Topgear News

Toyota will unveil the third generation of its compact RAV4 sport-utility vehicle at next month’s Frankfurt auto show in Germany, ahead of the SUV’s American debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas in November.

The 2006 RAV4 is completely restyled and re-engineered, and grows up in size to allow for another future launch, the retro FJ Cruiser - a direct rival to Honda’s Element - to slot beneath it.

The car’s move upmarket is also symbolized by a look that is “tougher” than the previous generations’ “cute-ute” appeal and the option of a V6, a first for Toyota’s compact SUV.

Johnny O’Connell is in full manic race mode. Shoulders hunched. Feet dancing around the pedal box like Fred Astaire doing the tap. Slamming home the shifter like he’s punching-out some drunk.

And the boy’s flyin’. Red-line in first through third. Flat in fourth with one-fifty-five showing on the speedo at the end of the main straight. Screaming through the Esses with not the merest hint of a lift.

We’re at Virginia International Raceway, in the boonies close to the Virginia state line. Flame-haired O’Connell, top wheelman with the Corvette Racing team, still grinning from his Le Mans 24-Hour GT win, is here to show us all about Chevy’s new, shining star, the Corvette Z06.

Cadillac is ready to challenge the likes of BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions at their own turf, as the American automaker intends to introduce European versions of the STS-V and XLR-V high-performance cars at next month’s Frankfurt auto show in Germany.

The introduction of the STS sedan and XLR hardtop roadster will give the GM division a full performance lineup in Europe, as the Corvette-powered CTS-V sedan has been on sale there since earlier this year. The STS and XLR will be available to European customers in early 2006 - the same time both cars will go on sale in America.

Volkswagen-owned Bentley has confirmed that the Arnage Drophead concept unveiled at last January’s Los Angeles auto show will become the company’s flagship model when its production version debuts on Spring 2006.

Set to revive the Azure badge that identified Bentley’s previous top-of-the-line entry (discontinued in 2003), the new convertible, based on the platform of the Arnage sedan, features a canvas top and seating for four. Power comes from a twin-turbo 6.75-liter V8 good for 450 horses and 645 pound-feet of torque.

As for pricing, don’t expect much change from your house and a little extra, as the 2003 Azure had a base MSRP of $377,385 in its final year of production…

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The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a rally-bred sportscar that can outrun much more expensive iron thanks to its oversized turbocharger and four-wheel drive. But the Evo’s mighty soul remains concealed in a conservative Lancer body, something the three-diamonds brand plans to address with the next generation of its global compact.

Set to be unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt auto show, Mitsu’s Sportback concept previews the looks of the next-gen Lancer, which will appear in 2007 as a five-door hatchback - the current car comes in four-door sedan and five-door wagon flavors.

American Suzuki unveiled its all-new 2006 Grand Vitara this Monday in Vancouver, Canada. New from the ground up, the five-passenger SUV boasts sleeker styling and a larger, more powerful standard V6 engine.

Deemed the “cornerstone” of Suzuki’s ‘06 lineup, the new Grand Vitara offers consumers extra headroom and more front and rear legroom in addition to much-improved interior materials. Front and rear side-curtain airbags and keyless entry and start are also unusual novelties for the compact, “cute-ute” segment, as is the Vitara’s body-on-frame construction - most small SUVs have unibody designs.

What’s set America apart from the rest of the world is a bigness that stops just short of overkill, a physical, spiritual and emotional craving for all things grandiose, dramatic and exceptional.

We love the majestic, the sensational and the spectacular. We conceive of and create what the rest of the world never could:

The Grand Canyon.
Fourth of July fireworks.
The New York skyline.
The Quarter Pounder.
The space program.
Bruce Springsteen.

The rest of the world buys fuel in liters, we buy it by the gallon, even if costs three bucks each.

If you’re American, Making a Statement matters.