO 1 number plate and indicator ‘hand’ makes regular appearances at Dr Who conventions, and several Dr Who fans have used the car for weddings.

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents.  With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

Below is a comprehensive list of all the Expert Car Reviews and feature articles published on CarReview.com [updated 10/11/2011]:

New photos of the 3rd generation 2012 BMW  6 Series Coupe have been released. The BMW 6 Series Coupé features a sweeping coupé roofline while the long hood, short over-hangs, set-back passenger compartment with Hofmeister kink, long wheelbase and flat waistline embody the typical proportions of a BMW coupé more than any other model. Its now traditional BMW “shark nose”, with a large, forward-slanted BMW kidney grille, broad air intakes, wide, contoured bonnet and muscular wheel arches, allude to the powerful engine beneath. Inspired by the movement of water, the fluid lines of the car combine with the subtly curved surfaces to create a look of athletic elegance, which together with the 74mm increase in length and 5mm lower height creates a powerful stance.

Two BMW turbocharged engines, a newly developed chassis and a host of class-leading driver assistance technology ensure that the new BMW 6 Series Coupé is full of substance, while interior space and comfort have been enhanced.

The 4.4-liter V-8 engine develops a maximum 400 hp between 5,500 and 6,400 rpm, and makes peak torque of 450 lb-ft between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm. This unique “reverse-flow” engine, whose two turbochargers are positioned in the V-area between the cylinder banks, produces an instantaneous and sustained wave of power, making it a delight for the enthusiast driver. The engine can be paired with either BMW’s new 8-speed Sport Automatic gearbox or BMW’s traditional 6-speed manual transmission.

The new BMW 650i Coupe completes the sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds with either the 6-speed manual or the 8-speed automatic transmission. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. This engine also boasts extraordinary efficiency for a model in its output class.

As standard equipment the new BMW 6 Series Coupé is equipped with xenon headlights that have BMW’s familiar double halo-look while high­-quality chrome elements, such as the fog lamps consisting of a string of three LED units, on the outer edges of the front apron accentuate the width of the car.

Optional Adaptive LED Headlights are available for the first time and provide a bright white light, similar to natural daylight, with low beam and high beam LED light rings. Horizontal LED ribs are positioned in the center of the light rings ensuring BMW’s hallmark twin round headlight look is expressed in a strikingly fresh way. The Adaptive LED lights automatically pivot and adjust to the line of the corner depending on the car’s speed, steering angle and yaw rate to provide the best visibility possible for the driver.

Despite its lower height, the new 2+2 BMW 6 Series Coupé offers greater headroom in both the front and the rear, and height adjustment of the driver and front passenger seats now cover a greater range too. The individual rear sets also provide passengers with additional shoulder and elbow room, making for more comfortable cruising.

The front passenger area is bordered by a surface curving elegantly from the armrest over the side edge of the center console, upwards and outwards into the instrument panel and then horizontally into the door trim, surrounding the front passenger area with a feeling of exclusive security.

In tune with the rest of the car’s optimized performance and greater comfort, the new BMW 6 Series Coupé is fitted with newly developed lightweight seats with an integrated seatbelt system and Easy Entry function to the rear passenger compartment: a brief tap of a switch automatically moves the seat as far forward as possible. Sports seats and Comfort seats can be fitted as an option too. The boot can accommodate 460 litres of luggage, equivalent to three 46 ­inch golf bags or two medium hard­-shell cases and a flight case. To utilize the rear space further the rear seats can be specified with a through-­loading ski hatch, allowing two pairs of skis to be transported with ease.

The iconic Mazda Miata has been around for 22 years offering a true, top-down, sports car experience. With its 50/50 weight distribution, nimble handling, and simplistic approach to engineering, the Miata MX-5 is inexpensive, easy to maintain, and fun to drive.

Now available is the Essential Buyer’s Guide for the Mk1 (1989 – 1997) and Mk2 (1998 – 2001) generations of the Miata MX-5. The MX-5 is a true testament to itself as the ‘world’s best-selling sports car,’ and with the earlier MkI and MkII available for modest prices, it is the perfect choice as a fun and enjoyable daily driver, a weekend track car, or a project base for a kit car. This book will help you get the MX-5 of your dreams.

