Lexus finally gets around to adding some sporting sparkle to its flagship LS,   blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. Luxury cars don’t come more refined, or whisper-quiet, or silky-smooth than Lexus’ flagship LS. If ever there was an automotive equivalent of maple syrup with a whipped cream topping, this is it. Since its debut way back in 1990, it seems as though Lexus has been quite content to sit back and leave the driving excitement to the boys at BMW, Audi and Mercedes. To me, an ...

Porsche unveils its fastest 911 Turbo in 40 years, blogs Road Test  Editor Howard Walker Now that’s how you celebrate 40 years of magic! Back in 1973, Porsche introduced its first 911 Turbo creating essentially the first real-world, use-it-every-day Supercar. Forty years later, Porsche has unwrapped its greatest, and most potent 911 Turbo ever: '14 Turbo S, above. How potent? The new Turbo S model comes with a 560 horsepower twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six that can rocket you from st...

Adding luxury and shedding weight - 700 pounds of it - helps create the finest 4x4 by far, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. No longer can the abbreviation ‘SUV’ ever again be associated with that icon of British style and elegance, the Range Rover. Sport utility vehicle? You obviously haven’t laid eyes on the all-new version. There’s nothing even remotely utilitarian about this latest, fourth-generation Range Rover. Which is the reason why I’m officially changing its moniker from ‘SU...

BMW fills another teeny niche with its upcoming hatchback 3, blogs  Road Test Editor Howard Walker.  BMW these days seemingly has more niche models in its lineup than Whole Foods has cheese choices in its deli. And now, coming to a BMW showroom near you this summer is the latest answer to a question no one has really asked - the 3-Series Gran Turismo! So, how to describe it? Maybe a higher-riding hatchback version of the 3-Series sedan? Or maybe a less practical version of th...