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Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar's longtime managing director, is a happy man these days. Sure, Jaguar is just as susceptible to the worldwide economic slowdown as any other purveyor of luxury goods, but O'Driscoll's eyes light up when he explains that the company's lineup is undergoing a wholesale metamorphosis in the twenty-four-month period that began in January 2008 and ends this December. The misbegotten X-type is gone; the all-new XJ, reportedly a stunner, will be in dealerships by December; and the XF sedan gets new V-8 engines for the 2010 model year (as do the XK coupe and convertible), including a supercharged version that powers the new, high-performance XFR.

For 24 months a small group of engineers and designers worked on a special project to reduce the weight and increase the power of the Continental GT. What you see before you is the result. The Continental Supersports - the name comes from the original 3-liter model introduced in 1925 - will be the fastest road-going car in the company's 90 year history.

The governmental activity aimed at stimulating the economy may significantly impact the arrival of affordable, mass-market plug-in electric and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Likes:
The sleek Scandinavian interior with brushed aluminum.
The gorgeous matte-wood accents (part of the $2995 Premium Package).
The funky and distinct exterior styling.

The Ford Flex is not your soccer mom's crossover. Despite its roots in the genteel woody wagons of the past - its antecedent, the 2005 Ford Fairlane concept, was inspired partly by Ralph Lauren - the Flex is street tough and street smart. It cries out for customization the way a bare wall in Brooklyn cries out for paint.