Car Trends Magazine

By the time we head to the Geneva auto show in a few days, there won’t be many surprises left to report—which is fine by us, as we’ll be busy arguing with French-speaking cabbies about accepting euros instead of Swiss francs.Now Mercedes has prematurely announced the F800 Style concept, which seems to be a pretty faithful look at the upcoming 2011 CLS. If accurate, it looks like the next CLS will be as dramatic a departure from the old as the original was from the E-class on which it was based....

When our long-term Mi­tsubishi Lancer Evolution MR arrived in July 2008, we were hit by a wave of sticker shock. At an as-delivered price of $41,515, the Evo exceeded the starting price of a BMW 335i.The Mitsubishi comes with a 291-hp turbocharged engine, a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, and one of the most sophisticated all-wheel-drive systems on the market. But a great swath of hard interior plastic and a shortage of amenities such as heated seats made the Evo feel spartan for its price....

Just a single model year after the new Jaguar XF hit the streets, considerable powertrain improvements have found their way under its shapely hood. The previous 4.2-liter V-8 has disappeared from all but the base XF Luxury model, while the main mill has grown to 5.0 liters, gaining both horsepower and torque in its supercharged and naturally aspirated applications. Beyond uprating the engines, Jag also added the snarly XFR to the mix, creating a sort of intra-model rivalry and relegating the once...

In between deflecting questions about runaway Camrys and Priuses that don’t stop, Toyota found time at the Chicago auto show to unveil the 2011 Avalon, which goes on sale this spring. In truth, there's a lot of old Avalon here; the sheetmetal and interior are new, but the running gear and platform are the same. The new car features the same 3.5-liter V-6 engine that makes 268 hp, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Toyota says that the car hits 20 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway on...

Porsche purists may have hated the Cayenne from the moment of its inception, but the success of the truck has allowed the continued production of cars that enthusiasts yearn for. In fact, in one of the supreme ironies of the auto industry recently, the profitability of the VW Touareg–based SUV was a reason that Porsche was able to attempt a hostile takeover of  Volkswagen last year. Even though that bid failed and Porsche has become part of the VW Group, the new bosses certainly recognize the importance...

When it was introduced for the 2007 model year, the Edge was like a contemporary Mariah Carey—great to look at, but struggling with a weight problem and the resultant effects on performance. At the Chicago auto show, Ford shows off a freshening that enhances the Edge’s appearance, overhauls the interior, and, although not directly addressing the issue of mass, will increase performance. Like most mid-cycle refreshes, the Edge’s 2011 update starts with a nose job. Every panel up front is new: hood,...

Porsche’s plans for hybrid road vehicles are nothing new—the company plans to introduce a hybrid Cayenne SUV in the truck’s next generation, as well as a hybrid version of its Panamera sedan—but at the Geneva auto show, the German sports-car king will introduce a hybrid race car based on its 911 GT3 R. It’s no mere concept, either. Following its debut, the car will head to the Nürburgring, where it will compete in the 24-hour race on May 15 and 16. This hybrid is unlike anything you’ve previously...