Latest Reviews 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER GT CONVERTIBLE ROAD TEST 2004 DODGE RAM SRT-10 ROAD TEST 2004 MINI COOPER ROAD TEST 2004 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE GXP ROAD TEST 2004 ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE JTS [Reviews Home] Breaking News MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA TO BE BACK IN BLACK IN THE AUTOMAKER'S Q4 MASERATI UPDATES ITS COUPE AND SPYDER FOR 2005 KIA PULLS THE WRAPS OFF OF ITS NEXT-GENERATION SPORTAGE TOYOTA TO UP PRIUS PRODUCTION BY 50-PERCENT TO MEET DEMAND CHRYSLER TO PUT ME FOUR-TWELVE SUPERCAR INTO PRODUCTION [News Home] Concept Cars 2004 ASTON MARTIN-BERTONE JET2 CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT'S WIND ROADSTER CONCEPT 2004 AUDI RSQ CONCEPT 2004 FORD FOCUS CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT FLUENCE CONCEPT [Concept Cars Home] Aug 7, 2004 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT Convertible Road Test by Alexandra Straub / American Auto Press Signup for Automobile.com Newsletter | Free New Car Quote Back to the Drawing Board for the Vee Dub Convertible The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a "love it or hate it" kind of vehicle. Some love the retro styling, some don't. I can't say that I The PT Cruiser GT Convertible features a turbocharged engine, suspension upgrades, racier wheels and tires, and more. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press) fell for it initially, but it did earn a special place in my heart as it was the first vehicle I ever tested as an automotive journalist. I liked it not only because it handled well, had a generous amount of passenger and cargo room, as well as spirited performance, but also because it's just so hot. So how did Chrysler make the PT Cruiser even hotter for 2005? Drop its top. I have to admit to eagerly anticipating its arrival and my opportunity to test it out, as somehow chopping the roof off has transformed the vehicle, giving it a new more youthful appearance. How do you think I felt when I caught word that I would not only be getting the new PT ragtop, but an even hotter PT Cruiser GT Convertible that features the addition of a turbocharged engine, suspension upgrades, racier wheels and tires and more. As always seems to happen when a convertible is parked in my garage, the week started off overcast with some showers. But come Tuesday, the sun was out and therefore so was I. With temperatures soaring, it was ideal for top-down PT convertible cruising, made even better being that I had a few friends visiting from out of town. One day I picked up my girlfriend and we decided to go for a highway cruise. She was amazed at how little wind was With temperatures soaring, it was ideal for top-down PT convertible cruising. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press) blowing through the car with the top and windows down. It was also great that while we were regaling each other with stories of the years passed, we didn't even have to raise our voices above normal volume. I understand now that this was all thanks to the stylish sports bar that creates a wind tunnel affect. It also is reinforced for safety's sake. Again, of all the entry level convertibles I've tested the GT had the least amount of top-down-induced airflow and was the most comfortable to talk to other passenger's in, without causing one of us to yell out, "SAY THAT AGAIN, I CAN'T HEAR YOU THAT WELL." Page: [ 1 2 3 4 5 ] Back to Vehicle Review Archives Automobile.com | Buy New Car | Used Car | Research | Insurance | News | Reviews | Privacy | About Us | Contact © 2004 Automobile Inc. Latest Reviews 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER GT CONVERTIBLE ROAD TEST 2004 DODGE RAM SRT-10 ROAD TEST 2004 MINI COOPER ROAD TEST 2004 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE GXP ROAD TEST 2004 ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE JTS [Reviews Home] Breaking News MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA TO BE BACK IN BLACK IN THE AUTOMAKER'S Q4 MASERATI UPDATES ITS COUPE AND SPYDER FOR 2005 KIA PULLS THE WRAPS OFF OF ITS NEXT-GENERATION SPORTAGE TOYOTA TO UP PRIUS PRODUCTION BY 50-PERCENT TO MEET DEMAND CHRYSLER TO PUT ME FOUR-TWELVE SUPERCAR INTO PRODUCTION [News Home] Concept Cars 2004 ASTON MARTIN-BERTONE JET2 CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT'S WIND ROADSTER CONCEPT 2004 AUDI RSQ CONCEPT 2004 FORD FOCUS CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT FLUENCE CONCEPT [Concept Cars Home] Aug 5, 2004 2004 MINI Cooper Road Test by Justin Couture / American Auto Press Signup for Automobile.com Newsletter | Free New Car Quote All Downhill from Here A little after four in the afternoon on a hot summer's afternoon, and I am in a situation I've never been in before. I am at the Although it has been three years since its debut, the MINI is still able to grab plenty of attention. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) wheel of a vehicle that's not mine, fiddling with the stereo controls, trying to get over my giddiness and excitement. That, and the fact that it's mine for the next week. Five years in practice, writing previews about up and coming cars and I'm finally doing the real thing. What's better yet is that it's a car that's at the top of the automotive critic's list, the MINI Cooper, but in base trim. This is the first car that I've ever road-tested for an extended period of time, and what a vehicle to start out with - I just might be spoiled for the rest of my journalist career. Even after its introduction three years ago, the MINI still grabs attention like no other vehicle on the road. It's small, cute and a star thanks to the recent blockbuster remake of "The Italian Job." Speaking of which, my test car's Chili Red paint, with white roof, mirror caps and optional hood stripes makes a No matter how dull the sky or miserable the weather, the MINI brightened my day. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) reasonably good facsimile of Charlie Crocker's leading car used in the flick. Never have I been in a car that gathered so much attention: within the first six hours, four people had already given me kudos on the road, and it had already picked up a new nickname amongst my friends, Sparky. The constant smiles from passersby were a reflection of my own delight at looking at this car. No matter how dull the sky, or miserable the weather, the MINI brightened my day. In any sense, all the commentary makes me wonder what kind of action a go-faster Cooper S, with its hood scoop and checkered-flag roof pattern, or better yet the up and coming Cabrio will attract at stoplights. However good the MINI is to look at, the only person I don't think would approve is Sir Alex Issigonis: he was about moving forward rather than dwelling upon the past. Page: [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ] Back to Vehicle Review Archives Automobile.com | Buy New Car | Used Car | Research | Insurance | News | Reviews | Privacy | About Us | Contact © 2004 Automobile Inc. Latest Reviews 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER GT CONVERTIBLE ROAD TEST 2004 DODGE RAM SRT-10 ROAD TEST 2004 MINI COOPER ROAD TEST 2004 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE GXP ROAD TEST 2004 ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE JTS [Reviews Home] Breaking News MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA TO BE BACK IN BLACK IN THE AUTOMAKER'S Q4 MASERATI UPDATES ITS COUPE AND SPYDER FOR 2005 KIA PULLS THE WRAPS OFF OF ITS NEXT-GENERATION SPORTAGE TOYOTA TO UP PRIUS PRODUCTION BY 50-PERCENT TO MEET DEMAND CHRYSLER TO PUT ME FOUR-TWELVE SUPERCAR INTO PRODUCTION [News Home] Concept Cars 2004 ASTON MARTIN-BERTONE JET2 CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT'S WIND ROADSTER CONCEPT 2004 AUDI RSQ CONCEPT 2004 FORD FOCUS CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT FLUENCE CONCEPT [Concept Cars Home] Aug 6, 2004 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Road Test by Trevor Hofmann / American Auto Press Signup for Automobile.com Newsletter | Free New Car Quote Let the Super Truck Wars Begin What a rush! I've been doing what I do for years now, but I still get that tingle of excitement when trying out something The chance to test drive Dodge's Ram SRT-10 definitely stirred up that old tingle of excitement. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) exotic. That's how the anticipation felt while driving into Chrysler Group's Chelsea, Michigan Proving Grounds and eyeing a bright red Dodge Ram SRT-10 parked amid a sea of somewhat less intoxicating Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models. I suppose a made-in-the-U.S.A. full-size pickup truck can't exactly be termed exotic, but what Dodge has stuffed under the hood puts it well into supercar territory. The truck boasts nothing less than the brand's fully-tuned 8.3-liter V10, making exactly the same numbers as in North America's most powerful sports car. That equals 500 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels, easily enough to break traction on takeoff, despite the massive Pirelli Scorpion The Ram SRT-10 is powered by the same 500-hp 8.3-liter V10 engine found in the Dodge Viper SRT-10. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) P305/40R22 BSW performance tires riding on equally impressive 22-inch diameter polished aluminum "Viper-style" 10-spoke rims. I took the opportunity to test it out, of course, as would anyone with a pulse. Chrysler's private proving area, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year by the way, is an impressive complex spanning hundreds of acres. The grounds include a massive oval roadway, that purposely includes badly worn pavement with punishing ruts, potholes and ridges, uneven and mixed road surfaces, plus a glossy-smooth high-speed oval running right next to it which we unfortunately couldn't get near, and best of all, a short albeit challenging road course. Page: [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ] Back to Vehicle Review Archives Automobile.com | Buy New Car | Used Car | Research | Insurance | News | Reviews | Privacy | About Us | Contact © 2004 Automobile Inc. Latest Reviews 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER GT CONVERTIBLE ROAD TEST 2004 DODGE RAM SRT-10 ROAD TEST 2004 MINI COOPER ROAD TEST 2004 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE GXP ROAD TEST 2004 ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE JTS [Reviews Home] Breaking News MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA TO BE BACK IN BLACK IN THE AUTOMAKER'S Q4 MASERATI UPDATES ITS COUPE AND SPYDER FOR 2005 KIA PULLS THE WRAPS OFF OF ITS NEXT-GENERATION SPORTAGE TOYOTA TO UP PRIUS PRODUCTION BY 50-PERCENT TO MEET DEMAND CHRYSLER TO PUT ME FOUR-TWELVE SUPERCAR INTO PRODUCTION [News Home] Concept Cars 2004 ASTON MARTIN-BERTONE JET2 CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT'S WIND ROADSTER CONCEPT 2004 AUDI RSQ CONCEPT 2004 FORD FOCUS CONCEPT 2004 RENAULT FLUENCE CONCEPT [Concept Cars Home] June 11, 2004 2004 Ford Focus Concept by Justin Couture / American Auto Press Focusing on the Future Just a few months away from the production car's debut, Ford has just unveiled the Ford Focus concept. Having seen Ford has just unveiled the new Ford Focus concept, a glimpse of what the future production car should look like. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) undisguised photos and countless sketches of the "finished product," this concept seems to definitely be a foreshadowing of what the real second-generation Focus will look like. Until the debut of the production version this autumn, we'll have to make do with this mock concept and the current generation "new edge" model. A point about the concept's unveiling: despite being one of the Western world's best selling cars, one might expect to find this car initially displayed at the Birmingham Motor Show or possibly Barcelona, but Ford has instead chosen to unveil its Focus Concept next week in Beijing at the leading auto show in the region, Auto China 2004, an example of just how important the burgeoning Chinese market is to the global automaker. The Focus Concept isn't about demonstrating potential new motors and innovative technology, but rather it's about Despite the revitalized look, the car can easily be recognized as a Focus. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) display of design. This is Ford's way of integrating potential deign elements of other vehicles into a brand new car. The new car borrows heavily from Ford's previous concepts, as well as its production vehicles. The proportions are quite similar to the Mazda 3 Sedan and S40, which makes sense being it shares general architecture with each, but rather than being curvy designers have used flat planes. A combination of a low nose, high window sills and a high, squared off trunk are merged with large window space make for the new theme. Despite the revitalized look, the car can easily be recognized as a Focus - OK, other than the Honda Civic Coupe taillight shape, that themselves copy Mercedes-Benz S and current SLK design language. Page: [ 1 2 3 4 ] Back to Concept Cars Archives Automobile.com | Buy New Car | Used Car | Research | Insurance | News | Reviews | Privacy | About Us | Contact © 2004 Automobile Inc.