Key points about the book:

• Like having a real marque expert at your side – benefit from years of real ownership experience
• Coverage of the MX-5 (Miata/Eunos Roadster) 1989 – 2001 models including special, limited editions and desirable upgrades
• Where and how to buy an MX-5
• Advice on choosing the right model and condition, including those with modifications
• Key checks – how to spot a bad car quickly
• Comprehensive inspection guide with unique scoring system
• In-depth analysis of strengths and weaknesses
• Key technical specifications
• Photo illustrations of the important areas to check and foibles to be aware of
• Details of clubs, forums, suppliers and specialists dedicated to the MX-5
• MSRP $19.95

About the author:

Carla Crook’s passion for ‘the world’s best selling sportscar’ began seven years ago with a British racing green Eunos Roadster; a car that also won over her husband Tony, a naval engineer and mechanic.

Carla is an active member of the MX5 Owners’ Club and the MX5 Nutz forum. When she’s not helping her husband fettle a project car, or out driving her Roadster, Carla is a busy working mum to three-year-old Harriet – a petrolhead in the making!

Other related books if you want to squeeze more performance from the MX-5:

• How to Build a High-Performance Mazda Miata MX-5 by Keith Tanner
• Mazda Miata MX-5 Performance Projects by Keith Tanner
• Mazda MX-5 Miata 1.8: Enthusiast Workshop Manual by Rod Grainger
• Mazda MX-5 Miata: Find It. Fix It. Trick It. by Keith Tanner
• Mazda MX-5 Miata: The Book of the World’s Favourite Sportscar by Brian Long

Have you ever dreamed of racing wheel-to-wheel against the pros? That dream became a reality for Bryan Heitkotter, winner of the Sony Playstation GT Academy contest of America. Bryan was awarded the opportunity to train and race with real professional race car drivers at the GT Academy driver development program after beating over 58,000 contestants.

After three months of intense training at Silverstone and competing in several events in Europe and the U.S. to earn his international racing license, Bryan was entered in the biggest race of his short career as a pro race car driver – the GRAND AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, co-driving a Nismo 370Z with Ryan Dalziel for A.M. Performance. Nervous and excited at the same time, Bryan proved he could compete alongside with more seasoned drivers by qualifying for the 12th position in a field of 71 cars — less than 8 tenths of a second behind the pole position.

In-between practice sessions and qualifying, I threw some questions at Bryan to learn more about this seasoned gamer turned race car prodigy.

CarReview: When did you start playing Gran Turismo?

Bryan: Fascination with the game started with the original Gran Turismo back in 1998. After I discovered GT at a friend’s house I couldn’t stop playing.

CarReview: Were you involved with motorsports before winning the GT Academy competition?

Bryan: I competed in a lot of autocross events over the last several years, and occasionally participated in track days in my street car. I had no wheel to wheel experience in race cars, though.

CarReview: What is the biggest challenge you have as a racing driver?

Bryan: Answering tough questions from journalists! [only kidding!] To be serious, one of the things I want to learn more about is how to set up and improve a car. At the moment I can only report on balance and I want to be able to suggest potential changes knowing how they will affect the car.

CarReview: Traveling to Europe and competing with world-class race car drivers must be exciting. Do you ever get homesick?

Bryan: Sure, but I’d rather be racing in Europe than not racing at home! The European lifestyle is much different from what I am used to growing up in Fresno. Everything seems easier back home, but maybe that’s simply because I’m used to it all.

CarReview: What is the secret of your success behind the wheel?

Bryan: I’ve had an endless passion for racing since childhood and ever since I started playing racing simulators and driving my street car in autocross events I’ve been relentlessly looking at ways to improve and be the best that I can be. I think a driver searches for perfection constantly, knowing they will never achieve it but pursuing it anyway. That has to be a big part of it.

CarReview: What is your next big goal after leaving the GT Academy driver development program?

Bryan: The big goal is to improve my racing skills even further and continue to compete as a pro-driver next season and beyond.

Bonus question: We know you have skills with drive simulations and on the race track in a real race car. Do you have any other hidden talents you want to share with the audience?

Bryan: Photography is one of my other hobbies and I’ve been fortunate enough to have some of my work published in books and magazines. I mainly do automotive and motorsports photography. As you can imagine I have a lot of fun with GT5′s photomode too!

View Bryan’s photography skills at http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/

To learn more about GT Academy driver development program and Bryan’s progress all the way to competing in a major endurance race, you can watch the GT Academy reality show which airs Tuesdays at 10:00 PM on SPEED channel.

Photo credits: Derek Mau, Carmen Lynaugh

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Driving Sports is a registered trademark of MediaSpigot LCC.
Content is copyright 2003-2011 Driving Sports. All rights reserved.

On display in the Lotus booth at this year’s Pebble Beach d’Elegance event held in Carmel, California is the Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept making its world premiere. Lotus has a goal of being successful in the new global motorsport GTE category, which includes the infamous 24 Hours of Le Mans and built the Lotus Evora GTE race car for the competition series. For the civilized folk who do not have a racing license, Lotus built the Evora GTE Road Car Concept with some serious intentions.

