GALLERY - ASTON MARTIN ONE-77 IN 15 PICS

Let's get the bad news out of the way first and foremost. Aston Martin's new flagship; its most extreme car; the "ultimate expression of Aston Martin", is the fourth-best looking model in the Aston Martin range. Keep in mind, Aston Martin, with the advent of the One-77, builds four cars. At the bottom of the range, you have the V8 Vantage and its roadster companion. The Vantage is achingly, drop-dead gorgeous. Moving up, you'll find the DB9 and DB9 Volante. Both the hardtop and convertible are classically drop-dead gorgeous. Another rung up, Aston Martin sells the DBS, a hard-core version of the DB9. It looks very, very good.

The One-77 is a shocking and striking car. There are more reasons to like the look of the One-77 then there are to hate the look of the One-77. Yet its appearance is almost an Aston Martin caricature. Like a New York Times political cartoon that makes Barack Obama's body really skinny and his ears really big, the Aston Martin One-77 makes use of haunches so broad they'd be out of place on a tricked-out version of a Porsche 911 Turbo. The grille seems to be inspired by the Aston Martin DB7 Zagato, one of the ugliest cars of all time.

Yet, the car is distinctly Aston. The One-77's stance is akin to a tiger ready to pounce on an unsuspecting antelope. All four of the 6-spoke wheels are a sight to behold. And the roofline, though similar to the Nissan 370Z's, adds an exotic nature to the classic template.

Besides, the Aston Martin One-77 generates 700 horsepower from its 7.3L V12. Besides, every owner will have the suspension set up specifically for him... or her. Besides, the One-77's glossy carbon fibre tub is apparently "mesmerising". Besides, Aston Martin hung the engine 100mm lower than in any other Aston Martin road car, which is both symbolic of the overall sporting intent and absolutely useful in lowering the centre of gravity.

Take a look at all 15 pictures of the somewhat gorgeous Aston Martin One-77 below.

OFFICIAL GOODCARBADCAR.NET CORONER'S REPORT - PONTIAC DEAD AS A RESULT OF EUTHANASIA

OFFICE OF THE GOODCARBADCAR.NET CORONER

Date & Hour Autopsy Performed: 04.27.2009

FULL AUTOPSY PERFORMED by:

The Good Car Guy

GoodCarBadCar Towers

-----

SUMMARY REPORT OF AUTOPSY

Name: General Motors, Pontiac

Date of Birth: 1926

Date of Death: 2010

Age: 84

Body Identified By: Fritz Henderson, Chief Executive Officer at General Motors

Investigative Agency: GoodCarBadCar.net

-----

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION

The autopsy is begun at 10:53 (AST) on Monday, April 27, of 2009. The body of Pontiac is presented after the death knell has sounded but more than a year in advance of its death. At the time, Pontiac was wearing the Torrent, Solstice, G8, G6, G5, Vibe, and G3. The body is that of a normally developed automotive brand with excess girth as evidenced by the Torrent, G5, and G3. Upon removal of the victim's clothing, an odor of confusion and disarray wafted through the examination room. Strakes, said by witnesses to be called "cladding", were seen up and down the sides of the victim's body. On the front, scoops and gills appear to show signs of being present for more than 15 years.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION

Head & Central Nervous System: Cruel and unusual punishment was meted out upon Pontiac for more than two decades as punishment for, perhaps, being John Z. DeLorean's favourite brand. Mismanagement at the top resulted in a mismatched product lineup. Like placing an 11-year old soccer player in midfield to play with Ronaldinho, both the youngster and the superstar suffer. Thus, the G3 negatively impacted the G8 while not doing itself any good either.

Skeletal System: A General Motors product revival, as seen in the G8 and even the Torrent GXP as well as in other linked-up families like Chevrolet (Malibu), Cadillac (CTS) and Buick (Enclave), shows core strength deep down in the foundation.

Respiratory System: Automotive brands need $$$ to breathe easy. Pontiac's parent, General Motors, was increasingly reliant on government loans to breathe. Pontiac wasn't getting enough of that air.

Cardiovascular System: Even if Pontiac had been breathing easily, the blood only pumps if consumers are purchasing in large numbers. In the United States this past January for example, Pontiac sales were 62% lower than in the same period of the year before. The blood was not pumping.

