2012 Ford Focus Electric: The strong, silent type (first drive)

On the road, the Focus Electric rides nearly identically to the gasoline-powered Focus. That is, until you listen and realize that there is no exhaust note and no engine noise, only the gentle "whoosh" of the road beneath the tires and the tiny, high-pitched hum of the electric motor. Unlike a hybrid, there's no gasoline engine that fires up when you get too heavy on the accelerator, so there's no audible feedback to deter you from your lead-footed antics, there's only silent and strong electric torque egging you on and prodding you forward. And just because there are no tailpipe emissions doesn't mean that there are no consequences to driving inefficiently. Rather than hurting the environment or your wallet at the pump, driving the Focus Electric like a tool hurts your range, a resource that is in quite limited supply on a vehicle that only starts with an EPA estimated 76 miles per charge.

Ferrari trivia contest

Over the weekend of April 28, Ferrari hosts its Racing Days at Infineon Raceway in Northern California. The featured event will be the Ferrari Challenge, a one-model race with the 458 Challenge version of the 458 Italia.
 Ferrari aficionados will want to see the 599XX Evo take laps. An example of this rare, 740-horsepower Italian stallion will be on hand, letting Ferrari engineers test its active aerodynamics system. Ferrari will also be running an FXX for testing purposes.
 Race history buffs will also enjoy seeing laps by historic Ferrari F1 cars.
To win, be among the first 20 to correctly answer this question: Which car earned the record last year for the highest amount ever paid for a car at public auction?

Audi gives China small and fast with the RS Q3 concept

Every automaker realizes the importance of China's growing thirst for cars, and the unique requirements of the market. Audi comes to the 2012 Beijing auto show with a concept vehicle that mixes practicality and excitement.

 The RS Q3 concept is based on Audi's Q3 compact SUV. Not sold in the U.S., the Q3 seats five and has a little cargo area. It is similar to the BMW X1 that will be coming to the U.S. this year. If BMW is successful with its car, maybe Audi will follow suit.
The RS Q3 combines practical passenger space with a powerful engine.
(Credit: Audi)
 The Q3 can be had with a variety of engines, the most powerful generating 211 horsepower. The RS Q3 gets 360 horsepower from a 2.5-liter direct injection turbocharged five-cylinder engine, an impressive achievement in power engineering. And it sends that power to all four wheels with its Quattro all-wheel-drive system. That should lead to some exciting performance.
 The RS Q3 gets some suspension tuning and cosmetic enhancements as well. It sits almost an inch lower than the standard Q3. Custom wheels and a black honeycomb grille treatment contribute to the performance look. Aerodynamics come in the form of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer front spoiler.

Lamborghini Urus SUV concept: Unconventional offroader

Following the example of Porsche, which used its Cayenne SUV to create more stable revenue, Lamborghini wants to add an SUV as a third model in its lineup. At the Beijing International auto show, Lamborghini finally revealed what its SUV will look like.
 Using the sharp edges of its current design language, the Urus concept presents a very unique look for a vehicle designed to drive offroad. Although about 16 feet in length, similar to the Cayenne, the Urus concept is only about 5.5 feet high, making it more like a raised sedan.

2012 Toyota Prius C: Fuel economy champ

It seems like the Prius C model should come after the Prius B, and before the Prius D. But Toyota shows no interest in alphabetical naming when it comes to its Prius lineup. Toyota recently expanded the cars it calls Prius, adding to the standard model the Prius V, a plug-in version, and now the C.
 The C means City, which explains the smaller dimensions of the car. The Prius C is a nice, modern little hatchback a foot and half shorter than the standard Prius. Its size makes it easy to park and maneuver through narrow lanes.

But its real virtue is fuel economy. Although the EPA estimates put it on level with the standard Prius, at 50 mpg, we found it did consistently better, turning in an average of 51.2 mpg after a week of driving in the urban confines of San Francisco, hills included, and the fast-moving freeways of California.
 It also serves as a showcase of new Toyota cabin technology, such as a new navigation system. The new Entune system uses your connected smartphone to bring in traffic data, local gas prices, Bing search, and other useful apps and information.

Beijing auto show features everything from @Ants to Urus

China's international auto show in Beijing starts on Friday, April 27, but we have an early look at the production cars and concepts that will be on display.

 The show features cars from Chinese automakers and their joint venture partners, the latter including such well-known brands as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Jeep.

2013 Porsche Panamera GTS: The track sedan

That is not to say the Panamera 4S or S would not excel when banged around a road course, but Porsche designed the GTS to beat both of them. Thirty more horsepower eked out of the same engine gives it a power edge, and Porsche includes many of its performance options as standard in the GTS.
 Minor cosmetic differences include black trim accents and a different front air intake. The GTS also sits slightly lower on its air suspension, and its all-wheel-drive helps it scramble through the turns.

