First Drive: 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo S

Story, video, and photos by John LeBlanc

MODENA, Italy–If not for growing up here in the shadow of the Maserati brothers, Enzo Ferrari’s greatest claim to fame might have been as a World War I mule-skinner in the Italian army Read more

Comparo: Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8, Porsche 911 Carrera S

Story and photos by John LeBlanc

Some find the Audi R8’s victory as the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s 2008 Car of the Year a bit hollow.

Like winning a Formula One race because Ferrari, McLaren and BMW got lost on the way to the race circuit, with the R8’s real competitors not participating in the annual AJAC TestFest event, the $139,900 Audi didn’t break a sweat on its way to victory.

So in terms of pure driving appeal, how does Audi’s new flagship stand up against similarly performing under-$150,000 – dare we say affordable? – exotics like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Porsche’s venerable 911 Carrera S? Read more

First Drive: 2009 Lamborghini LP-560 4 Coupé

Story, video, and  photos by John LeBlanc

LAS VEGAS–It’s challenging enough for Lamborghini’s Gallardo to keep up with recently updated super sports car rivals, such as the Ferrari F430 Scuderia and Porsche 911 GT2.

But now that its corporate kid brother, Audi’s R8 – a newer vehicle that doesn’t exist without the four-year-older Gallardo’s space frame chassis – has started getting mentioned in the same mid-engine sports car breath, it’s time to reset the family hierarchy for 2009. Read more

First Drive: 2009 Lexus IS-F

Story, video and photo by John LeBlanc

Calabogie, Ont.–Despite unquestionable success catering to the luxury classes, Lexus has never ventured into the factory hot rod part of the market, a segment autobahn-bred German makes have ruled for decades.

But Toyota’s luxury brand says its new $64,400 IS F super sports sedan, its first “truly authentic” performance car, was created to take on such sport sedans as the $69,900 BMW M3 and $63,500 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG – icons already firmly implanted in the performance souls of well-to-do driving enthusiasts, and all recently updated. Read more

First Drive: 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster

Story and photo by John LeBlanc

DALLAS–As stereotypes go, Texans are about as big as the Lone Star state they live in, so a drive in search of the “real Texas” should have been easy pickings.

Especially when the locale is the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolis, which, in my mind, should have been about as “Texan” as a chicken ranch whorehouse and growing up to be president. Read more

« go back — keep looking »