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Last fall, we joined Continental Tires at the Nardo proving ground in Italy, where eighteen tuner cars were invited to show off their top speeds on the 7.8-mile circular track. With our archaic speed limits in the United States, we often forget that you need serious tires to survive serious speeds. And serious speeds were definitely part of this program-have a look.inline_mediumwraptextright31799919/features/news/1002_rubber_ratings_tires_and_top_speeds1002_01_z+continental_tires_at_nardo+tuner_cars.jpgTrue

When you're seated in the back of the BMW 5-series Gran Turismo, it's not hard to imagine that you're in a car from the future. Your surroundings are very swoopy, the confines cozy but very open-feeling, thanks in large part to the glass all around you. If you need a break from the future, watching a movie or reclining a heated/ventilated rear chair for a nap is simple.inline_mediumwraptextright26664962/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_bmw_550i_gran_turismo1001_07_z+2010_bMW_550i_gran_turismo+rear_interior.jpgTrue

Months in Fleet: Ten
Mileage to Date: 34,966inline_mediumwraptextright30620718/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1001_2009_dodge_ram_1500_january_update0909_01_z+2009_dodge_ram_1500+top_view.jpgTrue

Nissan's Leaf is highly important, a true milestone in automotive history. Essentially, it's the first electric car from an established manufacturer that is seriously intended for imminent production. Yes, I know about General Motors' EV1, which was our 1997 Design of the Year. But you couldn't buy it. You could only lease it and, ultimately, had to give it back to be scrapped. Most of the electric cars I've seen in fifty years in the automobile business were funny little Renaults stuffed full of lead-acid golf-cart batteries, which transformed nimble four-door sedans into heavy, slow two-seat city cars. A few electric conversions are available now-Peugeots and Minis-but they're basically existing small cars that have been clumsily repurposed in half-hearted gestures toward being "green."inline_mediumwraptextright26339858/features/by_design/1002_2010_nissan_leaf_design_analysis1002_03_z+2010_nissan_leaf+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

In the long history of hype, the Chevy Volt is the consummate media star. From its 2007 show debut, to its evolution into a practical production design, to its current status as GM's Hail Mary savior, the Volt hauls a Peterbilt's worth of baggage. Now that we've had an opportunity to drive a developmental prototype using both electrical and combustion forms of energy conversion, it's time to see if the Volt really deserves all the attention heaped upon it for the past three years.inline_mediumwraptextright27882928/green/reviews/1001_2011_chevrolet_volt_integration_vehicle1001_02_z+2011_chevrolet_volt+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Miles: 4,768
Months in Fleet: Oneinline_mediumwraptextright26435405/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1001_2010_volkswagen_gti_january_update0912_05_z+2010_volkswagen_gTI+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue