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Cars we're thankful we drove in 2019

We drove a lot of cars in 2019, and there's still a month to go. We drove them in our home office in Michigan, at our remote offices in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Columbus, Ohio, and throughout the globe on myriad press launches. We could count them, but hey, that seems boastful.  Instead, we want to be thankful. Not only for the opportunity to do this wonderful task some might describe as a "job," but for the new, shiny cars that brighten our days (and most hopefully yours). We asked our fellow editors which car they were most thankful to drive in 2019 ... here are our answers. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Performance Senior Editor Alex Kierstein Every once in a while a car comes along that changes the narrative on a company or its segment, and everyone scrambles to experience it for themselves. This year, for me, that car’s the Veloster N Performance, perhaps the most transformative car the companyÂ’s ever built. Everyone whoÂ’s driven it, here and elsewhere, says it captures all those intangibles that make great driving hatchbacks great. And IÂ’m thankful that I got a go in it before all of them left the fleet, because it does. It upends the segment long dominated by the GTI, a car that nails its brief. The N is rowdy and loud, sure, but it also has some of the most deftly tuned suspension IÂ’ve come across in a front driver. My advice: if youÂ’re in the market for something fun and unique, go test drive a Veloster N. I think youÂ’ll be thankful you did. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N View 47 Photos 2019 Audi E-Tron Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder IÂ’m pleased that I got to drive the Audi E-Tron. ThatÂ’s high praise for a year in which I also drove the stellar Jaguar I-Pace. The E-Tron, while not as sporty as the Jaguar, is excellently executed, and feels like a more refined, polished offering. ItÂ’s quick, whisper-quiet, comfortable, stylish inside and out, and incredibly sturdy. Some may lament that it doesnÂ’t do much to stand out from ICE vehicles, but I donÂ’t think it needs to. What it does need to do is win over the electro-skeptical, and I think Audi put its best foot forward with a crossover that can do just that, and more. So, yeah, not only am I thankful that I got to drive it, IÂ’m glad that itÂ’s compelling enough that itÂ’ll hopefully make potential customers feel the same. 2020 Audi E-Tron View 13 Photos 2013 Peugeot 508 West Coast Editor James Riswick My choice totally sucks.

Meet the inventor of the BMW 3 Series wagon

It's hard to imagine, but once upon a time, there were only two BMW 3 Series variants: the coupe and sedan. Back before gran coupes, convertibles and yes, even touring models were available, buyers could only get their 3 Series fix if it came with two or four doors and a fixed roof. Back in the mid '80s, BMW engineer Max Reisbock was having some trouble fitting his whole family into his four door. Rather than suck it up and buy a van, he picked up a wrecked 3 Series and got to cutting in a buddy's garage. Months later, he had the very first 3 Series Touring ever built.
At first, he kept the the car to himself, using it to haul friends and family around, but he eventually showed it off to his friends at work. When the BMW executives found out about his project, they called him up to take a closer look. After putting an eyeball on the car, they took it, copied his design, made a few tweaks and quickly rolled out the first production 3 Series Touring. How's that for validation? Check out the video below for Reisbock's story.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive is an M and a 7, but not an M7

It's still not a proper M7, but the BMW M760i has a lot to offer. For one, it comes with BMW's silky smooth, 6.6-liter V12, good for 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. It looks elegant, even in its Geneva Motor Show-spec shade of matte gray. In terms of baller status Bimmers, this is top-shelf stuff. Or is it? As I discussed in the earlier M760i post, the newly announced Alpina B7 xDrive has just as much power, is quicker to accelerate, and will run to a higher top speed. No, it doesn't come with that awesome V12, but it's a frickin' Alpina, complete with those super rad 21-inch wheels. But I digress. The M760i xDrive (that's all-wheel drive) is quite a beast to behold, and I'm sure it'll stack up nicely with the Mercedes-Benz S600s and Audi A8 W12s of the world. Check it out in the galleries above and below. View 18 Photos The All-New 2017 BMW M760i xDrive. - Superb performance and exceptional luxury combined. - The allure of the most powerful BMW V12 production engine. - First BMW 7 Series M Performance Automobile. Today, BMW announced the all-new BMW M760i xDrive, the latest addition to the BMW M Performance line-up. With the introduction of the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive, the sixth generation BMW 7 Series adds the first M Performance TwinPower Turbo 12-cylinder to its offerings. The all-new BMW M760i xDrive combines luxurious driving, style, safety and innovative technologies while embodying M Performance dynamics with the integration of the first 12-cylinder gasoline engine with M Performance Twin Power Turbo technology. The BMW M760i xDrive will arrive early in 2017 and MRSP will be announced closer to launch. The allure of the most powerful BMW V12 production engine. The M Performance TwinPower Turbo 12-cylinder gasoline engine in the new BMW M760i xDrive has a displacement of 6,592 cc, developing 600 hp (preliminary figure) at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 590 lb-ft from as low as 1,500 rpm. These performance figures enable the luxury sedan to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds (preliminary figure) and on to a governed top speed of 155 mph. During the development of the all-aluminum block, the engineers focused on maximizing rigidity while also minimizing weight. Using a closed- deck construction combined with bolts holding the cylinder head down on the bed plate of the crankcase, the engine ensures maximum stability on the cylinder liners.