Greetings, Murilee. I email you from the great commonwealth of Massachusetts. To be more specific, Quincy. Just south of Boston, and home to two of the first six Presidents of the United States, hence the nickname.

I have come across a very DOTS-worthy vehicle on the streets of my fair city. I'm guessing, but it appears to be an early sixties example of a Cadillac Series 6200. The fact that the rust and potholes around here haven't sent it to the crusher already is amazing in and of itself. The car is missing ALL of its chrome, has a duct-tape seat cushion, and the Black Flag sticker just tops it off perfectly. The owner wasn't around, or didn't care that some dude was snapping pix of his ride, but I'll leave a note in the coming days.

This is not the only DOTS car I've seen around town. There's a bright green 50's Plymouth that drives daily, and parks in the same spot down by the Quincy Center T station, right near the busiest intersection in town. I never seem to have a camera handy when I see it. I will catch it soon, though, and send it your way.

In '84, the base engine in the Eldorado was the 135-horse 4.1 liter V8, which was good enough to haul the car's 3,748 pounds. The disastrous Oldsmobile 350 diesel engine was also available… but let's not go there. The '84 Eldorado Biarritz sold new for $23,737 before options, which was $52,422 in 2008 dollars. That's about 800 bucks less than a new '84 BMW 528e, but who's counting?


With the $3,395 Biarritz option package, you got a vinyl landau top for the rear part of the roof and a brushed stainless steel section on the front. The stainless part on this car has laughed off the effects of 24 years of California sunshine, but the vinyl hasn't fared quite so well.


You also got fine "button tufted" leather upholstery with your Biarritz; in this case, the green interior goes well with the Autumn Maple Firemist exterior paint.



We mustn't forget Ace Rothstein's '84 Biarritz (fast-forward about 45 seconds in). Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Choppers!

A lot of people can’t wait to try [the plug-in Prius], so it’s understandable that one of our dealers created some confusion recently by taking deposits on future Prius plug-in hybrids.

Magnussen’s Toyota in Palo Alto, California was doing what we’ve always encouraged our dealers to do...to listen carefully to their customers and try to meet their needs. Being so close to Silicon Valley, the dealership was getting lots of requests from customers who wanted to buy a plug-in Prius. And since the dealership had confidence Toyota would eventually deliver a great vehicle, they thought it would be a good idea to take deposits and make customers happy.

So, while we applaud Magnuessen’s excitement about our future Prius plug-in, we want to be clear that we have not announced a timetable for retail sales.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Since one or two of us have done tours of duty in the hallowed halls of America's car dealerships, we know that cash money is God there. Faced with customers demanding something that didn't exist, but that the dealer knew would most likely soon exist, Magnussen's did what any money-grubbing auto retailer would have done: they charged folks to get on "the list." Shady? Yeah. Surprising? Not in the least. It's common knowledge that a customer who has left a deposit on something, no matter how small, is much more likely to return to complete the transaction — any transaction. The simple rule of thumb to follow is "don't put a deposit on something that doesn't yet exist." Even...or especially...at a car dealership. Incidentally, Magnussen's also agreed to return all customer deposits for plug-in Priuses, but we wonder how much thumb-twisting on Toyota's part was involved before they agreed to relinquish their precious cash. [Toyota Open Road Blog]

10.) Circle!

Official Meaning of Sign: There is a traffic circle up ahead.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: OMG, circles are awesome and everywhere. Let's do a circle right now!
Where it's Located: Allaire Circle on Route 34, New Jersey
[Photo Credit: Wiki]

9.) You Should Probably Just Turn Off The Car And Walk

Official Meaning of Sign: Drivers in the left lane can only make a sharp left; drivers in the lane second from the left turn either a secondmost sharp or a slightly less sharp left; drivers in the center lane make a fourthmost sharp left; drivers in the right-of-center lane turn the fifthmost sharp left or go straight; drivers in the far right lane go straight or right.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: Just follow along with the general pattern of traffic and hope you don't die.
Where it's Located: San Francisco, California
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

8.) Yield To Bikes

Official Meaning of Sign: Yield to bikes when approaching the new lane.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: Yield to people doing wheelies, backwards, into traffic.
Where it's Located: Seattle, Washington
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

