Ford without question was a huge winner at the show. The crowds were constantly huge at this booth throughout the day. There was a ton of positive buzz surrounding the new 2012 Focus which consumers seemed genuinely impressed with. Ford also had not one, but two 2012 Mustang Boss 302s sitting on the show floor, though both were locked. Surprisingly, a Mustang GT seemed to be receiving more attention. I’m not sure if people simply didn’t know what the Boss 302 was or if it was simply because the Boss 302s were locked, and the GT model wasn’t. Of course Ford had the very cool Mustang pool table on display and I overheard many people ask Ford representatives how they could purchase one. I did see a gentleman look at the Taurus SHO and he seemed impressed, until he saw the sticker price. It was clear he was shocked. All in all Ford might not only be a winner at this show, but the largest winner.

The Hyundai booth was another major winner. I was surprised how many people seemed interested in the Equus, though from I hear what sales are already exceeding expectations. The new Genesis R-Spec 5.0 was on display looking just gorgeous. I did overhear someone say how they actually liked the colored wheels on the Veloster, which I am personally mixed on. Many people seemed enamored with the Sonata, especially the Sonata Turbo. Though with 274-horsepower and a 34 MPG rating on the highway, it’s hard not to be impressed.

Buick had a LaCrosse with eAssist dashboard buck with front seats in its display. This gave consumers the opportunity to “sit in” the new LaCrosse eAssist and play with the dashboard controls. Buick also featured both the 2012 Regal GS and 2012 Verano Turbo. The booth prefessional on stage reiterated what we heard leak out already, the Verano Turbo will feature 250-horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Combined with a six-speed manual transmission, the Verano Turbo is shaping up to possibly be a very fun car to drive. It’s worth noting this engine will likely trickle up to the Regal Turbo giving it a nice power bump .This also likely means the Regal GS will get a slight power boost within a year or two after launching.

At the Chevrolet booth I paid close attention to how consumers were reacting to the new Volt. While it has gone on sale already, it is not currently offered in the Minnesota market (yet). Chevrolet had a booth professional on a turntable going over some of the Volt’s features and selling points. After she was done I witnessed many confused consumers asking questions. It quickly became very clear that explaining to people how the Volt works is not an easy task. Consumers seemed confused as to whether this was an electric car or hybrid. Chevrolet definitely has its work cut out when it comes to informing non-car enthusiasts as to the details of the Volt.

AutoMotorPlex actually hosted a section called the Ultimate Garage. It built a structure that housed four separate garages, each featured a different look and feel. The goal was to showcase what the AutoMotorPlex offers, and to give consumers an idea of what the ultimate garage, or commonly referred to as “man cave,” can truly look like.

Chrysler, what’s up? Seriously, some of your new product is impressive (some is not). But using the old signage with the dead Pacifica, and the dated Chrysler logo just seems….not smart.

In the aftermarket room there were a handful of customized vehicles. Let’s be clear about something, LeRoys Customs apparently thinks a string of LEDs stuck onto the outside of a GMC Sierra headlight with double stick tape is OK.

Hey! It’s Lightning McQueen. He’s such a good guy. Always making time for the little people.

I’ve got to say, this years Minneapolis Auto Show was even better than last years. With more manufactures on the floor, more unique aspects to the show, and more enthusiasm from the consumers, the show seems like a huge success. I heard that the Minneapolis Auto Show board is already looking into ways to take things a step further next year. I look forward to seeing what they comes up with.

Now we have a new Regal, and yes, it is sport injected. At least that is what the marketing tells us. I recently spent a week with the new Regal to see if the marketing really translates to the pavement.

If you think the exterior of the new Regal looks familiar, you must know your European cars. The new Regal and the European Opel Insignia are near doppelgangers aside from their badging and headlights.

The sheet metal is taut, with nice sculpting on the sides. The rear taillights and front headlights both feature a swept back design that again, looks very European. In reality, this car looks nothing like a Buick. If you covered up the badges most people would never guess what it is.

