2012 Shelby GTS Mustang

2012 Shelby GTS Mustang

2012 Shelby GTS Mustang

Barring the occasional foray into sport compacts and other interesting projects, Shelby American's primary focus has long centered upon building premium, high-performance muscle machines. That's fine and dandy, but corporate executives believe that in order to ensure the company has a customer base in the decades to come, it needs to develop a younger customer base.
Like the 2007-2008 Shelby GT Mustang, the new 2012 Shelby GTS essentially an affordable stepping stone into the Shelby way of life. Designed with budding enthusiasts in mind, the package, available on both Mustang V-6 and Mustang GT models, promises to bring in some younger shoppers.
As is the case with other Shelby models, GTS cars incorporate a number of visual revisions designed to set them apart from a standard Mustang. A custom grille and bumper fascia, cribbed from the company's mid-level GT350 offering, are installed, as is a bespoke ventilated hood. The famed twin racing stripes are standard, as are unique Shelby and Powered By Ford emblems.
Mechanically speaking, GTS models receive new springs, stabilizer bars, and a front strut tower brace from Ford Racing, along with upgraded Baer brakes. The only performance upgrade for either V-6 or V-8 cars is a cold air intake, although customers can opt for a supercharger for either the 3.7- or 5.0-liter engines, boosting power to 475 and 525-624 horsepower, respectively. Other performance options include 6-piston Baer Brakes, adjustable control arms, 18- and 20-inch wheel packages, a two-tone leather interior, and a Watts link rear suspension.
Refrain from dipping into that option list, and the GTS package will run you only $9995 more than a stock 2012 Mustang V-6, or $11,995 over a 2012 Mustang GT. Shelby officials think many GTS buyers will abstain from those add-ons initially, but ultimately opt to retrofit them as their budgets allow.

2012 Shelby GTS Mustang

2012 Shelby GTS Mustang

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery

 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery

 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery

 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery 

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpaper Gallery

2012 Kia Soul

2012 Kia Soul

2012 Kia Soul

When Scion released the second-generation xB in 2008, many fans of the original, smaller xB were disappointed and upset at the larger, heavier replacement. Ever the opportunist, Kia seized the moment and introduced its Soul urban crossover/tall mini-wagon/CUV/whatever around the same time, and offered fans of the genre something a little closer to the original xB in spirit. While we don't have any solid data on how many first-gen xB buyers opted for the Soul over the second-gen xB, we'd venture to guess it was more than a handful.
Well, fans of the Hamsters' favorite ride will have even more to get excited about for the 2012 model year, as Kia is introducing two brand-new engines to the Soul, both direct-injected, and offering solid improvements in power and fuel-efficiency over their predecessors. The base engine will be a 1.6 liter direct-injection four-cylinder producing 135 horsepower and 121 pound-feet of torque. Mated exclusively with a new six-speed manual, this combination is good for 28 city and 34 highway miles per gallon. Not enough power for you? Try the 2.0-liter direct-injection engine, good for 160 horsepower and 143 lb.-ft., offering a still very good 27/33 rating. The added bonus with the bigger engine is the availability of a six-speed automatic transmission for the three-pedal-challenged.
In an update that's sure to be a hit with the Soul's target demographic, available LED running lights and taillight clusters on the Soul! (Exclaim) model add a touch of high-tech class to the exterior, along with projector-beam headlamps. New for 2012 is an Infinity premium audio system, and Kia's UVO (think Sync) system on the Soul! and Sport trims. An available premium package adds heated leather-trimmed front seats, automatic climate control, navigation, and push-button start. All Souls feature standard air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors, and Sirius-ready radios.
Pricing info was not released, but prices are expected to be close to current models, comparably-equipped.

2012 Kia Soul

2012 Kia Soul

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan

Compact sedans are all the rage, with a host of new entries from both domestic and import manufacturers reaching showrooms recently. Nissan will cash in on that popularity with the 2012 Versa sedan, debuting today at the New York auto show with refreshed styling and tweaks to improve fuel economy.
The 2012 Versa rides on an evolution of the last car's platform called V, for Versatile. The sedan's wheelbase and width are unchanged from the current model, but it loses about an inch of length and height. Despite this, Nissan says that packaging improvements for the engine and transaxle mean there is more trunk space. The new car also should be marginally lighter than before.
Styling-wise, the new Versa takes cues from the larger Altima and Maxima sedans, starting with a new grille design and oval-shaped headlights, and continued with a smoother rear and reshaped taillights that sweep from the rear bumper to the Versa's rear haunches. The hood and sides are broken up by an assortment of creased character lines akin to those seen on the Hyundai Elantra. Whereas the old Versa had a more conventional flat roof and steep rear window, the new car's roofline gently slopes toward the trunk, following the coupe-like trend. The exterior changes reportedly help achieve a low 0.31 drag coefficient.
Nissan claims the Versa's rear seats offer more legroom than a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and says much effort was spent making the seats comfier and the interior more spacious and appealing. The new dashboard has rounded, contoured controls in place of the drab flat-plastic layout in the old car, a simpler dual-gauge instrument cluster, and a redesigned steering wheel. That said, the interior continues to showcase expanses of plain plastics and fabrics (in either Sandstone or Charcoal color schemes) that don't look particularly upscale.

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan

2011 Acura RDX FWD

2011 Acura RDX FWD

2011 Acura RDX FWD

The Acura RDX was designed to be among the sportiest in its segment, and except for a couple issues, the driving experience of the 2011 model is engaging as with our 2007 RDX long-termer. And that long-termer didn't benefit from the changes Acura made for the 2010 model year.
Yes, the RDX now wears Acura's polarizing power plenum grille, but the changes are far more significant than a restyled exterior and attractive new 18-inch wheels. A rear-view camera, changes to the leather seating surfaces, more ambient lighting, and USB-port connectivity now come standard.
When the RDX was introduced, it was available only with Honda's super-handling all-wheel drive. That strategy was rethought and now there's the front-drive model we sampled. It boasts a cheaper entry-level price and better fuel economy with the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine making 240 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. The engine is plenty powerful, and the turbo surge makes the RDX feel quicker than it really is at times.
Back when we tested our long-term RDX, it sprinted from 0-60 mph at 7.0 seconds. Now that the front-wheel-drive crossover is 200 pounds lighter, expect a slightly improved time. RDX drivers will need to develop a lighter touch with the throttle or else fuel economy will suffer.
The brakes, too, were improved for the refreshed RDX. Acura says the upgrades result in more feel and less grabbiness to the binders, although they still are a touch on the sensitive side. Regardless, there's no arguing with revised rear brake pad actuation that translates to less drag and longer pad life.

2011 Acura RDX FWD

2011 Acura RDX FWD