Porsche AG announced Feb. 16 that the name for its upcoming compact crossover will be Macan. The name is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger, which the company says bestows an image of “suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics – core characteristics of the new off-road car,” Bernhard Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, said in a release. “The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound...

A car for the senses and a sensation for the driver: New car test: 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC and Gran Cabrio Sport “My Maserati does 185 …” and you probably can sing along to the “Life’s Been Good” hit by Joe Walsh. That was from his wild and crazy days when he could afford to lose his license. And the reworked 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC is the fastest and most powerful car in the Maserati...

Volkswagen of America released photos of the redesigned 2013 Volkswagen CC four-door coupe, which will have its public debut during media days at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Nov. 16 and 17. It will go on sale in the U.S. this spring. The midcycle “refresh” includes new front and rear styling and more standard equipment, including Bi-Xenon headlights with the Adaptive Front Lighting System and LED taillights. The CC debuted four years ago and nearly...

Alert officers of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection saved a long-stolen 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo from being shipped from Long Beach to the Netherlands. The CBP announced Oct. 25 that the Outbound Enforcement Team at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport discovered the car in a container to be exported to the Netherlands. In a check of the Vehicle Identification Number, it was learned the vehicle was reported stolen Las Vegas in Nov. 1988. Nevada...

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, with a new lithium-ion battery, is now available in two models for ordering in 14 launch states, with deliveries beginning in spring, 2012. The base model has a starting price of $32,760 and the Prius Plug-in Advanced starts at $40,285, including the $760 freight charge from Japan. Both models are expected to qualify for a federal tax credit of approximately $2,500. The plug-in model is based on the third-generation Prius...

The 429-hp, Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec sedan is a halo model with global aspirations, but this car is no angel. The 5.0 R-Spec has a tuned suspension that feels like BMW; it has the commanding substance of Mercedes-Benz; and the millimeter-tight assembly for which Lexus is known. To these positive similarities, the Genesis adds a big, booming presence that is unique to this car. It is a collection of advanced Hyundai engineering, of which only...

Reader Greg Gieselman onpassed this link for a video of a 1936 car-assembly line. He said it “is certainly a history lesson in only a few minutes about where these things we find so important came from years ago.” Ergonomcs? We don’t need no stinkin’ ergonomics in the 1936 workplace! http://veh.cl/31v

  The once subcompact Nissan Versa sedan has been re-engineered on a larger platform and  restyled with enough interior capacity to push it into the compact class – but with subcompact pricing. With starting prices ranging from $11,750 to around $18,000, Versa now has more appeal, ranging from misers to young families. It has incredible back seat room and a trunk for elephants.

New car test: Chrysler 300 SRT8 with the big, tire-smoking Hemi gives a big-guns salute that will make American sedan drivers sit a little taller in the seat. This 470-horsepower, “big” Hemi, 6.4 liter V-8 is a likeable, over-the-top show of force – with luxury finesse. It will smoke the rear tires like a drag car, launch to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and get 23 mpg on the highway on the daily...

Lamborghini revealed during the Frankfurt auto show in mid-September what it calls the most extreme Gallardo ever: the LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale. Based on the all-wheel-drive race car used in Lamborghini’s European race series, the 570-hp, V-10 Super Trofeo Stradale brings motor racing directly to the road, the company says. The lightweight production model will be limited to 150 numbered units. Pricing starts at $258,400, including the gas-guzzler tax ($2,100) and the freight charge, $2,995....