2013 Audi S7: Brains and brawn

Audi improves on the A7's formula the only way it can: with more power!
The Audi A7 is probably the only member of the so-called "five-door GT" segment to pass through the Car Tech garage and be universally liked by the editors. So we were interested to see what the automaker would do with the sport-tuned 2013 S7, which was revealed at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. Predictably, the automaker didn't stray too far from the A7's formula. You know what they say, "If it ain't broke..."
Externally, the S7 differentiates itself from the A7 with aluminum covers for the side mirrors, 19- or optional 20-inch wheels unique to the S, subtly more aggressive bodywork, a dual exhaust system with quad tips, and, of course, the S7 badges. Sharp-eyed enthusiasts may notice that the S7 sits 10mm lower than the model upon which it's based thanks to a sport air suspension system. In the cabin, there are new sport seats wrapped in Valcona leather with diamond stitching and the same Audi MMI system with Internet connectivity and Google Maps integration that helped the A7 earn our coveted Editors' Choice award.
 Audi developed a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 for the S7.
However, you'll have to pop the S7's hood (or mash the accelerator) to spot the biggest change the S-prefix brings: the new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine. Output is rated at 420 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque. A zero-to-62 mph run happens in 4.9 seconds as the humpbacked hot rod accelerates onward to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
In an effort to maintain a semblance of efficiency without compromising overall power, Audi has equipped the S7 with a new cylinder on-demand system that disables four of the V-8's cylinders under partial load to conserve fuel. To maintain the feeling V-8 smoothness while essentially dropping down to an inline-4 engine, Audi has equipped the S7 with active engine mounts that cancel out the additional vibration and an active noise cancellation system in the cabin that uses the audio system to minimize what Audi calls "undesirable sounds."
Check out our gallery of the new 2013 Audi S7 for more photos and details.

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth: This small car's got bite

LOS ANGELES--For such a cute little car, the Fiat 500 Abarth's scorpion logo is probably the manliest badge in automotive world.
The Fiat 500 Abarth's scorpion badge
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
At the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, the peppy 101-horsepower Fiat 500 gets a heart transplant in the form of Fiat's award-winning 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine that boosts available power to 160 ponies. More impressive is the torque number: 170 pound-feet, which is the same amount of twist the Honda Civic Si develops with 2.4 liters of displacement. The Abarth 500 also features a single-option five-speed manual transmission and upgraded driveline components that can withstand the rigors of performance driving while mitigating torque steer.
The suspension has also been beefed up with Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) twin-tube shock absorbers by KONI and a stabilizer bar up front. Out back, the 500 Abarth still makes do with a torsion-beam rear axle, but also gains a stiffer stabilizer bar. The 500 Abarth can be had with optional 17-inch wheels or the standard 16-inchers. Regardless of size, the wheels wrap around an upgraded braking system.
The Abarth's cabin features the same Blue&Me hands-free calling system that you can get the standard 500 with, but the driver and front passenger now interact with the system while seated in sport bucket seats with pass-throughs for racing harnesses (not included).

A new lease on life for Chevy Volt as demand picks up?

The Chevy Volt will restart production "earlier than previously planned" due to an uptick in demand, General Motors announced earlier this week, but will this help to quiet critics?
The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle had been slated for a five-week production suspension, but that will be cut to four weeks, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press. This is "due to increased Volt sales since January and the need to meet demand in our strong markets, including California," GM said in a statement, according to the Free Press.
The Volt came under withering criticism from some in the media when GM suspended production in March.

Two Chrysler designs coming to the Beijing auto show

In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, Chrysler Group just announced its return to the China market at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on April 23, with two new concepts.
According to a press release, Chrysler will unveil a Chrysler 300C design concept and a Jeep Wrangler design concept. Both are designed to appeal to the Chinese consumer.
Although Chrysler did not reveal any details, dark and vaguely revealing photos of the Jeep Wrangler concept show embossed leather seats, large black wheels, and a mesh grille. The Chrysler 300C offers a light, luxurious interior and a dark mysterious exterior.

California's autonomous car bill inches closer to reality

A bill that paves the way for autonomous cars to be driven on state roads cleared its first of many hurdles. California Senate Bill (SB) 1298 passed the Senate Transportation Committee yesterday on an 8 to 0 vote.
 The bill, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), will set up safety and performance standards for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles on California's public roads. The rules and regulations for robotic cars will be modeled after those already being used in Nevada.
 Autonomous vehicles will be required to meet all applicable safety standards and performance requirements in state and federal law, and the California Highway Patrol will consult with the Department of Motor vehicles to recommend additional requirements. The new legislation will permit the operation of autonomous vehicles on California's public roads by a licensed driver.
 Approval from the Senate Transportation Committee is the first of many steps on the path to the Governor's desk. Next, SB 1298 will move to the Senate Rules Committee for a possible referral to a second policy committee. Arizona, Hawaii, Florida, and Oklahoma are also currently considering autonomous vehicles legislation. Nevada began issuing permits to companies that want to test autonomous vehicles on state roads last month after they've documented 10,000 miles on private tracks or other roads under various conditions.

