The overpriced but undeniably excellent Porsche Cayenne just brought a new member to the team. Shown to us at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show Porsche breakfast, the new GTS will fall in-between the Cayenne S and the top-of-the-line Turbo model. The GTS will be the most powerful naturally-aspirated Cayenne available.

Using a tuned version of the Direct-Injection 4.8L V8 found in the Cayenne S, the GTS will boost engine output to 405 horsepower; an increase of 20hp over the S, propelling you from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. Fans of manual transmission can also rejoice; for the first time in the Cayenne, you can choose a six-speed manual instead of the standard Tiptronic tranny. Continue Reading…

Mitsubishi showcased the new 2009 Galant, Eclipse, and Eclipse Spyder today at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2009 Galant will come in 4 different trims; The top-of-the-line Ralliart with a 3.8L MIVEC V6 and 18″ wheels, the V6 Sport with 17″ wheels and a 3.8L V6 (not the MIVEC,) and the ES and Sport models, which has a 2.4L 4-cylinder. All models will come standard with Sportronic transmissions, 4-speed for the 4-cylinder models and 5-speed for the V6.

The 2009 Eclipse received a pretty serious facelift, with a lower and wider stance, a jet-fighter-inspired grille, and new xenon headlights. I personally don’t like the redesign, but to each his own. I mean, just look at it, it’s stub-nosed and has the headlight of a Jaguar instead of the sleek, high-tech headlights of the current generation: Continue Reading…

Hyundai’s next step in becoming less boring is a facelift for the Sonata. While actually a bit less sharp-looking than the 2008 version, it has a more premium feel inside and out, and starts at only $18,795.

On sale later this month, the 2009 Sonata has an updated interior, more power, and better fuel economy then most it’s competitors. The 2.4L 4-cylinder version has 13 more horsepower, bringing it up to 175HP, and the 3.3L V6 is up 15 horsepower to 249. The transmissions are either a 5-speed shiftronic or 5-speed manual.

The Sonata is already a big seller. The upgraded features without jacking the price up too high are only going to help this year.

For the third press conference of the day, Dodge showed us the production version of the 2008 Challenger SRT8. Focusing on the classic nature of the car, Dodge made sure we know the new version is faster all-around, going from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, ran the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds, and has a 170mph top speed, thank to it’s 425 horsepower 6.1L V8

The performance figures, while not necessarily breath-taking, are impressive for a car with a sticker price of $37,995.

One cool feature of the car is it will have a built-in performance meter that instantly measures and displays 0-60, 60-0, and quarter mile times, as well as G-forces. Dodge received 4,300 orders on the first day it was announced, so I don’t see them having a big problem selling this car.

Second Press Conference of the 2008 Chicago Auto Show is Acura, who unveiled the all-new 2009 Acura RL. While not particularly attractive (looks like a BMW in the rear and has Subaru headlights,) we get an all-new 3.7L V6 engine producing more power, SH-AWD, and some fancy new features like traffic rerouting and weather on the new GPS system.

Acura plans to show off this new design style in the 2009 TSX and TL later this year.

In the first Press Conference of the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, Chevy showed us a new crossover they call the Traverse. Presented as a family vehicle, the Traverse will have a Direct-Injection 286 horsepower 3.6L V6 engine that will get the power of a V8 but with excellent fuel economy.

The 2009 Traverse will be offered in LS, LT, and LTZ trims and have both Front wheel drive and all-wheel drive layouts. At first look at the car, the trunk seemed to be seriously lacking in space unless the rear seats are down, which defeats the purpose of having a family car if you can’t bring your family and your luggage.

Regardless, Chevy might have a great opportunity on it’s hands with the Traverse, and it’s actually very attractive. Stay tuned for more info…