4WD's

It was difficult, as we arrived in balmy San Diego, to drum up much excitement over the drive that lay ahead. Not because we were about to drive a minivan, mind you, but because that minivan, the Honda Odyssey, is already so darn good. The current iteration, which dates back to 2005, is still the best in its class. By a good margin. What drama could there be regarding the new one? How about this: In an attempt to draw younger families into the shrinking segment, Honda is proclaiming the new Odyssey to be "the minivan redefined." To which our natural response is: redefined how? And why? Was Honda about to ruin a good thing in order to attract customers who would otherwise purchase one of the brand's four crossovers? As if that's not enough, we learned that engineers had the audacity to retune the Odyssey's steering for less effort. (Cue foreboding music.)

We've already seen this gas-electric powertrain in the Ford Fusion Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan, but Lincoln is upping the level of luxury with the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. With hybrid credentials and a plush interior, the gas-electric MKZ is targeting a new breed of luxury buyers that avoid conspicuous consumption for more restrained products that also reflect a social conscience. The Lexus HS250h is the only direct competitor in the mid-size luxury-hybrid space, and Lincoln thinks it has a significantly stronger proposition with MKZ's better fuel economy and lower price.

2010 Audi Q5 3.2

Will pushrod engines last forever? Probably not, but in April, General Motors announced that it's investing $890 million in a new, fifth-generation small-block V-8. Although the announcement didn't state that pushrod-operated valves are part of the deal, you can take that assumption to the bank.

Things had been plugging along pretty well. Not great, mind you, but decent. The spring was looking hopeful; June fell back a bit; but then we saw a mild comeback in July. Which is why the August drop-off caught industry watchers by surprise. The annual sales rate, 10.8 million units, was the slowest since February and a sharp comedown from July's pace of 11.6 million units.

At the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors unveiled an eye-catching -- in more than one way -- concept. The Volt's futuristic looks caught the public's attention but it was the technology underneath the concept's skin that was truly noteworthy. It featured a lithium-ion battery pack that enabled the concept to travel 40 miles on a single charge and had a 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine to act as an electricity generator after the battery pack was depleted.

Bentley's iconic shape?
Is the Continental GT for Bentley what the 911 is for Porsche-an iconic shape that is only massaged, never fundamentally altered? The cars' owners seem to think so, and Bentley has apparently taken those sentiments to heart, in the first redesign of its bestselling coupe.