7.) Stop Don't Stop

Official Meaning of Sign: Stop and then, as you proceed, do not stop. If you are a commercial vehicle you can actually stop, though it says you can't, on the right side for 30 minutes.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: Just slowly roll through, trying to load or unload for no longer than 30 minutes.
Where it's Located: Fresno, California
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

6.) Define "Very Light"

Official Meaning of Sign: You can only turn left if there isn't much traffic on a street called "Aviation."
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: As this photo is near the airport, if you don't know "Aviation St." is a thoroughfare, the sign means "look up to see how many planes are landing or taking off before attempting a left." If you know "Aviation" is a road try explaining to the police officer what your definition of "very light" is.
Where it's Located: Los Angeles, California
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

5.) The Michigan Left

Official Meaning of Sign: Take a Michigan Left by going down the street and then making a U-turn to go left.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: As opposed to the typical Michigan Left sign, this one seems to indicate that the State of Michigan is trying to trick you into not taking the obvious left turn in front of you.
Where it's Located: Marquette, Michigan
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

4.) Take A Right At Montreal

Official Meaning of Sign: Go straight for Montreal Avenue, the other direction for Montreal Way and take a left for Montreal Circle.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: People in St. Paul, Minnesota are not exceptionally creative.
Where it's Located: St. Paul, Minnesota
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

3.) So That's How You Merge

Official Meaning of Sign: Merge from the left lane to the center lane or turn left.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: The government of Dekalb doesn't think its citizens understand how a merge works and require overly complex drawings to explain very common driving situations.
Where it's Located: Dekalb, Illinois
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

2.) All Other Times

Official Meaning of Sign: The right three lanes are open during rush hour, the right line is only open from 3:30 pm to 9:30 pm except for that period between 6:30 in the morning and 9:30 at night. The right two lanes are open from 9:30 pm to 6:30 am. The far left lane is lava (we think).
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: City planners in the District of Columbia either do not understand the difference between am and pm or it's up to drivers to guess which lanes are open when. The far left lane is lava (yeah, we're sticking to this).
Where it's Located: Washington, D.C.
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

1.) Driving A Truck With Higher Than A 10,000 lb. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) Is Not Fun

Official Meaning of Sign: Trucks over 10,000 pounds are not permitted to turn around — maybe?
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: Big trucks are not allowed to drive on their roofs. Big trucks are not allowed to flip over. Everyone else is either allowed to drive on their roofs or flip over.
Where it's Located: Seattle, WA
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

This car is in pretty nice shape and worth plenty, yet here it is parked on the street in Alameda's West End. I don't see it every day, so I suspect it lives at least part-time in a garage somewhere. It does get used for transportation, much to the envy of all those gilded-cage show/cruise-only Vettes.


This is the first Malaise Era Corvette, with power out of the standard 350 down to 190 horsepower. Some of that power loss was all too real, from the smog-mandated reduced compression ratio, and some was just the result of the switch from overoptimistic gross horsepower ratings to more realistic net ratings. You could still get the LS4 big-block with 275 horses for an extra 250 bucks; the 454 Corvette would be extinct by 1975.


Normally I'd prefer to see a car like this without the "custom" touches such as the bullet taillights and weird rocker panel moldings, but the idea of making Corvette purists (who are rivaled only by Porsche purists for their obsession with numbers-matching nonsense, though I've seen Mopar freaks who are just as tedious) cringe in horror is appealing.

Speaking of missing lug nuts, the question occurs to me: Why? Even if you're too damned cheap to spend the money- what, $1.99?- for a new lug nut, you can always fill your pockets for free at any junkyard. If that's too much hassle, at least try to fully attach your front wheels, so that you still might be able to steer after a wheel goes flying off. This car has 14 out of a possible 20 lug nuts, which ain't so good. Left-hand-thread Ford nuts are still easy to obtain, so I don't want to hear that tired old excuse from any of you missing-lug-nut apologists!


This car is parked in front of the house that scared the crap out of all the kids in the neighborhood when I was a kid; a boarded-up and obviously haunted Victorian which- according to mid-70s Alameda East End legend- was inhabited by a gang of heavily armed devil-worshiping dope dealers who had already torture-killed several kids unfortunate enough to catch a glimpse of one of their deals. Their bodies, it was said, were stashed in one of the bedroom closets. All bullshit, of course, but it made for a more exciting childhood. Now it's been fully restored and painted a cheerful blue… yet this evil-looking Cougar appears to have been acquired as an homage to the old neighborhood legends.