Speaking of headlights, the Regal sports cheap looking halogen headlight housings. The Turbo model receives the European-style projector headlight housings, which also feature LED daytime running lights. This small detail dramatically changes the look of the front end. Luckily Buick is offering the projector headlights with LED daytime running lights as an option on all 2012 Regals. Frankly, these headlights should be standard on all Regals. If the cheaper 2012 Verano will have projector headlights standard, then so should the Regal.

I personally really like the rear end. From the subtle spoiler that is part of the trunk lid, to the complex taillight design, it all works. Oh by the way, those taillights look pretty cool when lit up at night.

The interior again looks nothing like Buicks we are used to. This looks and feels like a German car, right down to the BMW iDrive-like controller sitting in between the two front seats.

The door shuts with a solid thunk, and all the materials you touch feel great. The materials you don’t touch still look good, but some are hard. It would be easy to mistake the interior for something from Germany.

The center stack is a sea of buttons. Once you realize they are somewhat grouped together, it doesn’t get any easier really. After a few days I was able to remember where each function was, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t clumsy.

The electronics in this car have all the right features, but the design was never meant for Buick. You see, the Opel Insignia has a different software interface, and that is what the center stack was made for. It has been now thrown into a car with a Buick interface. The result is a hot mess. Thankfully all 2012 Regals will come with a new touch screen interface as standard equipment. The sea of buttons will remain, but at least the interface will be touch and designed to work with the buttons.

The base powertrain in the Regal is a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic. This setup is good for 182-horspower and 172 pound feet of torque, which is sent to the front wheels.  This engine is shared with the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. In the Regal I found it to be somewhat gritty when pulling away from a stoplight; it seemed to smooth out when higher in the rev band.

To call this powertrain setup sport-injected is darn near a bold faced lie. Now, I am driving the Regal Turbo this week, and that model can be marketed as sport-injected. But the non-Turbo Regal is just too heavy for the amount of power it has to really be sporty.

The chassis and driving dynamics are terrific. With a solid German-like feel, the ride is controlled but never harsh. The steering is nicely weighted with the right amount of road feel.

The Regal tester I was in had a sticker price of $31,975. This undercuts the German competition and is right on par with the Acura TSX, and this tester had nearly $5,000 worth of options. There’s no question that the Regal offers some value.

At the end of the week my thoughts were very clear. The Regal is solid and drives great. But is the Regal really-sport injected this time around? The answer is sort of. Both the chassis and driving dynamics are where they need to be. But the base powertrain is not. It isn’t bad, but it’s not sport injected. Someone coming out of am Audi A4 2.0T, or any car equipped with a V-6 will likely be disappointed in the base powertrain. My advice is if you want the as advertised sport injected driving experience buy the Regal Turbo. If you are merely looking for a car that has nice a nice interior and will get you safely from point A to point B, the base Regal will suit those needs.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

Mitsubishi’s marketing is all about being different for a reason. With that in mind, it would make sense that its Outlander CUV would be different than the rest of the competition, now wouldn’t it? I spent a week to find out if the Outlander is truly different, and if so, is there a reason.

Let’s be frank, the exterior of the Outlander GT is a mess, but a hot mess in my eyes. The front clip looks like that of an enlarged Evo, or Lancer if you will. Though, it is slightly less aggressive. When standing directly next to the Outlander GT you’ll be surprised by two things: the huge front overhang residing in front of the wheels, and also the long hood.

Out back, two things stand out to me. The first is the taillights, these also have the downward slanted appearance that the Evo has, though that is where the similarities end. The second is how Japanese, and dare I say, Mitsubishi the rear end looks. Seriously, this rear end screams Mitsubishi to me, but in a very good way. The LED taillights and overall design work. I also love the two-piece tailgate similar in style to the first generation BMW X5. Very handy for loading large cargo into the rear end.

