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BMW’s 3 Series has long been regarded as the benchmark compact sport coupe, sedan and convertible. Taking this already athletic vehicle to new heights is the M version, known as the BMW M3. In the BMW world, the letter M stands for the company’s Motorsports performance division. These fun-loving engineers tweak a given BMW model’s engine for more output, upgrade the suspension for even more agile handling and add sporty exterior and interior design elements.

Throughout its two decades on the U.S. market, the BMW M3 has been a favorite of enthusiasts looking for sports car performance and handling out of a true four-place car. Although content to smoothly burble around while doing daily driver duty, the M3 transforms into a back-road burner when conditions allow and gives its pilot the opportunity to attack corners with precision and rocket out of them with gusto. Read the rest of this entry »

2008 Chevrolet Avalanche LT Crew Cab Shown

The Chevrolet Avalanche is one of the more versatile vehicles on the road today. It successfully blends the comfort and passenger capacity of an SUV with the cargo flexibility of a pickup truck. While these two main attributes are also associated with full-size crew cab pickups, the Avalanche goes one step further with its distinctive fold-down midgate.

The term “midgate” refers to the removable wall that separates the cabin from the bed. On the Avalanche, the rear window and the wall separating the cabin from the bed can be opened up, either in part (by flipping down the midgate wall so a pass-through is created) or in whole (by also removing the rear window). Changing this rig from a six-passenger crew cab pickup with a 5-foot, 3-inch cargo box to a three-passenger pickup with an approximate 8-foot cargo box is straightforward and requires only a minute or two. Bonus features include removable cargo covers and storage compartments placed along the outside of the cargo box. Read the rest of this entry »

2007 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ Sedan Shown

Since its debut way back in the 1960s, the Chevrolet Malibu has gone through several iterations — from affordable, popular rear-drive family sedan and high-horsepower SS-badged muscle car to little-noticed, little-powered front-wheel-drive rental. The original Malibu was discontinued in the early ’80s and was finally revived in 1997 as Chevrolet sought to once again give customers a competitive, value-packed midsize sedan for thousands less than the import competition.

The current Chevrolet Malibu now rides on GM’s global Epsilon platform and can be equipped with either four-cylinder or V6 power. Functional and roomy but still a bit bland inside and out, the Malibu works best as a family vehicle. Ride quality is soft and comfortable, with predictable cornering response and satisfying performance overall — though oddly calibrated electric steering can sometimes make Chevrolet’s midsize sedan feel less adept than some of its competitors. Read the rest of this entry »

2006 Lamborghini Gallardo 2dr Coupe AWD

Although it’s probably difficult for most people to think of a nearly $200,000 automobile as “affordable,” that’s the position the Lamborghini Gallardo coupe and spyder convertible find themselves in within the Lambo product lineup. But no matter — sports cars with exotic looks and the performance to match have a built-in ownership audience.

Since its introduction, the mission for this “baby Lamborghini” has been to maintain the style and attitude of Lamborghini’s 12-cylinder cars but be more livable in everyday use. It’s been a successful strategy, as there’s been no shortage of takers who rightly lust after such a usable and alluring sports car. In fact, the Gallardo has become this Italian automaker’s best-selling model ever. Read the rest of this entry »

Porsche raised the public’s collective eyebrow when it decided to enter the sport-utility vehicle business in 2003 with its bulbous Cayenne. However, in spite of its rather ungainly styling, this midsize luxury SUV has proven itself worthy of the vaunted Porsche name.

With a lineup that stretches from the low $40Ks to six-digit territory and engines that range from a modest V6 to a 520-horsepower twin-turbo V8, the Porsche Cayenne isn’t your typical midsize SUV. Nor is it the most practical or family-friendly. Indeed, the Cayenne’s relatively small cargo area, high load floor and lack of a third-row seat option limit its real-world functionality. Read the rest of this entry »

When it debuted in the late ’90s, the Porsche Boxster ushered in an era of the more affordable Porsche convertible. Featuring a finely balanced midengine layout, sublime handling and steering, and the performance of a proven, sophisticated flat-6 engine, the Boxster quickly became part of the Porsche legend and one of the best-selling cars in the luxury roadster class.

There are several big-name competitors with equivalent cachet, but one drive in a Boxster is often all it takes to end a sports car shopping trip. Several evolutionary updates and detail changes through the years have kept the Boxster generally competitive in the face of faster and newer rivals. The latest version is the most powerful ever, with almost 300 horsepower available. Read the rest of this entry »

With the exception of a few midengine models scattered over the decades, Porsche has built its fame and fortune on a single rear-engine sports car, the 911. From rather humble beginnings, the Porsche 911 has gone on to be one of the most influential and most recognizable vehicles in the world. Today’s version of the car provides stunning levels of performance without sacrificing much in terms of day-to-day usability, and many Porsche purists still consider the 911 the only “real” Porsche.

The history of the Porsche 911 dates back to the 1960s. In 1965, it superseded the 356, Porsche’s first production sports car. Like the 356, the 911 had a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. This basic layout can be attributed to Ferdinand Porsche’s original design for the VW Beetle (from which the 356 had its mechanical roots) and offered the practical economy-car benefits of tight packaging and enhanced traction. Read the rest of this entry »