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Movie Review: Asif Kapadia’s Senna

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Celebrities, Reviews

Ayrton Senna documentary film

Three of the qualities that Senna brought to F1: massive talent in good conditions that became ethereal talent in the wet; total devotion to winning; and an intimate connection to God.

It would be a challenge to contain the full and complete life of even a moderately interesting man in just 104 cinematic minutes. If a man has lived in more than two cities, held more than three jobs and dated more than four women, the gift of that man’s life probably can’t be wrapped in an hour and four minutes of celluloid. Those paltry numbers don’t even form any kind of template: Franz Kafka didn’t merely spend almost all of his life in Prague, he spent almost all of it living in his parents’ house and working a single job. Good luck fitting his tale into just 6,240 seconds.

So how, then, is one to condense the days of Ayrton Senna da Silva, the Formula One pilot whose talent ignited observers, whose turmoil ignited ratings, and whose love for his country ignited Brazil itself? Director Asif Kapadia attempts it in Senna, and while it could not do everything, what it does reveal about dreaming and stubbornness and tenacity and fallibility and talent and death is something you will certainly wish to see.

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Movie Review: Asif Kapadia’s Senna originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali

Filed under: Crossover, GMC, Reviews, Luxury

Expanding The Brand Beyond Trucks and SUVs

2011 GMC Acadia Denali

2011 GMC Acadia Denali – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Denali brand began as a luxury trim package for the 1998 GMC Yukon, whereupon it quickly became apparent that affluent buyers would pony up for big wheels and large quantities of chrome. In fact, the Denali was so successful that GM designers penned a new, bolder front end, rearranged some body panels and the more expensive Cadillac Escalade was born. Over the years, the Denali brand also migrated to the Sierra pickup, yet despite the brand’s popularity, the growth inexplicably stopped there.

That’s changed for 2011, as GMC has breathed new life into its Denali franchise with a high-rent Acadia. Does the long-successful brand have the staying power to move away from boxy SUVs and trucks in favor of a kinder, gentler crossover?

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Gallery: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali: First Drive

2011 GMC Acadia Denali

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Review: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Lexus GX 460

Filed under: SUV, Lexus, Reviews, Luxury

2011 Lexus GX 460

2011 Lexus GX 460 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite the rise of the crossover, there’s still a market for traditional SUVs. Moreover, some buyers don’t want to sacrifice luxury to get the capability that a full-frame, truck-based sport utility offers. Lexus makes the GX 460 for consumers who want a blend of opulence and a sure-footed, full-frame, locking-transfer-case 4×4 architecture that’s not afraid to pull a substantial trailer and won’t roar loudly enough to cause permanent hearing damage.

While the Lexus RX grabs the hearts of buyers looking for an L-Finesse crossover, the GX 460 is an alternative choice if you’re considering an LR4 or Range Rover Sport, the most direct competitors in terms of architecture and market segment. Taking price and mission into account, a disparate field of rivals ranges from the BMW X5 and Audi Q7 to the GMC Yukon Denali or even the Ford Expedition King Ranch. The GX 460s footprint and price puts it in between larger crossovers and even bigger SUVs, perhaps an awkward place to be, but sales goals are modest.

So does the GX 460’s tinge of uniqueness help it stand out from the herd? Have the changes made since being knocked for potential instability been effective?

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Gallery: 2011 Lexus GX 460: Review

2011 Lexus GX 460

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Review: 2011 Lexus GX 460 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Audi A8

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Audi, Reviews, Luxury

A Plus-Sized S4 With World-Beating Tech

2011 Audi A8

2011 Audi A8 – Click above for high-res image gallery

“Holy #&%*@^% $#^@!”

I have to admit losing track of how many times my hapless copilot uttered this – and countless other unpublishable phrases – from the passenger seat during our drive. But if I’m being honest, it doesn’t hold a candle to the endless string of explicatives running through my own mind.

