La Dolce Veloce

A very special BMW station wagon was recently spied. Its deep front spoiler and quad exhaust pipes indicated that this was an ‘M’ version of the 5 series! Powered by the same 507hp V10, this would prove to be one heck of a family car if BMW decides to import it to the US.

Cabrio fans rejoice! Volkswagen is working on a convertible version of its new Golf. The new Cabrio (or whatever they end up calling it) will be shown at this fall’s Frankfurt motor show, with sales in Europe beginning in late 2005. Expect US models to arrive in time for summer ’06.

Meanwhile, Audi has given the green light to production of its new supercar, originally shown at the 2003 Frankfurt motor show. Based on the Lamborghini Gallardo chassis (Audi owns Lamborghini), it will feature either a version of the Gallardo’s V10, or the V8 that Audi uses in the RS4. Despite rumors to the contrary, there will be no diesel version offered. Expect it to cost well over $100k.

Any death is truly tragic. Many people have died, or been seriously injured, as a result of their SUVs rolling over. The Explorer is, lately, taking some heat for its roof design. It seems that as the vehicle has gotten heavier over the years, the roof design hasn’t been reinforced. It passes the government tests just fine, but those are a joke. In a recent test, an inverted Explorer was dropped a mere 12 inches onto concrete. Its roof compressed 10 inches!

What it comes down to is this – people have this illusion of SUVs being safer than other cars. When they find out that’s not the case, they bitch and moan and, then, sue. Sad. Yes, the Explorer’s roof is weak. But what do you expect? SUVs are not required to meet the same crash testing regulations as cars. Their body on frame design is not nearly as advanced as unibody construction when it comes to protecting the occupants. And yet…people keep buying them, and automakers keep making a lot of money selling them.

Buyer beware. Do your own research and make your own conclusions, don’t just be a lemming.

The full story is here.

AutoWeek caught images of the next generation ‘R’ version of the XJ8. The XJR will feature around 400hp from its supercharged V8; the only visual differences visible in the heavily disguised test car were it quad tailpipes and hood bulge, though a different grill and wheels is likely.

Who would have thought…the most basic of roadway technologies, the speed bump, is not immune from technological advancements. Those clever Brits have designed a deformable speed bump. It’s essentially an inflatable speed bump. Drive slowly over it, and the valves allow the air to escape, making it virtually flat and preventing damage to your car (the grinding noise of a low slung sports car crossing a killer speed bump sends shivers down my spine every time). Drive fast, and the valves won’t release the air quickly enough, resulting in the required annoyance and ‘bump’ to the speeder. Quite ingenious and fair, really.

See the rest of this post for driving tips from three time Formula One champion Sir Jackie Stewart. As a driving enthusiast myself, I found these words to be spot on.
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