Auto News 5

When Superstorm Sandy pummeled the East Coast at the end of October, its breadth and destructiveness were enough to drag down new-car sales for the month. But already in November, carmakers were seeing Sandy's opposite effect: a surge in new vehicle sales as buyers pocket their insurance checks and headed out to dealerships to replace their storm-ruined cars. (It's estimated that as many as 250,000 cars were destroyed.) That tailwind added to the trend of increasing volume driven by an aging national fleet, low interest rates, and improved credit availability. Overall, sales jumped 15% compared to last year, and the annualized clip topped 15 million units, the fastest pace so far in 2012.

The color scheme on this XKR S is spot-on: British racing green with a black convertible top and shiny black wheels over saddle brown leather seats with charcoal trim. It's modern yet traditional -- an aesthetic that Jaguar manages to create in every one of its vehicles. And as good as it looks, it sounds even better. The engine produces pure music and the exhaust bark is totally addictive. After I heard it the first time pulling away from a stop, I began timing the lights to experience it as many times as possible. Stop, accelerate, bark, repeat.

We closed our last update wondering how our Four Seasons Volkswagen Passat TDI would fare in colder months. We're still a few weeks away from the official start to Winter, but November's oscillating temperatures did provide a few occasions to see how the Passat performs once the mercury falls.