By: Carl Malek

Even though leaked images of the company’s flagship roadster made their way to the Internet last month, Mercedes-Benz chose to kick off  its NAIAS festivities in grand style by unveiling the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster in the flesh for journalists assembled at its stand. The newest iteration of the SL roadster should look very familiar to those that have seen and driven the last generation SL, but that doesn’t mean Mercedes has not tweaked the SL formula once again for the latest chapter in the SL’s long and legendary story.

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By Chris Haak

In a very candid assessment of his brand’s 2011 performance, Acura’s general manager Jeff Conrad told assembled journalists in Detroit that the best thing about 2012 was “that it was not 2011.”  While he claimed that his brand lost its momentum until the end of the year due to the Japanese earthquake/tsunami and Thailand flooding, the fact is, Acura hasn’t seemed to have much going for it for the past half decade.

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By Carl Malek

Customers in the United States who wanted an SUV offering from Audi were limited to two choices when visiting their local Audi dealer. Either the bulbous and Leviathan Q7, or the slightly smaller but still portly Q5. Customers who wanted something smaller had little choice but to go to Audi’s rivals BMW or Mercedes to downsize their purchase. Not anymore. In an announcement earlier today on the show floor of the North American International Auto Show,  Audi announced that it plans to bring the pint-sized Q3 CUV to the North American market place. To further demonstrate its commitment regarding the Q3, the company even brought out the show car you see here the Q3 Vail Concept.

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By Chris Haak

What’s in a name? A name can be powerful, both in good ways and bad. There are some names that no automaker would dare use again. Can you imagine a press conference for the 2013 Chevrolet Vega? There are others that have been besmirched by sub-par products years ago, yet the original holders of those names generate such strong positive, nostalgic feelings that sins of the Malaise Era may nearly be forgiven. The Dodge Charger falls into the latter category, and so does the Dodge Dart.

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By Carl Malek

Typically, the start of a brand new year is usually an opportunity to look towards a bright future filled with new beginnings. Unfortunately for the folks at Porsche, an ugly incident from the company’s past has resurfaced thanks to the efforts of a group of investment funds which have filed a lawsuit seeking $2.6 billion USD in damages over the events that took place during the company’s ill-fated attempt to take over Volkswagen back in 2008.

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By Carl Malek

Until yesterday, it was unclear when the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS would make its official debut.  However, Chevrolet decided to give budget-minded enthusiasts an early Christmas present by unveiling the new performance-oriented model ahead of its official debut at next month’s NAIAS.

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By Carl Malek

BMW has finally lifted the veil off of its latest 6 Series variant, the 2012 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. Closely related to its fellow platform sibling the two door 6 Series coupe,  BMW claims that it officially refers to the Gran Coupe as a 4+1 vehicle meaning that the new four door was designed to put form and styling over function and rear seat room. The Gran Coupe is also the first time BMW has attempted to put a sedan between the more conventional 7 and 5 Series sedans in its model lineup to help give it a more formidable competitor to rivals such as the Mercedes CLS and the Audi A7.

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By Chris Haak

The US, Europe, and Australia have had new-car crash-test regimes for decades.  While people may complain about the cost of new cars, as well as their weight and complexity, it’s very difficult to argue with the results.  In 1949, there were fewer US highway fatalities than there were in 2010, but in the ensuing six decades, the US population more than doubled and the miles driven grew dramatically.  In 1949, there were 7.13 traffic deaths per 100 million miles driven.  By 2010, that figure plummeted to just 1.09 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven.  In Latin America, however, the story isn’t so rosy.

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By Carl Malek

Toyota has finally revealed its long awaited and much anticipated sports car. Known officially as the Toyota GT 86 in European markets (or simply 86 in its Japanese home-market).  The GT 86 is the first sports car produced by the Japanese firm in over 10 years and gets part of its name from the legendary Corolla AE86 which was produced in the 1980′s. During that time period, the AE86 variant of the Corolla gained a reputation for being a solid drifting car and as a result it managed to achieve a modest fan following among younger buyers.

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By Chris Haak

Frankly, I’m surprised it has taken this long – but Daimler AG’s ultra-luxury, ultra-slow-selling Maybach brand will again return to the dustbin of history.  According to Automotive News, Daimler has decided instead to push the next-generation S-Class upmarket, and an ultra-luxury S600 Pullman will fill the void left by Maybach’s departure.  It’s remarkable that the brand held onto its second life even as long as it did – with me predicting its demise four years ago (and again three and a half years ago).  The conclusion was all but certain then, but the timeline was a surprise.

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