Last week, Nissan Europe uploaded a video documenting a pair of stock Nissan GT-Rs breaking Russian speed records on the frozen Baikal Lake. The GT-R’s were standard production models, but were likely fitted with ice racing tires to handle the slippery surface.

Slow motion and forceful music is used (possibly overused) throughout the video to heighten the drama – even soup ladling gets the intense, cinematic treatment. With Nissan banners flying in the harsh, Siberian wind, GT-R pilots Roman Rusinov and Andrey Leontjev enter their respective vehicles. More...

The new BMW 3 Series has been one of the most highly-anticipated new cars of the year. And rightly so. As long as it's been around, the 3 Series has been the benchmark for the ideal blend of European performance and style, with a good measure of practicality thrown in. And until BMW recently brought in the 1 Series, it was usually the Bavarian brand’s most affordable entry. We recently tested the 2012 BMW 328i sedan.

With such a solid reputation, it must always be a daunting task for BMW to bring out a new 3 Series; the expectations are so high, and every other automaker has the iconic 3 in their crosshairs. Plus it’s a huge seller for BMW too, so more than pride is at stake.

The 2012 BMW 3 Series is good. Very good. But there are some surprises along the way. More...

Someone at Hyundai is listening to self-improvement tapes, or it at least seems so. Every day in every way, Hyundai products keep getting better and better—especially the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec.

When first introduced for the 2010 model year, there was a lot of interest surrounding the new Genesis Coupe. For the enthusiast, affordable rear-wheel-drive coupes are few and far between, and any new player in the market was welcome.

Replacing the sporty and stylish front-wheel-drive Tiburon, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe was extremely handsome, with good performance and an affordable price. But those self-help tapes must have kicked in, because three years on, the 2013 Genesis Coupe is a major step up, with enhanced looks, performance, and serious bang for the buck.

Available in six trim levels—2.0T, 2.0T R-Spec, 2.0T Premium, 3.8 R-Spec, 3.8 Grand Touring, and 3.8 Track—a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder powers the first three models, and a normally-aspirated 3.8-liter V6 is fitted in the latter three. There’s a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe for every budget. We tested the mid-range 3.8 R-Spec.

The 3.8 R-Spec is the most affordable 3.8 model, and it shows Hyundai’s commitment to making the Coupe a sporty car and not just some pretender. First of all, it’s gorgeous. A refreshed and aggressive front and rear fascia featuring LED lights give some added menace. Crouched over meaty 19-inch alloy wheels, our Gran Premio Gray tester with contrasting red interior was simply stunning. More...

No one knows much at all about the 2014 Chevrolet SS Performance, but already we can’t wait to see it hit showroom floors.

Growing suspicion that GM had been planning to build a new high-performance model in the near future seemed to be confirmed Wednesday, when roadside assistance company OnStar listed the 2014 Chevrolet SS Performance as a model included in their RemoteLink app coverage.

The news that a car called the SS Performance even existed is news to the automotive world, and OnStar has since pulled the list of 2014 cars, but they’re clearly onto something. Did GM tip them off that a new vehicle is in the works? What does OnStar know that we don’t?

What we know for sure is that GM has been looking to replace the Pontiac G8, a V8-powered tire-smoking sedan that became a casualty when the brand called it quits in 2009. The Chevy SS Performance may be the natural progression of that four-door monster – especially in the wake of the successful Cadillac CTS-V, as it seems that buyers are more willing to embrace performance sedans than they were in the age of the G8. More...

Ford will introduce a new addition its Explorer SUV line-up this coming week at the 2012 New York International Auto Show that truly puts “sport” into sport/utility. Ford will resurrect the “Explorer Sport” designation for a new trim level that truly delivers on the performance claim, unlike similarly named versions in past-generations. This premium model will aim squarely at the Dodge Durango R/T and Jeep Grand Cherokee with a twin-turbocharged V-6 producing at least 350 horsepower.

The power will be routed to all four corners, and the driver can use the Terrain Management system to dial in the appropriate traction needs, addressing the challenges of mud, sand, and snow. As with other EcoBoost applications, the Explorer Sport promises respectable fuel economy, with an estimated 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway—notably more than its prime domestic competition with their thirstier V-8 powerplants. Part of the efficiency formula is a six-speed automatic transmission, here made more sporty with paddle shifters. More...

Chrysler’s SRT (Street and Racing Technology) group develops performance versions of Chrysler products that focus on five specific attributes: “awe-inspiring” powertrains, outstanding ride and handling, “benchmark” braking, “aggressive” exteriors and “race-inspired” interiors. The 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 wears its own front fascia with a new grille and new Chrysler wing badge. It’s lowered a half inch and sports SRT-exclusive body-color side sill cladding. The rear view is dominated by a unique lower fascia with a chrome accent bar, four-inch round dual exhaust tips and an SRT8 deck-lid badge.

Its 6.4-liter HEMI V8 offers 470 horses and 470 lb.-ft. of tarmac-shredding torque, up 45 hp and 50 lb.-ft. over the 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 it replaces. It can thunder from rest to 60 mph in less than five seconds, run the quarter-mile in the high 12-seconds, stop from 60 mph in 120 feet and accelerate to 100 mph, then brake back to a stop, in less than 16 seconds.

Yet it uses Chrysler’s Fuel Saver Technology (cylinder deactivation) to boost fuel efficiency by shutting down four of its eight cylinders under light loads. While its EPA city fuel economy is a thirsty 14 mpg, its 2012 highway number is up 21 percent from the previous generation’s to a respectable 23 mpg. The smooth five-speed automatic (not yet a six-speed or the regular 2012 300’s new, more fuel-efficient eight-speed) offers a choice of “Normal” or “Sport” modes and new steering wheel paddles for quick and easy manual shifting. More...