Automotive Einstein

High-performance SUVs seem to be the answer to a question no one asked. An ultrafast vehicle with a center of gravity higher than some sports cars’ rooflines and weighs as much as several sports cars combined? Sounds like a recipe for a rollover. Nonetheless, automakers have found the concept rather popular — and profitable — and we can’t deny that these vehicles can be impressive performers.

Photo Gallery: Driven: Five High-Riding, Sports Car Beating Tuner SUVs – Automobile Magazine

Driving pleasure doesn’t get much more involving than this. The Porsche 911 alerts your sixth sense even in basic Carrera form, but you can, of course, upgrade according to your budget: Carrera S, Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS. Last in line is now the GT2 RS, which musters an awe-inspiring 620 hp. BMW tells a similar story, with the six-cylinder 3-series models meeting their master in the V-8-engined M3, which in turn is eclipsed by the brand-new 450-hp GTS. Both top-of-the-range coupes are track-oriented, featuring adjustable wings and suspension elements along with race seats and roll cages. On the road, they feel firm, look loud, and make a fair bit of noise, but if you don’t mind extra tramlining and a harsh ride, these German sportsters are perfectly acceptable everyday stimulants from spring through autumn. Feel inclined to sign on the dotted line? Hold your breath. After all, the $245,000 Porsche is limited to 500 pieces, and BMW will assemble only 136 units of the fire-orange GTS, which costs about $140,000 in Europe and, unlike the Porsche, will not be sold in the United States.

Photo Gallery: Porsche 911 GT2 RS and BMW M3 GTS First Drive – Automobile Magazine

Despite essentially inventing the compact luxury SUV segment with its X3, BMW watched as the competition quickly countered with a flurry of similar offerings. Munich is finally fighting back with the reworked 2011 BMW X3. Will the updates be enough to get it back to the top of the class?

Photo Gallery: 2011 BMW X3 – First Look – Automobile Magazine

Months in fleet: Three
Miles to date: 6023

Photo Gallery: 2011 BMW 535i – Four Seasons Update – July 2010 – Automobile Magazine

I had the opportunity to drive a BMW 335i coupe and 135i in a three-day span (with a Mitsubishi Lancer in between, to cleanse the palette). It’s a tough decision between them, but for me at least, the 135i is smart choice. True, the smaller car’s weight and performance advantage is negligible (about 200 pounds and 0.2 seconds, respectively, according to BMW), but so too is the difference in practicality — the two-door 3-series offers only 0.4 inches more legroom in front and 1.4 inches in back. The deciding factor is their footprint. The trimmed wheelbase makes the 1-series just a bit livelier, and a bit more intimate, though the 335i’s longer wheelbase might be a bit better balanced. Of course, the $6000 in savings hardly hurts either.

Photo Gallery: 2010 BMW 135i Coupe – Editor’s Notebook – Automobile Magazine

It’s no surprise that this limousine-sized BMW 750Li spent the last year serving as our favorite escort to formal events. It attended three weddings and a funeral, even acting as the matrimonial limo for one happy bride and groom. But those trips alone account for only part of the 38,739 miles this large barge gobbled up during the last four seasons – a far greater number of miles than we put on most sedans.

Photo Gallery: 2009 BMW 750Li – BMW Long Term Review – Automobile Magazine

This is about as close to driving nirvana as semi-affordable cars venture. The powertrain, chassis, and operator interfaces are honed to near perfection. The 2+2 accommodations are functionally useful, the trunk is amply sized and well proportioned. Searching diligently, I did find a trivial flaw: the left-front floor mat that had torn free of its attachments to foul the clutch pedal at the bottom of its travel. As a service to my fellow critics, I repaired that fault with an expeditious driveway correction. Nevertheless, as much as I respect this and most other BMWs, I’d give serious thought to Cadillac’s new CTS coupe before I spent $40,000 for a 335i.

Photo Gallery: 2010 BMW 335i Coupe – Editor’s Notebook – Automobile Magazine