Like every car nut, I've dreamed of owning a Ferrari for almost as long as I've been an automotive enthusiast. Ferrari's have long represented the ultimate expression of four-wheeled passion because of their design, limited availability, leading-edge performance and strong racing heritage. So why has my desire to own a Ferrari faded like so much oxidized Rosso paint?  read more »

WASHINGTON -- The insurance industry named dozens of new cars and trucks, led by Ford Motor Co. and its Volvo subsidiary, to its annual list of the safest vehicles Tuesday, helped by the increased use of anti-rollover technology.

Ford and Volvo had 16 vehicles in the 2009 model year on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's list of the safest new cars, followed by Honda Motor Co. with 13 vehicles.

Seventy-two cars, trucks and SUVs received the top safety pick designation for 2009, more than double the number of vehicles in the 2008 model year and three times the number in 2007.

"The sheer number of this year's winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection," said Institute president Adrian Lund.  read more »

Though there was much gnashing of teeth over the Land Rover Defender last week, the British stalwart marched triumphant into the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, with a convincing 82.8%. We now have 43 slots down and a mere seven left to fill. Things are beginning to get tight, so let's move on to something better able to fit in the tiny and uncomfortable spaces we've got left. With a wind-sculpted shape and dominating track record, purity of concept and unwavering devotion to engineering, this week's long-awaited entry proves that might does not always make right. Indeed, sometimes the victor is he who carries the lightest burden.  read more »

A full reveal of the production-ready 2011 Chevrolet Volt took place in September after we were teased with glimpses of the electrically driven car for months. Detailed information about the Volt was finally revealed, including a production start date of...Joe Bruzek

Though many have been entered and some have been trimmed, we have only one space left in the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage. One more bay into which we may slide any dream machine we can think of. To this point it has been a journey of discovery, history, humor, debate, outrage and delight, but still there remains only one spot. This final place has been reserved in our plans for a long time though. Despite the stereotypes held in the public eye about this car, we could choose no other to cap off this endeavor and we therefore humbly submit for your approval — the 1970 Chevrolet El Camino 454 Super Sport.  read more »

(from H and R Springs Press Release) The Lincoln MKZ with features such as All Wheel Drive, 263 HP V-6 engine, and ranking as the Highest Premium Car in Initial Qualityis well poised to take on the BMW 3 series and Audi A4 Quattro, but offers a much better value. As H and R 2007 project car, it creates a paradigm shift by combining American style with European handling and luxury. The 2007 H and R MKZ has a modern demeanora super clean, lean look and powerful stance that better showcases its newest components.  read more »

It happened again. A long-time automaker that needs an image boost put classic models on a show floor, alongside gleaming new hardware. Mitsubishi pulled this trick in Detroit, and for me they stole the show. In recent memory, Mitsubishi has lost the (little known) reputation it had for building cars with cutting-edge technology or performance. Even its fire-breathing Lancer Evolution sells in tiny numbers in the United States, though it is known around the world for its performance winning rallies during the 1990s. And when was the last time you saw a turbo Eclipse or 3000GT, let alone a Starion?  read more »

Remember Gran Turismo 5 Prologue? You know that glorified full-priced demo of GT5? The car and feature list is now available, and I am mighty impressed for the semi-real-game nature of GT5 Prologue. Some of the interesting features include a drift mode where drifting is judged based on multiple variables, in-depth car tuning, two-player split screen racing and a few new race events for online and offline play. Click through to see the full list of cars and check out the new trailer that is so beautiful the dragons from the fantasy games perk up their ears in anticipation.  read more »