In a mid-size performance sedan world dominated by the Germans with BMW M5, America has risen through the ashes to bring us the Cadillac CTSV. A 640 HP Supercharged V8 monster that moves as loud as it roars.

It is monster that seductively entices the driver to go faster while it intimidated passer buyers. This car was built for the performance enthusiast who can no longer drive a Corvette, because he (or she) needs to start taking the kiddies to school.

 But there is no settling here, because the Cadillac CTSV has a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds which is on par with the Corvette Stinray Z51. It also has the same 6.2L Supercharged engine that goes into the Corvette Stingray Z06.

Unlike the Corvette though, the only transmission option is an 8-speed traditional automatic. It can be manually controlled using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel or set to fully automatic mode. I didn’t get a chance to test this vehicle on the track, but automatic in sport mode was my preferred serting because I noticed a tiny lag when trying to up shift using the paddles.

The Supercharged 6.2L V8 gives it the heart of a Corvette, but the interior gives it the style of a Cadillac.

The interior is race inspired, with a leather and micro-fiber Recaro Racing seats, as well as, a micro-fiber wrapped steering wheel and gear selector. But the interior also boosts a timeless style with its use of chrome and leather on the doors and dash.

The “Cue” infotainment center, like on all Cadillacs, is eloquently controlled using a series of touchpad buttons. The only downside of these button is when you are using a radar detector and the cord brushes up against a touchpad button, the energy running through the cord engages the control. The end result was my radio volume mysteriously turning all the way up as I enjoyed a sweeping turn. Other than that, annoyance, I love this car!

The Cadillac CTSV is the perfect car for those who desire a sports car, but need room for family. It’s closest competitor is the BMW M5, but I would stick with the CTSV unless you want to blend in at the country club.

For more information on the Cadillac CTSV, contact your local dealer or click here.

A high performance 340 HP supercharged engine: check. A sports tuned suspension: check.  A seductive interior and exterior: check. An exhilarating ride: checkmate.

All of these things can be said about a sports car, but what makes a sports sedan different from a sports car is the fact that four people can actually fit in it. It is just as well suited for a track day as it is picking up your two kids from school.

BMW has dominated the sports sedan segment with the 3-series. But what is lacked in creature comforts it made up for in terms of performance.

Now there is a new Sheriff in town, the Jaguar XE. It is here to steal BMW’s lunch money, and in my opinion, it has. The XE is backed by Jaguars racing pedigree and the ultra-fun to drive F-Type sports car. It is also backed by Jaguar’s XJL ultra-luxury sedan. So the vehicle is able offer the rare combination of true luxury and true performance. You won’t find that at Mercedes (unless you opt for an AMG) or Audi (unless you opt for an S or RS). Both brands trade comfort over performance unless you are willing to spend almost six figures. This combination of luxury and performance for under $50k gives the XE a clearly defined audience: driving enthusiasts who need a luxury car.

Like I mentioned before, the Jaguar XE is available with a 340Hp Supercharged V6, paired with an 8-speed automatic. But it is not just the acceleration times that got my heart racing, it is how well the Jaguar XE sticks to a corner. The vehicle is tight, well balanced, and demonstrates little body roll. Jaguar utilized a lightweight aluminum architecture to keep the center of gravity low and offer drivers a near 50/50 weight distribution… and you can feel it in the car as you hug corners. To hug them even tighter, Jaguar introduced torque vectoring to compact sports sedan segment. The electronically controlled system dynamically controls the brakes on the inside wheels while cornering in order to spin the car faster. The XE is also available with a performance oriented all-wheel-drive system. I say performance because most all-wheel-drive systems, like the one found on entry level Audis, have a front wheel drive bais that delivers the majority of power to the front wheels. The Jaguar takes cue from LeMans race cars and is able to shift the power from 90-10 (front-rear) to 50-50 to 10-90 based upon road conditions and driving patterns.

All of this makes it the perfect car for a driving enthusiast who needs four doors.

Inside the Jaguar XE, you will find a poshly designed interior that came straight from Britain. The attention to detail is superb, right down to the rotary dial used to select the gear. The seats are firm, but comfortable. The star of the interior is a large touch screen display that is paired with a Meridian sound system to deliver high quality beats to your eardrums.

If you are in the market for a sports sedan, you no longer have to choose between performance and luxury… you now have the Jaguar XE, the perfect sports sedan.

Volkswagen’s flagship SUV is unfortunatly often times over looked in the luxury SUV segment. I say this because the streets of Florida are littered with BMW X5s, Mercedes GLEs (formal called the ML class), Audi Q7s, and Porsche Cayennes. But I rarely see a VW Touareg, despite its beautiful styling and plush interior. Dollar for dollar, the Touareg beats all of them.

