2009 Cadillac CTS-V

"These are strange days for the American auto industry. Maybe that's why I felt like an ER doc heading to the emergency room this morning. But I wasn't speeding to a hospital. Dragged out of bed at an ungodly hour, I was off to the Monticello Motor Club, one of those new subscription-racetrack-cum-country-clubs springing up for millionaire supercar owners, this one 100 miles northwest of New York City.

Cadillac was fixing to let a passel of journalists hammer its new CTS-V-the Standard of the World's redesigned pinnacle of performance and, drumroll please, the fastest production Cadillac ever-on this freshly paved but as yet unfinished track. Just over four miles in length, the Monticello course features an amusing assortment of straightaways, dips, bends, and art-directed elevation changes, any one of which might assist your basic overachieving, undergifted investment banker as he, er, fully depreciates his Lambo. Let the games begin.

Meanwhile, call it melodramatic, but I couldn't help imagining that the procedure we were about to undertake with the CTS-V was going to teach us something meaningful about the health of ailing General Motors, a topic that has become something of a national obsession in recent months.

Nurse: scalpel, please. On a closed circuit, we automotive journalists are to real race car drivers as we are to real doctors, i.e., unrelated. We do not play one on television. But we visited the patient and conducted an extensive examination. So, let us move directly to our diagnosis.

The CTS-V is not the main thing the world needs now. It's not a mass-market item, and it's not what is going to save GM years of hardship as it scrambles to seriously rescale its product line for a much-changed domestic landscape. Although it tries its hardest, with two overdriven gears in both manual and automatic editions, this new Cadillac does not get good gas mileage. At $60,000, it is an exceptional value for what it is, yet it likely won't touch the life of the common man, unless it's running him over."

visit @ http://www.automobilemag.com for more info.

2009 Mini Cooper

"While the electric model was busy stealing the show, something was noticeably missing at the 2009 Los Angeles auto show: a drop-top Mini. That's because the wraps on the all-new 2009 Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S Convertibles weren't pulled off until just now.

We suppose the 'all-new' moniker is a bit misleading. Though the coupe was completely re-worked back in 2007, the ragtop models were still based off the first-generation Cooper. All the various changes exhibited in the new Mini - including both powertrain and styling - weren't applied to the convertibles.

Alas, they are for the 2009 model. Both models share the same engines as their hardtop brethren, which means we can expect a 118-hp, 1.6-liter I-4 in the Cooper Convertible and a 172-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4 in the Mini Cooper S Convertible. Both engines are more powerful than their predecessors, though enthusiasts may bemoan the demise of the Cooper S' supercharged 1.6-liter I-4 - especially when it comes down to turbo lag.

Many of the last car's styling cues, including the three-position top, carry over onto the 2009 model, though it loses the giant chrome hinges on its rear tailgate. Also new for 2009 is a new automated roll bar, which pops up once the vehicle stability control senses an imminent rollover.

Still, the topless fun will run a considerable tab. The 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible stickers for $24,550, which is $2600 (or ten percent) more than the outgoing 2008. A 2009 Cooper S Convertible starts at $27,450, which is an increase $2050. Customers looking to add goodies like a limited-slip differential, satellite radio, navigation, or leather seating will likely see their sticker prices climb well over $30,000.

We'll have our first look at the 2009 Detroit auto show (but, thanks to the climate, not our first drive) in January. Expect production examples to arrive at dealers beginning March 28."

visit @ http://www.automobilemag.com for more info.

2009 Nissan 370Z

"Nissan knows as well as anyone the dangers in redesigning a popular car. Through the 1990s, it "improved" its Z-car until the bloated 300ZX carried virtually none of the charm (not to mention the sales volume) of the original 240Z. Nissan returned the line to its former glory with the 350Z, and has been rewarded with a brilliantly successful six-year run. And with the 2009 370Z, which is making its debut this week at the Los Angeles auto show, it has proved it has finally learned how to build on success.

The 370Z addresses every major complaint about the outgoing car - namely its weight and sub par interior quality - but maintains and, if anything, further distills the basic Z-car formula.

Powertrain

Not surprisingly, the improvements begin with a boost in power. The 370Z's heart remains the venerable VQ series V-6, but is the updated 3.7-liter unit from the Infiniti G37, making 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. The most interesting update in the drivetrain lies, surprisingly, in the manual transmission. Whereas most sports car manufacturers of late have tried to make their slushboxes behave more like manuals, Nissan has updated its old-fashioned 6-speed with an automatic-like feature: downshift rev-matching. When a driver selects a lower gear and lifts up on the clutch, the 370Z will automatically respond with a blip of the throttle. The result is a perfect heel-to-toe shift - every time and for every driver. Of course, there will be a way to shut off this feature for those who can't stand even this bit of modern intrusion. And those who want to skip the clutch pedal altogether can opt for a new 7-speed automatic with manual mode and, for the first time in a Z-car, paddle shifters. With either transmission, Nissan says drivers can expect about a 2 mpg improvement in fuel economy compared to the 350Z, which netted 18/25 mpg with a manual (official EPA estimates for the new car have not yet been released).

Suspension

Perhaps more exciting than the gain in power and even the trick transmission is the reduction in weight. Nissan says the 370Z is about 90 lbs lighter than a comparably equipped 350Z, despite being more rigid throughout and meeting tighter (read: weight adding) safety standards. The secret to this accomplishment is aluminum. Nissan engineers used it extensively, including on the hood, rear hatch, and door skins. The 307Z is based on the same updated premium mid-ship platform that underpins the G37, and has new front sub frame made of, what else, aluminum. The control arm front suspension has been redesigned, and the multi-link rear is now stiffer and lighter than before. Despite all the changes and pound shedding, weight distribution remains unchanged at 54/46 front/rear. The 370Z also measures nearly four inches shorter than its predecessor, while gaining an inch in width."

visit @ http://www.automobilemag.com