By Alex Kramer

Every year at the college where I work the auto-tech program hosts an autocross, the “Dual at De Anza.” For years I’ve contemplated entering the event, but either lacked the courage or the right car to do so. When I heard that CarReview.com would be testing a 2008 Infiniti G37 on the weekend of this year’s race, I gave Derek a call and with his blessing entered both of us.

As far as luxury sports coupes go, the Infiniti G37 is a fine example of how impressive this class of automobiles has become. Combining the refinement of the finest luxury sedans with some serious horsepower and handling prowess, the G37 feels most at home cruising down the highway at a high rate of speed. Would this large coupe have the right balance of power and cornering agility for the tight confines of an autocross course? We would soon find out.
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A ZR1 was never part of the original C6 plan, but, at an early program review, the Z06’s proposed aluminum frame, carbon-fiber parts, and LS7 engine so impressed CEO Rick Wagoner he casually mentioned aloud, “Geez, if that’s what you can do with $60,000, I wonder what a $100,000 Corvette would look like?” With no more formal authorization than that, Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter and his team launched a skunkworks effort dubbed “Blue Devil” — a nod to the boss’s Duke alma mater.

The power behind this tire-burning, road hazzard is the new LS9, a supercharged and intercooled, 6.2-liter version of the famed small-block V-8 that is assembled by hand at GM’s Performance Build Center in Michigan. The LS9 uses a new, sixth-generation Eaton supercharger that expands the effectiveness of the compressor, helping give the engine terrific low-end torque and high-rpm power. The tremendous power boost of the “blower” allowed the engineers to spec a “smaller” cam than we use on the Z06’s LS7 engine, giving the ZR1 exceptional drivability. You can drive this car to work every day and it doesn’t beat you up, yet you can drive it to a racetrack on the weekend and “school” the competition.

In-car video of Jim Mero’s smokin’ lap of Nürburgring below the jump

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We knew that Hyundai’s inaugural entry into the luxury car market was good, but we were pleasantly surprised when Hyundai announced that the Genesis earned a 5-star crash test rating from the NHTSA. You can read our review of the 2009 Genesis HERE.

The Genesis is Hyundai’s first luxury car. The Korean automaker hopes to sell 50,000 units a year once the coupe joins the sedan early next year. The Genesis also is available with Hyundai’s first V8 — a 375 hp, 4.6-liter, 32-valve engine.

In July, the first month the Genesis was available, Hyundai sold 1,200 units. Following is the press announcement from Hyundai.

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Review by Twain Mein | Photos by Derek Mau

Pros:

• Good gas mileage
• Excellent handling
• Incredible amount of interior space with ingenious packaging
• Great value for the money

Cons:

• Real-world gas mileage was disappointing
• Lack of power
• Noisy engine

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Do we really need another crossover vehicle? Well, Toyota seems to think the U.S. market doesn’t have enough good choices. Enter the all-new 2009 Toyota Venza - a stunning combination of style, sport-sedan type of ride and handling, along with the utility of a mid-size SUV. The Venza isn’t quite a stylistic as the BMW X6, nor does it match the X6’s performance numbers. The upside is that you won’t have to take out a third mortgage to afford the Venza.

Since SUVs are passé and the market for large, ostentatious, gas-guzzling urban assault vehicles has fallen out due to high gas prices, can the new breed of crossovers fill the void left open by the SUVs of yesterday? Official news release and a gaggle of photos of the new aspiring sport-crossover from Toyota is after the jump.

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By Holly R.

Pros:

• LOVE the white dials/background on the instrument panel
• Really decent acceleration
• Comfortable front seats and the lumbar support is really NICE
• XM® Satellite Radio
• Built-in Bluetooth®

Cons:

• Square shape is great for making more inside storage, but bad for aerodynamics
• Gas mileage is not stellar (made worse with the square-er shape)
• Voice recognition (I am starting to hate these) system
• 3rd row seats are only usable by children or very short people (at 5′6″, I wouldn’t be comfortable for any length of time sitting back there)

Fuel Economy:
Advertised: 16 in the city, and 22 highway (or 18 combined for the AWD Touring Edition).
Actual: 18.7 with my un-aggressive driving style. Sightly better than the combined estimate, but still worse than other 7-8 passenger SUVs on the market.

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Strong demand for fuel-efficient sub-compact cars in North America prompted Honda to speed up production of the redesigned 2009 Fit. The 2009 Fit will arrive in dealerships Tuesday, Aug. 26. Honda’s earlier plans were for the updated Fit to arrive Oct. 1.

“We basically increased supply as much as we could to meet demand, and we were still going to be sold out of the 2008 model,” Honda spokesman Chris Martin said. “We had to do something so that our dealers would not be without the small cars that buyers are seeking.”

Official announcement from Honda is on page 2.

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The all-new G37 Convertible, the first-ever open-air G, is set for a mid-2009 model year introduction. Based on the current G37 Coupe, the G Convertible promises stunningly seductive styling and G-worthy dynamic performance. The new G37 Convertible will feature a three-piece automatic retracting hardtop, to keep a coupe-like roofline, and available unique interior treatment. Audio and HVAC systems have been enhanced to provide an inviting experience with the top up or down. The G37 Convertible will be powered by a 3.7-liter V6 producing 320-plus horsepower.

