Car Pics And Review

COMPARISON TEST Ego Shrinkers: Will Americans ever be able to accept a driving life in a confined but economical package?

ROAD TEST Clawed Hammer: Jaguar’s new 470-hp, supercharged luxo-sport XJ is a leaper, a jumper, and a killer.

QUICK TAKE 2011 BMW 740i Half the available cylinder count but all the 7-series you need.

SHORT TAKE ROAD TESTS Add three parts style, one part big butt.

Forget the gold watch—Balboni gets his name engraved on 250 Lambos.

FIRST DRIVE REVIEWS A face that should launch a thousand quips.

A wicked, $250,000 high-five.

Still stands for Sharply Tuned Impreza.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta After taking its compact sedan upscale for American audiences, VW heads in the other direction.

FIRST RIDE The dual-clutch transmission comes to the world of motorcycles via the 170-hp VFR1200F.

FEATURES Family Jewels: To celebrate 25 years of the M3, BMW invites us to pummel all four generations at once, including the new GTS.

What has a 400-hp V-8, balloon tires, and a $340,000 price tag?

Chinese Takeout: In China, GM has Ford on the run.

Six steps to professional-quality car photography.

Building a parts empire for Italian jobs in Columbus.

My Little Runaway: A sand trap that trucks sometimes have to drive into.

Why the Golf Blue-E-Motion won’t beat the Nissan Leaf to market.

TECH DEPT.

Harder-working sensors yield safety and performance benefits.

COLUMNS “You Can’t Interview Me Here.”

Folks living around the 4000-square-mile salt flat in Bolivia may be in line for a Jed Clampett-like windfall.

Remembering Les Richter and Spen King.

GEAR BOX How Their Wines Qualify: Various well-known auto racers have put their names on some pricey hooch. We conduct a snooty tasting.

INTERVIEW He built the homely but speedy Consulier GTP in 1985 with a fortune the ex–Wall Streeter earned in money management. Now, at 61, he’s eyeing a U.S. Senate seat.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/information/october_2010-table_of_contents

Is it us, or does Dodge seem to have, well, a complex? A recent history of the Ram division: since 1994, the Dodge Ram pickup has been the very embodiment of rolling phallic architecture. Then more recently, the blocky Caliber compact came along and slammed the door on the bubbly Neon as if it was a Jehovah’s Witness administering a 6 a.m. wake-up call. And now, the Dodge creates its take on the Jeep Liberty—arguably one of the better-endowed mini-utes in the testosterone department—and makes it look as prissy as a French Poodle fresh back from the groomers.

Not that we’re complaining. Indeed, it’s about time that one of these car companies built a compact SUV that truly appeals to anyone with a Y chromosome but without making it look like it’s about ready to make a run for the Camel Trophy. For starters, the Nitro’s square-jawed, grinning face has a sort of retro-’80s hip-ness to it, like a single David Bowie getting ready for his first date with Iman. The prominently flared fenders are the automotive equivalent of the bulging deltoids on a Men’s Fitness cover model. Particularly when they’re filled out with the huge, optional 20-inch wheels, the Dodge trucklet earns more street cred than any "cute-ute" could ever handle. The only part that leaves us cold is the flat rear end, but at least it’s not ruined by an ugly spare tire, like on the Liberty.

Open a door and it’s more of the same. Though the interior offers no real surprises in the design department, that’s just as well, as "surprises" are more often concessions to the female in the household and come designed to match. No, the Nitro simply offers an ergonomic dashboard and pretty much all the equipment you’d expect at its price point. The base SXT version starts at $19,885 ($2140 cheaper than a base Liberty) and is rather modestly equipped with a "three-bomb" instrument cluster, black dash trim, cloth seats (all of which recline), A/C and a basic audio setup (yes, with a jack for your iPod). The mid-grade SLT ($23,295) and top-end R/T ($25,970) are significantly more comfortable, with basically the same equipment inside save the R/T’s seat stitching and additional logos. Specifically, SLT and R/Ts get dressier silver dash and door trim, a sliding cargo floor, and a longer options list that includes heated leather seats, a moonroof and a bunch more. The R/T also can be had with an optional red-and-black two-tone cloth interior.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/06q4/2007_dodge_nitro-first_drive_review