The reason? I’m piloting a 2011 Audi A8 through a particularly tortuous stretch of California tarmac running between the Monterey Valley and the Pacific Coast, and for the better part of 20 miles, the driver of the tuned BMW 335i in the lead hasn’t seen anything other than the A8’s massive slatted grille in his rearview mirror. Just as impressive – if not more so – is the pair of worked-over E36 M3s that are having a hard time keeping up. And these guys are locals. They’ve been running this road for over a decade, only to have me show and spoil their ragtag rally in Audi’s latest luxo-bruiser.

I’d like to think that my hairpin heroics and high-speed capers are a testament to my own skills, but I’m not that deluded. I’ve been equipped with the standard auto journo-issued hamfists, and to think otherwise is to fall prey to motoring delusion and insult the work of Ingolstadt’s magicians. Audi’s new A8 is just that good, and the steer is just the half of it.

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Gallery: 2011 Audi A8: Review

2011 Audi A8 2011 Audi A8 front 3/4 view 2011 Audi A8 rear 3/4 view 2011 Audi A8 side view

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Review: 2011 Audi A8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Dodge Durango

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Dodge, Reviews

Finding Redemption Through Repetition, Groundhog Day Style

2012 Dodge Durango

2011 Dodge Durango – Click above for high-res image gallery

Two years ago, on a lark, my girlfriend and I clambered aboard a new Dodge Durango Hybrid and motored from Detroit to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to take in the kitschy phenomenon known as Groundhog Day. The idea was to do a combined road trip story and vehicle review, but Chrysler didn’t even wait for us to return home before it killed off production of the gas-electric SUV. In fact, it wasn’t much more than two months after its initial announcement that production was cancelled at the truck’s Delaware plant.

Blame Chrysler’s then-dire financial condition, but the hybrid Durango barely made a dent on the Pentastar’s production charts, lasting one model year and moving just 224 copies. Hold your belated “Who Killed the Electric SUV?” shrieks, though. Despite a nearly 25-percent increase in claimed fuel efficiency, the Durango Hybrid wasn’t a particularly good vehicle. This wasn’t wasn’t really its fault, of course, as the already aging second-generation Durango upon which it was based wasn’t a terribly refined piece to begin with.

Fast-forward to 2011, and we’ve commandeered an example of Dodge’s all-new third-generation Durango to make our second-ever pilgrimage to see Punxy Phil. More importantly, we’re using the trip as an opportunity to see if Chrysler has finally gotten around to building a better Durango.

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Gallery: 2011 Dodge Durango: Review

2011 Dodge Durango

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Review: 2011 Dodge Durango originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2012 Mazda5

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Mazda, Reviews

Mazda’s Pint-sized Minivan Gets Better, Not Bigger

2012 Mazda5

2012 Mazda5 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Way back in 1983, Chrysler shocked the world with the introduction of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. The upstart family haulers took the auto industry by storm, driving a stake through the heart of station wagon sales while setting the table for Chrysler to own the minivan segment for decades to come. But that segment has evolved in the last several years, leading to a redefinition of family transportation.

First and foremost, the minivan has gone through an HGH-fueled growth spurt, adding a host of whiz-bang features like a second sliding door and ridiculously handy storage options along the way. The other big development has been a rising tide of SUVs and crossovers, which focused consumers’ attention away from minivans to the point where many automakers don’t even offer one anymore. But as America’s suddenly all-new or heavily refreshed batch of minivans illustrate (see: Nissan Quest, Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey), many automakers have responded by evolving the mundane van into the automotive equivalent of a family spa day. These new vans contain near-luxury levels of comfort and convenience, and it’s not at all uncommon for them to crest $40,000 or more.

If you can afford their monthly payments, the latest minivans to hit the market will likely suit your needs just fine. But what if you want something small, efficient and, perhaps most important, inexpensive? Something more like the original Caravan? Right now, there is only one choice on the market: the 2012 Mazda5. While the rest of the auto industry zigged with larger and more opulent choices, the Zoom-Zoom automaker zagged with a minivan that’s nearly the size of the original Caravan, and with a price tag starting under $20,000. We took the reins of a nicely equipped 2012 Mazda5 Touring to see if Mazda’s nifty little van has the chops to take on the big boys.

