The Crank: My 2011 World Car of the Year is…

[svgallery name=”2011_Audi_A8L”] By John LeBlanc The seventh annual World Car of the Year awards, which yours truly is a judge, announced its top ten finalists for 2011 this week.The overall winner for WCOTY—as well as winners for World Performance Car, Green Car and Design of the Year—will be announced at this year’s New York show in April. Before then, […]

2011 Detroit: Worst in Show

By John LeBlanc DETROIT – As recently as 2008, the annual Detroit auto show offered a plethora of goodies for car lovers that it took three media days to cover it all. The fact the 2011 show’s offerings were able to be presented in one day, gives you an indication of the lack of excitement […]

Road Trip: 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG down Mexico way

[svgallery name=”2010_MB_SLS_hirez”] By John LeBlanc OAXACA, Mexico—Before I was handed the keys to a shiny new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG “super” sports cars, officials from the German automaker warned me that driving here would be different. Especially given that our planned route was a section of Mexico’s historic La Carrera Panamericana road race, an event the […]

La Carrera Panamericana: The deadliest road race ever

[svgallery name=”1952_MB_300_SL_hirez”] By John LeBlanc OAXACA, Mexico – Driving the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG on the same route as the historic La Carrera Panamericana road race is no marketing gimmick. The modern Mercedes sports car’s ancestral inspiration, the 1952 300 SL Gullwing racecar and the legendary Mexican road race are intrinsically linked.