2008 Pontiac G8 GT Test Drive: Poncho Gets Its V8 Muscle-Car Mojo Back

We've had two decades of front-wheel-drive sedans and V6 power—and a handful of years with one uninspired, V8-powered Grand Prix GXP. It’s hardly been the stuff of our muscle car dreams. Thanks to the all-new G8, Pontiac performance has returned.

• TEST DRIVE: 425-hp Dodge Challenger Returns

2008 BMW 135i Convertible Test Drive: Top-Down Fun With 300-hp Power

The folks at BMW keep hammering on about their new 1 Series as the spiritual successor to the company’s iconic 2002 model. No matter which model the 1 Series convertible owes its lineage to, it's Stateside—and we’re happy to report that it’s rather good.

• PLUS: Compare Convertibles @ the PM Buyer's Guide

Anatomy of a NASCAR Crash

About six crashes occur in every NASCAR race, yet drivers suffering serious injuries are astonishingly rare. We take a look at the physics and tech being used to keep America's favorite wheeled pastime safe for its high-speed stars.

• PLUS: NASCAR's New 180-MPH Mega-Treadmill

The Downside of Buying a Supercar (Besides the Price): The Thoughtful Mechanic

Is driving an exotic ride really all its cracked up to be? Unless you like being hounded by the "motorazzi" and enjoy what he considers the wrong kind of attention, senior automotive editor Mike Allen says no way. Then again, he's the one with the Audi R8.

• VIDEO: Audi R8 vs. Z06, Viper, Porsche Turbo
• FIRST LOOK: Audi R8 V12 TDI Diesel Concept

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Test Drive: 32-hp Boost for Plush, Potent Cruising

With more power, sharper driving dynamics and subtly upgraded styling, the 2009 SLK 350 takes a small but significant step forward in the roadster race—a performance car for those who refuse to sacrifice luxury.

• FIRST LOOK: 518-hp, Tech-Heavy 2009 Benz SL

Coskata’s $1/Gallon 'Trash-to-Gas' Tech Starts Up Ethanol 2.0: How It Works

The GM-funded startup says it can make ethanol from almost any carbon-rich source for about half as much as gas. The potential result: garbage men one day joining oil-rig workers and wind farmers as pioneers of American energy independence.

• ANALYSIS: Inside Washington's Ethanol Fallacy
• PODCAST: Coskata Breaks Down Ethanol Tech
• AUTO CLINIC: Why Can't You Convert Your Car for E85 Ethanol?

2009 Acura TSX First Look: Luxury Sedan Could Get Turbo Power, Clean Diesel Engine

The all-new TSX will make its world debut in March, and Acura is being coy on details. But we hear the new sedan might have quite a bit of fun up its sleeve for the enthusiast driver as well as those looking to get a few more MPGs at the pump.

• SPECIAL REPORT: The Case for Diesel

As Green Hangover Sets in, Industry Turns to Big Trucks and More Horses: 2008 Chicago Auto Show Analysis

The Dodge Challenger was the undisputed king of the show, but it was the trucks that stood out. With so many debuts heavy on efficiency recently, have the big manufacturers decided we need a break from all their prognosticating on our alt-fuel future?

• CHICAGO CENTRAL: First-Look Pix, Specs & Analysis

Navistar’s Fuel-Efficient LoneStar Semi Truck Is Lustworthy, Luxury Showstopper: Live at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show

This monster is the big-rig equivalent of a Harley-Davidson dresser, though it’s closer to a private jet than an 18-wheeler inside—and gets 5 to 15-percent more fuel efficiency thanks to its aerodynamic design.

• FACELIFT: 2009 Acura RL Stays Tech-Heavy Inside, Gets Bolder Outside
• COMPLETE COVERAGE: 2008 Chicago Auto Show

VW Taps Chrysler Design, Not Hippie Bus, for First American Van: Live at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show

Instead of drawing on its storied van heritage, Volkswagen said here today that it plans to implement Chrysler’s minivan architecture for a distinctly American van.

• VERSATILITY: 2008 Chrysler Town & Country Wins Automotive Excellence Award

Ford Work Solutions Puts Full-Scale PC and Three More High-Tech Innovations in Trucks: Live at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show

Ford trucks are about to get a whole lot more useful, thanks to a suite of four co-branded technologies that put new gear in motion for the DIYer and computer geek alike.

