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Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.

New Lamborghini Aventador SVJ previewed in dealer's Instagram post

The new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ will officially be revealed Thursday evening at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the limited-edition supercar has already been shown in an Instagram post. British Lamborghini dealer HR Owen has been posting teaser materials of the SVJ, or Superveloce Jota, on Instagram, and showed the full frontal image of the SVJ today. In the photo, the SVJ's distinctive front vents can be seen, as well as the shape of the new rear wing. For future supercar spotters, the front bumper vents, reminiscent of nostrils, will be a good way to tell the SVJ from lesser Aventadors. There's also a new front splitter and a re-engineered dual-pipe exhaust system with aerodynamic benefits. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The SVJ has already claimed fame with its record-breaking Nurburgring Nordschleife lap of 6 minutes and 44.97 seconds in the hands of test driver Marco Mapelli. This made the SVJ the fastest production car on the track, and the lap time is 15 seconds faster than a regular Aventador SV. Reports say the SV's 739 horsepower will be bested by 20 in the SVJ, for a total of 759 horsepower; some reports claim an even bigger jump to 780. All in all, the SVJ is likely to be produced in extremely limited numbers. Related Video:

Lamborghini Gallardo successor to rock us like a Huracan?

Lamborghini is expected to drop the sheet on its replacement for the Gallardo later this month (think of it as an automotive Festivus gift), which means that speculation on the new supercar's looks and performance is reaching a fever pitch. While the discussion centers on powertrains, though, we're overlooking something equally important - the car's name.
We've been operating under the impression that it would be named Cabrera, after the Detroit Tigers eight-time All-Star and Triple-Crown-winning first baseman a famous line a fighting bulls, as per Lamborghini tradition. Now comes word that Lambo might be moving away from the bovine nomenclature, based on a 2012 trademark filing for the name Huracan. (Of course, it's entirely possible that Lambo historians will dig up some dusty lineage on a fighting bull with a breezy name).
That's left some wondering if the collective auto industry has it wrong. As AutoExpress points out, though, the Huracan trademark was filed at the same time the Italian brand registered the "Urus" name for its SUV concept. During that filing, Lambo also registered the name "Deimos," so really, this should all be taken with a grain of salt.