I've seen this Cougar parked next to the equally menacing lug-nut-challenged '68 Mustang, so it's possible that both cars are owned by the same lover of primered Ford products.


I say it looks pretty good like this; all it needs is a 427, a 4-speed, and several lug nuts to vault its way to the Murilee's Favorite DOTS Cars list.

Speaking of stems and seeds, here's a shot from the Alameda High 1984 yearbook, showing the cheerleaders sitting on a new Corvette at the local Chevrolet dealership. Yet some folks feel compelled to celebrate 80s nostalgia. Thanks to Rognbrow for the tip!

The four-wheel-drive Syncro didn't sell at all well in North America, no doubt because Detroit and Japan were filling showrooms with burly off-road hardware that made the VW look like something only Yurp-lovin' effete snobs (not to mention nattering nabobs of negativism) would choose to drive.


South Africans loved the Syncro so much that VW continued selling them there into the current decade; see the most annoying car-ad jingle ever made.

How much did this car cost new? $55,300, or 107 grand in today's dollars. That's $3,600 less than a Porsche 928. The Porsche gave you 316 horsepower versus 238 for the Benz, but which one would most impress your co-conspirators at a collapsing S&L? Exactly.


This one's not in what you'd call pristine shape, but it looks pretty good and gets driven. I know of a pretty solid W113 not far from this car, so we'll be seeing a pagoda roof pretty soon.

The early Fiat 124 coupes sure are wonderful machines, but they're rarer than honest politicians in North America. The few that came over here became red powder and wistful memories a couple decades back… except for this one in Oregon (go here if the ad disappears), which is priced so low we dasn't reveal it here, for fear of being deafened by screams of disbelief. This one needs some work, we'll be the first to admit, although the seller has decided to spare us the troublesome details in his description. "Good condition to restore" is all we get, and that should be enough, right? Keep in mind that the seller has "several Fiats," so you might be able to score a package deal involving some extra boxes of broken useful parts.

The best car deals may be those in which the seller doesn't even provide the car model in the description; hey, maybe that means he or she has no idea what total jewels they really are! The headline of this listing for a 'fiat sports car (2)' (go here if the ad disappears) doesn't tell us much, but the photo of one car's grille indicates that we seem to be looking at a couple of 1957-60 Fiat 1200 Spiders. Are they complete? Are they rusty? Were they used for AK-47 practice by the Manson Family? Albert, the seller, doesn't say, though he does want us to know that "both have paperwork." Will this be a huge, sanity-destroying project? Of course not! You'll be laughing at those poor Corolla owners as you drive your perfectly restored Spider in a matter of days. Hey, just look at how pretty it will be!

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How many acres is that hood? The standard engine for the '70 Newport was a 383 with 290 horsepower, but the Chrysler dealer could get you a 350-horse 440. Get the 300 Hurst and you got 370 horsepower from your 440. Sadly, a 4-speed manual transmission was not available from the factory.


There's the usual rust you see around the rear windows on Northern California Detroit cars with vinyl tops, thanks to the rainy winters here. Otherwise, the car seems very solid. It looks good driving and sounds even better.


At 4,100 pounds, this car isn't quite as heavy as its vast size suggests. Hey, it's only 200 pounds heavier than the new Camaro SS! Still, prehistoric engine technology and a 3-speed slushbox means it probably swills gas like the oil wells will never run dry.

Ahhh, the Triumph Stag. It may well be the king of British Hell Projects, combining British Leyland build quality, Prince Of Darkness electricals, and a half-baked SOHC V8 engine that was flaky even by Triumph's incredibly generous standards. Shockingly, the last one we saw in the Hell Garage was beaten by a Porsche, so today we're giving the Stag a chance to redeem itself. First thing you need to ask yourself is: when a British car sits for 25 years, what does that mean to you? If your answer isn't "RUN AWAY!" then you're qualified to buy this 1971 Triumph Stag (go here if the ad disappears), which has a like-new 71,000 miles on the clock. Sure, it will need some work- note the disconcerting statement "mice chewed through wire harness so not currently running"- but the "motor isn't froze," so you're practically driving it already! In a masterpiece of understatement, the seller admits it "needs full restoration," but look at the price: $2,000. You could drop another grand on this Nissan VH45DE and stay true to the OHC V8 spirit while ditching the 27-foot-long Triumph timing chains. What could possibly go wrong?