Gallery: 2012 Mazda5: Review

2012 Mazda5

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Review: 2012 Mazda5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Test Drive Unlimited 2

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games, Reviews

Massively Open Online Racing Rolls Again

Test Drive Unlimited 2: Review – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s hard to believe that four and a half years have passed since Eden Studios took its best shot at merging the open online gameplay of an MMO with a racer to create the original Test Drive Unlimited. Most would agree that the attempt wasn’t exactly perfect, but that didn’t stop TDU from being refreshing and incredibly fun to play. Really, who wouldn’t get behind the idea of amassing a collection of gorgeous cars and recklessly racing them all over Oahu?

And so, similarly, who wouldn’t get behind the idea of amassing a huge collection of amazing cars and racing them around both Oahu and Ibiza? Yes, this time gamers will be putting on their clubbing duds and hitting the Mediterranean party island as well, with the two rocks offering over 1,500 miles of roads – some of them unpaved. A lot has changed on this second trip to paradise, but even more has stayed the same. Is there enough new to make this journey worthwhile a second time?

Gallery: Test Drive Unlimited 2

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Review: Test Drive Unlimited 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Ford Explorer Limited

Filed under: SUV, Ford, Reviews

Wait ‘Till They Get A Load Of This

2011 Ford Explorer Limited

2011 Ford Explorer Limited – Click above for high-res image gallery

They call it a reboot. It happens all the time in Hollywood when a movie franchise falls flat. After a blockbuster wears out its audience with a string of lesser sequels, the studio starts over, retelling the story from an entirely new angle.

The best example is Batman. The combination of Michael Keaton and director Tim Burton produced critical acclaim and big box office numbers for the first two Caped Crusader films in 1989 and 1992. Then came a new director, Joel Schumacher, who just about killed the franchise with Batman Forever in 1995 and Batman & Robin in 1997. Eight years passed before someone in Hollywood realized the Dark Knight’s name could still fill theater seats, and the franchise was rebooted in 2005 with the dark and gritty Batman Begins.

The totally redesigned 2011 Ford Explorer is the Blue Oval’s Batman Begins. Ford’s most famous sport utility vehicle has desperately needed a reboot ever since the Firestone tire recall in 2000 made it Rollover Enemy Number One. Rising gas prices haven’t helped either, but the tire debacle hurt the brand badly, with the Explorer going from this country’s third best-selling vehicle in 2000 with 445,157 sold to just over 60,000 bought in 2010. But just like Batman, the Explorer name had value that Ford couldn’t let go to waste. And so the 2011 Explorer is the sport utility story retold by Ford from an entirely new angle. The question is whether or not the Explorer’s name can still put butts in seats.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer Limited 4WD: Review

2011 Ford Explorer

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Review: 2011 Ford Explorer Limited originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Cadillac, Reviews

Single-handedly Changing America’s Perception About Station Wagons

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’ve spent any time on German roads, one thing you’ll notice – right after the speed limit signs with a slash mark through them – is that station wagons are popular.

Nearly every manufacturer builds multiple models ranging from sub-compacts to near full-size behemoths. Mercedes-Benz E-Class and C-Class wagons are everywhere. Ditto for BMW 3 and 5 Series Tourings. Volkswagen, Fiat, Citroen, Seat, Skoda and Peugeot all sell lots of wagons. Perhaps it’s a legacy of the Lamborghini Espada or the undeniable fact that the current M-B E63 AMG wagon is seriously cool, Europeans like wagons.

Americans, on the other hand, don’t. Our country’s collective notion of station wagons is stuck in Clark W. Griswold-land. Too bad. Most Americans have no idea what they’re missing.

Gallery: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon: Review

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

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Review: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is not your typical review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt

2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery

Gene Weingarten is not an automotive journalist. He is, however, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The Washington Post. And yet, despite limited automotive knowledge by his own admission, he’s written an excellent review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Weingarten admits he was predisposed to hate the Volt (and American cars in general), but his time behind the wheel didn’t jibe with those expectations. And it wasn’t even because the car apparently made him more attractive to members of the opposite sex (though we doubt that hurt its chances any).

Trust us on this: Go and read all five pages of Weingarten’s review of the Chevy Volt, then come back and tell us what you think.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive

2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Source: The Washington Post]

This is not your typical review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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