The Evora GTE Road Car Concept is motivated by a 420 hp supercharged 3.5-liter V6 race developed engine that sends it power through a sequential AMT racing gearbox.

Along side the Evora GTE is the limited-production Matte Black Final Edition of the Exige making its U.S. debut. This limited production Exige S marks the end of Exige production. With power upgraded from 257 bhp, an exclusive Matte Black paint finish, and black Alcantara sport seats, the Exige Matte Black Final Edition will be instant collectable with only 25 units of this Exige being built.

Engine: Supercharged 1.8-liter DOHC I4
Horsepower: 257 hp @ 8000 rpm
Torque: 174 lb.-ft. @ 6000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Curb Weight: 2,077 lbs.
0 – 60 mph: 4.0 seconds
0 – 100 mph: 9.9 seconds
Maximum Speed: 152 mph
Fuel Economy: 20 city / 26 highway

More than just focusing on engine power and acceleration, the Infiniti Performance Line, or IPL, product design philosophy focuses on “total vehicle performance,” including unique driving attributes and exclusive exterior and interior features.

Announced today at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show in California, made by Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore, the addition of a new 2013 IPL G Convertible to the Infiniti Performance Line model lineup. The IPL G Convertible Concept features unique aerodynamic styling, the dynamic performance of an IPL-tuned V6, exhaust and suspension, 19-inch IPL aluminum-alloy wheels, three-piece retractable hardtop and a unique red leather-appointed interior set against a Malbec Black exterior – a level of equipment and performance modification expected to be shared with the production IPL G Convertible.

The new IPL G Convertible is based on the foundation of the Infiniti G37 Convertible, which features an advanced 3.7-liter V6 and three-piece power retractable hardtop.

“Like every Infiniti, the new IPL G Convertible will take a different path from its established competitors,” added Poore. “It’s a terrific addition to the Infiniti Performance Line, taking the dramatic Infiniti G Convertible to an even higher level.”

Additional information on the 2013 IPL G Convertible will be available during the production version debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

Cadillac unveiled the Ciel Concept at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance held in Carmel, CA. Using the French word for sky, the Ciel (pronounced C-L) is an open-air, touring concept inspired by the natural beauty of scenic California coast.

The large touring chassis of Ciel explores themes driving Cadillac’s explorations into range-topping flagship luxury. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.6-liter Direct Injection V-6 engine, paired with a hybrid system using lithium-ion battery technology.

The four-door Ciel embraces the social aspects of a recreational journey, with generous room for two couples. It evokes the spirit of the classics with a long, low proportion. The doors are French-style, with the rear doors hinged at the rear – there is no B-pillar – to reveal a sweeping view of the dramatic interior. Distinguishing fender lines run from nose to tail, and nickel-plated bright work accents the body lines, enhancing the visual length of the car and honoring Cadillac touring cars of the past.

Ciel’s exterior flows seamlessly into the cabin, with the body color rolling over on top of the interior door panels. Like the exterior, the passenger space is accented with sweeping nickel-plated trim. It divides the body-color upper sections from a complementing beige lower color. Italian Olive wood, machined aluminum and hand-tipped leather are elements that flow through the interior, complementing the primary colors with warm, rich tones.

Recalling classic open cars of the past, the Ciel has a prominent, polished aluminum windshield frame. Additional exterior cues, including a shield grille and vertical lighting elements, are pure Cadillac.

Technology is not lost in this classic redux of a grand touring car. The headlamps and taillamps feature LED lighting elements – including a unique daytime running light graphic on the front of the vehicle that is generated with gradated LED lighting. The car rides on large, beautifully finished wheels that feature brushed nickel plating over milled billet aluminum, matching the materials and appearance of other trim. Carbon ceramic brake rotors are visible behind the 22-inch rims, a visual clue to the Ciel’s foundation of performance.

But perhaps the defining element of the Ciel’s cabin is the incorporation of Italian Olive wood on the doors, instrument panel, console and the front seatbacks, adding warmth and craftsmanship to a car designed to provoke an emotional response.

The rear seating area is detailed with elegant flourishes. The rear seat passengers can pull a leather tab, which reveals a cashmere blanket that stretches across the seating area to ward off a chill. The wood trim in the rear center console opens to reveal a small humidor, stocked with a few cigars.

The Ciel was developed at GM Design’s North Hollywood Design Center, which is managed by Frank Saucedo. Niki Smart was the lead exterior designer, with Buzyn leading interior development.