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Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.

Prosecutors in Argentina wants Top Gear to stand trial

Jeremy Clarkson may have left Top Gear behind, but some of his actions on the show may come back to haunt him. Prosecutors in Argentina reopened a criminal case against Clarkson last week, which may result in a prison sentence, over last year's now infamous insulting license plate incident, the Telegraph reported. Top Gear, and Clarkson in particular, had a reputation for going out of their way to insult other cultures. Clarkson was already on notice for racist remarks and social media posts when he punched a producer, ending his career at the BBC. So it was not a huge surprise when the team ran into trouble in Argentina while filming a 1,400-mile road trip for the show's 2014 Christmas special. Now for the history; Argentina and England have a long running disagreement that goes all the way back to the age of empire. At various times, a small set of islands off the coast of Argentina, called the Falklands, have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. Britain claimed for their own in 1833. In 1982, Argentina and Britain fought a short, bloody war over the islands. Britain emerged victorious and still holds the islands to this day, though Argentina still claims them. Enter the Top Gear lads and their cars. Clarkson was driving a Porsche 928 with a license plate reading H982 FLK. Producers for the show deny up and down that the plates were not intended to cause such ire. Intentional or no, residents took the plate as a jab at the country's defeat in 1982. First, Clarkson was banned from the city where the road trip was supposed to wrap up. Then, angry Argentines threw stones at the hosts, forcing Top Gear to abandon filming and flee the country. In April, a judge deemed the plates intentionally disrespectful and blamed the show for causing a riot. Now the case is being reopened in Argentine courts, partly at the urging of veterans from the Falklands War. Prosecutors are saying that Top Gear changed the Porsche's plates with full knowledge that such actions were illegal. The case could take years to wind its way through the court system and drag all three Top Gear presenters in front of a judge. At the end, if found guilty, Clarkson could face three years in an Argentine prison.

Modded budget Mazda Miata takes on new Porsche Boxster in more challenges

Earlier this month, our friends across the pond at Auto Express released the first in a two-video series that would see them try and build up a second-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata that could best a standard Porsche Boxster around the track. While that first video detailed the mods to the MX-5 - a supercharger, some suspension upgrades and a new set of super-sticky rubber being chief among them - and set baseline lap times for the stock car, today, we have the results of the 5,000-pound ($8,200) upgrade job.
Of course, we aren't going to spoil those for you. You'll need to watch the full video, which recaps the upgrades before digging into a comparison of both straight-line-speed differences between the 2.7-liter Porsche Boxster and blown Miata, as well as their behavior and lap times on the track.
Take a look and let us know what you think in Comments.