The Volkswagen Touareg is unique amongst its VW brothers and sisters not only because of its price point (starting at 50k), but because the Touareg is targeted specifically against the luxury segment which includes its two cousins, the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. The latter with which is shares its underpinnings with. The executive trim level cuts the margins even closer (starting at around $60k) because of all the standard premium equipment.

With both the exterior and interior, the Volkswagen Touareg Executive says the luxury. The exterior styling is beautiful with 21 wheels, and the interior compliments the exterior by using Vienna leather and wood trim – Although I am not sure if it is really wood. VW wanted to make sure occupants are at the optimal climate, by making the seats both ventalited and heated, and offering tri-zone climate controls standard of the Executive trim level. Additional features include Park Distance Control (Park Pilot), a 360-degree camera for parking, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Change Assist.

Standard on all Touaregs is VW’s “4 Motion” all-wheel-drive system. It works similar to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system which uses a computer to transfer power between each wheel in order to provide drivers with optimum traction. I drove the Touareg on a combination of dry and wet surfaces and the system worked beautifully. I didn’t get a chance to test the Touareg’s terrain response system, which optimizes the all-wheel-drive system for off-road and snow use, but I heard from other journalists that is works well.

You get all of these features for cost of a barely equipped BMW X5, which makes VW Touareg Executive one hell of a bargain!

The only reason why I can understand someone buying a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi over the Touareg is vanity. Let’s face it, VW is “the people’s car.” It is a little hard to justify $60k for a VW when it is seen as the bargain German car manufacturer, but that can work in your favor. I like how the VW Touareg is luxurious, but understated. If an executive is driving a Mercedes, employees are likely think the executive is getting paid too much and that they are not getting paid enough. But if an executive is driving a VW, employees are likely to think they are on an even playing field… Just don’t give them a ride in it!

We all of the premium amenities, I urge you to give the VW Touareg Executive some love next time you are shopping for a luxury mid-sized SUV. It is true German Engineering without the German Engineering price point.

When I read the headlines that the Cadillac ATS-V has a 464HP motor under the hood, my mind immediately raced… Does the ATS-V have the same 464HP pushrod V8 from the Cheverolet Corvette? The answer is no, it is even better! The Corvette’s pushrod V8 is archaic when compared to dual overhead cam engines found in the Porsche 911 and the Jaguar F-Type, but the Corvette is faster car around the track. As the saying goes, why fix it if it isn’t broken! Unfortunately (but fortunately), the engineers at GM couldn’t fit the Corvette’s massive 6.2L V8 engine into the Cadillac ATS-V. So they beefed up a modern 3.6L V6 with overhead cams and added dual-turbochargers to bring up the power to an evenly matched 464HP. That is over 40% more horsepower per liter than the Corvette!

Despite the Cadillac ATS-V’s horsepower per liter advantage, the 3.6L engine produces 20 pounds of torque less than the Corvette’s 6.2L motor. This paired with being a heavier car than the Corvette means that the zero-to-sixty times are slowed down to 3.8 seconds (compared to the Corvette’s 3.7 seconds). Maybe slow isn’t the right word because they are both faster in a straight line than the $110,000 Porsche 911 4S, and arguably quicker around a racetrack too. The Cadillac ATS-V starts at $60,696 and the Corvette starts at $55,450.

Both the Cadillac ATS-V and the Corvette come standard with sticky Michellin Pilot Super Sport tires design for performance driving both on and off the track, they both also feature best in class Brembo Brakes (arguably the best high performance brake manufacture for road cars), and they both have a sports tuned suspension with magnetic ride (optional on the Corvette). Options on both vehicles include extended use of carbon fiber and authentic Racaro seats in front. Racaro seats are synonymous with racing because of the way they hug your body while cornering and the back support provided for endurance racing.

So with the performance line drawn so closely, is the Cadillac ATS-V a four passenger Corvette? The awnser is no, because nothing can replace the allure of America’s most iconic sports. But it does offer a new luxurious option for those who want Corvette, but need a four passenger vehicle. It is perfect car for those who want a 189 mph track capable sports car that can take the kids to school.

Click here for more information about the Cadillac ATS-V or visit your local Cadillac dealer.