2014 Chevrolet Impala gallops into the New York auto show

NEW YORK--The 2014 Impala debuts with a new, muscular design that calls on equal parts Malibu and Camaro to create a look that Chevrolet says "looks much more expensive than it is." Classic Impala design cues, such as the leaping Impala emblem on the C pillar and the raised Impala lettering on a rear chrome bar, blend with the more modern Chevrolet design language to create a large sedan that, while a bit visually busy from certain angles, is athletic and muscular.
Chevrolet's MyLink infotainment system will grace the Impala's dashboard with its large 8-inch color touch screen, keeping the driver and passenger informed and entertained. Skip the MyLink system and you'll still find yourself looking at a smaller 4.2-inch display. And keeping the passengers safe are a selection of new safety features, including full-speed-range adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, forward collision alert, lane-departure warning, side blind-zone alert, and rear cross-traffic alert. There's also an industry first front-center side airbag that, aside from being a mouthful, inflates between the front seats in a side collision to keep the front passengers from re-enacting an episode of the Three Stooges and knocking heads together.

Hyundai debuts the new 2013 Santa Fe...twice

NEW YORK--Today at the 2012 New York auto show, Hyundai debuted not one, but two new versions of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe for two different kinds of crossover buyers.
The first debut was the Santa Fe Sport, a small crossover that seats five. Under its hood, drivers have a choice between either a 190 horsepower direct-injected 2.4-liter engine that should net an estimated 33 highway mpg or the turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter engine that outputs 264 horsepower at the expense of a pair of highway mpg. If these engines sound familiar, it's because they're the same that you can find powering the Hyundai Sonata. Whether this shared architecture means we'll ever see a Santa Fe Hybrid, remains to be seen.
Like the Sonata, the Santa Fe defaults to a front-wheel-drive configuration with a six-speed automatic transmission. Unlike the sedan, however, Hyundai's new crossover can be optioned with an all-wheel drive system that sends power on demand to the rear axle. Through a combination of true torque vectoring and torque braking, Hyundai claims that the Santa Fe Sport can control traction to each individual wheel without the driver ever knowing the system has intervened.

Acura RLX flagship serves as tech showboat

NEW YORK--Acura's RL has long been a struggling warhorse, unable to keep the company ahead of the technology charge led by other automakers. But its replacement, the RLX, looks to at least put Acura back on the front lines.
 The RLX was shown off as a concept at the New York auto show, but in recent years Acura has tended to follow-through on its concept cars to production. The RLX concept is a meaty sedan with the Acura beak grille, but its proportions remain similar to that of the RL.
The size of the RLX could work against its being accepted as a full-size luxury car.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
 The choice to keep the car of a moderate length could hurt its bid to compete with the Lexus LSes and Mercedes-Benz S-classes of the world. But Acura promises a large, comfortable cabin with many high-tech features. As people get used to luxury in smaller packages, the RLX could be coming at the right time.
 Acura previously let out that this car would be a hybrid, so it was not hard to figure out that it would use a variation on the system powering the new NSX. Under the RLX's hood will be a direct-injection 3.5-liter V-6 complemented by an electric motor to drive the front wheels. A dual electric motor array powers the rear wheels, giving the RLX all-wheel-drive.

Viper comes back, teeth sharpened

Instead of strict power to the wheels with no electronic interference, the new Viper comes with traction and stability control. An active suspension system lets the driver choose between street and track modes. Body work around its side pipe should even protect the legs of passengers getting out of the cabin.
Although refined, the Viper keeps its essential shape.
(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)
 But it would be foolish to lament the previously unfettered Viper, as technology has proven itself again and again in performance cars. The traction system on the new Viper enables launch control, making it possible to actually use all of the car's massive torque. The suspension system's street mode should also make possible to enjoy a Sunday drive, rather than seeking out a chiropractor the next Monday.

 With the 2013 Viper, it looks like the new SRT group was challenged to build a world-class super car, able to hold its own against the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of the world. And it may have well succeeded.
 The new Viper gets many refinements over the old model. While retaining the same basic body design, new aerodynamic touches reduce drag. The hood and rear deck are made of carbon fiber, while the doors are made of aluminum, all helping to shave 100 pounds of weight off the car.
The Viper badge gets a new treatment.
(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)
Even the badge got a new design, suggested by Viper fans.
The seat shells are molded from carbon fiber and kevlar, also helping to hold down weight. SRT raised the roof over the driver and passenger seats to accommodate helmets. But the cabin is also more spacious than on the previous version of the car.

 What might really bother old Viper fans are the electronics used in the cabin. The LCD instrument cluster is more GT-R than Barney Oldfield, letting the driver configure the information display using steering wheel buttons. SRT even makes Chrysler's UConnect navigation head units available for the car.
The LCD instrument cluster display lets the driver configure the information.
(Credit: SRT)
 Despite all the niceties, SRT still throws big displacement under the hood with an 8.4-liter V-10. Made of aluminum, it generates 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, the most torque of any naturally-aspirated production engine, according to SRT.
 Throwing any notion of fuel economy to the wind, SRT shortened the ratios of the Viper's six speed manual transmission. As the car hits its top speed in its top gear, every gear is given its full potential, occupying its own distinct place in the powerband. SRT has not yet said what sort of fuel economy the Viper will get, and it's probably best not to ask.