Hopefully, we'll get a US release date shortly after the Japanese launch.
(Credit: Polyphony Digital/Sony)The lack of a hard release date--or even projected timeframe--has been a bit of a sore spot for Gran Turismo fans when comparing GT5 to Forza Motorsport 3. Well, those days are almost over, as Sony has finally announced the next installment in Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo racing series will go on sale in March 2010. However, that is specifically the Japanese release date, leaving us in the dark as to whether we will get a concurrent North American release or if we'll have to wait a bit longer.
Six months (or more) is quite a wait to get your PS3 racing fix, especially with Forza 3 releasing next month on the Xbox 360. But the GT faithful have waited five years, so what's a bit more? To help tide you over, here's a video montage of live and in-game footage of Mercedes-Benz's gull-winged SLS AMG, which the automaker has just announced will be featured in the game.
The Nissan GT-R proves that the coupe is the best body style in the world.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)
I love coupes. I would go so far as to say that the coupe is the best style of car in the world. Limiting a full-size car to two doors may fly in the face of practicality, but it allows for much more body style than a sedan. Automotive designers get to play with the roofline and equip a coupe with real fenders, making for a sporty-looking package. The best a sedan can do is look stately.
Roadsters are loads of fun, but a soft top just says you're not taking driving that seriously. A coupe means business, ready to take on all sorts of weather, with a hard top that can be shaped for aerodynamics.
The only negative aspect of a coupe is the rear seat. Most coupe rear seats are a joke, cramped little spaces that serve as much purpose as your appendix, or a vestigial tail.
In honor of the coupe, I've collected our last 10 coupe reviews and added a little commentary about those rear seats. Enjoy! I certainly did while driving these cars.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG's retro design evokes the 300 SL.
(Credit: CNET)
With all the very expensive new cars being unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show, you would think the economy never went into recession. It did, and yet here they are, a parade of new automotive objects of lust from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce. Some emphasize sport, some luxury, but all have way more of each than your standard economy sedan.
Leading the parade is the spectacular new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a monster of a supercar with retro styling evoking the gull-winged 300 SL. Porsche shows off a couple of 911s, the styling only slightly updated but big improvement where it counts: in the engine, transmission, and suspension. Ferrari comes up with a replacement for the F430, managing to improve on that already fantastic supercar. And then there's Abarth, which offers up a tribute to Ferrari in the form of a heavily modified Fiat 500.
A number of convertibles follow, the tops chopped off of an Audi R8, Lamborghini Reventon, and Maserati GranTurismo. And finally, a couple of stately sedans from Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce take the floor.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
It's taken many years, but we've finally gotten a few diesel cars to choose from in the U.S. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen are all offering versions of their cars with diesel engines, and from what we've seen the fuel economy can be impressive. And unlike older diesel cars, these new models have good acceleration and no black soot spewing from the exhaust.
The Mercedes-Benz E-class suggests coffee if it thinks you are falling asleep.
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)The new E-class features quite a few cutting-edge driver aid gadgets, such as night vision, blind-spot detection, and adaptive cruise control. We saw these features previously in the Mercedes-Benz S550, but the E-class will also include Attention Assist, a new feature for Mercedes-Benz that keeps you from falling asleep at the wheel.
Attention Assist monitors the car's driver, using 70 parameters to determine if he or she is dozing off. If it detects a drowsy driver, the system sounds a warning tone and lights up a coffee cup icon on the speedometer display. The system relies heavily on monitoring steering-wheel input, as a tired driver will drift, then make sharp corrections.
Volvo launched a similar feature last year in the S80, complete with coffee cup icon. During our testing of that car, we tried our hardest to make it think we were falling asleep.
We predict the next generation of this technology won't bother with the warning part, instead automatically driving the car to the next rest stop and letting you nap.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
Ah, the good life, where your car negotiates traffic speeds for you and gives you a massage. The Mercedes-Benz S550 actually does all of the above, using its adaptive cruise control to not hit the car ahead and letting you choose from four settings on its massage seats. This car also gives you an enhanced view out the front for those pitch dark nights driving through the mountains, and a blind spot-warning system, alerting you to cars in the lanes to either side.
There is quite a bit to like about this car, but in our hypercritical way, we found a few features that didn't meet our ideal. For one, the car's iPod integration doesn't actually let you select the music you want to hear. And although it receives traffic information, displaying it on the navigation system's maps, it will blithely let you drive right into bad traffic jams.
The Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell takes part in the Hydrogen Road Tour.
(Credit: GM)Electric cars have been getting plenty of buzz lately, but the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is still going strong. The California Fuel Cell Partnership, along with Powertech Labs, National Hydrogen Association, and U.S. Fuel Cell Council, will seek to regain the spotlight with a road trip to demonstrate the practicality of these vehicles.
The road tour route runs up the West Coast, from Chula Vista to Vancouver.
(Credit: California Fuel Cell Partnership)Twelve fuel cell cars from seven automakers will drive from Chula Vista, in Southern California, up to Vancouver, Canada, a trip of 1,700 miles. Vancouver was chosen for the destination because it will play host to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, where a fleet of fuel cell buses will provide transportation.
Fuel cell cars that will be making the trip include the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell, Mercedes F-Cell, Honda FCX Clarity, Hyundai Tucson FCEV, Kia Borrego FCEV, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota FCHV-adv Highlander, and Volkswagen HyMotion. The cars, which have ranges of 200 to over 500 miles, will be relying on a mobile refueling station for their hydrogen needs.
The tour starts on May 26 in Chula Vista, and ends on June 3 in Vancouver. Stops have been scheduled along the route so the public can get a chance to see these cars. Check the Hydrogen Road Tour '09 Web site to see if there's an event near you.
With all the emphasis on eco-friendly cars at recent auto shows, we didn't expect to see so many performance cars in New York.
But many automakers had souped-up versions of existing models on display, giving driving enthusiasts something to enjoy. Mercedes-Benz had an AMG version of its E-class and BMW made the X6 into an M. VW launched the new GTI and Nissan NISMO'd its 370Z. Honda even showed up with a Mugen-equipped Fit.
From our reviews, we round up the most expensive, geekiest cars available. These big sedans average around one-hundred grand and feature some of the latest automotive technology available. Want a massage? Try out the Mercedes-Benz CL550. Want to know if cars are in your blind spots? Give the Audi S8 a spin. Feeling a little green? The Lexus LS 600h delivers luxury and a hybrid power train.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)
There may be a lot of new green cars on the floor at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but powerful cars still have a strong presence. We take a look at the new Ford Shelby, Jaguar R series, Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro, the last SLR, and a new supercar from Revenge. These cars show there is still a place for highly tuned engines with performance-oriented suspensions.
See photos of the fastest new cars from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
