Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Nissan

hspace="4" height="163" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/04/IL_07Altima.jpg" alt=""
/>Once again the boys and girls over at href="http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=110046#3">Inside Line have sold their souls
to the devil in order to gain access to a preproduction version of the href="http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/12/new-york-auto-show-nissans-ultimate-expression-of-the-altima/">2007 Nissan
Altima before the car even debuted at the New York Auto Show last week. Their initial impressions of Nissan’s
most significant sedan are very positive.

The current model Altima made shockwaves when it debuted in 2001
ready to throw down with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It’s fared well in the marketplace since then but has
been hampered by an unsatisfactory cabin experience and reflexes that weren’t quite as quick as its elite
competition.

The 2007 Altima is based on a brand new platform and features a new version of the
company’s superlative VQ 3.5L V6 producing an expected 265 hp. The author even had praise for Nissan’s
improved Xtronic CVT, despite the inane inclusion of simulated shifts. Also improved are the interior’s
touchpoints, which this time around are “supple” rather than “rock-hard.”

The 2007
Nissan Altima was one of our best picks for the ‘06 NY auto show and we’re anxiously awaiting our turn
behind the wheel.

[Source: Inside Line]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Saturn

click above image to view live shots of the 2008 Saturn Red Line

Admittedly, hot-rodded cute-utes mystify many of us, but the kids seem to love ‘em, and the Red Line version of Saturn’s 2008 Vue should satisfy those looking for a combination of practicality and power.

We’re sure that some Saturn fans were not happy with the inclusion of Honda power in the previous Vue RL, and they can take comfort in the fact that the “foreign” drivetrain has been replaced with the General’s own High Feature DOHC V6 and six-speed automatic. Front wheel drive is standard, while those looking to route those 250 ponies via additional paths can opt for AWD.

The front fascia receives special Red Line attention, and out back, two large rectangular exhaust tips remind followers that they’re not behind a garden-variety Vue. Inside, the RL gets an exclusive Ebony color scheme, along with suede inserts on the seating surfaces to keep butts properly planted when exploring the limits of the lowered suspension and fat wheel/tire package.

Mike from ABG made the comment that this is a bit like a poor man’s BMW X3, and we’d have to agree with that statement.

Check out the gallery for additional shots of the Vue Red Line followed by the official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Chicago Auto Show: The 2008 Saturn Vue Red Line shows its face

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Toyota, Driving

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res pics of the Toyota Aurion Sportivo SX6

For years, the large, family car market in Australia has been divided between the Aussie built GM Holden Commodore and the Ford Falcon, both on the road and on the track. The large car market has been characterised not only by their size, but also by V6 or V8 powerplants running on rear-wheel drive platforms. For years, other competitors, including Mitsubishi with their Magna and more recently their 380 models, have tried to chip away at this virtual duopoly, with limited success.

The game is changing though. As the price of fuel has risen, the Australian car market has seen a massive shift away from large cars and towards more fuel efficient, medium sized models. The market is currently dominated by vehicles like the Mazda6, the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata and in particular, the Toyota Camry. As Australia’s largest passenger vehicle brand, Toyota has long enjoyed segment-leading sales with the Camry, and although it’s not a sexy choice, Toyota’s mid-sized sedan represents a smart purchase, with high re-sale value, good fuel economy and Toyota’s reputation for outstanding reliability.

Continue reading the Toyota Aurion Sportivo review after the jump.

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: Toyota Aurion Sportivo SX6

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Time Warp, Coupes, Buick

Sure, most of the folks here at the NYIAS are interested primarily in the stuff that hasn’t yet appeared in showrooms, but one of our favorite cars of the show was a twenty-year-old gem tucked off in a corner on the lower floor. What you see here in these photos is a genuine 1987 Buick GNX with all of 45 miles on the clock - a near-virgin example of a car that was a bit of a dinosaur even back in its day. The dated G-body platform was in its last year, and so McLaren and ASC were called in to give it a proper send-off.

What the GNX lacked in chassis sophistication was more than compensated by the highly-pressurized pushrod V6 under the hood and its electronic controls. The flares and sixteen-inch snowflake wheels only increased the sinister stance of the black two-door, but still did little to convey the performance potential of this machine. It was the beginning of the end of an era at GM, and eventually the neutering of individual brands killed off these acts of intracorporation rebellion.

Two decades ago, this thing stickered for a touch over $29K - or just shy of $54,000 in today’s money. The odds of such a freak occurrence happening in Buick showrooms again are probably somewhat less than the likelihood of this exact vehicle ending up in our garage, we reckon. So what’s the real Super Buick at this show?
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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