599XX: An Extreme Track Car

Particular attention was also paid to cutting the weight of the engine unit components. This was achieved both by optimizing forms - as in the new crankshaft - and adopting exclusive materials, as in the carbon-fiber used for the intake plenums. A new gearbox shift strategy cuts overall gearchange times to 60 ms.

The Ferrari 599XX is characterized by an innovative electronic concept called the "High Performance Dynamic Concept" which has been designed to get the maximum performance from the car by managing the combination of the car's mechanical limits with the potential of its electronic controls. The mechanical and electronic systems work together to get the maximum performance from the car under extreme high performance driving, for consistent lap times. The sporty handling has been improved thanks to the adoption of second generation SCM suspension system. Track usage is also made easier thanks to the new "virtual car engineer", a screen in the car that provides a real-time indication of the vehicle's efficiency.

Ferrari 599XX Race Car

While based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with the same transaxle layout and engine type, the Ferrari 599XX is an extreme track car. Ferrari's engineers have carried out extensive work on the engine's combustion chambers and inlet and exhaust tracts. These modifications, combined with the fact that internal attrition has been reduced and the maximum revs have been boosted to 9,000 rpm, helped achieve the target power output of 700 hp at 9,000 rpm.

Nissan GT-R first disc 3.8 V6

style changes include a wider front grille

What is this?

The new Nissan GT-R has been shown to us at the end of 2007. At the time of his chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno has clearly indicated that there would be another three years perfecting the concept would be to a point where the real GT-R unveiled. And this, apparently it is.

Does not look much different, right? But it is not. The major changes in style, but some daytime running lights, larger grille and new rear diffuser, carbon running, but the car has been extensively updated mechanics.

See photos of the first drive Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6
How is it?

Tantalisingly enough, Mizuno remaining cautious in the numbers, but we will know more lift and valve timing convoluted production has increased at least 478bhp to 523bhp.

In addition, there is now a carbon mast brace on the engine room dampers modified relating to tires, brakes front construction and design changes, larger (up to 10 mm 390 mm), an increase of 10 per cent of production and we believe to improved economy and emissions of CO2.

What is this? Nissan does not say, at least for now. However, it is safe to assume that one-tenth or two of them claimed 3.6sec 0-60mph time and top speed can be made are now closer to 200 mph miles 190 hours.

As for the lap of the Nurburgring, Nissan is therefore the focus has been his team go on a tear the day I drove the car, but the weather prevented the process.

Instead, I slipped on the Nordschleife, and found the final booster shot be less important than the apparent widening of the band of torque. Of course, there are no data for this, but the GT-R felt better gear than before seems natural.

But I would say that the main change concerns the suspension, which seemed incredibly stable, though very interested in his nose up close, that have been absurd to push the slippery track conditions.
Should I buy?

Now it seems that the great shock that Nissan will be charged. A version should be sold in the United Kingdom at a cost of over £ 70,000, which could easily lead to an increase of 10 Grand Prix.

were and, while the GT-R will be improved and comprehensive, perhaps even more than is expected for this type of bonus would be.
Andrew Frankel

Nissan GT-R 3.8 V6

Price: € 70,000 (EST) Maximum speed: 196 km / h 0-62 mph: 3.5 seconds (EST) Economy: 23.5mpg (combined) CO2: 279g/km; notch weight: na Engine: 3799cc V6, twin turbo, petrol, power: 523bhp at 6400rpm (EST) £ 442 Nm at 3200rpm (EST) Transmission: automatic dual-clutch 6-SPD

BMW 550i The BMW 5 Series

2011 BMW 550i - Click above for high-res image gallery

More than one mile above sea level, located in the heart of Sequoia National Park, is the General Sherman tree. This nearly three-hundred foot tall Giant Sequoia is considered the largest tree in the world, as based on total volume. More impressive than its mass is its age – scientists believe it is between 2,300 and 2,700 years old. Giant Sequoias have prospered over centuries, while countless lesser trees have come and gone, because they posses very unique qualities. Their foot-thick bark allows them to resist fire, and their shallow roots take advantage of rain showers during periods of drought. And, in an interesting twist of natural survival, their tall canopies effectively block the sun, preventing competitors from taking hold and surviving in the darkened shadows at their base.

