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Car and Driver 10Best list cracked by Tesla Model S, BMW 3 Series left off

Car and Driver is keeping new blood pumping into its annual 10Best cars list with three new entries making it on for 2015 and a perennial favorite falling off. Among the biggest shocks this year is that the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series are no longer named, despite years of some portion of that lineup earning a mention. In another surprise, the Tesla Model S (specifically in S 60 trim to fit under the $80,000 cost cap) makes it to the 2015 roster and is the only electrically motivated member of the group. Despite the loss of the 3 Series, BMW isn't entirely shut out this year, because the M235i gets its name on the list. Car and Driver argues that the little coupe feels like a welcome throwback to the E46 chassis M3 of the early 2000s. In addition to the Model S, the final newbie to the annual group is the 2015 Ford Mustang GT. The inclusion of these new members knocks the Audi A6/A7 family and Ford Fiesta ST out from the 2014 rundown. The other seven models carry over from last year, including the Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Honda Accord, Mazda3, Mazda6, Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Volkswagen Golf/GTI. The 2015 10Best cars list certainly seems to have something for everyone from the hot hatch fan to the family man and even the green car driver, thanks to the addition of the Tesla. Head over to Car and Driver to read its detailed explanations for each vehicle's inclusion, but if you've got a difference of opinion or just really like the list, let us know in Comments. Featured Gallery Car and Driver 2015 10Best Cars List View 10 Photos News Source: Car and DriverImage Credit: Car and Driver, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Porsche, Tesla, Volkswagen Auto News BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Ford Honda Mazda Porsche Tesla Volkswagen Convertible Coupe Hatchback Performance Sedan 10Best

2017 Porsche 911 gains AWD traction for its turbos [w/video]

The new 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (in all its numerous iterations) joins its downsized, turbocharged, rear-drive brethren, but adds the benefit of an electro-hydraulically controlled all-wheel-drive system. These latest additions to the 911 family feature all updates applied to the new Carrera, both cosmetic and functional. The rear-end bodywork is also widened by 1.7 inches, with a light strip running across the tail. There are two engine choices, but either way you're getting a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six. The base version produces 370 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, while the S model cranks up to 420 hp and 368 lb-ft. Then you'll need to choose your transmission: seven-speed manual or dual-clutch. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) suspension comes standard, but the Sport Chrono package (which adds a 918-inspired drive mode selector switch on the steering wheel) is an option. Four-wheel steering is available on 4S models as well. And of course you'll need to choose between body-styles. There are three in all: coupe, convertible, or Targa – each available in either engine tune. Those are largely the same choices you'd have to have made for the previous models, but now they're faster and more powerful, while delivering up to 12-percent higher efficiency. Zero-to-60 times are down 0.3 seconds over the preceding, naturally aspirated models: the Carrera 4 is quoted at 3.9 seconds, and the 4S at just 3.6. Convertible and Targa models add 0.2 seconds to those times, with top speeds ranging from 178 to 189 miles per hour. Pricing for the US starts at $97,295 (with delivery) for the new 911 Carrera 4, and stretches all the way up to $123,595 for the Targa 4S. Don't feel the need to rush your decision though, as the all-wheel-drive 911s won't start hitting dealers Stateside until April of next year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. THE PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4 AND 911 TARGA 4 MODELS WITH NEW TURBOCHARGED ENGINES AND ENHANCED ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEMS ATLANTA, Oct. 6, 2015 -- With the new 2017 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Targa 4 models, the traction advantage courtesy of an enhanced all-wheel drive system is paired with innovative turbocharged engines that are more powerful and consume less fuel than their predecessors.

Despite premium carmakers going downmarket, luxury auto sales stick at 10-11%

According to research conducted by global information company IHS Automotive, the leporine birthing of new models by luxury manufacturers over the past six years hasn't increased their market share in the US. Even as car sales reached 15.6 million units, IHS says what's happened instead is that luxury buyers are merely moving from one brand to another, moving from larger luxury vehicles into hot segments like compact luxury crossovers or leaving the market at the same rate as other buyers enter.
Whether broken out by makes or by segment, market share has rollercoastered inside a narrow band from 10.5 to 11.5 percent since "at least" 2008. Closer investigation reveals the shifting boundaries in the aspirational pond, with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audi gaining territory as Lexus and Lincoln lost it, and Saab and Hummer were buried, dead, under it. One neat note is that Tesla has gone from a share of zip to .12 percent.
The subcompact and compact crossover segments show growth, with those little high-riders jumping from .3 percent to 1.16 percent of overall industry sales. Their rise, though, is concomitant with the decline of four other segments: compact and midsize cars and fullsize cars and SUVs. We think the next few years that will tell if the small-car expansion can overcome the large-car retraction, with a phalanx of smaller offerings like the CLA only recently hitting the market and others like the GLA, Macan and Q1 doing so in the near future.