The 2010 Executive Road Warrior calendar is now available online for purchase.
This calendar captures the elegance and power of BMW’s latest masterpiece, the new Z4. Jonathan Spira was one of the first to drive the new Z4 in both Europe and the U.S.
This calendar includes 13 photographs of the car taken in places ranging from Vienna, Austria to New York City to Los Angeles.
It covers all three models, the Z4 sDrive23i, the Z4 sDrive30i, and the Z4 sDrive35i as well as the art project based on the Z4, An Expression …

When is a BMW 5 Series not a BMW 5 Series?  Answer: when it’s a BMW 550i Gran Turismo.
The 2010 BMW 550i GT is built on the same platform as the new F01 7 Series, introduced last year, and might best be viewed as a kind of 7 Series wagon, despite its 5 Series moniker (clearly Munich agonized about what to call this car) and four-door coupé-like appearance.  It’s definitely a niche vehicle with the combination of 7 Series legroom, X5 headroom, and a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine.  The GT sits …

Why does the stereo keep turning itself on, I kept asking myself.  I would start the car, turn the radio off, enjoy the beautiful music of the motor… and the next time I turned the car back on, the blasted radio was on again.
Since the first 911 appeared in 1963, Porsche has been on a singular mission, namely that of making the world’s most iconic sports car.
Porsches are also different.  Long after it was fashionable, the 911 sported a rear-engine, air-cooled design.  Today the engine is still in the rear …

Most people consider themselves to be good drivers, myself included.  I signal for every turn, I don’t overtake on the right, I don’t text while driving , I limit my hands-free telephone conversations, and I try to always be aware of my surroundings.
I’ve gone through multiple BMW, BMW CCA, and Skip Barber driving schools and each has given me new insights into what my car is capable of and, more importantly, how to best react in an emergency situation.
I know from personal experience how important it is to be able …

Some things are a given.  For example, a coupe has two doors, and a Volkswagen is an inexpensive car.  Today, these presumptions are falling by the wayside.
The latest four-door coupe, the Volkswagen CC, continues a trend from German manufacturers, namely Mercedes with the CLS and BMW with the X6.
The CC is also a very expensive looking Volkswagen
Volkswagen tried expensive before, with the Phaeton.  Although it was a superbly crafted übersedan, customers in the U.S. simply weren’t prepared to come into a Volkswagen dealership and spend between $60,000 to $100,000.  Volkswagen …

My all-too-brief stay in the Kamptal (Kamp Valley) was over. I reluctantly left the Loisium hotel in Langenlois around 10:15 for Vienna.
First order of business: top down. The top takes only 20 seconds to retract and it appears far more robust than earlier generation retractable hardtops, which seemed a bit fragile in construction. The interior features generous amounts of space; even with the top up, I never felt claustrophobic. With the top down, which is the way this car is meant to be driven, …

While Austria is synonymous to many for music and culture, its wines don’t have the renown that those of other European countries have.  Austria has, however, 51,213 hectares of vineyards, mostly in the eastern part of the country.  I’m visiting  the province of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), which has over 31,000 hectares of vineyards, to be followed by a visit to Vienna (over 600 hectares but it’s the only capital city in the world to have its own wine region) and then I will visit the Burgenland, which has over 15,000 …

The Audi A4 is completely redesigned for 2009, sleeker on the outside and roomier on the inside, and offers a choice of two very different powerplants.  Our test model arrived with the 2-liter turbo-charged four-cylinder engine (the other engine is a 3.2-liter V-6).  Not to worry: with 258 pound-feet of torque, more than the V-6 can muster, the four-banger holds its own very nicely.
The A4 Avant is a very attractive wagon, almost coupe-like in its roof line, and driving it made me wonder why anyone would want an SUV when …

Two words you don’t often hear together are “Volvo” and “excitement.”  With the snazzy (there’s another word you don’t often hear) Volvo C30, drivers are in for a new kind of Volvo, hopefully a harbinger of things to come.
The C30 oozes cool and hip from any direction.  The large glass hatch, which contributes to excellent visibility from the driver’s seat, gives the rear a unique look that recalls the highly regarded Volvo P1800, ca. 1971, which was Roger Moore’s conveyance of choice in The Saint.  The front, which retains traditional …

Is it a station wagon or eco-friendly SUV?  The 2009 Subaru Forester continues Subaru’s tradition of reliable and relatively nondescript vehicles.  For 2009, the Forester has been completely redesigned, shedding its somewhat nerdy exterior for a plain but attractive look.
Interior materials are of high quality; the cloth seats were cool in very hot weather.  The longer wheelbase makes the car feel incredibly roomy.  The panoramic sunroof, spanning front and rear seats, gives the car an almost convertible-like feeling at times.
Safety is key at Subaru. The Forester has an electronic stability …