• PLUS: Ford Transit Connect Headed to States
• PLUS: 6 New Car Technologies in Your Not-So-Distant Future

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Prototype Test Drive: 425-hp Hemi Muscle Car Returns for the 21st Century (With Photo Gallery)

Pedal to the medal, in the rain, on the track: perfectly challenging conditions to test 2008's brawniest new entry into the musclecar world—the return of a classic with the look and sound of power in plentiful quantities.

• COMPARISON: Expert on 70s Challenger vs. SRT8
• PLUS: Complete Coverage of the Chicago Auto Show

Inside Plug-in Car Tech's Race to Production (and Top 10 Rides)

Big automakers and promising startups say electric vehicles are coming as soon as next year, but there's a lot of work to be done—by scientists—before lithium-ion batteries are ready for mainstream hybrids.

• PLUS: Top 10 Brand-New Electric Cars
• PLUS: 5 Electric Cars Already Making History
• EARLIER: Battery Chemistry Key to Electric Cars

GMC’s Denali XT Concept Offers Hot, Hybrid Crossover Pickup: Chicago Auto Show Preview

A glimpse at the future of the General Motors truck fleet: smaller and lighter, for consumers who don't need heavy hauling, but do want big gains in fuel economy.

• CHICAGO PREVIEW: 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid Boosts MPG With Same Pickup Power

2009 Dodge Journey Test Drive: Big Value, Storage for the Family

The Journey's road manners may not lead the exploding crossover class any time soon, but this Dodge does offer some real functional innovation. The cabin is loaded with storage area, offering up to five open storage spaces and eight covered spots.

• COMPARISON TEST: New Crossover Vehicles (With Video)

2008 Dodge Viper ACR Test Drive: Extreme, 600-hp Race Tuning Makes It Most Radical Yet (With Video!)

Engineers endowed the ACR with significant suspension and aerodynamic improvements, along with some carefully allocated weight reductions. But it's still a drivable streetcar, with the usual elastic engine response only the 8.4-liter Viper V10 offers.

• VIDEO: Viper vs. 'Vette, R8, Turbo

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL First Look: Techie Interior, 518-hp AMG Power

A direct descendant of the 1954 300 SL Gullwing, Benz’s SL series gets a fresh look for 2009—and a heavy dose of technology on the inside.

• ANALYSIS: The Problem With New Dashboard Tech

Just Stop Whining and Fix Your Car: The Thoughtful Mechanic

Replacing a light bulb might be a little different in detail, but it hasn't turned into rocket science. Some of the "dinosaurs" out there will have to buy some metric sockets and wrenches, but senior automotive editor Mike Allen says they'll just have to deal with it.

• PLUS: Mike Allen's Rant on the PM Podcast

2009 Hummer H3T First Look: Chicago Auto Show Preview

Hummer has revealed its first true pickup with a closed cab, separate bed, and up to 5900 pounds of towing capacity.

• DETROIT AUTO SHOW: Hummer HX Concept Runs E85 With Halo-Ready Look

2008 Subaru Legacy Outback Test Drive: Is America Ready for World’s First Boxer Diesel?

Officials tell PM they're waiting to see if Americans are ready to accept diesel technology before calling for the export. We should, however, see the 2.0-liter in the Legacy, Outback and Forester when it finally makes it over here in 2010 or 2011.

• DRIVE GREEN: Inside America's Diesel Revolution

2008 Honda CBR1000RR Test Drive: Featherweight Superbike Shaves Pounds (and Adds Ponies)

Its competition has added pounds to cope with stringent emissions standards, but Honda's lean-and-mean approach has made it a potent force, both on the track and off. Since we value our licenses and our lives, we're saving all that speed for the raceway.

• SIGN UP: PM's MyBike Community Is Hog Heaven!
• VIDEO: Pros Help Pick Your New Bike
• REVIEW: Test-Driving Tons of New Gear

2008 Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI Test Drive: Torque-Rich Euro Diesel Scores 41 MPG

It's hard to beat diesel's efficiency for longer, high-speed hauls—especially in Europe. So we decided to see what a modern clean diesel could do on its home turf, landing in France and grabbing the keys to a Euro-spec 2008 Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI.

