In Europe, the station wagon is one of the coolest rides you can buy like the Mercedes E series and BMW 5 series wagons. In North America it’s a whole different story, for some reason the wagon still echoes it’s the ultimate in un-coolness and totally laden with its traumatizing Brady bunch stereotypes. So what is Cadillac going to do with a CTS Wagon?

The 2010 CTS Sport Wagon is changing the way Americans think about the old station wagon. From the front it looks no different than the normal CTS, but when you look at the rear you will see its differences like its 26 LED powered tail lights that extend almost the entire rear end. Every line, every crevice, every nuance has a purpose. It screams speed. It yells high class. And it’s got good fuel economy to boot. And for those planning on packing a lot of stuff into it, it has a whole lot of usable space.

What do  ya think about this?

We recently did a test drive on the new Porsche Cayenne GTS last month but if you thirst for some more thrust via a 4.8-liter V8 producing 500 horsepower and 6-speed auto tranny, then the 2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo is your quencher.

Not only does this SUV move like a scalded dog but it drinks like racing horse getting a parching 19 mpg on the highway and eww, 12 mpg city. Don’t worry, if you can afford this big daddy then you are not too concerned about my previous sentence.

Here is a newly released test drive video of the new 2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo from MyRide. Now you can haul the whole family and dogs while being amongst fastest on the road.

‘THE ULTIMATE OPEN TOP DRIVING EXPERIENCE’

It’s great to see that Roll-Royce is building the ultimate in luxury, along with superb driving dynamics. The all-new 2008 R-R Phantom Drophead Coupe Convertible is a ‘driver’s car’ that you will appreciate more each and everyday you slide behind the wheel. The larger and heavier Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedan is usually found with a hired chauffer at the wheel.

Launched at the Detroit Auto Show in 2006, the Phantom Drophead Coupe Convertible is the second new model from Rolls-Royce since BMW Group took ownership of the marquee in 1998. It is a perfect marriage of BMW power and performance with R-R signature design and interior craftsmanship and luxury.

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What gives? Gas prices are still high and Kia decides to come out with a full-sized V8 Powered SUV, the 2009 Kia Borrego. May car fanatics are surprised at not just the boldness of Hyundai/Kia but the new 2009 Kia Borrego is actually a worthy contender in the big-SUV segment. Whether you like it or not, some people will still buy big SUV’s despite the higher gas prices. I guess some people just “got it like that” because in the top-of-the-line big V8 form is sucks down some gas like it is no tomorrow.

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General Motors is finally stepping up to the plate with a better look at its new small car, the Chevy Cruze, which is supposed to replace the Cobalt around mid-2010.

These photos have been released ahead of the Cruze’s live showing in October at the Paris Auto show. The car’s appearance is based heavily Chevy’s new global design language, which has shown up recently on the Malibu sedan and Traverse crossover.

The Cruze bosts the new grille treatment of current chevy vehicles, with wrap-around headlights. Chevy says the Cruze is roomier than its competitors with more length and width, and the wheels jut out a bit from the body. The car is expected to be able to get more than 40 mpg. And if they can do that without it being a slug I will definitely buy one.

They gave the car a dual cockpit layout interior that has also shown up on recent redesigns, and was inspired by 1960s Corvettes.

The Cruze lgoes one sale in Europe next March. It will get it’s power from two four-cylinder engines, and a new 2.0-liter turbodiesel.

The U.S. Cruze is expected to get four-cylinder and turbo power plants from GM’s global offerings. It will be built in Lordstown, Ohio plant.

GM is betting hard that the Cruze will be a hit with consumers, as it’s replacing a good platform, the Chevy Cobalt, which posted sales of more than 200,000 annually. The Cobalt was launched in latter part of 2004.

The Cruze’s competitors will the like of the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Jetta.

I wonder if Tom knows GM named a car after him?

Enjoy and feel free to spread the word/link!

YouTube Version:

So what did the guys at Automotive Addicts say after looking at the newly release images of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS? “IT AINT NO DIFFERENT”, they said, referring to the other variations of the new Camaro that we have seen. Not to mention, the Camaro that debuted in the movie Transformers, it was a not even a Camaro let alone the “SS” version. It was more or less a GTO with a camaro shell plastered on top of the GTO’s chassis. But enough about Transformers because that is so old now, let’s take a gander at the Chevy Camaro SS.

WOOT WOOT! Enjoy the images.