A V8-powered British sports car would be great, but how can you resist the appeal of a high-strung 60s Italian sedan? Say, one with a wailing 1570cc engine and factory Webers? Well, head on out to the middle of nowhere in California's Central Valley and check out this 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super (go here if the ad disappears). You won't find the owner there, because he's in Arizona, nor will you find a price. That's right, it's one of those $1 Craigslist ads we love so much, but don't think the seller's going to fall for your lowball bid- he or she has included a postscript that speaks volumes about how negotiations are likely to go: "P.S. I know this car is worth in excess $20k restored. So please be respectful." We've never seen the "be respectful" line before, but we suspect it means the car will be available for quite a while. It's been sitting for at least ten years, in an area with 100-plus-degree summers and icy howling storms in the winter, so there will be plenty for you to do. It does come with the cool yellow-on-black California plates and a spare limited-slip rear end, the glass seems to be intact, and it appears that rust isn't a major problem. Come on, how hard could it be? You could even ditch the original engine and put this here SR20DET in its place! Thanks to A Benz Apart for the tip!

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Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: Yes
Fashion Victims: Yes
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: Yes
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: Yes
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Also Consider:
• Audi A5
• BMW 335i Coupe
• Lexus SC4... ahh screw it, if you're reading this you don't want the Lexus
• Mercedes CLK350
• Nissan 350Z
• Waiting for the 2010 Infiniti GT-R

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Infiniti
• Model year: 2008
• Base Price: $35,550
• Price as Tested: $40,015
• Engine type: 3.7-liter V6
• Horsepower: 330 @ 7,000 RPM
• Torque: 270 @ 5,200 RPM
• Transmission: 6-speed Manual
• Curb Weight: 3,668 lbs
• LxWxH: 183.1" x 71.8" x 54.95"
• Wheelbase: 112.2"
• Tires: P225/45R-P245/40R
• 0 - 60 mph: 5.4 Seconds
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 17/26 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: N/A

Also see:

• 2008 Infiniti G37S, Part One
• 2008 Infiniti G37S, Part Two

First, we must watch the Ricardo Montalban ad that started it all. In Cordoba, I have what I need!


Plastic "gold" Cordoba medallions may be found all over this fine personal luxury automobile. Weighing in at a portly 4,021 pounds and motivated by a thirsty 318 or 360, the Cordoba wasn't quite the ideal machine for a time of fuel-price insecurity. By '78, the stacked rectangular headlights had taken away some of the Ricardoesque appeal, and sales were declining.


Even the taillights had the medallions!


I couldn't get any decent interior shots, so it's hard to ascertain whether this car had the optional Corinthian Leather upholstery. Yes, it was optional, though you have to assume that Cordoba buyers wouldn't have settled for vinyl.

Orders for the Interceptor SX are being taken now, and the buying price ain't for the faint of heart — £145,000, or right about $266,000 at today's exchange rate. As heart-stopping as that price is, you have to ask yourself: How many orders of magnitude more cool is this than your garden variety Bentley or Lamborghini? Our answer — many. [InnovativeCars]

As we all know, the problem with Japanese PCH cars is that parts are too easy to find, the build quality is too high, and Japanese engineers- particularly those working for Nissan, Honda, and Toyota- tend to design them to be easy to work on. Where's the fun there? Send those guys to Europe for a crash course in complexity, then to Detroit for some lessons in bean-counter-driven corner-cutting! But it's still possible to get yourself an inexpensive Japanese project that scores pretty high on the Cool-O-Meter yet will drive you absolutely mad- you just need to find something fashionably fast-and-furious that's had years of dodgy mods and rod-bending abuse… like, say, this 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 (go here if the ad disappears), which could be yours for an offer probably well below the $1,200 asking. I know what you're saying: why get the 8-valve SR5 when you could have a GT-S with the righteous 4AGE? Hey, this one "needs a piston ring," which is Craigslist-speak for "a terrible noise happens every time I try to start it," so you'll have the opportunity to build your own engine with all the valves and boost a suitcase full of money can buy! And hey, it already comes with the all-important "carbon fiber eyelids" (though you're on your own for the equally important carbon fiber shift knob).