Gastrointestinal System: Not only recently but in the distant past, Pontiac was not being fed the same way as other General Motors brands. For instance, despite Pontiac's image as GM's performance brand, it was Chevrolet's Cobalt that received the SS treatment with all its horsepower and suspension trickery while the identical car at Pontiac, the G5, starved with 150 horsepower whether you wanted more or not. In other instances, too much gas could be a problem. The G8 GXP, a terrific car introduced at the wrong time, suffered from a guzzling mentality that results in using a gallon of gasoline every 13 miles in city driving. Besides all that, indigestion still lingers after trying to swallow the guilt and shame otherwise known as the Aztek.

LABORATORY DATA

Excessive steel and iron. Low in gold, silver, and bronze. No potential for hydrogen or diesel. Thankfully, no neon was ever present. Lacking aluminum and titanium. Bilirubin count was normal.

EVIDENCE COLLECTED

Witnesses say the parent, General Motors, has plans to cut the number of nameplates offered in North America from last year's 47 to 34 by the end of 2010. Apparently, the sibling which helped Pontiac the most, Holden, will lose $1,000,000,000 per year as a result of Pontiac's demise. General Motors also plans to save $2,600,000,000 in hourly labour costs by 2010. Also, General Motors has come to grips with the fact that their market share in the USA will likely drop from 19.5 to 18.5 in the near future. GM's market share in the late 1960s was about half of all vehicles sold in America.

-----

OPINION

Time of Death: 12.01.2010 at the latest

Immediate Cause of Death: Dwindling sales, uninteresting lineup/uninterested public, only enough $$$ to support four General Motors brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC)

Manner of Death: Euthanasia

Remarks: General Motors bigshots like Bob Lutz and Rick Wagoner wanted Pontiac to be America's BMW. After that decision was made, the public was offered a renewed Grand Prix as well as the G6. One wonders, had General Motors decided a decade or more in the past that Pontiac would be America's Porsche, if cars like the Solstice, G8, and the new Camaro-as-a-Trans Am would have resulted in the niche brand GM said they wanted a few months ago. Pontiac's history is either ignored, dismissed, forgotten, or not known by the vast majority of 2009's auto-buying public. Still, attempting to sell excitement and then providing North America with the G3 and G5 was - and will always be remembered as - a big mistake. Indeed, Pontiac's history necessitated a product lineup that: provided a refined Solstice; made the Camaro a Pontiac and not a Chevrolet; made use of the CTS-v Coupe's underpinnings as a modern-day GTO; could turn the Volt into GM's first performance-oriented hybrid; and sold the G8 GT and G8 GXP as an alternative to a similar car that was available at Buick with a V6 only.

WATCH CHEVROLET CAMARO SS DRAGSTRIP RUN

Surely it's not the first. Surely, it won't be the last. Hennessey, a Texas-based musclecar steroid infuser, took delivery of their first Chevrolet Camaro SS and immediately headed for the dragstrip.

The result? 13.6 seconds at 107.9 miles per hour in the quarter-mile. The best part of this video isn't the cinematography or rush of speed but the sound of the Camaro's V8. Have a watch.... take a listen.

NISSAN CUBE IN MOTION

Since The Good Car Guy became a selected entrant in Nissan Canada's Hypercube contest, time not spent moving GoodCarBadCar Towers hs been devoted towards updating the TGCG canvas at Hypercube.ca. As if it wasn't the case before, this has made GoodCarBadCar.net even more Cube-centric. Today, catch the Cube in motion in the video below. Not until the halfway point can you witness Nissan's Cube driving around, but the motion of the camera up until that point shows the Cube's proportions, character, and usefulness quite capably. Register to vote for The Good Car Guy at hypercube.ca by clicking here. Find the right canvas by clicking the link above or, once you're registered, by searching "TGCG" with the search function set to "screen name".

NISSAN CUBE POLICE CAR

The thought isn't so crazy. For now, it's just a dream. With The Good Car Best Friend recently added to an urban police force where he's tasked with walking the beat, a useable but small police vehicle would be much-loved on windy, rainy nights. Yes, the smart fortwo cruiser is smaller, but what do you do with the perps? A little Gimping offers up a preview of what a Nissan Cube police car could like when put into service.

ARE THE MERCEDES-BENZ S63 & S65 AMG EXCESSIVE AND OUTDATED?

This argument comes up on blogs and in magazines: when is plenty of horsepower to much horsepower? Except, this time, The Good Car Guy comes at Mercedes-owned AMG from another angle. When is 11 miles per gallon in a full-size sedan way too 1970s?

Seriously, while I completely recognize that Mercedes-Benz invests little cash to turn your regular S550 (0-60mph in 5.4 seconds, $89,350) into an S63 AMG (0-60mph in 4.6 seconds, $131,350) or S65 AMG (0-60mph in 4.4 seconds, $198,950) while making obscene amounts of cash on the hundreds they sell - thus using the earnings from antisocial vehicles to fun R&D on the social kinds - the AMG versions of the S-Class really aren't all that impressive. True, the S-Class is one of The Good Car Guy's class favourites, along with the Audi A8. Indeed, horsepower is readily accepted as currency at GoodCarBadCar Towers. However, advance the movement, Mercedes-Benz.

Let's get down to business. Horsepower is easy. There is no substitute for cubic inches. AMG uses a 6.2L naturally-aspirated V8 engine to make 525 horsepower. Whoop-dee-ding. I see the fun in enjoying the car; but manufacturing 525 horsepower? Easy. Oh, then there's the 612 horsepower created by the twin-turbocharged 6.0L V12. That's barely more than 100/bhp per litre with two turbochargers. Ask Honda to build you a a V12 for this car and you'd likely meet up with Takeo Fukui, a 5.0L naturally-aspirated V12, and 650 ponies.

Back to the fuel economy for a minute. Mercedes-Benz might squeeze a 12mpg city rating out of the EPA for 2010 on these AMG S-Class sedans, and nobody will notice. It's almost sickening to say, but we're nearing the second decade of this millennium. Any 4-door car from one of the world's most famous automotive brands - from its technological outpost, no less - that can't achieve 15 miles per gallon in the city.... is disappointing.

Don't bother arguing on behalf of the S63 AMG's greatness. The car is loved here, too. Don't bother mentioning the names of potential owners and the size of their bank balances. That's not the issue. The issue, oh Good Car Nation, is the standing of Mercedes-Benz in the world. These days, excess is out-classed by ingenuity (Tesla Model S, anyone?) and restrained excellence (BMW 335d, anyone else?).

Not many weeks past, some young designers put together a Mercedes-Benz concept that couldn't go faster than 25km/h or travel further than 350 kilometres. The F-Cell Roadster is powered by hydrogen and produces 1 horsepower. Somewhere in between the futuristic F-Cell concept and the from-another-era 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and S65 AMG rests today's Mercedes-Benz: not a slow car, not a car that's diminished by fuel-saving tech, but a vehicle that takes the best of the current S-Class AMGs and pairs it with responsibility, restraint, and a reach-for-the-stars attitude once held by Gottlieb Daimler.

Smart Fortwo Police Car Patrols Florida

The Belle Isle police force in Florida has numbered one of their cars with a factor they've never used before: .5 will be used since, as the chief says, it's "not quite a full-sized car". Quite so, Chief Tegg. Quite so.

Belle Isle won't be the first to use a smart fortwo as a police vehicle; but they're drawing plenty of attention anyway. Trimmed in the department's blue and gold, the white and silver smart fortwo won't exactly be used in crime fighting. Where would the perps go?

Check out all Police-related posts from GoodCarBadCar.net here

Don't be surprised when your car is parked next to a fire hydrant if the BIPD uses their fortwo cruiser to tuck in behind while an officer rights you a ticket. In PR guise, the fortwo should achieve close to double the fuel efficiency of the regular Ford Crown Victoria cruisers. Roger. Ten-four, point five.

(Photo from the Orlando Sentinel)

FERRARI VIRTUAL RACE DIRECT DOWNLOAD

Every cloud has a silver lining. This time, seeing that silver lining requires a great deal of unselfishness from The Good Car Guy. See, here at the new GoodCarBadCar Towers, the ever-present Mac operating system precludes The Good Car Guy in participating in Ferrari's new direct-download Virtual Race. The silver lining? The Good Car Nation, at least those with Windows XP or Vista, can play... even against one another.

Ferrari doesn't normally do things half-way. So expect this game to be more than decent. Head-to-head online play is available. At this point, drivers must choose between the 599 GTB Fiorano, 612 Scaglietti, and 430 Scuderia. The California and F430 will join the field later. To head straight to the download page, cliccare ecco.

HYPERCUBE CANVAS IMAGES

You may be wondering what the strange images are in this post. Click to see a larger view, and you may begin figuring it out. In Canada, 7000 people were entered in a contest to win 50 Nissan Cubes. 6500 were cast aside in favour of the 500 with the best and most creative "profiles". Since last week, Nissan, its judges, and the public have been taking a look at the creativity of these 500 people at Hypercube.ca. To see The Good Car Guy's canvas directly, click here.

Canvases are updated frequently and are meant to display the entrant's creativity and uniqueness while also, in truth, promoting the Cube. In order to vote, register here. Then on the 500 canvas page, use the search function to find TGCG under "screen names" or Canton under "interests". Once you find The Good Car Guy's canvas, click "see canvas" and then vote in the top right. You can vote once per day the same way. In so doing, you'll help bring a Nissan Cube to GoodCarBadCar.net where you'll be able to follow its life... for life. Go check out the current canvas so you can actually watch the video and hear the sound. And vote, please vote.

WATCH TATA NANO TEST DRIVE WITH JAGUAR XFR

Forgettable though this fact is, the original Volkswagen Beetle wasn't the much-loved car we know it to be when it first debuted. That's no attempt at suggesting the diminutive Tata Nano will sell on the scale of the Type 1 or be the cultural success, either. Simply put, GoodCarBadCar.net is reserving the right to hold off too much opinion-spewing until the Tata Nano has been received or seen by more North Americans. In the clips below, two drivers take test drives in the Tata Nano, which we must add, is very different to the Jaguar XFR (also seen in video below) at the opposite end of Tata's automotive spectrum.

OLDER HYUNDAI SANTA FE, TIBURON, ELANTRA RECALLED FOR CORROSION

Corroded rear suspension parts - specifically that of the rear trailing arms - could result in seriously endangered structural rigidity for the '01-'03 Hyundai Santa Fe.... but only in certain geographical areas. The salt belt of the USA, including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, pose dangers to these Hyundais that other states do not.

Thus, if your '01-'03 Santa Fe has lived a significant portion of its life in one of these states, you'll be getting a Recall notice sometime this month. Dealers will inspect, and if needed, replace the rear trailing arms. NHTSA believes some 85,036 Hyundai Santa Fes will be involved in this Recall.

As for the Tiburon and Elantra, the front lower control arms are the issue. The potential is apparently present for corroded upper and lower panels of the lower control arms to become perforated. That could lead to a fractured ball joint. With the same geography in place, '01-'03 Elantras and '03 Tiburons could total 170,610 cars.

WATCH CHEVROLET CAMARO BUILD PROCESS

Rick Hendrick, of Hendrick Motorsports fame, is the owner of Camaro Numero Uno. In the clip below, you can watch the very fast-forwarded video of Hendrick's Camaro being built. It appears as though, right about now, the Camaro is the sole morale booster at GM. Give credit where credit is due.

VOTE FOR TGCG AT HYPERCUBE.CA

I've been selected as one of 500 people in Canada whose profile meets Nissan's expectations for the potential receipt of one of 50 Nissan Cubes. The Cube is loverly, and I want one.

But I need your help. For the next few weeks I will be auditioning with a canvas on Nissan's HyperCube page. This canvas will change off-and-on over that time period, and Nissan has appointed judges to decide which hypercubist has the most unique and creative canvas. In addition to that, the public will be allowed to vote. That's where you come in.

By clicking this link (http://hypercube.ca/signup/en/signup.html) you'll be asked to: type your name, create a screen name and password (use whatever you want), input your date of birth, and type a verification code. Then you'll be allowed to vote for me: TGCG. To the best of my knowledge, you can vote once per day - so please do! Search by screen name for TGCG or by location (Halifax). Then click a small cube that appears below and vote in the top right.

If I am so fortunate to win one of the 50 Cubes - it's 1 in 10, c'mon - the Cube's life will be broadcast thoroughly here on GoodCarBadCar.net and probably in other places, too.