The all-new Infiniti G37 Convertible is set to make its world debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Sales of this sleek and sexy roadster begin nationwide in early 2009. For those who worship the sun while cruising their favorite route, the G37 Convertible will be a great way to greet the warm and sunny days of spring.

Overly ambitious SUVs were the über-cool family transportation choices for the 90’s. Now that we are becoming more socially responsible by choosing right-size vehicles that have a smaller carbon footprint, wagons with the dynamics of a sports sedan and the utility of an SUV are filling the growing demand and are popular choice for young, small families. The difficult decision for young families has always been giving up the sporty lifestyle and trading it in for a lumbering SUV, wagon or minivan. Now there is a new generation of vehicles, such as the VW Jetta Sportwagen, BMW 3-series and 5-series Sport Wagons, and upcoming Audi Q5, which are filling the crossover category with vehicles that emphasize sport over utility. Enter stage right the all-new Toyota Venza. (Video of the all-new Toyota Venza below the jump)

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Hypermilers Unite!

Got mileage? Hypermilers are getting organized and are obsessed about getting the maximum mileage from their vehicles. At the annual HybridFest, fellow hypermilers flocked to join green-car techies and owners from across North America for presentations, hybrid and EV test drives. Whether it is a hybrid vehicle or an old fashion fossil fuel, carbon belching combustion engine. Find out if hypermiling techniques really work as this self styled "mileage obsessor" travels to Wisconsin to participate in a race to see who can travel the most miles with their hybrid.

The annual MPG Challenge competition goes down an open course in Madison designed to simulate real-world driving. The 26-mile route has a realistic time limit set by the coordinators, who prerun the loop and follow standard traffic rules. The average time of multiple runs then has a 5-minute buffer added, and all participants have to come in within that time frame. Many drivers were as much as 10 minutes late, and found themselves disqualified. Contestants were not allowed to see the course before the competition. There are eight divisions, and contestants are judged on the percentage that they score above the EPA estimates for their vehicles. In other words, this really is a challenge.

In the end, William Kenney proved that 109 mpg was possible, even under the tough competition guidelines: His Honda Insight scored 109 percent over the EPA for his car. However, he lost to local Jared Parish's Prius (pictured below), which scored 99 mpg and 115 over the Prius's EPA rating. Parish was heavily favored to win the MPG Challenge, since he was a local contestant and a superb hypermiler to boot.

By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• Perfectly poised suspension
• Fantastic touch-screen Navigation system
• Practical dual sliding doors
• Unique, shuttle-style exterior design

Cons:

• Eager engine outmatched by chubby curb weight
• So-so build quality
• Cramped 3^rd row seats
• Less than stellar fuel-efficiency

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Certified at 556 horsepower, acceleration times are top among V-8 sedans

MILFORD, Mich. - As final testing of the limited-edition 2009 CTS-V nears completion, the results suggest that Cadillac’s upcoming sports sedan is entering the stratosphere of the world’s highest-performing cars. Cadillac announces the following performance specifications for all-new 2009 CTS-V. In-car video of the record setting lap time is below the jump.

• CTS-V, with its supercharged 6.2-liter LSA engine, has achieved SAE-certified peak output of 556 horsepower (415 kW) at 6100 rpm and 551 lb.-ft. (747 Nm) of torque at 3800 rpm.
• CTS-V accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. CTS-V covers the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 118 mph. These acceleration times are believed to be the fastest for any V-8-powered sedan currently in production.

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Electric cars from Mitsubishi are getting a test run in the United States.

The automaker has signed a deal with two California utility companies, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), to begin testing the i MiEV, an electric car based on the “i” mini cars Mitsubishi sells in Japan. Tests will start late this year.

According to Tohru Hashimoto, Corporate General Manager of the i MiEV Business Promotion Office of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, “The small, four-passenger Mitsubishi i MiEVs will enter into SCE and PG&E’s prototype testing and evaluation programs. This collaboration with two of the nation’s leading utility supporters of electric vehicles will provide us technical feedback on i MiEV vehicle and battery performance, as well as vehicle connection and integration into the electrical system.”

Extensive testing with the i MiEV has been occurring over the past two years with seven major utility companies in Japan. The success of these programs quickened the pace and prompted Mitsubishi Motors to begin selling the electric vehicle in the Japan market in summer of 2009.

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Aston Martin has released a snapshot of the stunning new One-77; the ultimate creative interpretation of the renowned British marque.

One-77 fuses advanced technology with stunning Aston Martin design to create possibly the world’s most desirable automotive art form. Based on a sophisticated carbon fibre chassis with a handcrafted aluminum body, this 7.0 liter V12 super car will deliver exhilarating performance for a strictly limited number of discerning customers.

A few sparse details about the car released by the British automaker are:

• An all aluminum body, with handcrafted panels.
• Chassis made of carbon fiber.
• Engine is a 7.0-liter V12.

By Kurt Gensheimer

“Back in the day”, to use the parlance of our times, when gasoline was a buck fifty, I used to spend hours in my Mazda RX-8 burying the RPM needle, downshifting to fourth on the freeway, and drifting through corners with hachi-roku zeal. But with the onset of over four dollar gasoline, my zeal for wasting fuel has subsided, and a new style of performance driving has taken over.

It’s called Hypermiling, and although an RX-8 isn’t the best car for this style of performance driving, when you’re averaging less than 20 miles per gallon, any improvement in fuel economy is welcome.
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