2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Base Price: $65,390

As-Tested Price: $71,485

Drivetrain: 6.2-liter supercharged V8; RWD, six-speed manual

Output: 556 hp @ 6,100 rpm, 551 lb-ft @ 3,800 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,209 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 16/15.4 mpg

Options: Heated and vented Recaro high performance seats, metal pedals ($3,400); black diamond tricoat exterior paint ($995); 19-inch satin graphite wheels ($800); midnight sapele wood trim package ($600); suede steering wheel and shifter ($300)

Buy a New Cadillac CTS at shopautoweek.com

The 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is world class and can compete with other 500-plus horsepower sport coupes out there especially when you look at the price. At $71k, this is a performance bargain.

The supercharged powertrain is a delight, with smooth linear power delivered locomotive-like. The engine just keeps pulling to redline, then bang, grabs another gear and gets delighted all over again. I had no trouble with heel/toe shifting my only complaint with the car is the clutch pedal was such that I was pushing the lever as much as the pedal. The angle is odd.

The six-speed manual has nice short throws and the Alcantara-topped shifter and steering wheel add to the performance bend of the car.

The Recaros have terrific side bolsters and are infinitely adjustable. They even have really nice lumbar support.

Overall, I would rank this car at the very top of GM cars I'd want in my garage, right along with a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Few cars in the General's stable pack more of a performance punch along with some edgy styling. The car is an attention-grabber, both for its exterior looks, and from behind the wheel. The CTS-V delights in many ways.

By: ROGER HART

Ford Flex 2013

The Ford Flex, is, of course, the Taurus's wagony analogue, the glitzy, boxy companion to the D-segment sedan that the unlamented Freestyle never was to the Taurus's daddy, the Five Hundred. What this particular Flex is is the freshened-for-2013 version.

While the basics remain the same, Ford's updated the styling of its boxy seven-seater, offering a front-end treatment more avant garde than that of the previous car--or even that of the 2005 Fairlane concept which spawned the Flex. The blue oval grille badge is gone, replaced by extra-width "FLEX" lettering spanning the hood's leading edge.

Inside, Ford upgraded the materials and redesigned the dash, offering touch-sensitive buttons à la the Chevrolet Volt's center stack--though the look is decidedly 1970s Aston Martin Lagonda--minimal rather than the Volt's Starfleet hodgepodge. Furthermore, the new Flex ships with the updated version of the often-cursed MyFord Touch. Some 300,000 people are now using the infotainment system, and we presume that some of them are happy with it.

Under the skin, Ford upped the power of the available engines. The 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 now makes 288 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque, and the EcoBoost twin-turbo six pumps out 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. Mileage improves as well, up a tick to 18/25 mpg for the FWD naturally aspirated base model and 16/23 mpg for the AWD EcoBoost version. A six-speed slushbox is still the only available transmission.

We sampled an AWD Flex Limited EcoBoost. If you've driven the previous model, the new wagonoid will feel like a subtle yet substantial improvement. Ford added sound-deadening insulation, recalibrated the steering and imparted the handling with an aura of solidity that pairs well with the upgraded interior. Ford also beefed up the brakes, which now offer fine modulation and confidence-inspiring stopping power.

The turbocharged six never overwhelms the chassis, nor does it feel underpowered. Call the thrust level "adequate" in the Rolls-Royce manner. Not that the Flex is Rolls refined. There's a hint of coarseness to everything Ford builds on the D3/D4 platform (the MKS, the MKT, the Taurus, the Explorer, the Flex) that the company has yet to entirely iron out. It's not bad, it just feels as if it should somehow be better.

2013 Ford Flex
On Sale: Spring 2012
Base Price: $30,885
Drivetrain:288-hp, 254-lb-ft, 3.5-liter V6/365-hp, 350-lb-ft, 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6; FWD/AWD, six-speed automatic
Fuel Economy: 3.5-liter: 20 mpg (FWD), 19 mpg (AWD); 3.5-liter turbo: 18 mpg (AWD)

By: Davey G. Johnson

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

The numbers
6162cc, V8, RWD, 432bhp, 420lb ft, 22.0mpg, 304g/km CO2, 0-62 in 5.2secs, 155mph, 1920kg

The verdict
Brilliant-handling muscle car, but surprisingly expensive and terrifyingly heavy. Too easy to resist

If our understanding of engineering is anything to go by, removing a car's roof tends to make the driving experience a bit... fluctuant. Especially if it's enormous and American. But the new Euro-spec rag-top Camaro's confounded us - it handles beautifully.

Which is probably because it's not a dollar-driven afterthought. The convertible was designed alongside the tin-top, so a lot of the bracing's been massaged into the shell, not bolted on later - that keeps weight down, closing the dynamic gap between the 'vert and coupe. But at 1,920kg (125kg more than the fixed head) it's still very ponderous.

Wrestling the mass are two engines, both 6.2-litre V8s. There's a 432bhp LS3 that comes with a six-speed manual 'box and a 405bhp L99 with a six-speed auto.

They're quick enough, but both struggle to feel as fun as the numbers suggest. They're thirsty, too - despite the L99's Active Fuel Management system (it shuts down four of the eight cylinders during light loads), it only manages 22mpg. They make a pretty noise, though, which you get a lot more of in the scalped version.

So far, so muscle car. But it gets interesting underneath - instead of a leaf sprung/live axle rear end, there's an independent set-up with Euro-only stiffened dampers and a pair of repositioned and reshaped anti-roll bars. Which means it does the unthinkable - it corners. Like a proper sports car.

It's not exactly unruffled, but body roll's minimal and it's GT-like in its compliance on the open road.

There is, however, a problem. The auto costs £41,495 (manual is £39,999), which seems offensively pricey for something that trades on affordable fun. It gets worse when you notice the wobbly seat stitching and frail trim - something not endemic of other Euro GM cars. Then there's the inconvenience of left-hand-drive, cramped rear legroom, dim fuel economy...

But, let's face it, buying a muscle car in the UK transcends judgement - it's all about visual pheromones and cultural connotations. And, of the current over-priced, under-built crop available in the UK, at least it handles.