By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 21, 2016) DETROIT — When Lexus showed the LC-LF at the 2012 Detroit auto show, no one suspected that in four years the production version of that concept would be rolled out on stage at the 2016 show. Now known as the LC 500, the high-performance grand tourer takes the lines originally penned at Toyota’s Calty design studio and brings them from concept to production.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 19, 2016) When he first joined Chrysler, current head of design Ralph Gilles used to take a specially tuned Dodge Caravan to the Waterford Hills race track and mix it up with less utilitarian vehicles. A firm believer that useful vehicles didn’t have to be boring, Gilles brought the lessons learned from that experience to the design of the new Chrysler Pacifica.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 3, 2015) Over the span of a few weeks three 2016 model Volkswagen Golfs made their way into the parking lot for one week each. First up was the two-door GTI SE, which was followed by the four-door Golf S, and the SportWagen S. Personally, I expected the GTI and SportWagen to act as intriguing bookends to a so-so center, but what I discovered is that even the least exciting Golf model (on paper) holds its own in this company.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 1, 2016) Land Rover suggests this is an amazing feat for its Range Rover SUV, but it is more an example of the the brilliance of the architectural arch and of the ancient Romans for recognizing its importance in making strong, lightweight bridges.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 27, 2015) Let’s start with the bad news first, straight from the Lotus press release: "The Lotus Exige Sport 350 goes on sale in Europe in February 2016 and will be available outside Europe, excluding North America, from March 2016." The Evora 400, which goes on sale in the U.S. about the same time, is the only Lotus approved for sale in the U.S. Currently there are no new Lotus cars for sale here.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 21, 2015) It’s hard to understand how Toyota will get even more out of its TNGA architecture than it has gotten from the “New MC” platform. That structure is found under a wide variety of vehicles, from the Toyota RAV4/Lexus NX to the Toyota Corolla, last generation Prius, Scion xB, tC and iM, Toyota Avensis, Toyota Sai/Lexus HS, and more.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 14, 2015) Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini and Tesla have all said they will not take part in the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but Porsche will. The German automaker will debut both the coupe and convertible versions of the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S at the show. Each is powered by a turbocharged 3.8-liter flat six.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 13, 2015) Volkswagen’s response to the diesel scandal has been moving forward with blitzkrieg-like speed. At a press conference this past week at the company’s Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany, Chairman of the Board of Management, Matthias Müller, stated, “We are doing everything to overcome the current situation, but we will not allow the crisis to paralyze us. On the contrary, we will use it as a catalyst to make the changes Volkswagen needs.”

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 11, 2015) When word leaked out that Hyundai was working on a Prius competitor, the smart money said the South Korean automaker would launch a standard hybrid and a plug-in version simultaneously. Further, it would be based on an adaptation of an existing platform or be based on a new platform for an existing model, and it would spawn a badge-engineered model for Kia.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(November 29, 2015) Let’s face it, since its launch in 1994, the Camry-based Avalon might as well have been the pace car for the AARP. Though based on a stretched Camry platform, this replacement for the even more “mature” looking Toyota Cressida was a soft riding boulevard cruiser with upright styling and plenty of room for the owner’s walker (or wheelchair) in the trunk. A perennial candidate for the “Last Car You’ll Ever Own” award (think about it), the Avalon was driven by younger (i.e. under 65) folks only when shuttling parents to appointment with their doctors, or when nothing — and I mean nothing, not even a Pontiac Aztek — was left in the rental car lot.