“Whether it’s your thing or not, you’ve got to admit that this is pretty fun,” I told the Mustang, feeling the intoxicating thrust from the 315 horsepower.

A Dodge Viper may get more attention, but the XKR is less likely to go insane, carry you into a tree and kill you.

Regardless of what you know about its origins, the Cadillac XLR is not just a Cadillac Corvette.  It’s true that this big, two-place sedan shares platforms (and an assembly line) with Chevrolet’s legendary sports car, but the wide-track stance and the woof from the exhaust are the only things that are the same.

This high-tech grand tourer for two is a direct attack on German luxocruisers like the Mercedes SL, and it underscores Cadillac’s intent to remain a powerful force in the luxury market.  Like the SL, the XLR has a …

Turn the key and it’s instantly obvious that this is not your average Audi.  Instead of a silky V6 purr, the distinctive burble of a V8 engine resonates through the dual exhausts.  It’s impossible to miss, especially if the top is down.  You don’t need to be told what happens when you give the accelerator a shove, do you?

Audi’s high-performance S4 lineup gets a new addition for 2004.  The S4 sedan and Avant wagon are joined by an S4 version of Audi’s slick A4 cabriolet, bringing high power and athletic …

Just try to behave yourself, and wear sunblock.

The last time Infiniti built a coupe, it was a nice car.  It was also square, stodgy, and, well, boring.  The M35, introduced at Infiniti’s inception in 1989, was based on the Japan-only Nissan Leopard.  It was a decent but forgettable four-place luxury coupe, and it vanished from Infiniti’s lineup after three years.  For 2003, Infiniti is back in the luxury-sport coupe market, and this time it’s much less likely to be forgotten.  The G35 Sport Coupe is fast, sexy and far from boring.

Sharp eyes have probably guessed that the …

It does take a moment to get beyond the giddy, star-struck feeling of “Holy crap! I’m driving a 911!” Take a few deep breaths and get that out of your system, though, because there’s a lot to see and experience here, and you don’t want to miss any of it.

Georgia car manufacturer Panoz Auto Development has been quietly building sports cars since 1990, but outside of the car world, they’re not exactly a household name.  Will that change with the introduction of the ever-evolving 2003 Esperante?  Well, probably not.  But that’s not a bad thing; the race-bred Esperante isn’t for everyone anyhow.  Driving it in traffic is, in fact, not unlike walking a Rottweiler through a cat show.

For drivers looking for eye-popping performance in a chassis that didn’t come from Europe and wrapped in a body that’s not a …

If Volvo keeps cranking out beautifully sculpted cars like the C70 convertible, its reputation as a provider of frumpy but safe sedans is going to be in serious jeopardy.  Our lovely Swedish test car was mistaken for a BMW or an Audi on more than one occasion during its stay with us.

The C70 was introduced in 1996, and was a surprising addition to the lineup, coming as it did from a brand better known for bank vaults on wheels.  The C70 has kept the same basic design since then, and …

“That thang ain’t hardly worth bein’ a pickup truck, is it?” the woman at the insurance sales office said when she saw the 2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner’s four-door cab and stubby bed.  “You cain’t haul any lumber back there.”

She had a point.  The Tacoma Double Cab’s bed is 61.5 inches long, a full foot shorter than that of other Tacoma models and far too short to carry lumber.  No longer bed is offered, but the Tacoma isn’t about grunt work.  It’s been said that Toyota builds great “town trucks,” and …