First Drive

I’ve always been a huge fan of the Audi R8, particularly the V10 model. Sure, I too mourned the demise of the V8 in the second-generation Type 4S R8, and back when the R8 first launched in 2007, it was unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Audi Rosemeyer Concept from early 2000 and Audi Le Mans Quattro concept both surged into my mind as I watched six-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx drive the R8 for the first time. The R8 was Audi’s first-ever supercar, and boy was it revolutionary in terms of design. Whether Porsche was ready to accept it or not, it was time for the 911 to have some proper competition, and the Audi R8 was the answer.

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The Polestar 1 behind me fills the rear view mirror, low and broad, a shark among minnows on the highway. There's something about the proportions that encourage a second-glance; after all, you can't really credit brand recognition for the number of hungry stares, hastily-pointed phone cameras, and blunt fascination the sleek 2+2 coupe engenders.

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Numbers. When it comes to the all-new 2020 Ford Shelby GT500, it's all about the numbers. Well, numbers and obsession. By far the meanest, and fastest iteration of the sixth-generation Mustang S550, when the invite hits your inbox you're already expecting ridiculous numbers. Turns out, if exorbitant horsepower and torque at your disposal is your guiding star, the new Shelby GT500 will outshine just about everything else in the muscle car scene.

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Right off the bat, Aston Martin wanted the new Vantage to go hunting for Porsche and McLaren. I experienced this first-hand on the challenging Portimao Algarve racing circuit in Portugal, a blistering combination of blind turns, massive elevation changes, and fast straights. There, the Aston Martin Vantage felt right at home and eager for more, but there was still one thing missing.

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Little more than two minutes behind the wheel of the 2020 Bentley Flying Spur, an opportunity to test its 626 horsepower presents itself. The narrow, twisting streets of Monaco are filled with tourists, rich residents, and buzzing scooters, and few seem motivated to allow the driver of a six-figure luxury sports sedan out from the shadow of the storied Hôtel de Paris and into the hectic traffic.

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The Navigator and Aviator have a baby brother, but while the 2020 Lincoln Corsair may be smaller on the asphalt, it arrives with an outsized personality. Replacing the dreary, forgettable MKC is, on paper, straightforward. Doing so in a way that doesn't dilute the work Lincoln has done to position itself the flag-bearer of New American Luxury, in a fierce premium crossover segment, well that's quite another thing.

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If you're driving something special, you want it to look the part, and so when Audi was creating the second-generation 2020 RS7 Sportback it put in the time to differentiate not only on driving dynamics from the regular A7, but also the exterior design. Sure enough, while the new RS7 Sportback still has that svelte sloping roofline, put both cars side by side and the differences stack up. Step outside to find a Tango Red Audi RS7 Sportback waiting for you, and it's enough to give you sweaty palms.

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The Gran Hotel La Florida sits high on Tibidabo mountain, looking out over the hustle and bustle of Barcelona. From its patios and terraces, 1,700 feet up, you're treated to a completely new perspective on a familiar place. That makes it the perfect location for Land Rover to debut the new 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, a new take on a classic theme.

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The ungenerous might accuse Volvo of masochism. American drivers have shown themselves to be mostly unmoved by the appeal of a capable wagon, and yet the 2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country refuses to give up on the category. Flying in the face of SUVs and crossovers, it's an unexpectedly compelling reminder that sometimes you just don't realize what you're missing out on.

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It's easy to get confused by the badging on the 2020 Volvo XC60 Polestar Engineered. Once a separate tuning firm for Volvo, Polestar then got bought up and brought in-house, only to be subsequently spun off as a standalone maker of performance-electric cars. Among the details of that final deal are plenty of Volvo parts headed into the upcoming Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, while in return Polestar contributes its know-how for feistier versions in Volvo's range.

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It's been five years since the second-generation Volvo XC90 began the wholesale reboot of the automaker's range, and it's fair to say that the 2020 XC90 arrives - refreshed and updated - on a high. The Swedes aren't typically prone to either smugness or boasting, but with Volvo sales in the US up almost 5-percent so far this year, versus the industry as a whole down almost 2-percent over the same period, it's clear they're doing something right.

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Out of all the events I had the pleasure of attending at Monterey Car Week and Pebble Beach - a week filled with priceless classics, stunning hypercars, and the sort of rarities that give automotive enthusiasts palpitations - I wasn't expecting a bright green electric prototype to be the most memorable. I got a chance to take the VW ID Buggy for a spin, and it's fair to say it left a lasting impression.

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