Watch the video above (shot from the Schumacher Taxi Service Corolla) and then try to muster up the usual "wrong-wheel-drive" quips! What you need is a Hell Project that, if when finished, will be a squirming, torque-steering, axle-snapping beast that will require luck as well as skill to keep under any semblance of control! Yes, we mean the AE82 CorollaGT-S, which came with plenty of howling 4A power to go with its weird sketched-by-an-8-year-old 80s-hatchback profile. They're not as easy to find as they once were, but we've spotted this '87 Corolla FX16 GT-S (go here if the ad disappears) with the same asking price as the AE86: $1,200. It has a 20-valve silvertop engine and some quasi-trick parts, but the seller states that the "motor has a blown head gasket which is not much to fix." Now, we often find that "blown head gasket" is Craigslist-ese for "smoke and/or chunks of metal pouring out the tailpipe and/or holes in the oilpan," but maybe that diagnosis is accurate- hey, stranger things have happened! Besides, the seller has a turbocharger "which we can probably work a deal on," so you can see what the logical next step would be.

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See, the Lancer was Dodge's innovative compact car for '61, based on the new Valiant and priced at just $2,007 for the base 170 model. It's from Detroit's Golden Age, with relatively happy unions, high pay, and no threat from them damn Toyopets, so it will help convince the all-important hardhat vote that Obama is on their side when they hear that good ol' Slant Six go by. But, see, Obama would look too stolid driving the base 170, so that's why this car is the slightly pricier 770 coupe, which had enough chrome to look stylishly youthful without implying a sense of elitism. The Rat Fink sticker just adds to the efffect. Oh, just wait and see, folks!

Meanwhile, John McCain is going to be put on the defensive if he's seen cruising around in a new SUV or limo after the bombshell of the Obama Lancer is dropped, so we'll see him behind the wheel of a Falcon or Chevy II within a matter of hours. Yes, we're looking at an early-60s Detroit compact war for Campaign '08! You heard it here first!

Acceleration: ****
Like a deceased minor character in a bad zombie movie, the G37S comes to life quicker than you'd expect. This has less to do with the wonderful 330 HP 3.7-liter V6 than it does with the clutch, which feels like it engages an inch away from the floor. It's a bit jarring, but you learn to adapt to it and it helps the coupe reach 60 mph in the mid five-second range.

Braking: ****
During a late-night acceleration test on an abandoned back road I was suddenly convinced someone's beloved pet dog was about to wander into my path and become soup. The Infiniti's vented disc brakes bit down hard enough for me to realize that the object in the distance was actually just a rock.

Ride: **
If this were the 2010 Nissan 370Z and not the G37S, the relatively rough ride would be an acceptable and expected trade-off for performance. While the G37S performs well on carefully maintained surfaces, the ride's going to be a bit too rough for the owner that plans on crossing unpreserved patches of pavement on the way to the country club. Driving down an avenue that had yet to receive proper rehab since at least the previous winter, it felt as though someone had clicked on the non-existent massage chair option.

Handling: ***
There aren't many situations where the average owner of this car is going to be unable to stay glued to the road. The quick steering, coupled with grippy summer tires, made it quite an effort to get the rear end to slide out at all. As mentioned in part one, if there's one major shortcoming with the car's handling it's that the heavy weighting of the steering wheel, combined with the quick drive-by-wire response, makes it physically taxing to drive spiritedly over a long period of time, and mentally taxing to determine just how spiritedly the car is going to respond to inputs.

Gearbox: ***
Though the shifter is well positioned and the throws are reasonably short, the six-speed manual transmission in the G37S is one of the car's weaknesses. If you're forced to drive this car in heavy traffic at frequent intervals, the newfound strength developed in your left leg will cause you to walk in circles. The clutch also picks up a new gear almost before you realize you've gotten rid of the old one.

Audio: ****
Though the interface takes some getting used to (why the hell do I have to push DISC to get a playlist on my iPod?), the Infiniti iPod connection is one of the best examples of MP3 integration we've seen. The gigantic 7-inch screen didn't connect to a GPS system and basically served as a multimedia interface, allowing me to see full playlists and song names. The Bose audio system created a crisp sound that filled the cabin and outmatched many of my low-bitrate audio files.

Toys: ***
Though a first aid kit that Velcros into the trunk may not be a toy for most people, I thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of it. Having no GPS system, the bright 7-inch screen is mostly a toy, letting the driver choose between entertainment and climate settings...and not much else.