Thank-you. I am entrusting you with furthering this voting chain. Don't let me down.

WATCH RHYS MILLEN TALK DRIFTING

Rhys Millen's Hyundai Genesis Coupe drifter uses over 600 horsepower to propel 2400 pounds. Double the regular horsepower with nearly a third of the production car's weight gone?

Fun.

In the clip below, there's plenty of Genesis drift action. Millen also describes drifting for simpletons and explains a bunch of the changes from the Genesis Coupe you and I could buy to his ridiculously wicked Hyundai Genesis Coupe drifter.

WATCH HONDA INSIGHT 'LET IT SHINE' BEING MADE

You're wondering how Honda managed to be so organized in the making of the Insight's 'Let It Shine' commercial? The clip below will help explain. It's a lot more interesting if you watch the commercial first; so if you haven't, have a look first.

HONDA INSIGHT 'LET IT SHINE'

Honda's advertising has won numerous awards for its ingenuity and execution. The commercial below featuring hundreds of 2010 Honda Insights performing light flashes is rather impressive, as well.

WATCH NISSAN 370Z NISMO IN MOTION

Because a bunch of pictures from every angle possible weren't enough for you, the delicious Nismo 370Z is available for you in video format. Admittedly, most of the video below was shot with the 370Z sitting still. That's not to deny the Z doesn't show off its newer, cleaner, more aggressive lines. There's some action, too, enabling you to see how the Nismo 370Z will appear on the road.

WATCH CHINA GRAND PRIX STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

UPDATED: LINKS ARE LIVE

Brawn GP? Huh?

Famed Ferrari help-meet Ross Brawn goes to work for Honda F1. Honda F1 can't race itself out of the doldrums, even with decent drivers. Honda goes belly-up in F1. Ross Brawn takes control. Brawn GP wins the first two races of the 2009 Formula 1 calendar. Result.

Can he make it three in a row at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai? One almost wishes for Ferrari and McLaren to continue sucking - just to teach them a lesson - before realizing that F1 needs their big names. You'll be able to watch the race streaming live for free online through links and/or an embedded player here at GoodCarBadCar.net. Curiously, the lap record at Shanghai is held by one Michael Schumacher in 2004's Ferrari F1 racer at 1:32.238. Ross Brawn would have been the chief engineer behind that car.

Regardless, a third race win would certainly place the pressure on Brawn's drivers, fellow-Brit Jenson Button and Brazil's Rubens Barichello. 305 kilometres around the 5.451-kilometre circuit in Shanghai must be completed first. To watch the race, use the links below as they go active in the hours leading up to the race. To see everything GoodCarBadCar.net has on the race, click here. For last year's run, click here.

WATCH CHINESE GRAND PRIX STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

WATCH STREAMING CHINA GP

WATCH FORMULA 1 CHINA GRAND PRIX STREAMING LIVE FREE ONLINE

WATCH F1 LIVE ONLINE CHINA GP

WATCH BTCC JASON PLATO SAVE HIS SKIN

The Chevrolet Lacetti, a car we know in Canada as the Chevrolet Optra and Americans once saw as the Suzuki Forenza, is raced in the British Touring Car Championship. Weird, I know. However, famed BTCC driver Jason Plato makes it look not weird at all. In the video below, Plato's rear bumper is knocked off as he's nudged by a BMW. After a long and likely arduous drift, Plato manages to bring the Lacetti back into the picture as though nothing was the matter. Check it.

GALLERY - KIA FORTE KOUP - 57 PICTURES

Way, way, waaaaay back in March of '08, pictures of the concept version of the Kia Koup appeared on GoodCarBadCar.net. Then along came the Kia Forte, a replacement for the Spectra. Outshadowed by the brand spankin' new and wicked Kia Soul, the Forte didn't exactly grab the automotive world's collective eye with its official February debut. With the Forte Koup, Kia hopes to inject a little extra soul (lowercase s) into Kia's core offering.

Think on these things: big sellers like the Chevrolet Cobalt and Ford Focus are offered in sedan and 2-door versions. One very famous best-seller, the Honda Civic, is also a sedan and coupe offerer. Are Kia's hard numbers going to increase significantly with the advent of the Forte Koup? Probably not. But to be taken seriously in the segment, a sporty; good-looking alternative to the competition is necessary.

Sporty? Probably not so much, eh. However, 156 horsepower is what you get as standard equipment with the Forte Koup. That's more than Honda or Chevrolet offer on their base versions. Honda and Chevrolet manage to offer upwards of 200 if you want. Regardless, the Forte Koup looks the part and will likely undercut the 2-door Civic to the extent that a few thousand recently graduated university girls named Jen will be really interested. Check out all 57 pictures of the 2010 Kia Forte Koup below.

GALLERY - 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK - 23 PHOTOS

Fortunately - for all of us - Subaru has managed to lather on enough other stuff to make the Legacy's front end appear slightly more ho-hum on the Outback. It's too bad that such a great car, from a great car company, must be taken to task for what is invariably a relatively small issue. With Subaru, however, front fascias have long been a problem. Frankly, as a Subaru lover and automotive critic, I'm sick of it.

Indeed, the 2010 Outback's cladding and ground clearance do something to lift attention away from the strange headlights and on to the Outback's decade-and-a-half-long inherent traits. Sitting in the front seat of a bandwagon that most automakers have tried at some point to join hasn't harmed the Subaru Outback's success. It's still a wagon that looks kind of like an SUV. It still has SUVesque ground clearance (8.7 inches). All-wheel drive goes without saying. Characterful boxer engines remain.

Subaru has tinkered here and there to improve the Outback once again. Distance between wheelhubs is up 2.8 inches. Give credit to the elongated wheelbase for the 4" increase in rear legroom. With help from bodywork that's 2 inches wider, passenger volume is up by 8 cubic feet. Cargo capacity? Up 6 cubic feet. For more on the mechanical front, see this 2010 Subaru Legacy post. 23 images of the 2010 Subaru Outback can be seen below in the Gallery.

GALLERY - NISSAN 370Z ROADSTER & NISSAN 370Z NISMO - 56 PICTURES

Nissan Motorsport International Limited, translated from a much longer Japanese term, results in the abbreviated term Nismo. The first Gallery you see below is of the 2009 Nismo Nissan 370Z. Ready for you to purchase in limited numbers beginning in June, the Nismo Z is very much a styling package. Another interesting feature that may interest you, however, is the extra 18 horsepower. Alongside such intriguing text are these words: 15% increase in roll stiffness and 19" superlight-weight forged alloy wheels. But keep reading beyond the first Gallery for more 370Z info. (Check out the stock 370Z here.)

Nissan has also released 21 images of the 2010 370Z Roadster. The inherent shape of the regular coupe/hatch resulted in a very large behind with the 350Z Roadster. Nothing has changed on that front back. Possibly ranked as the worst vehicle angle of any good-looking car (except, perhaps, for the front end of the Lincoln MKS), the rear end of this convertible is enough to make you look elsewhere for your topless pleasure. For drivers of the regular 350Z, the Roadster wasn't alluring. Its loss of stiffness and the necessary absence of a tight suspension resulted in a mushiness that didn't match the car's badge or looks. We'll have to wait for test drives of the 370Z to know if the same holds true, but for now, it's all about the rear taillights which appear to be in different zip codes.

GALLERY - 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE - 42 PICTURES

Something new, for a change. Jeep wants to make the 2011 Grand Cherokee more capable on-road while maintaining its off-road prowess. Ah... wait a second: haven't we heard that before?

That's fine; it is Jeep's mandate to provide customers with a certain image. For that image to hold fast, the Grand Cherokee needs to handle the Rubicon Trail. But for customers to actually buy the Jeep Grand Cherokee, it must hold its own against the Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9, and Honda Pilot on the school run.

An all-new five-position air suspension should help with that. Selec-Terrain, something like Land Rover's switchable terrain response system, will do electronically what Jeeps could always do without gizmos. On the powertrain front, a new 3.6L V6 generates 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. With markets this volatile, one would assume this will be the popular engine choice. The 5.7L Hemi is available, too.