The sides are somewhat slab sided, but it works. The chrome trim that runs along window sills follows the glass up the C-pillar ending at the top. It is a nice touch, and helps finish the look.

When I said the exterior is a mess I meant it. The front is Evo with its big gaping mouth. The front clip ends up kind of looking tacked on. In reality the look works for me, but for many it won’t.

The interior was upgraded in 2010 with much nicer materials. The dash, along with the top of the door panels is covered in leather-like material. The Outlander features dual glove boxes. This allows you store all your stuff in an organized manner. The rear seats slide fore and aft, which is nice for adjusting leg room.

If you need to carry seven people the Outlander can handle the task. Though you’d have to truly hate the two people in the third row. That, or they need to be kids that pretty much have no legs. The third row folds out of the floor and is pretty sad. The headrests are either plastic or cardboard that is wrapped in cloth. Without question it is the sorriest third row I have ever seen.

The front seats are comfortable, but offer little in the way of bolstering. They are somewhat flatter than I expected. They feature a nice design in the center sections. Suede and leather trim the sides. I found it very odd that at $30k the seats were not power operated, but rather manually adjustable.

One thing that really made it hard to get comfortable was the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. In reality, at $30k in this class, a steering wheel that does not telescope is borderline unacceptable.

The powertrain in the Outlander GT is a 3.0-liter V6 that puts 230-horsepower and 215 lb-ft to all four wheels. The power is routed through a six-speed Sportronic transmission. You do have manual shift control both through the shifter as well as the metal paddle shifters that are mounted to the steering column. These are the same paddle shifters that are featured in the Evo.

The Outlander GT is no rocket, and in fact the V-6 produces somewhat disappointing numbers on paper. Driving the Outlander, you feel as if it has more power than it actually does. The engine and transmission definitely work together to make the most of the power. Above 3,500 RPM the engine almost sounds downright snarly. While you wont be racing to the soccer game, you’ll get there without having to worry about passing power.

A four cylinder model is available as well, though I’m not sure you would want it. The four cylinder all-wheel drive model is rated at 22/27 mpg while the V6 all-wheel drive model is rated at 19/25. You lose 3 mpg in the city and 2 on the highway for power that would be sorely missed. I saw an average of 19.5 mpg in mixed urban and suburban highway driving.

The GT features Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. This is the same system that is used in the Evo. It features an active front differential and three drive mode selections: tarmac, snow, and lock. Obviously the tarmac is for dry roads, snow is for snowy roads and lock is for locking the all-wheel drive system.

Due to the snowy roads here in Minnesota, I left the S-AWC in snow mode. It distributed power quickly when going around slick corners, and front to back launching from a stop light. Just like the Evo, the Outlander has the same S-AWC graph in the information display that shows you where the power is being distributed in relation to the wheels. It is highly impressive in the Evo and no less so in the Outlander GT.

Overall the Outlander GT was a nice CUV to drive. It wasn’t the ride or handling that really stood out to me for this CUV. It was the S-AWC system. It was so controlled over the slick roads that I almost forgot that this was a crossover with all-wheel drive.

At $30,275 after destination, the Outlander GT is not a bargain. The pricing has it right in the heart of the CUV market. While it may not be as conventional and mass market as the competition, it is definitely competitive. The Outlander is definitely different, but I’m ok with different. It will not be for everyone styling wise, but you can’t argue that some of the features are well thought out. Add to that what might be a contender for one of the best-in class all-wheel drive systems, and the Outlander is probably a vehicle that is overlooked too often in the big sea of CUVs.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Mitsubishi

Cadillac latest advertising campaign pegs the brand as “The New Standard of the World.” But are they really? Over the past 10 years, there is no question that they haven’t been. But do vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade Platinum stand to change that?

The Cadillac Escalade Platinum stands for all the right things at the wrong time. With 22″ wheels, three TV screens and a 6.0-Liter V8, the Escalade is what many would say is wrong with America. Wait a second, what’s this? It’s a hybrid!