• PODCAST: Mercedes Engineers on Clean Diesel

Top 10 New Cars at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

From eco-conscious concepts to horsepower-heavy production sports cars and everything in between, PM's auto team wraps up full-blown coverage from the Motor City with its favorite new vehicles unveiled at the biggest car show of the year.

• GALLERY: Every New Car Revealed in Detroit!

Ethanol Makes Mini Comeback: Live at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

There’s been a lot of talk about ethanol lately, most of it not very positive. But you wouldn’t know it from the E85 buzz here at the show. The silver lining? One GM-invested research company says it can make ethanol for less than $1 a gallon.

• EARLIER: GM Aims for Cheap Ethanol by 2011
• OP-ED: Washington's Ethanol Fallacy

The Chinese Are Coming: Live at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

The show here is abuzz with the imminence of mainland China producing cars to be sold in the United States market. Here's what we can say with certainty: They're coming alright ... eventually.

• DRIVE GREEN: India's $2500 Nano Might Change Car World

Chrysler’s New Electric Brain Trust Takes on GM With Three Concepts: Live From the 2008 Detroit Auto Show (With Three Videos and Interview)

After GM's plug-in parade last year, the Envi team at Chrysler made a splash in 2008 with the hydrogen ecoVoyager, diesel Jeep Renegade and all-electric Dodge ZEO.

• VIDEO: Fisker's Karma Hybrid Is the Tesla of PHEVs

Inside Eight 100-MPG Plans to Win the Automotive X Prize: Live at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

Strict rules for the competition—and lack of funding for some teams—will no doubt weed out many of the entrants. But for every engineer, the nascent stages of the AXP (and this huge show) provide a larger venue for publicizing advanced auto tech.

• MORE FROM DETROIT: Shadow of New MPG Law
• MORE FROM DETROIT: Cheaper Biofuel by 2011?

2008 Tata Nano Is the $2500 Car That Might Change the World: Live First Look From India

If the pageantry seemed excessive, this wasn’t the time to complain: At the 2008 AutoExpo in New Delhi, the debut of the world's most affordable car was about much more than than the Nano itself.

• EARLIER: Tata to Produce First Air-Powered Car
• PLUS: 5 Electric Cars Making History Around the Globe
• TEST DRIVE: $11K Smart Fortwo Impresses in U.S.

GM and BMW Rev Up Gadget City With Alt-Fuels, Power Wheels: Glenn Reynolds's CES Consumer Watch

The General arranged for me to take a spin in their fuel-cell electric Chevy Equinox. What was it like? It was cool, though I have some reservations about the whole hydrogen car scene.

• TEST DRIVE: 2008 Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell
• DRIVE GREEN: Drive Reports, Videos & More

Can Mechanics Be Dishonest, or Should You Just Know Better?

In his biweekly rant, PM's senior automotive editor bemoans his wife's unnecessary escapades with a new battery. Are the guys at the shop really not cognizant of the difference between two industry-standard ratings, or are they simply taking advantage?

• AUTO CLINIC: 7 New Questions Answered!

Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside Concept: Detroit Auto Show Preview

Mercedes will unveil its all-new GLK, a crossover vehicle that will join the G, GL, ML and R-Class in the company’s rapidly expanding stable of utility vehicles. Though it’ll be labeled as a concept, this is very “close to series production,” according to M-B.

• PODCAST: Talking Alt-Fuels With Benz Engineers

Lost in Navigation: Who Designs These Instrument Panels?

In his biweekly rant, PM’s senior automotive editor goes beyond beefing with body design and tries to find navigate his nefarious dashboard.

• EARLIER: Why Designers Don't Think Like Mechanics?
• ANALYSIS: Bring Back Our Analog Knobs!

2008 Lexus LX570 Test Drive: The Ultimate Luxury Liner

Not only is the new LX570 luxury SUV one of the most technically sophisticated SUVs ever built, it’s also one of the most powerful, quiet and well-appointed to come from any automaker.

• PLUS: Lexus Concept Should Hit Production
• BUYER'S GUIDE: SUV Comparison Shopping