Autos

When the name Ferrari is mentioned, most of us think unpractical, fast and really beautiful cars.  Well, Ferrari has gone ahead and did something no one thought they’d ever do, they’ve created a hatchback that has Four Wheel Drive!  The FF (Ferrari Four) is the next generation of Ferrari GT cars and it replaces the 612 Scaglietti.

The FF has been caught testing with a lot of camouflage and automotive journalists were predicting a hatchback, but I thought Ferrari was doing that to throw people off.  I never would’ve thought they would actually produce a hatchback.

When Mercedes-Benz introduced the updated version of the C-Class (W204) in 2007, I fell in love with the car the moment I laid my eyes on it. The smooth lines and aggressive look was night and day difference compared to the previous generation.

For 2012, Mercedes has improved upon the look and also introduced the Coupe version. It was a matter of time before AMG got their hands on the all new 2012 C-Class.

As a former owner of a Mini Cooper S hatchback, I know how much fun these little cars can be and now there are even more choices for those looking for a small European car that emphasises fun; the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe.  The first thing you’ll notice is the absence of the boxy shape and in its place you’ll find a somewhat sporty looking body; you’ll also notice the back seats are no more.  The back seats were pretty cramped on the hatchback but they did come in handy for those emergency situations.

The styling of the new car is unmistakeably Mini, which in this case, is not a good thing.  It looks like BMW engineers cut the top off the Cooper and went through the parts bin and found some leftover pieces of metal and glass and welded them to the top.  The Mini Cooper Coupe looks like something you’d see a guy build in his back yard.  I find it to be extremely ugly and stupid (Jeremy Clarkson voice).  The styling of the car reminds of the “bowl cut” hair-style from the 90’s (picture on the right, just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about).

BMW recently ventured into the hybrid market with the ActiveHybrid X6, which was a major failure and will soon be retired.  They’re giving it a second go with the ActiveHybrid 5 Series sedan which will be available in March 2012.

The ActiveHybrid 5 sedan is based on the 535i and features the 300 horsepower 3.0 liter TwinPower turbocharged in-line 6-cylinder engine from the same model.  The total output on the hybrid version is increased to 335 HP, thanks to the addition of the electric motor, and up to 330 pound-feet of torque which is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.