2011 in Review: The best car I drove for <$40k

By John LeBlanc Korean cars aren’t the punch line to a bad joke anymore. Rising from their former positioning as backwater makers of bottom-feeder cars with lowball sticker prices and extra-long warranties, the Hyundai and Kia sister brands have turned into builders of some of the most reliable, safe, smartly-styled, technically advanced and value priced […]

Best 2011 Performance Car for <$50k

By John LeBlanc As the new 2012 models start to infiltrate new car showrooms, here are my top picks of remaining 2011 models that may still be lingering on dealer lots:

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Clipped wings Does removing its doors take any of the magic away from AMG’s supercar? By John LeBlanc MONTE CARLO —When is a Gullwing not a Gullwing? When it’s the new SLS AMG Roadster, the convertible version of the SLS AMG Gullwing hardtop coupe that replaced the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren as the German automaker’s top-line […]

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG

E-Q-ship Mercedes goes the turbocharging route for its updated midsize stealth machine By John LeBlanc LE CASTELLET, FRANCE — Showing little of the restraint of its rivals, Mercedes-Benz offers high-performance iterations of almost every model throughout its extensive lineup — from its compact C-class sedan to its SLS Gullwing supercar. Yet if you know the […]

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe

C-plus Mercedes wastes no time adding honking AMG model to its new C Class Coupé By John LeBlanc CIRCUITO MONTEBLANCO, Spain – If you gauge social trends by what’s new on television, there seems to be a political correctness backlash occurring. Inspired by the excessive drinking, groping and smoking from the 1960’s New York City […]

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