2010 Jaguar XF Supercharged to Receive New 5.0-liter Supercharged V-8

Jaguar has announced that there will indeed be an XF Supercharged model for 2010. Just a year after the model’s initial debut, the Supercharged’s V-8 will grow in size from 4.2 to 5.0 liters, utilizing a detuned version of the engine in the XFR. Slotting in between the XF Premium’s 385-hp V-8 and the top-dog XFR’s blown 510-hp V-8, the XF Supercharged’s new AJ-V8 Gen III motor makes 470 hp (up from the ’09 model’s 420) and 424 lb-ft of torque.

In addition to the new motor, Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics and Active Differential Control systems are now standard equipment. Other minor changes for 2010 include new 20” wheels, upgraded brakes, quad exhaust tips, new interior trim options, and a heated steering wheel.

Expect the 2010 models to arrive at dealerships in October, starting at around $68,000.

Read our road test of the 2010 Jaguar XFR: 2010 Jaguar XFR - Road Test

2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante - First Drive Review

Aston Martin has been rather busy lately, finessing a big V-12 into the Vantage coupe, preparing for the launch of the highly anticipated Rapide four-door, and going all-out to create the $1.7 million, 700-hp One-77 supercar. Not to mention engineering a Toyota iQ–based microcar called the Cygnet. (Yes, it’s real.) Add the new 2010 DBS Volante (Aston speak for convertible) to the pile. Few would say that that the DBS coupe needs any help in the looks department. Yet the removal of its roof makes it even more alluring, not to mention one of the most indulgent tanning salons on the planet.

The Natural Look

Aston designed the DBS from the onset with open-air motoring in mind, and with the top up, the Volante keeps the coupe’s sleek profile mostly intact. By eschewing a trendy retractable hardtop, the ragtop also keeps the weight gain to a minimum and preserves much of the DBS’s limited trunk space. The roof can be raised or lowered in 14 seconds and at speeds of up to 30 mph. Compared with the fixed-roof car, the convertible is about 200 pounds heavier and 25 percent less rigid.

Keep Reading: 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante - First Drive Review

C6 Chevrolet Corvette - Feature

A brand-new standard-issue Chevrolet Corvette remains an incredible performance-car bargain. For less than two-thirds of the price of a Porsche 911, the latest C6 thunders to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat, corners at 0.99 g, and tops out at 190 mph. And for a two-seat rocket, a Vette is also very practical, with 57 percent more luggage capacity than a Honda Accord and tall gearing that, during relaxed highway cruising, squeezes more than 25 miles from each gallon of premium fuel.

Even so, the Corvette’s current base price of $49,515 might be more than some people can or want to spend. If you fall into this group, you’ll be happy to discover the many used Vettes on the market, given that today’s C6 generation was born in the 2005 model year. When you peruse secondhand Corvettes, you’ll also find that many of them have very low mileage, having been driven mostly on summer weekends in cold states. Three- and four-year-old cars with less than 10,000 miles are not unusual.

To reduce the risks of used-car buying, GM offers a certified used-vehicle (CUV) program. Similar to all such programs, GM’s starts with a detailed, 117-item checklist to make sure that everything is operating as it did when new. The car gets a thorough cleaning and detailing, brakes and tires that are more than half-worn are replaced, and the next scheduled maintenance is performed.

Keep Reading: Certified Pre-Owned: C6 Chevrolet Corvette - Feature

Jaguar to Show Hopped-up XKR, 225-mph XFR at Goodwood

At this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K., Jaguar will show off two modified versions of new cars.
The Bonneville XFR Prototype is the fastest Jaguar ever. A regular XFR is electronically limited to just 162 mph, but the prototype hit 225 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. To make the power needed for the high-speed run, the XFR scored a new intake and exhaust, modified supercharger, and remapped ECU, although the six-speed automatic transmission was untouched. The body received “minor aerodynamic and safety modifications.”
Also present will be the Goodwood Special XKR. Based on a 2010 XKR, the Goodwood Special gets lime green paint with funky "XKR" graphics, 21-inch wheels, lowered suspension, and a “louder” exhaust. There are also graphite accents on the headlights, mirrors, and front grille inserts. Somehow we doubt we’ll see these options in a Jaguar dealership.
Jaguar will also bring three historical race cars: the XJ13, the 1957 Long Nose D-type, and the C-type.

2010 Lexus IS Convertible / IS250C / IS350C - Second Drive

Sales charts spawned this baby. About a third of BMW 3-series sales are coupes and convertibles, and Lexus wants a seat at that buffet. Impulsive? Hardly. Introduced nine years ago and well into its second generation, the entry-level IS sedan finally gives birth to a convertible two-door kitten.

In dealerships now, the IS250C and IS350C feature an aluminum hardtop roof that, in 20 seconds, marshals 15 electric motors and 37 sensors to split it into two panels, which seamlessly belly-flop into the waiting trunk. Ultraviolet bliss ensues.

Weary eyes could reasonably mistake the IS C for a sedan that lost a debate with a hacksaw, yet every exterior panel and molding except the hood is unique to the convertible. The IS C is 2.2 inches longer than the four-door, and the rear decklid hunchbacks upward, so there’s room for four adults, plus space for flat luggage under the pancaked roof.

Keep Reading: 2010 Lexus IS Convertible / IS250C / IS350C - Second Drive

2010 Lotus Evora - Second Drive

The inquisitive owner of a first-generation Elise we met near Inveraray, Scotland, calls it cheating. He’s referring to the fact that this all-new Lotus—the first in 14 years—comes with a stereo, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, and a stitched-leather interior, not to mention available navigation and a backup camera. Had we wished to really upset him, we could have brought up the stability control and automatic transmission that will soon be offered.

Indeed, this is a very different car than the company’s intense, ultralight Elise and Exige models that we admire greatly for their delightful responses but whose limited appeal we fully understand. After all, there are dog carriers that may be easier to crawl into.

That’s why the Evora is so much larger—21.9 inches longer, with a 10.9-inch stretch in the wheelbase—putting it on par with more mainstream sports cars such as Porsche’s 911 and Cayman. Roughly five inches shorter than a 911, the Evora still houses a similarly sized (i.e., tiny) back seat, which is optional and seems adequate for little people and children up to 10 years old.

Keep Reading: 2010 Lotus Evora - Second Drive

Hurst Announces Special-Edition Pontiac G8 and G6 Convertible

How’s this for unfortunate timing? Just two months after GM axed the Pontiac brand, Hurst Performance Vehicles announces modified versions of two Pontiac models.
The tuning company will hand-build 52 “H.O.” copies of the 2010 G8. Details are sketchy, but the cars will be supercharged and ride on stiffened suspension. Like past Hurst special editions, white-on-gold and black-on-gold paint schemes, as well as forged wheels and a Hurst shifter, will be obligatory. Hurst also plans to offer ten modified G6 convertibles to serve as “parade and special event cars.” Whatever that means.
Check back August 1, when we should have full details and pricing on the Hurst cars.
Read about Pontiac’s demise: Pontiac Killed by GM - Feature
Read about another Hurst special: Hurst Dodge Viper – Car News