By John Heilig

Model: 2013 Scion FR-S
Engine: 2.0-liter horizontally opposed 4
Horsepower/Torque: 200 hp @ 7,000 rpm/151 lb.-ft. @ 6,400-6,600
Transmission: 6-speed manual or automatic with paddle shifters
Wheelbase: 101.2 in.
Length x Width x Height: 166.7 x 69.9 x 50.6 in.
Tires: P215/45R17 Michelin summer tires
Cargo: 6.9 cu. ft.
Economy: 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway (manual), 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway (automatic)
Fuel capacity: 13.2 gal.
Curb Weight: 2,578 lbs. (manual), 2,806 (automatic)
Sticker: $24,200 (manual transmission), $25,300 (automatic transmission)
Five reasons to buy this car:
1. Great sports coupe
2.Excellent performance
3. …

By Don Hammonds
Hybrids were big at this year’s North American International Auto show in Detroit.
Whether in production or concept form, it’s clear that those interested in outstanding gasoline mileage and sensitivity to the environment will be in good shape in years to come. Let’s take a look:
2013 Toyota Prius c
Toyota smells a market out there for an inexpensive hybrid, and now it’s got one: the upcoming 2013 Toyota Prius c.

    The new Prius c will have Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive® technology …

By Don Hammonds
It’s that time for Mercedes-Benz’s storied SL —–the unveiling of an all-new generation to tempt and delight lovers of fine cars everywhere.
It will make its debut at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

And when we say all-new, that’s just what we mean.  For the first time in its history, the SL will have an all-aluminum body, a sensible move given concerns in the industry about stringent new fuel mileage regulations and getting the …

 
By Don Hammonds, executive editor
This model year promises to be a blockbuster one, with so many new models coming out that you’ll need a scorecard to keep up with it all.
Yet, amid the dozens of new models, and hundreds of continuing ones, there are still some diamonds that we believe will shine far above the others before the model year’s out. 
We selected our picks based on their impact on the automotive market, their uniqueness, in some cases, their transformations from …

By John Heilig
SPECIFICATIONS   Model: 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited Convertible
 Engine: 3.6-liter V6
 Horsepower/Torque: 283 hp @ 6,400 rpm/260 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm
 Transmission: 6-speed automatic
 Wheelbase: 108.9 in.
 Length/Width/Height: 194.8 x 72.5 x 57.8 in.
 Tires: P225/50R18 Cargo volume: 6.6/13.1 cu. ft. (top down/up)
 Fuel economy: 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway/18.8 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 16.9 gal.
 Curb weight: 3,977 lbs.
 Sticker: $35,355 (includes $750 destination charge and $3,365 in options)
   Five reasons to buy this car
1. It’s a convertible 2. It’s a coupe 3. Nice looking 4. Fun …

By Don Hammonds
Lives there a man or woman who hasn’t dreamed of driving a BMW?
We at Automobile Journal have our favorites, too.  One of us owns 3 Series, another craves the big 7 Series. And me?  I have a 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible, which you will never, ever get me to give up, short of death.
But it happens that I also love the 6 Series models too.  So you can imagine my–and our whole staff’s joy–at word that a new …

Mercedes-Benz has just pulled a fast one again.
The fast one in question is the new 2012 C63 AMG Coupe designed by Mercedes-AMG, sibling to the  C63 AMG Sedan.

The source of the lightning speed is the  AMG 6.3-liter , 451 horsepower V8 engine in the C63 AMG Coupe,with peak torque of  443 lb-ft. How does  from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Top speed is 155 miles per hour. 
The car has the AMG speedshift MCT seven speed sports transmission with standard “Controlled Efficiency” …

By Don Hammonds
Mercedes-Benz is having a pretty busy year, and the latest explanation for that, the 2012 C-Class Coupe, is making its debut tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show, and it will hit  U.S. showrooms in September. 
You’ll be able to get them in  302-hp C350 and 201-hp C250 versions.

“By extending the C-Class portfolio, we are consciously targeting new customers,” says Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “The new model is youthful, stylish and expressive. What …

By Don Hammonds
Remember the magazine battles between Chevy and Ford back  in the day?
Well, they are back with a vengeance, and boy are we auto writers types gonna have a blast! The Camaro ZL1, which debuts today at the Chicago Auto Show, is back and Chevy says its an ultra high technology beast on four wheels.

According to a news release from General Motors, ” It is the highest-performing Camaro and the most technically advanced car ever developed in its class. The …

This year’s North American International Auto Show will be remembered as the year when small cars ruled.
Just about everybody had one new one–or more– to show, and pick up trucks and big cars were, well—–so yesterday. 
The good thing is that with few exceptions, just about everyone had something new and fresh to show–there wasn’t much duplication of efforts or look-alikes, for once, and we can all only hope that auto designers continue to keep their voices original and ground breaking …