The world’s best-looking four-door sedan beckoned us from Miami. Enticed, we boarded a jet and paid the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide a visit. Our task was to shuttle Aston Martin’s first four-sedan up the coast to Palm Beach – someone had to do it. Of course, we took the circuitous route and spent the day blissfully putting her through the paces as we leisurely motored our way north.

Why did the British automaker design a sedan – and what is hiding under its skin? What is it like to drive? How are those rear-seat accommodations? Most importantly, how does the Rapide measure up to the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte? The answers and more after the jump…

The Aston Martin Rapide is a sports car first, a sedan second.

Those exact words may have never been spoken or alleged while the Rapide was under development. Nevertheless, that mantra subconsciously repeated itself countless times during our day with the British manufacturer’s first four-door vehicle since the angular William Towns-designed Lagonda left the world stage.

Even to the uninitiated openly-gazing public, the Rapide is purely an Aston Martin. The family resemblance – to the DB9, DBS and Vantage – is unquestioned thanks to Aston’s world-renowned and incredibly sexy, sleek silhouette. The designers have done such a noble job hiding the extra 12 inches of length and two inches of height that only on second glance do most realize that this isn’t another coupe. Regardless, in a compliment to the designer, most will still believe the Rapide is a stretched variant of the DB9. In truth, all of the body panels on the sedan are new – none of the sheetmetal is shared.

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The arrival of the MKS sedan last year spurred hopes that it might revitalize Ford’s historically uncompetitive luxury brand, helping Lincoln to better compete with Cadillac, Lexus, and other aspirational marques. Most of the hype stemmed from the stunning MKR concept that debuted at the 2007 Detroit auto show; it floated the idea that future Lincolns wouldn’t be dowdy, livery-service specials like the current Town Car.

As it turns out, the MKS is indeed light-years beyond that ancient Panther-platformed barge in both styling and performance. But the production 2009 MKS came to market lacking the MKR’s exaggerated proportions, rear-wheel-drive chassis, and twin-turbocharged V-6—which then carried the aggressive TwinForce moniker. The reality of the MKS’s front-wheel-drive foundation (shared with the Ford Taurus) and naturally aspirated, 3.7-liter V-6 making 275 hp and 276 lb-ft of torque put it at a disadvantage with more powerful luxury sedans. Read more »

There are few greater automotive thrills than hurling a Lotus Elise down a bendy back road—or around a racetrack. But it’s almost not fair to compare the intense and delightful responses of the Elise or the related Exige to other street cars because, with curb weights that hover around 2000 pounds, there aren’t really any other street cars like them.

Bigger, but No Less Special

As you likely already know, that’s where the Evora comes in. It’s massively larger than the Elise—21.9 inches longer, with a 10.9-inch stretch in the wheelbase—which puts it on par with other sports cars such as the Porsche 911 and Cayman. The Evora is roughly five inches shorter than the 911 but still manages to squeeze in similarly sized (i.e. tiny) back seats that are designed to fit very small adults or children up to about 10 years old. It also has a narrower door sill and a 2.5-inch-higher seating position, making it far easier to get in and out, which is one of the Elise’s setbacks. Two six-foot-plus males can sit in comfort without their shoulders touching, which is inevitable in an Elise. In fact, this six-foot-five driver didn’t even have to put the front seat back all the way to get comfortable. Read more »

There are many among us who harbor fetishes for the unexpected, the ironic, and of course, the stupidly fast. It’s all the better, of course, if a vehicle combines all three qualities. Not surprisingly, most of us love fearsome cargo carriers like the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon, the silly Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, and the dearly departed Dodge Magnum SRT8. Basically, count us in for anything that has no business being fast but is anyway.

And so we were all over Subaru’s invitation to Willow Springs racetrack near Lancaster, California, to chuck a few laps in one of last year’s SEMA specials: the Forester XTI concept, which is basically a Forester crossover with WRX STI running gear. Since the car isn’t street-legal—and there aren’t enough people like us who could prompt Subaru to actually build something like this for real—this probably will be our only chance to drive it and to see if Subaru can transform the innocuous Forester’s package into something as beguiling as the STI. Read more »

What’s new, highlights, and safety info for the 2009 Infiniti G37.

Introduction

The Infiniti G37 sedan and coupe may sit at the bottom of Infiniti’s lineup, but they are the most entertaining of all the company’s models. Serious horsepower, refined manners, and excellent handling make the G37 sedan and coupe strong players in their segments. Larger than their German competition from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the Infinitis also offer more standard horsepower than the Europeans. The rear-drive chassis, closely related to Nissan’s 370Z sports car, offers responsive and entertaining handling that will impress even the most die-hard sports-car enthusiast. For those who suffer through harsh winters, the G37x (both coupe and sedan) adds all-wheel drive.

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