The new Grand Cherokee has a tippy-toe stance that, in profile, is reminiscent of the Volkswagen Tiguan of all things. If not particularly likeable, the front end is modern and aerodynamic at first glance. Despite sales that have plummeted in recent years as the advent of crossovers and high fuel prices combined to eat away at Grand Cherokee/Explorer/TrailBlazer sales, there's still something special about the Jeep. Special enough to fork out huge coin for an unnecessarily tough SUV? That's to be determined sometime in 2010. Check out all 42 pictures of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the Gallery below.

GALLERY - GMC TERRAIN - 8 PICTURES

Priced under $25,000 in the United States, the GMC Terrain looks to be a screaming value. Then you realize the nearly identical 2010 Chevrolet Equinox will likely be priced a little lower; below $24,000. Nonetheless, these are both handsome SUV/CUV/crossovers/family cars that, later this year, should be available with handsome General Motors discounts.

Expect the basic 182-bhp 2.4L 4-cylinder to be the hotter ticket if gas prices rise this summer like they did in '08. Also available is a 3.0L DI V6 pushing out 264 horsepower. The 4-cylinder should add 5mpg to the V6's 25mpg highway rating. In the city, the V6's easy power production helps it inch closer to 2.4L's 21mpg with an 18mpg rating.

Six-speed automatics are standard. No matter which engine you choose, a 500-mile range is anticipated. That's over 800 kilometres. Lovely. GMC has pumped up the luxury content with features like a rear-facing camera and power rear liftgate. All around, the Terrain looks very much the tough GMC sport-ute we expect from the tough truck brand. Inside, the look is clean and the space is utilized well. Check out the 8 pic Gallery below.

GALLERY - SKODA SUPERB 4x4 - 24 PICTURES

At the Skoda page on GoodCarBadCar.net, you can learn about the Yeti and Roomster and Octavia and even the Superb's amazing trunk/hatchback option. And now, with the new Superb 4x4, you can take a look at the VW underling's new pickup truck?

Ah... no. Automakers try and come up with a new way to say all-wheel drive just about every time they introduce a new line of all-wheel drive cars or every time they slightly alter their system. You know all about Quattro from Audi. There's also Attesa from Nissan/Infiniti. Mercedes-Benz likes 4Motion. BMW awkwardly makes use of xDrive. Saab has recently decided upon XWD. Many manufacturers know that AWD is best.

But Skoda has decided - on behalf of their flagship sedan - that 4x4 is the route to go. You know, like we would see on the side of an Ford F-150 or Chevrolet Silverado. Interesting choice. Regardless, take a look at the Superb 4x4 in the obligatory snow shots in the 24 picture Gallery below.

MORE KEN BLOCK SUBARU IMPREZA GYMKHANA VIDEO FOOTAGE

Way back in November, The Good Car Guy labelled Ken Block's airfield gymkhana practice the best video on the web. Apart from, perhaps, David After Dentist, nothing has come close to stealing the crown. Well, a bunch of deleted scenes and some artsy shots have been piled together by Ken Block's video team and can be seen below. No, it's not the new best video on the web. But, this is exciting and interesting motion picture. Yes, the perfect original maintains its title. Check out more with Ken Block and a Subaru Impreza at this link, too.

TESLA MODEL S DAYLIGHT VIDEO

Apologies in advance for the brevity of the clip below. 19 seconds of the Tesla Model S isn't really enough time to enjoy the beauty of this car. Forget the engineers behind the electric technology and the accountants behind its affordable price - the Model S designers deserve huge credit for making this car appealing.

The Good Car Guy has already posted plenty of pics and a video that's mostly from inside the car. The video below shows what it'll be like to see a Tesla Model S drive by on the street. Careful: it will make you want one.

OLDER JEEP LIBERTY RECALLED FOR BALL JOINT TROUBLE

Here comes another highly geographic NHTSA Recall. If your '02 or '03 Jeep Liberty was sold in, registered in, or used in one of the states mentioned below during part or all of its lifespan, this news affects you. According to NHTSA, "The front suspension upper control arm ball joint may experience a loss of lubrication which could lear to corrosion, accelerated wear, and possible separation while driving." Of course, such corrosion would come from.... salt. Thus, the salt belt states are logically the places where 42,469 '02 and '03 Libertys may have a ball joint separate while driving down the turnpike. The whole front upper control arm assemblies will be replaced by Chrysler dealers. Not sure whether your vehicle applies? 1-800-853-1403 is Jeep's number for you.