Subtle Changes: 2008 Porsche Carrera S – A Sports Car Legend

Every year Porsche makes their subtle changes to the near perfect lineup of vehicles. The Porsche is a legend of its own kind where there is no mistaking it for what IT is. The 2008 Porsche Carrera S is no exception to the rule as we will find out very soon with the new 2009 Porsche Carrera S. Very few visual changes are made each year but the engineering goes to all new lengths utilizing the latest and greatest technological advances in the automotive industry.

The 45th birthday of the Porsche 911 is closely approaching and the latest of one of the greatest and most recognized sports cars in the world will be introduced once again as a 2009 model. German engineered, developed, and built… the 2008 Porsche Carrera S.

Video of the new Audi commercial presenting the new Audi TT-S. Yes, that is an Audi TT with the letter S attached and that means a something “extra”.

Enjoy!

The new 2009 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport – The very first produced drop top Bugatti Veyron went up for auction and sold for a whopping $2.9 million! Good Lord, that’s a lot but you are getting a lot of car right?

2009 Ford Mustang GT Coupe - “America’s Favorite Pony Car”

The Ford Mustang coupe continues as America’s favorite Pony car and celebrates 45-years in production. The latest GT performance coupe is fun and thrilling to drive, comes well equipped and is priced right at just $27,020.00. It is the ‘biggest bang for the buck’.

The Mustang GT is sporty and spry from any angle: a menacing shark-like nose with trapezoidal jeweled headlamps behind clear lens imparts an attitude not seen since the ’67 model, the signature aluminum power-dome hood and short rear deck, dual exhaust tips, swept-back A-pillars, side C-scoops, flared fenders, lower rocker panels, while short overhangs and 18X8in. wheels, anchor the design to the ground and give it visual motion. The rear spoiler helps increase downforce at high speeds.

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Within the industry, they’re referred to as “mild” hybrids. They’re cars like the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu that have conventional engines with oversized starter-motors, which allow the engine to be shut down whenever the car is braking, coasting, or stopped (such as at a red light) without requiring a full re-start. Gauges, systems (like air conditioning) and electronic accessories (mp3 players, GPS systems) run on existing electrical power, and the motor spins the engine back to operating RPMs before any fuel is injected.

While mild hybrids don’t have electric motors, they do still offer some hybrid features. For example, they use less battery power, over all, and some mild hybrids even use regenerative braking to recharge that battery, just like the Toyota Prius hybrid, and their other true-hybrid cousins.

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Cars and Coffee Jacksonville
Saturday, September 13th 2008 @ 9am - 11am
4663 River City Dr.
Jacksonville, FL 32246

Look for more information and directions posted on www.carsandcoffeejacksonville.com.

Hope to see you at the show!

We received a message from Volvo’s media team to post brand new footage of the new Volvo XC60 where it was tested under extreme conditions. The videos below demonstrate some of the capabilities of the new Volvo XC60. Additional videos will be added to the XC60 pre-launch next week. We will be sure to post them to The Automotive Addicts Blog.

Volvo is known to have some of the best web pages on the internet and why not showcase the new upcoming crossover from Volvo, the new Volvo XC60. The Volvo XC60 site is about the Swedish town called Löv, home of the XC60. It already contains 4 stories about the car and they will be adding new content until the XC60 is launched.

Enjoy the videos and images! (click “Read the rest of this entry »” for videos and more images)

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2009 SATURN AURA XR I-4 ‘NO COMPROMISES’

Wait, you don’t have to compromise and purchase a sub-compact car to achieve more than 30mpg. You don’t have to squeeze into your new ride to squeeze out the most mpg.

The new, 2009 Saturn Aura XR mid-size sport sedan gives excellent mpg and more.
With the 2.4 liter Ecotec inline four-cylinder engine mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission, you can expect to get EPA mileage rated specs of 22mpg/city, and 33mpg/highway, the best of any mid-size sedan.

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Enjoy the video!

 

The meet was a big success! We have decided to make this meet a monthly event that will take place on the 2nd Saturday of each month. It is official, Cars and Coffee Jacksonville! Visit the new Cars and Coffee site for more information on the meet every 2nd Saturday of each month!

THE NEXT MEET: The next meet WILL BE on Saturday September 13th at 9am to 11am in the same location!  We will be moving the parking a few feet out to the middle of the lot to provide more spots. Please visit the new page at www.carsandcoffeejacksonville.com!!!!  

A big thanks to everyone who came out and we hope you can make it out to our upcoming events. Also thanks for spreading the word, it looks like we had over 70 cars total for this meet. It was difficult to get an exact count due to the parking situation. During the next event we will start parking in a totally empty section that is still in walking distance from Starbucks coffee.