Value: ****
An Infiniti G37 loaded with the Premium package, Sport package, $550 rear spoiler and destination charge comes in just lower than the base price for both the BMW 335i coupe and Audi A5. Though the BMW may appeal to the performance minded and the Audi has its own partisans, they're both in direct competition with the G37 and neither offer overwhelmingly superior performance or features. Cut out the $3,200 Premium package and you've got an even better deal.

Overall: ***
Having watched way too much of the Olympics, I've come to think of the Infiniti G37S as world-class gymnast, albeit one that's fought its way through countless rounds of qualifying only to take a step on the landing and somehow, mysteriously, displease the Australian judge. Its an adept performer, able to run with its European competitors but, due to a few minor technical deductions, unable to pass them for the gold.

Also see:

• 2008 Infiniti G37S, Part One

Back in '71, you could buy a new Volvo 142S for $3,020. With the base '71 Chevy Nova 2-door priced at $2,176 and the Datsun 510 coupe going for just $1,990, the purchase of a new 142 showed that you were a sensible car buyer, willing to pay a premium for safety, European build quality, and longevity… although- now that we think about it- the Datsun 510 sure was a helluva deal!


Judging by the old Navy base parking stickers and the not-often-seen-on-Bay-Area-Volvos George Bush decal, it's a safe bet that this car is owned by a current or retired Navy officer; it's fairly common for Navy personnel once stationed in Alameda to like the place well enough to make permanent homes here. It appears that this car was beloved enough to have major chunk of its body replaced after a wreck (yet never repainted).

Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the three fuel efficient 2009 Toyota Yaris subcompact models. MSRPs will range from $12,205 for the three-door Liftback Base model to $15,880 for the Sedan S model when the vehicles hit dealerships later this summer.

Estimated EPA fuel economy ratings are 29 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for all three body styles with an automatic transmission and 29/36/32 mpg for the manual transmission models.

The excellent fuel economy, combined with extensive standard equipment and fun-to-drive features make Yaris an outstanding value. For 2009, Yaris is available in three body styles: a sedan, three-door Liftback, and an all-new five-door liftback, each in Base and Sporty “S” grades.

All Yaris grades will now feature a number of standard safety features, including anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags, and front and rear side curtain airbags. New exterior colors for the 2009 Yaris include Zephyr Blue Metallic and Blue Streak Metallic on Sedan and Yellow Jolt and Carmine Red Metallic on Liftback.

Prices for the Yaris three-door Liftback models range from $12,205 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $14,825 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new five-door Liftback model prices range from $13,305 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission to $15,125 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

Yaris Sedan model pricing ranges from $12,965 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $15,880 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

[Toyota]

Econoboxes like Seats and Ladas rule my in-the-process-of-being-gentrified Copenhagen neighbourhood of Vesterbro, but a few interesting cars live here too. Like the International on the attached picture. Please note a few days' worth of parking tickets on the windshield. The CH sticker on the back is for Switzerland, but the license plates are Danish. 'Oehlenschlægergade' street name trivia: In the old days city cops were hired more on the basis of their girth (200 lbs. minimum) rather than their spelling skills, so to make it easier writing the police report, people about to be arrested would be dragged over to the parallel street 'Saxogade' before the arrest was made official.

It was right under my nose (figuratively speaking) and literally right under my apartment window; my upstairs neighbour's SAAB 96. It may look like crap, but seeing that the mechanicals are in top shape, it consistently sails right through the fairly tough bi-annual Danish car inspection. I borrow it regularly, and have gotten used to the approving howls from local punk rockers, when they see it coming down the street. Car taxes in Denmark are pretty high, ensuring that a car that costs 10K in the US wil cost 25-30K here. So people hang on to their old cars much longer than elsewhere in Europe - though for obvious reasons you see more Volvos and SAABs that have survived, than - say - Fiats and Simcas.

10. Nissan GT-R

It's not hard to appreciate the 2009 Nissan GT-R. Unlike almost anything on the road, this latest iteration of the famous Japanese supercar not only outperforms many of its pricier competitors, it also offers a look that's both familiar and fresh. The aggressive front and strong profile makes no secret of the GT-R's ability.