The BMW 5 Series is in a similar position. The long-established benchmark mid-size sport sedan finds itself in a constant battle with competitors trying to push it aside in an effort to capture its territory. Instead of resting on its laurels, BMW re-engineers the four-door once every eight years to conform to a changing and ever crowding segment.

Introduced earlier this year, the all-new 2011 BMW 5 Series breaks new ground. Now sharing platforms with the 7 Series, the sedan seems to have changed its tune from sport to luxury. We spent a week with the range-topping 550i, fitted with the automaker's twin-turbo 400-horsepower V8, to put our fingers on its new mission.

Bosal Muffler Single inlet and outlet configuration; 35 in. L x 10 in. W x 12 in. H

Bosal Muffler - Natural, Aluminized steel, Direct OE Replacement, Standard OE Replacement
Part Number: BOVFM1760
Manufacturer Number: VFM-1760
Bosal Muffler Bosal Muffler
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BOSAL REAR MUFFLER, ALUMINIZED STEEL, NATURAL FINISH, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY -- Single inlet and outlet configuration; 35 in. L x 10 in. W x 12 in. H; Oval casing; Standard direct fit OE replacement; Made to fit vehicle-specific requirements for backpressure, emissions, sound levels, and sensors; Precision-manufactured to high tolerances for long life; Easy installation.

Nissan Juke new

The stylish Juke was designed for Europe, where they load up large-car features on what we would consider very small cars. The Juke rides on the global B-platform, which is shared with the Nissan Versa and Cube and the Renault Clio. But in this application, it has sophistication you would find on something like an Acura MDX, with clutch packs on the rear half shafts and a smart differential up front sending power to the wheels that need it most. A dash-mounted “I-CON vehicle information interface” allows you to select three different settings for throttle, transmission and steering response: normal, sport and eco. A separate switch allows you to select three settings for the vectoring all-wheel drive. The all-new single-scroll turbocharged 1.6-liter direct-injection gasoline four will make “180-plus” hp, according to Nissan, and “170-plus” lb-ft of torque. Final U.S. figures will come out closer to this CUV's launch in October.

The Juke is fully loaded inside as well. In addition to standards such as an iPod jack and Bluetooth, it offers navigation, keyless entry and even a g-meter on the dash screen. Styling inside and out is so strong it's almost distracting. Overly pronounced fender flares give it a WRC shape, while the center console looks as if someone put a little superbike between the seats, with the shifter popping up out of the “gas tank.” The shapes all come from the Qazana concept shown at Geneva in 2009.

How does it drive?

We took a Juke up the twisting Highway 23 to Mulholland out in the Santa Monica Mountains and got a chance to play around with that torque-vectoring AWD. In the normal setting, with all power going to the front wheels, we could easily get wheelspin from the inside front tire while accelerating out of tight corners on that damp, drizzly morning. The middle setting, which varied torque front to rear, was a little better controlled, but for harder hammering, clicking the switch to the lower setting kept all four wheels delivering torque all the time with no discernable slip.

It was hard to distinguish differences among the normal, sport and eco settings on the I-CON vehicle-information interface that altered throttle, shift and steering response. Maybe more seat time will better demonstrate the subtleties.

The sad thing is that all of that sophistication in the drivetrain is sapped by the soul-destroying choice of a CVT transmission. Why load it up with impressive torque vectoring and clutch packs on the half shafts only to cancel out many of those gains with a wailing CVT? A six-speed manual is available, but only on front-wheel-drive models. Sounds like CAFÉ has struck again.

Nissan lists the Mazda 3 and the Mini as competitors in this segment. If only those two cars came with this sophisticated powertrain. Or this sophisticated powertrain came with the transmissions of those two competitors.

Do I want it?

That is the $64 million question, though the Juke is expected to sell for considerably less than that when it arrives in early October in the United States. Preliminary pricing says it will start at less than $20,000, but that'll be for the FWD setup. The Juke is supposed to be aimed at young males, though we guess that, outside of AW readers, the number of rally-car and superbike aficionados is higher in Europe than in the States. Nissan isn't concerned, since this was, after all, a European vehicle, and any U.S. sales will be the global sales equivalent of gravy.

Our product-planning suggestion? Offer a manual, or even a regular automatic with all of those clutch packs.