In racing you want a car that is fast in a straightline and quick around the corners, which means that you need a powerful engine paired with a light weight and well balanced chassis. It was with this inspiration that Alfa engineered the 4C a couple years ago. The mid engine design means that the car is perfectly balaned, and it’s use of a carbon fiber tub increases occupant safety and greatly reduces weight. The US version weighed in at around 2,400 pounds (the Europen version weighed even less) and launched the car from zero to sixty in only 4 seconds. It is and was a true racing driver’s car with limited comfort amenities, but full on performance. The vehcile comes equipped with a turbocharged 4-cylinder and a six speed dual-clutch gearbox, which means that the Alfa Romeo 4C shifts quicker than you can say Alfa. The transmission rivals that of its much bigger cousin, the Ferrari 488 GTB/S.

You can read more about the Alfa Romeo 4C coupe here. Continue reading for details on the 4C Spyder.

The next variant of the Alfa Romeo 4C is here, and it comes as a Spyder. The targa top version of the 4C protects you from the elements using a folding cloth top, and lets the sunshine in with the release of two screws and four levelers. It is a manual collapsible top, so removing it and attaching it can be tricky, but it is easy once you get the hang of it. I even removed it once while stopped at a long stoplight! The ease of removing the top reminds me of the glory days of T-Tops. You can either fold the top up and place it in the seat next to you or their is a spot for it in the trunk. Putting the top on though requires you to get out the car for a few minutes in order to ensure a proper fit – I got caught in a rain storm one afternoon during my week with the car, so I pulled off the road and rushed to put the top on in order to protect the beautiful leather interior. While rushing to put the top on, I forgot to slip part of the cloth into the windshield seem; it protected me and the interior from the rain while stopped, but as soon as I started moving, I was blasted with water. I had to pull over again to remove and re-attach the top for a tight fit.

Driving with the top off and the windows down, it is a what you would expect from a Spyder: The wind blowing through your hair and an enhanced sound of an exotic engine exhaust roaring the in the background. The wind is almost non-existent with the windows up, because the rear window acts as a windscreen. This combination works well on the highway if you are trying to talk on the phone or have a conversation with the passenger next to you.

Driving with the top on is a very similar experience to the coupe version of the Alfa Romeo 4C. I haven’t compared the two side-by-side, but the only drawback that I can think of is a reduced noise insulation… But I don’t mind because I love its Italian exhaust note!

Choosing between the 4C Coupe and 4C Spyder is a difficult decision. The 4C Coupe looks sexier with a rear window peeping into the mid-engine bay, but the Spyder offers an enhance driving experience.

So the choice is yours!

Visit your local Alfa Romeo dealer for more information on the 4C or click here to visit Alfa Romeo’s website.

As an automotive journalist and car enthusiast, I love fast cars, but I love fast cars that pretend to be slow cars even more! There is something special about driving a car that only other automotive enthusiasts will appreciate. Meet the VW Golf R, not to be confused with its slow little brother, the VW Golf GTI. The R takes hot hatchback performance to another level with more starting power, more stopping power, and tighter handling.

Under the hood is a 2.0L turbo charged 4-cylinder motor that produces 292 horse power. The engine is paired with a dual-clutch and an all-wheel-drive system, which rockets this unsuspecting hatchback from zero to sixty in 4.5 seconds. Which this may not be super car times, remember that the starting price of a VW Golf R is only around $36,000.

Visit your local VW dealer or visit click here to visit VW’s website.

The thought of a high performance keep to me is odd, because when I think of Jeep I think of a super reliable off road vehicles. It doesn’t matter if it is the Wrangler Sport or the Grand Cherokee, their entire lineup is built on the foundation of off-roading.

So when a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT showed up to my doorstep, my first reaction was: “this will be interesting!” And it was!

I was super impressed wit this vehicle because it felt and drove like a sports car. It’s characteristics were able to be changed on fly using the drive mode selector. Under the hood is a 475HP V8 Hemi paired with a 8 speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive. Thank to this all-wheel-drive system, the near perfect traction control system and sticky Pirelli tires, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT can take off like a rocket without spinning your wheels. Even on a wet road in track mode, the car gripped. I went to a parking lot and tried to do burn outs and the car gripped. I couldn’t break her loose!

In addition to raw power, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT also massive Brembo brakes and a sports tune suspension. So out of the box you have an SUV design for the track. I would never turn it into a track car, but it is fun knowing that you could if you were daring enough.

The big attaction to Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is obviously the performance, but I wouldn’t do it justice if I didn’t talk about the interior which comes nicely appointed. The vehicle I test drove featured supple caramel colored leather seats. The infotainment center was pretty standard with navigation, satilite radio and apps for vehicle fuel economy. Unique to the SRT is performance app, which offers performance stats and info on all of the vehicles systems.

I am not quite sure who this vehicle is targeted towards, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a must see for anyone who wants a sports car, but needs four seats.

For more information about the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, visit your local Jeep dealer or CLICK HERE to visit Jeep’s website.