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Aston Martin may have been spun out of the Ford orbit, but a decade’s worth of Ford investments in the British brand reveals itself the instant you open the doors to the 2009 Vantage roadster, an anti-Porsche 911 sports coupe or convertible with finesse and verve equal to its gorgeous custom-built aluminum body.

Aston provided a new Vantage for us to drive in Southern California recently, and within a few cloud-covered miles tooling away from LAX, the differences with other vaguely competitive supercars drew themselves neatly. The 911’s heft, the Maserati Gran Turismo’s lushness and the Nissan GT-R’s raw ambition contrast heavily with the Vantage, down to its airliner-style bonded-aluminum body, to the LED lighting on the glovebox button. The Aston’s unique in the group–a little less expensive and a little less fast than the 911 Turbo, a little pricier than the Maserati and the Audi R8 supercar. More a testament to exclusivity and understated details than unadulterated power, it’s classically British, reserved but only to a degree.

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These are the first rendered images of the new Audi A3, including the new saloon model that has been conceived to help sales in North America.

The new Audi A3 will go on sale in early 2011 and the saloon model will sit alongside the hatchback, sportback and cabriolet body styles.

“We’ve taken a good look at what it will take to better establish the A3 in the US market in the future,” said an Audi insider. “The four-door layout is something North American car buyers continue to seek, especially from a premium brand such as Audi.”

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When Volkswagen hopped up a Golf back in 1976, it invented a niche that came to be known as the Hot Hatchback segment. With just 100 horsepower, it’s difficult now to think that was hot…but it was. Hey, it was 1976 and polyester, John Travolta and the BeeGees were cool, too.

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Formula 1 weekend in Australia starts with an interesting race between a BMW 135i Coupe with Performance parts on it, a BMW Sauber F1 monopost and a V8 Supercar.

Yes, we know, it’s not a fair race nor it was ever meant to be, but those comparisons are always more fun. And NO, the 135i Coupe tii branded, will not win this, but it gives us another chance to see car in action.

It is equipped with the BMW Performance Aerodynamic package,  performance brakes 18″ light-allow wheels. Carbon fiber side mirrors, boot lid and other elements, complete the image of a a car that many BMW fans have been fantasizing about.

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The thing that’s always kept me from wanting a hybrid car is that they aren’t all that fast. And the ones that are fast cost too much money. That might change with Toyota’s MR2 Hybrid.

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It’s one thing to evaluate a car along the highways and byways of Canada, but I recently got to check out a sports supercar at one of the world epicenters of performance motoring - Maranello, home of legendary Italian manufacturer Ferrari.

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Though the mini Honda Fit debuted only two years ago for the 2007 model year as the automaker’s highest-mileage, lowest-priced car, it already has been redesigned.

Dimensions were stretched, a more potent engine added and amenities upgraded so it wouldn’t be considered your basic econocar.

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In 2009, the award-winning, economical, five-door Suzuki SX4 Crossover is America’s most affordable all-wheel-drive vehicle for the third year in a row. The feature-packed SX4 Crossover, which provides the platform for Suzuki’s World Rally Championship (WRC) effort, is the perfect expression of the Suzuki brand DNA: enjoyable to drive but admirably frugal; a compact footprint outside but roomy and versatile inside; easy to afford but equipped like a vehicle in a higher segment.

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Though fuel prices have gone down a bit over the past few weeks, it seems “fuelish” that consumers would go back to their big SUV, gas-guzzling ways. If you need utility for five in a great, small package, you should strongly consider the 2009 Honda Fit (known as Honda Jazz).

The Fit is now in its second generation, and the 2009 model is all-new. The new Fit features a “super-forward” design that pushes the wheels out to the corners, offering a spacious interior that belies its diminutive exterior dimensions. A new larger windshield and large front quarter windows ensure a clear, unobstructed view to the front. Side and rear views are also very good - a safety feature sometimes overlooked by consumers on ten-minute test drives.

It should also be noted that despite Fit’s small size, it is a very safe platform. The introduction of Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure contributes to enhanced safety and is combined with improvements to body rigidity for crisp handling and a surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride. Expect high marks for Fit in U.S. Government and insurance industry crash testing.
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