We hope the Juke takes off, if for no other reason than a successful U.S. Juke could mean greater availability of European- and Japan-market cars here. More choice is always good, especially if the choices involve fun-to-drive cars.

2011 Nissan Juke

On Sale: October

Base Price: Less than $20,000

Drivetrain: 1.6-liter, gasoline direct-injection turbocharged four; 180-plus hp, 170-plus lb-ft, FWD (AWD optional), six-speed manual (CVT with AWD)

Curb Weight: 3,000 lb (mfr est)

Cadillac CTS Performance

The first thing I'd do is opt out of these seats. Yeah, I know they're Recaros and I guess to some that's supposed to mean performance or something, but frankly they're not that good. Support is in the wrong places, and I can't adjust them to a comfortable position. Maybe it's me, but I've never had this problem with Recaros before.

The rest of the car is OK; it's tight and solid. Something weird happened this morning when I first started the car; it was jerky under part throttle. It idled smoothly and if I got in to the gas, it smoothed out, but partial throttle it was just the slightest bit rough. Once it was warmed up it felt fine. There is enough power here, though.

The interior is nice except for the aforementioned seats, and I find the touch screen hard to see in certain light.

Overall, not a bad piece, but no way in hell I'd take one over an A6. The Audi A6 with the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 hits the sweet spot for me.

SENIOR EDITOR FOR NEWS BOB GRITZINGER: Maybe I found a button that Wes didn't, but once I let some of the pressure out of the lumbar support, that Recaro driver's seat fit like a glove. Some might find the CTS cabin a tad claustrophobic, but I find it a cozy and contained cocoon with everything right where I want it. The driving position felt near-perfect for my 5-foot-10 frame.

I agree that this V6 offers plenty of power, revving nicely when pushed and running silently otherwise, matching the whole Cadillac ethos of refined performance. It may not be quite as silky as an inline BMW six-cylinder, but what is?

Otherwise, the car rides and handles well, managing bumps without drama and smoothing out most surfaces without any disconnected softness in the suspension. The steering effort builds perfectly in cornering.

There's little here to quibble about: I'd like some clarity to the busy center stack, which combines big obvious knobs and buttons with the not-so-obvious touch-screen controls. The combination, which I think Lexus also seemed to think was smart, makes it hard to figure out which control to use to manage audio and navigation. My tendency is to grab the big knob in the middle to change map scale, or to tune the radio, and it doesn't do either. Just a little frustrating, and something that I assume an owner would figure out in due time.

Overall, this is one great sports sedan, one that drives, handles and looks the like one.

SENIOR WEB REPORTER GREG MIGLIORE: This athletic Cadillac is a great example of power and luxury. It handles very spryly, and I did a couple of energetic loops through turnarounds with ease. The chassis is nice and tight and the body well controlled. I also found the steering to be very precise, and it offers more feedback in more vigorous driving.

The V6 is a gem, and the power is strong and enjoyable. I love the rear-wheel drive. To me, that's a pillar of true luxury and performance.

This CTS cuts a sharp appearance, with sporty wheels, excellent headlights and taillights and gobs of refined attitude. When I think of gutsy styling, the CTS is the definition of those words.

The interior is quiet, and the dials very elegant. I liked the Recaros; they fit me perfectly. And I thought the interior struck the right tone for a stately yet powerful demeanor.

2010 Cadillac CTS Performance

Base Price: $42,390

As-Tested Price: $52,390

Drivetrain: 3.6-liter V6; RWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 304 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 273 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,874 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 21/19.8 mpg

Options: Performance luxury package including audible theft-deterrent system, LED interior ambient lighting, driver and front-passenger heated and cooled seats, rear split-folding seats, power tilt/telescoping wheel, keyless access, remote start, rear park assist, sapele wood-trim package, automatic cabin odor filter ($2,855); Recaro high-performance seats and metal pedals ($2,800); navigation system including premium sound, 10-speaker system, 40GB hard drive, satellite traffic ($2,145); 19-inch summer-tire performance package including 19-inch polished aluminum wheels, 19-inch summer tires, sport suspension system, steering-wheel-mounted shift controls, performance cooling system, performance cooling disc brakes ($2,090); underhood appearance package ($110)