It’s been three years since I sold my 2011 E90 M3, yet I still turn and stare whenever I spot one on the road. The V8 M3 did so many things right—it had a phenomenal engine, balanced handling, and livable luxury—and yet it hurt to own because of its frequent maintenance issues. But there weren’t… Continue reading Test Drive: 2023 Lexus IS 500 is Hot, but Won’t Scald
I don’t like the Mercedes G wagon, and I especially disdain the twin-turbo V8 G63 in front of me. I see it as the automotive embodiment of everything distasteful about showy Los Angeles wealth: It’s an eye-smacking truck that says I can flaunt luxury toys and destroy the planet. And its wallet-flattened price says I… Continue reading Test Drive: 2023 Mercedes-AMG G63 is Excess Meets Excellence
Gleaming like an emerald, the vivid green Evora GT backs out of the showroom and into the sharp morning sunshine. Its creased and sculpted lines are festooned with carbon-fiber scoops, gaping grills and vented panels. The Lotus looks angular, aggressive, and—in this bright color—made to snap necks at high speed. It’s over the top, and… Continue reading Test Drive: 2021 Lotus Evora GT Defies Expectations
As I scrutinize the Maserati Ghibli’s spec sheet, I wonder about its competition. By its dimensions, it is a midsize sedan, the Italian equivalent of a Mercedes E-Class or BMW 5 series. But its interior space—and especially its tight rear seats—is better matched to the compact Cadillac CTS or BMW 3 series. Not that dimensions… Continue reading Test Drive: 2017 Maserati Ghibli is the Armani Charger
BMW would like to sell you a shark on wheels. They call it the M850i xDrive Gran Coupe, and it is a beastly machine meant for dusting Dacias and pulverizing Peugeots on the autobahn. If you have petrol in your veins, I think you’ll like it. Be warned, though, in the age of performance EVs… Continue reading Test Drive: 2023 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe is a Prehistoric Pleasure
As gas-burning cars become increasingly unwelcome in a warming world, BMW is furiously investing in electric vehicles. After a rocky start with the i3, BMW is back on stride and rolling out its iX, i4 and i7 EVs. To me, the most interesting is the iX, as it’s electric-only; it can’t be bought with a… Continue reading Test Drive: 2023 BMW iX M60 is a Rocket in Pig’s Clothing
Let’s talk numbers, okay? Name this BMW: ~$70k MSRP, over 500 hp, four drive wheels, and a neck-snapping 3.7s to 60 mph. Oh, and it seats four passengers (five in a pinch) behind one horrendously-oversized kidney grill. Sounds like the G80 M3, right? Wrong. Because this five-door BMW has just one gear, a gob-stopping 586… Continue reading Test Drive: 2022 BMW i4 M50 is the Almost M
Some say that in 200 feet of driving, you can feel the spirit of a car. Let’s hope that is true because at today’s Lexus Experience Amazing event, I hardly went much further in the IS 350, LC 500, RC F, or GX 460! Regardless, here is what I learned about Lexus’s modern soul in… Continue reading Test Drive: 2021 Lexus IS 350, LC 500, RC F and GX 460
The Mercedes EQS asks me to check my testosterone at the door. “Relax,” it says, “your presentation to the board is done. Let’s mosey home, and I’ll pamper you with aromatherapy and a massage.” It would offer to pour me a drink, but Level 4 autonomy is still far away in the future… This is… Continue reading Test Drive: 2020 Mercedes EQS 580 is a Calming Conveyance
In the mid-2010s, a new wave of Mercedes-AMGs was swelling on the horizon. Mercedes had realized that its AMG brand had mass-market appeal and was ready to spread its high-dollar muscle-magic far and wide. Knowing it had tapped-out the market for its V8 skid machines, Mercedes introduced twin-turbo V6 engines and AWD for a more… Continue reading Test Drive: 2016 Mercedes C450 AMG is Luxury-First Fun
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