States involved:

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

IOWA

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

KENTUCKY

MASSACHUSETTS

MAINE

MARYLAND

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSOURI

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

OHIO

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

TENNESSEE

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

....

and the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

'09 GRAND CHEROKEE, COMMANDER, WRANGLER 4-DR RECALLED BY JEEP

These days, automobiles will keep you surprisingly safe in the event of a crash. I say surprising because every time I see the result of a crumpled car and the driver standing next to it unscathed, I'm impressed. However, the 4,336 examples of the '09 Jeep Grand Cherokee, '09 Jeep Commander, and '09 Jeep Wrangler 4-door may posses malfunctioning airbag systems that prevent the driver's airbag from deploying in the event of a crash.

Please get it fixed. NHTSA says dealers will inspect the driver's airbag squib wires and replace the steering column control module free of charge.

JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SEAT HEATER RECALL

102,354 Jeep Grand Cherokees from model years 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 face the prospect of a dealer visit now that NHTSA has issued a Recall notice for a seat heater problem. To be very honest, the front seat electric heaters may be prone to overheating. Given the right wrong circumstances, ignition could occur. There's no schedule for the Recall as of yet, but you can contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

1,497,516 CARS WITH 3.8L ENGINES RECALLED BY GENERAL MOTORS

The cars are listed below. The problem with the cars? Their 3.8L engine may result in drops of engine oil being deposited on the exhaust manifold during/after hard braking. When the manifold is really hot; that could create a fire. These vehicles - which were built no more recently than 2003 and as far in the past as 1997 - need to undergo a fix where their spark plug wire retention channel is removed at the front of the engine to be replaced by two spark plug wire retainers. This Recall, says NHTSA, involves about 1.5 million vehicles. Well, 1,497,516 to be exact. This sounds so much the opposite of what the doctor ordered for General Motors this month. The vehicles are:

1997-2003 Buick Regal

2000-2003 Chevrolet Impala

1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina

1998-2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue

1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix

ACROSS THE POND - AUDI RS6 AVANT by DMS

Horsepower doesn't come cheap. A quick look through Kijiji shows a typical 3-year old Gelding for $1,800 CDN. That's much more expensive than Hyundai thinks it should be, considering the Koreans charge $81.70 USD for each individual horse found under the hood of the Genesis Coupe 3.8.

In the United Kingdom, Audi wants £75,065 in exchange for an RS6 Avant. Plenty of reasons pop up relating to why consumers would consider a large and powerful Audi wagon. Good looks mixed with a classy interior are the typical Audi experience. In the case of the RS6 Avant, a capacious cargo area comes to play with 572 horsepower. An argumentative soul may be prone to point out that horsepower isn't the significant impetus behind purchasing a car at this high level of luxury. On the other hand, any Audi Avant customer could take a lesser A6 or S6 if horsepower wasn't going to be a huge factor in their daily lives.

But boy-oh-boy is that horsepower ever wickedly expensive. For £123.23, you receive 1 horse. Even with Audi's own turbocharged 2.0L A3, customers need just £98.18. Ford's wicked Focus ST will supply 222 horsepower for just £89.37. What does the outraged RS6 Avant owner do about this trouble?

Well, DMS Automotive in Southampton will upgrade your Audi RS6 Avant for pennies. For just £18/per bhp, DMS turns your 572-horsepower RS6 Avant into a 680-horsepower highway bomb. The RS6 has two engine control units; one for each bank of five cylinders. DMS works some magic on these two ECUs, ignoring the harder parts of the engine. The Quattro all-wheel drive struggles not with the addition of 104 lb-ft of torque to the already heady total of 479. evo's Ollie Marriage says he "can't think of another car that distances you from the raw sensations of speed quite as effectively" as the RS6 Avant. For just 2.5% more than the price of the car, DMS Automotive equips your RS6 with 20% more power. And derestricts its speed limiter.....

You'd be a fool not to allow them to fiddle inside your RS6's V10.

More Across The Pond Articles From GoodCarBadCar.net

The Best Videos From evo, Top Gear, and CAR

Dacia Duster Photo Gallery

Production Skoda Yeti

Ford Focus RS Video From Fifth Gear

Tata Nano Specifications