GM launched its two-mode hybrid system in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon full size SUVs. Both of those full size SUVs share the GMT-900 platform with the Cadillac Escalade, making an Escalade hybrid model a no brainer.

The exterior of the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid both feature slightly tweaked exteriors for enhanced aerodynamics. The Escalade hybrid does not feature a different front end or body work, but the Platinum edition does.

The grille is an egg crate-like design that is more in-line with the rest of the Cadillac line-up. The headlights are fully LED with a unique design exclusive to the Platinum edition. I actually like the grille design on the Platinum better than the regular Escalade.

While the headlight design is certainly unique, I’m not sure if they are better or worse. The LED headlights flood the road with natural blueish white light. This clashes with the yellow light that hits the road from the halogen fog lights. I wish Cadillac has fitted LED lights in the fog lights along with the headlights. This would give the front end a much more cohesive look at night.

The Platinum also features 22″ chrome multi-spoke wheels which put the Escalade up in the air. To help get into this land barge you have automatic step bars. They deploy as soon as any of the doors open. Around back, the Escalade Platinum features all-LED lighting.

Visually the Escalade is already an in your face, over the top vehicle. The Platinum edition takes that all one step further and in reality it looks better than the regular Escalade in many regards.

The interior takes the regular Escalade to the next level. Everything is pretty much real wood, real aluminum or one of two different kinds of real wood. The doors and top of the dash are both wrapped in leather while the center stack and anything on the dash that isn’t wood is aluminum.

The steering wheel features a nice combination of all three materials. While the Platinum features a heated steering wheel, the Hybrid Platinum does not. Cadillac decided to forgo this feature due to the energy draw. Too bad, with aluminum and wood on the steering wheel, chilly doesn’t begin to describe the feeling in your hands when it is zero degrees outside.

The fist two rows are covered in a very nice aniline leather, while the third row settles for nuance leather. In all reality, both are very nice looking and feel great. As mentioned before, the Platinum Escalade features two different types of wood inside. Both olive ash and walnut burl adorn the dash with an intricate yet tasteful break to switch from one to the other.

The gauges are white with blue needles. Chrome surrounds the gauges, which I might have thought would be distracting in sunlight, but I am happy to report it is not.

Navigation is standard, though slightly dated. The system is DVD-based which means it is not instant when changing map views and such. The navigation system does have live traffic,which is provided by XM. The main navigation screen is also home to most of the settings, the sound system and the hybrid drivetrain graphic, which shows you where the power is being routed and from what source. The sound system is Bose branded and sounds alright, but it isn’t mind blowing by any means. The Harman Kardon and Pioneer sound systems that GM has been using in other vehicles sound better.

The Escalade Hybrid Platinum features a rear seat entertainment package. This consisted of not one or two, but three screens. Why three? Because this is the Platinum. Two of those screens are seven inches in dimater and are mounted in the front two headrests. The third screen is eight inches and drops down from the top of the Escalade. There were remotes and headphones galore.

If you haven’t already decided from the pictures and all the above, the interior of the Escalade Hybrid Platinum is definitely a nice place to both be for both the driver and passengers. I would go as far as to say, the interior of the Platinum is exactly what a Cadillac should be. Granted I would give it a technology update, but that is beside the point.

The Escalade Hybrid’s powertrain is a 6.0-liter Vortec V-8 with active fuel management paired to two 60 kilowatt electric motors. The power goes through a 2-mode transmission, which is essentially a four speed. Two speeds are for city speeds, while two speeds are for highway speeds. The cutoff is at 40 miles per hour for switching from city to highway mode.

I was highly impressed with the system. It is smooth and overall very seamless. During the week I had the Escalade Hybrid it was around zero degrees the entire time. This meant that the battery pack had to work harder to hold a charge.

