Driving Sports

Western Automotive Journalists Gather For "Media Days" At Laguna Seca

The Western Automotive Journalists organization gathered this week in beautiful Monterey, Calif. to test drive the 2008 sports and luxury car field from virtually every automaker doing business in North America. Journalists from up and down the west coast arrived to test the full fleet of 2008 cars on the winding mountain roads of Carmel Valley and at speed on the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Yes, that's the new Nissan GT-R parked next to the NISMO Edition 350Z in the photo to the right. Yes, they're as good as you think they are.

Events such as this serve a number of purposes, including a rare chance for side-by-side tests of comparable cars from different automakers, and also to allow a relaxed atmosphere to talk shop with the manufacturer representatives. But I wouldn't lie to you and tell you it was anything like working - this event is big-time fun.

Volvo To Expand US SUV Lineup

Here are the first pictures of the new Volvo XC60. From what the Swedes are showing us, it looks like they're splitting the difference between their successful XC70 wagon and XC90 full-size SUV and looking to eat into the Acura and Lexus market shares.

"It's not only the safest Volvo ever. If you ask me, it's also the most stunning. Not a bad combination, is it?" says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp. Personally, I'm still a fan of the new C30 sport-hatch, but as Crossover SUVs go, the XC60 will certainly find its place.

The new XC60 has its premiere showing at the international car show in Geneva on March 4 and the first cars will reach dealers in Europe in autumn 2008.

2008 Volvo V70 Wagon Reviewed

Volvo’s been on a real winning streak for the past couple of years. With a great pair of SUVs in the XC90 and XC70, the hot new C30 hatchback to challenge the Germans and the Japanese, and a great line of sedans, the venerable Swedes have done a great job of breaking out of their boxy reputation.

Volvos are still about the safest cars on the market – the challenge that Volvo has met is to keep all the customers who were buying their legendary safety record and to attract the customers who want some excitement. Volvo wisely figured out that safety was nothing to be ashamed of – I’m a die-hard sports car guy, but I don’t want to die in a car crash any more than the next guy. That kinda limits your future driving opportunities.

So, what happens when the sports car guy looks out onto his driveway and finds a station wagon there for review?

2008 Volvo C30 Reviewed

It’s been over 30 years since Volvo offered us a true sports car, but the P1800 coupe and P1800ES hatchback cars are legendary. Not only did these cars have a loyal following on the road, but they were active and competitive in SCCA Club Racing well into the 1990s. The line started in 1961, and the last P1800ES rolled off the line in 1973 - but now Volvo has picked up that old torch and produced a new car that will put the venerable Swedish automaker back in the sports car market.

The 2008 Volvo C30 is a hot hatch built to compete with the MINI Cooper S, VW GTI, Mazda3, Audi A3, and the new Subaru WRX.  The C30 offers a 227-horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, mated to a feather-light 6-speed manual transmission (or 5-speed automatic, if you want to ruin the experience).

2008 Volvo XC70 Reviewed

Every October, the Northwest Automotive Press Association gathers for a two-day event called “Mudfest,” in which about 25 journalists put about 25 of the industry’s best SUVs through a fairly rigorous set of tests. We drive the rigs in both on-road and off-road tests, autocross, and we compare the window stickers and statistics. The result is a set of winners in various price categories, and an overall winner - the best SUV for the Pacific Northwest.

This year, that honor went to the Volvo XC70 crossover. While not a traditional SUV, the XC70 had it where it counted. And maybe the fact that the XC70 is more of a beefed-up station wagon than a truck-based SUV is what the journalists really liked. I know I voted for the XC70 as my favorite, and I’ll tell you why.