Hope to see you all next month! Enjoy the images taken by Darren Golez (aka Gadgetman – BMW M5)

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Lexus tops the J.D. Power 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) for the 14th year straight.

It comes a time were most of us just have to admit that Lexus has quality vehicles. Even if you had a bad experience with Lexus you really cannot sway too far away from the FACT that the build quality is excellent, they last a long time, and they have less problems per 100 vehicles as shown on the 2008 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study.

If you ever wonder how they get these numbers or conduct the survey then you can visit the source directly on J.D. Power and Associates web site link for the 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) here.

U.S. sales of the Toyota Prius fell 3.9 percent through July vs. the same period of 2007

TOKYO (Thomson Financial) — Toyota Motor Corp. said on Thursday its operating profit dropped 39 percent in the fiscal first quarter ending in June, from a year earlier. The company said this was due to slowing sales in the U.S. and Europe, higher purchasing costs of basic materials and a strong yen.
Toyota left its earnings guidance unchanged but still warned its operating profit will drop for the first time in nine years.

The company registered an operating profit of 412.59 billion yen ($3.8 billion), down from an operating profit of 675.43 billion yen ($6.17 billion) a year earlier. This was also the second straight quarter that its operating profit had fallen…

Read the full article on autonews.com here.

2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTSWAGON S Test Drive - ‘A GREAT SPORT UTILITY ALTERNATIVE’

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportswagon S is one of the best small, sporty wagons with an emphasis on flexibility and versatility. It is also an easy car to drive and returns a good MPG rating of 21mpg/city and 29mpg/highway. It is also the lowest priced, $18,999.00, European-made sport wagon, and is perfect for active singles and young, growing families.

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2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 does it big just like The Big Dogs do!

So you take a gander at the new Lexus LS460 or the new BMW 7-Series, very nice you probably say to yourself. Now, you see some other car rolling down the road and you say hmm, another Lexus LS or GS, no, a Benz, no, a new BMW 7-Series, hmm no I do not see the BMW roundel on the hood WTF! Is this a Honda accord? No No, it is the new Hyundai Genesis 4.6 not to be mistaken for the many cars that make up the looks of the new big-body Hyundai.

Hyundai has pulled this one out of someone’s ass who may have worked at BMW or Daimler Chrysler, or heck, even Toyota’s Lexus division. Either way you put it, Hyundai has upped the anti. Recently Hyundai has proven itself with good build quality, cars that are lasting, and the love for one of the better warranties offered on cars sold in America. You see design cues from other various luxury cars but does it really live up to any of them? Why yes it does, and some when you consider the money you will save by driving one of these home. Do you want iDrive? How about a long wheelbase? Wood trim to go? You get it all!

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The “little” Benz G-Wagon aka Benz GLK is getting noticed before it comes out.

So Benz decided to take the GL-Class a step farther adding the letter “K”. Some of us may know what that means and some will argue about where the GLK class fits in the Benz line-up. It is almost something in between a GL and a C-Class, mostly the best of both worlds in one successful package. Now facts will tell you that the new GLK class has already had over 10,000 units reserved in Western Europe due to start deliveries in October. US owners will have to look for their new GLK’s in early 2009 sporting a fresh interior design.

The smaller GLK will be right there battling it out with the BMW X3 and Acura RDX classed vehicles. Should we expect to see more manufacturers put out small utes like this one? Heck yea, with gas being as expensive as it is, this is the cure-all, for now, for those families looking for a slower gas sipping SUV.

The internet is known for “INFORMATION” and sometimes that “INFO” is leaked out a bit early such as in the case of the next upcoming Volkswagen Golf “dubbed” the Golf VI. Some sources online will tell you that the new Golf VI will sport a 1.4L TSI, 1.8L TFSI and of course the ever-so-popular 2.0L TFSI engine. Also, they should include the same diesel 1.9L and 2.0L TDI engines as well.

We should expect this new model out late next year for the US. More updates should arise as the official specs and information is released from VW.

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Enjoy!

If you had the fastest production car in the world do you think it will be any more room for even more excitement? How about if you go topless? Not too exciting for a guy but what if she goes topless, the Bugatti Veryon that is. You didn’t think we were talking about a flesh barring woman did you?

The guys at Supercars.net have revealed the targa styled Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. So what do you have to give up going topless? The speed is now limited to just 217mph. Oh boy, just a little 217mph, that’s still enough to beat just about everything on the road isn’t it? The developers of the new Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport claim the drop-top has no negative effects on drag. You might want to keep your head down because something tells me at 217mph that bug may take an eye out.

So why are we talking about only 80 cars that will be produced and cost about $2,250,000? Just because it is cool!

Enjoy the images!