The engine stop-start function didn’t really kick in until the vehicle and battery were both thoroughly warmed up. So short drives did not get the full benefit of the hybrid powertrain. When I had the Tahoe Hybrid it was spring and warm. I saw an average of 19.6 mpg in mixed urban/suburban driving. With the Escalade Hybrid Platinum I saw an average of 15.3 mpg. While the weather definitely impacted my mileage, this is better than the 12 mpg I probably would have seen with the non-hybrid version.

The Escalade Hybrid Platinum I had for a week had a sticker price of $89,090. That is a lot of coin for an SUV, or any vehicle for that matter. The Hybrid Platinum is the highest trim model of Escalade that you can purchase. Is it worth nearly $90,000? Probably not. Then again I wouldn’t spend nearly $90k for a BMW X6M either, and that has 555 horsepower. The price tag seems a bit unreasonable.

With all that said, this is absolutely without a question the nicest Cadillac Escalade available, and it is a little greener to boot. There is no question that the Hybrid is more fuel efficient, especially when it is not 0 degrees outside.

I’m going to stick with my statement from earlier, defining this vehicle as what a Cadillac should be. A really nice interior filled with leather, real metal and wood, and a powerful yet somewhat green powertrain. If Cadillac can build vehicles like this and push the boundaries of technology further, they might have a chance at yet again becoming the standard of the world.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

I’m literally speeechless….Not even sure how to approach this.  It’s a BMW 5 Series in the front and Mustang in the back?  This is not like business in the front and party in back people.  This is almost a serious offense.  He should be given a ticket for doing such a thing.

Source- SpeedSportLife

Aston Martin DB7 Vantage

Another month, another gathering of man and machine.  Of course I speak of Cars & Café, out at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen.  This month promised, as usual, to be eventful.  I woke up a little early (4:40 am), as I did poor planning.  I had not washed the 300ZX (note to self: next month wash the 300ZX before the morning of Cars & Café). So, I washed the 300ZX and popped off the T-Tops.

As I was cruising out West to meet up with my buddy in his S2000, I saw black sky in front of me – then lightning  – and then I saw a car come over the hill with windshield wipers on (this was not going well).  I hit the gas and made it to his garage with the 300ZX still clean and dry.  We ended up taking his daily driver and leaving the 300ZX and his S2000 there, as it started pouring down rain right after I pulled into the garage.

Upon arriving, it was clear the rain, which was at this point a nice steady rain coming down, had affecte turn out.  Nooooooooo I cried to the car gods.  Luckily some of the cooler rides still managed to show up.  As I was admiring a nice Ford F150 Lightning, I heard something loud pulling into the complex.

I turn to see a true hard core car guy (you would have to be) driving a Cobra in (remember no top) through the rain.  Two Dodge GLH Turbos sat next to each other, both in ridiculously good condition.  I also counted not one but two Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbos (I drooled a little).  Quite a few Acura NSX’s showed up, along with a Lexus IS-F.

Two BMW’s caught my eyes this month.  One was a early 90′s 540i manual white on black with only 28k on the odometer.  The kicker?  It is for sale and they are asking only $25k!

Someone buy that car or buy me that car!  There was also a mid 80′s M6 in fantastic condition that caught my eye., along with an early 2000′s black Audi S8 that is a regular at Cars & Café.  I just love that car!

So good story,  I am walking by the club house and hear tires squealing like a burn out.  I look around and am quite confused.  Suddenly I realize that the sound is coming from behind this building in the VIP section.  I go running through the crowd, and as I turn the corner I almost fall over.

This Lamborghini Miura owner clearly had put the car in reverse instead of first gear (as best I can tell from the situation).  The car had gone backwards off the cement and onto the pebbles directly below.  Part of  the car definitely was resting on the cement.  The tires were squealing and these two guys were pushing the back of the Miura trying to get it back onto the cement.  Finally after a few minutes they accomplished this task, but not before you could smell the clutch and tires.  It was quite a scene.

