Auto News 5

Having just spent the week on vacation, I arrived at Detroit Metro airport to find the new 2010 Jaguar XKR Coupe waiting for me. How lucky we are. The car looks amazing from all angles and is attractive to a wide range of people. I got two compliments on the car before I even got out of the parking lot. The rear hatch area is surprisingly spacious, easily accommodating three pieces of luggage: one large bag and two carry-on pieces. Once inside the car, you can see the new "JaguarDrive Selector" that was adopted from the XF for 2010. As you would expect from Jaguar, the front seats are very comfortable and offer electric bolster adjustments that can be operated by a button on the interior door panel. Although rear seats exist, they are much too small for an adult to fit comfortably.inline_mediumwraptextright26388418/reviews/editors_notebook/0909_2010_jaguar_xkr_coupe0909_05_z+2010_jaguar_xKR_coupe+rear_view.jpgTrue

The Mini Cooper Clubman is the epitome of a niche vehicle. As such, it's a car that works for some but will leave many people cold. For my part, I think it's pretty cool, but I'd have to think long and hard before I made it my primary vehicle. Of course, it's far more practical than the regular Mini Cooper, thanks to the passenger's-side half-door (a feature we've already seen in the Saturn Ion and the Mazda RX-8) and the extended wheelbase, which translates into significantly more rear-seat room and cargo space than the regular Mini. In fact, I needed to haul a 27" x 27" x 18" plywood box (to be used to elevate a washing machine) to a friend's house, and I had no problem fitting it into the back of the Clubman with the rear seats folded (see photo).inline_mediumwraptextright26391607/reviews/editors_notebook/0909_2009_mini_cooper_s_clubman0909_03_z+2009_mini_cooper_s_clubman+profile.jpgTrue

The Audi e-Tron concept attempts to marry the ideas of battery power and high-performance sports cars. The sexy two-seater uses a lithium-ion battery pack, which is liquid-cooled and located behind the passenger compartment (earning it the descriptor "mid-battery sports car," which unfortunately has none of the excitement of "mid-engine sports car"). The power unit is able to generate a ho-hum 313 hp, but an eye-popping 3319 lb-ft of torque -- ten times the torque of the R8's 4.2-liter V-8.