Also filed in the – ahem – interesting category, was the Toyota Camry Solara parked in the American muscle section.  Hey at least it was on dubs!  Sitting next to that was a Chrysler 300C.  Not just any Chrysler 300C, but one riding on 24′s – and wait – it gets better.

The person had welded extensions (eyebrows?) onto the leading edge of the hood.  You can still see where the person welded and sanded them.  They were not painted yet (I am assuming they are going to paint them….at least I hope so).  Let’s not forget the white Toyota Yaris hatch with lime green wheels.

Jensen

On the list of awesome cars I would include the RUF 911, Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and a Jensen that showed up.  The red GMC Typhoon that was for sale earlier this year was on hand, along with two Ford GT’s (they are Cars and Cafe regulars).  A new Lotus Evora made the trip, along with a Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake.

One of the cleaner Oldsmobile 442′s I’ve seen was on site as well.  Obviously I have already mentioned the two Dodge GLH Turbo’s but I want to just mentioned them again in this section of awesome.  Last but not least was the regular BMW 200ti. It is a work in progress, but hot all the same.

One cool thing was this garage that had a Corvette Z06 in it.  Ok that car was nice but you know those bag chairs you take to soccer games and such?  Well they had one of those. and then they had a ginormous one that was literally super sized.  To get a idea of just how big it was they let me sit in it and I got a picture!

Overall the rain really put a damper on the attendance, or at least it felt that way.  With most of the people clearing out before 10 AM, it had to be one of the shortest Cars & Cafés I have attended yet.  Thankfully, the doughnut holes provided by Imola Motorsports stayed dry in the clubhouse.

Yes they were tasty,and yes I ate some.  Just for the record, doughnut holes always seems to taste better when they are delivered in a BMW M5.  I can not prove that, but that seems to be my experience.  Here’s hoping for a dry Cars & Café next month!

Below are some details.

• Exterior- Interlagos Blue
• Interior: Black
• Approx 38,800 miles
• SMG transmission
• Alcantara Roof
• Heated seats
• Edmunds Certified used car value $49,284
• Asking $49,000 with ALL the modifications listed

All service completed either at BMW Motorwerks or Imola Motorsports.
transferrable CPO warranty through BMW

Factory Options:

• 322 Comfort Accesso – $1,000
• Smart card / smart key automatic, includes central locking and includes ignition starter
• 416 Rear Electric Sunshadeo – $575
• Side manual blind; Rear electric blind
• 453 Seat Ventilationo – $800
• Driver and passenger ventilated seat; Requires: [X2xx] Full Leather w/ Alcantara Roofliner And [4MA] M Multifunction Seats w/ Active Width
• 465 Fold Down Rear Seatso – $475
• Rear seat center armrest with ski bag; Asymmetrical front facing rear seats
• 4MA M Multifunction Seats w/ Active Widtho – $1,900
• Active backrest width adjustment
610 Head-up Displayo – $1,000
• Dashboard with head-up display
655 SIRIUS Satellite Radio – $595
• Audio system with satellite
X3xx Full Leather w/ Alcantara Rooflinero – $3,500
• Leather seat upholstery with additional leather; Luxury trim leather on dashboard; Leather handbrake; Excludes: [X2xx] Full Leather w/ Alcantara Roofliner
BMW IPOD Integration kit – $550

Modifications:

Exhaust:

• Eisenhauso Meisterschaft GT with Carbon tips ($2200)

Wheels & tires:

• Radenergie 20×9 Fronts ($1400 each)
• Toyo T1-R 255/35-20
• Radenergie 20×10.5 Rears ($1800 each)
• Toyo T1-R 285/30-20

Suspension:

• Eibach Springs

Lighting:

• Full LED interior ($100)
• Factory European headlights with clear corners ($1450)
• Euro Angel Eyes ($249)

Body:

• Vorsteiner Carbon splitters ($600)
• Vorsteiner Replica hood ($1200)
• Painted Hartge rear diffuser included
• Painted rear windshield spoiler included
• BMW Carbon Emblems
• Black front grills
• Black side grills
• Front Clear Bra

Tell your friends and empty your piggy banks kids.  This is one sweet ride.  If you are interested sound off in the comments and I will see if I can’t swing you a super deal.  I already checked and my piggy bank and find myself a little short. Otherwise I would consider this fine piece of V10 beast for my garage possibly.

The exterior of the current Tahoe is terrific. Changes were necessary in many areas on the exterior for the Hybrid model. These changes were for improvements to aerodynamics, which include a different grille, new lower air dam which is much lower to the ground, slight sculpting in the rear rocker panels and other little things. The wheels are also a different design, and are wrapped in low rolling resistance tires. The Tahoe is a sharp vehicle but the lower front air dam on the hybrid looks somewhat awkward to me. The lower ground clearance in the front meant I scraped the front end on a few driveway entrances. This is a full-size SUV in which I can scrape the bottom front air dam on a driveway entrance. That somewhat bothered me! I also like the non-hybrid grilles slightly better. Other then the front end and wheels, you will not notice a huge difference between the hybrid and regular Tahoe aside from the hybrid badges. Though I am not a huge fan of all the necessary aerodynamic changes, the Tahoe is still a looker and the hybrid model is not that much worse.

I also like the interior of the regular Tahoe and not many changes were made for the hybrid.  The battery pack resides under the second row of seats.  They can tumble fully forward.  The third row tumbles forward but does not fold flat like the current generation Ford Expedition and can be fully removed, but they are not light.  Make sure you do not have a bad back!  Also make sure you have somewhere to store them.  The front seats are very comfortable and will be easy to take a long road trip with.  The navigation unit is still disc based and the resolution on the particular unit in this Tahoe hybrid had a somewhat fuzzy aspect to it.  The words and everything just did not seem as crisp as other units I have seen from GM of the same variety.  You do have a hybrid mode screen where you can see exactly what is happening with the powertrain.  I found that,while it was cool, ultimately I would rather have the navigation map up or the radio station presets.  I found that to be more useful.  The gauge cluster has plenty of information to inform you what mode you are running in and how much power is coming from where.  The rest of the interior is standard Tahoe, which is nice – however a power lift gate on a SUV with this price tag would not be a lot to ask for.  Not to mention the lack of telescoping steering wheel!  Overall, the interior is a nice place to spend your time, but small changes could be made to enhance it.

The powertrain is a 6.0 liter Vortec V8 with active fuel management, along with two 60 kilowatt electric motors.  This was a four-wheel drive model, so the power can be pushed to the rear wheels or all four depending on the mode.  The transmission is a “2-mode” system that was developed in collaboration with Daimler and BMW.  The transmission essentially works in two modes, one in the city at speeds below 40 miles per hour an one at speeds above 40 miles per hour. Essentially one is a city mode and one is a highway mode.  They are trying to maximize both conditions with less compromises. It is a somewhat unique approach, seeing as most hybrids do not focus on highway mileage as much as city mileage.  I was highly impressed with the overall system.  The switching between battery and gasoline, as well as the combination of both, was very smooth.  I noticed the engine was operating in four-cylinder mode a lot more often then the Silverado I recently had with active fuel management.  This tells me that the settings are much more aggressive due to the battery and electric motor assistance.  The EPA rates the mileage at 21/22 mpg.  I saw an average of 19.6 mpg in mixed city driving.

The battery pack

The total bill for this Tahoe after options and everything was $56,810 including destination.  The only two options on this particular vehicle was the entertainment/destination package which was $2,390 and the red jewel tintcoat paint for $395.  Many features that are optional on non-hybrid models or that you need to upgrade trim levels for normally, are standard on the hybrid model – including the navigation package.  The base price for the Tahoe Hybrid with four wheel drive is $53,525.

So at the end of the week, did I like the Tahoe hybrid as much as I like the Tahoe?  The reality of it is that the powertrain and driving experience is much more seamless and refined then I imagined it would be.  I was highly impressed in that regard.  The bottom line, if you are in the market for a full-size (body on frame) SUV and care about the environment mileage numbers, then the Tahoe Hybrid delivers on the promise of better fuel economy with a refined hybrid experience.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

The exterior of the Panamera is recognizable as a Porsche without question.  The front end has styling elements that make it look like an enormous redone 911.  The two round headlights have LED strips hanging below them on the bumper.  The LED strips are day time running lights and at night the same housing has another set of lights that come on.  These act as fog lights or driving lights in a sense.  The side profile has nice sculpting from right behind the front fenders down the side.  The rear is what is truly controversial.  Let’s just get something out of the way quickly.  I like this car.  I like the way it looks.  I am apparently weird and I am ok with that.  Ok now moving on, the rear is what some call hunch backed or carrying too much baggage.  Some are saying it is droopy.  Call it what you want but I see Porsche design in it.  This car is nothing short of huge.  It is right around the size of a BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 to mention a few.  Technically speaking the Panamera is a five door since the rear does not have a trunk lid rather a rear hatch.  The quad exhaust peak out from the rear to remind you of the power that lurks in the engine bay both on the naturally aspirated V8 and the Twin Turbo V8.

The interior is not quite as controversial as the exterior.  It is pure sporting luxury.  The seats are comfortable and supportive.  They hug you in all the right places.  These are not barcaloungers and no they will not massage you.  They are meant to hold you in place firmly.  The center console between the driver and passenger runs the length of the car.  In the front it rises up and meets the PCM (Porsche Communication Management System).  This design cue is somewhat similar to the center stack in the Carrera GT.  That center stack houses a dizzying array of buttons though they are all clearly marked and clumped together by function.  The PCM is a touch screen along with plenty of buttons to choose from to help operate it.  This was definitely a complex system but I was able to use it without the owners manual though others in this segment have easier systems to operate.  The interior fit and finish is definitely without question up to Porsche standards if not raising the bar within the company.

The engine in this car was a 4.8 liter direct injected V8 pumping out 400 hp and 369 lb-ft to all four wheels.  Since this was a Panamera 4S all wheel drive was standard.  The one choice transmission was Porsches newer PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) dual clutch transmission.  Launch control is activated by pushing the sport plus button then hitting the brake and then the gas.  You get a visual confirmation launch control is activated and let go of the brake.  You will hear a noise and then suddenly all four wheels grab the pavement and launch the car.  You are thrown back into your seat as the car launches hard and fast.  (PSA – Do this on an empty road two lane road).  You can use the transmission in full automatic mode or shift yourself using the buttons (hate those things) or by moving the gear shift to the manual gate.  The 911 Turbo is getting true paddles this year so hopefully they will trickle down and replace those buttons.  The car without question handles like a true Porsche.  Yes I have driven a different Porsche recently and yes, this does handle differently.  It is a big car, but with that said, the faster you go the smaller the car seems.  It shrinks as you go around corners and off ramps.  It shrugs off speed.  Handling is very impressive.

The particular Panamera 4S I was in had quite a few option packages.  I will skip going through them all though the options rang up to a total of $17,550.  That was on top of the base price of a Panamera 4S which starts at $93,800.  When all is said and done the total sticker price out the door would be $112,325.  That is a lot of coin, but the reality of it is that the Panamera is in the thick of it with the rest of the high priced luxury cars.

The original question was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest?  This car is a true Porsche.  Sure many Porschephile’s will say this is not a true Porsche because it weighs nearly 4,300 lbs and has four doors (by the way, that is light for a car this big).  My only question to them is: have you driven one? While it will not be for everyone the reality of it is simple, higher volume selling vehicles like the Cayenne and possibly the Panamera help keep the lights on for future development of lower volume cars like the 911 and whatever the next halo car might be.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by a local Porsche dealership