9. Mitsuoka Galue Convertible

Whereas the strange-in-the-wrong-way Orochi from Mitsuoka may be one of the ugliest cars in the world, the Mitsuoka Galue Convertible is very much strange in the right way. Based on the current-generation Ford Mustang, the carriagemakers at Mitsuoka have crafted on the front from a Rolls Royce and the rear from a CTS. It's strange, but we can't help but love it. [Photo Credit: Carscoop]

8. Nissan Teana

While the current Nissan Altima isn't unattractive, the car's Japanese cousin is downright becoming. The sedan's elongated proportions and sweeping lines are distinctly European, while the sharp headlights and large grille are particularly Nissan. Let's hope this is the direction they're going to take American Nissans sometime soon.

7. Honda S2000 Type S

As much as we like the base Honda S2000, the S2000 Type S takes the modest and becoming sports car and adds a dash of Super Potential to the equation. Though some may fault it for its large wing and aggressive ground effects, these bits not only add aerodynamic function to the S2000, they also add much needed teeth. If you've got a hankering for one, the Honda S2000 CR is fairly similar.

6. Mazda RX-8

A minor refresh this year hasn't changed the fact that the Mazda RX-8 design is getting a bit long in the tooth. Nevertheless, the RX-8 is still a head-turner. A mixture of rotary-inspired shapes and exotic details, it's a car that only Mazda could design. One of the best-looking rear 3/4 views of any GT, we're glad those rad rotarians finally added a front to match with the 2009 RX-8.

5. Daihatsu Copen

One of the favorites among Kei Car enthusiasts, the tiny Copen from Daihatsu may not be the most powerful car on the list (in fact, it's the least powerful) but it's undeniably the cutest. In the tradition of tiny roadsters, the Copen looks like something fun a British company like MG would build if British carmakers like MG weren't all owned by the Chinese and Indians. It's proof that good things do sometimes come in small packages.

4. Toyota Century

A love for the Toyota Century is a love for a car that personifies understated luxury. Way understated. The only front-engined, RWD Japanese car to get V12 power, the Century has only been redesigned twice in the last 40 years of its production. Thought it costs nearly $100,000, it doesn't have the "Look at me, look at me!" cues of a Lexus, Mercedes or Bentley. Tasteful and reserved, the Century is the luxury car of the cunning diplomat. [Photo Credit: Yehey Forums]

3. Mazda MX-5 (Miata)

In addition to being a competitive LeMons racer, the MX-5 has historically been a low-key but sleek roadster, and the latest iteration is no different. The slightly flared fenders, rounded surfaces and low profile are timeless and beautiful.

2. Toyota Mark X

One of the best looking sedans that few people have ever heard of, the sleek Toyota Mark X may be related to the American Lexus GS300 but in a way that makes us think one of the two was secretly adopted. This RWD sedan has the shapely curves of an E-Class Mercedes combined with the sloping and textured nose of an Alfa (sans the crest) and that wonderful disregard for subtlety that makes us love Japanese cars.

1. Infiniti G37

The Infiniti G37 is a coupe that just missed getting placed on our most beautiful cars list. A drastic improvement over the previous generation, the G37 practically sparkles in person. Unlike most Japanese luxury cars, the sculptors of the G37 took chances with the design. The gently raked beltline and 1980s-professional-woman wide shoulders balance the feminine and the masculine like few modern cars can. But it's the details, like the 10-spoked wheels and creased grille, that make this otherwise toned-down coupe scream.

The three of us pile our gear into the G37S (first stop cemetery, second stop beach) and we notice a peculiar sign posted inside the trunk. It's an illustration of the rear of the car explaining, in three languages, how to insert a pair of golf bags. Most of the people I knew with this car's predecessor, the G35, were professional twentysomethings with jobs in graphic design and no clue how to spend their money. With this latest version it seems, superficially at least, they've jumped straight to waning midlife crisis.

After trudging through the slow moving traffic that tends to form along the commercial thoroughfares of Chicago, we reach the glorious, though brief, expanse of Lake Shore Drive leading to Evanston and our destination. I purposefully wait at the yellow light, hoping to be at the front of the line to tackle the mostly sheltered onramp. As a first test I leaned hard on the G37's go pedal when the light turned green, hoping to determine the ratio of sport to luxury in this sports luxury coupe but not expecting much. Given how relatively docile the Infiniti's V6 is at low speed I was a bit caught off guard at how rapidly we accelerated up the ramp and into traffic.

I quickly shifted into second, but barely had my bearings before the red tach needle, bathed in a purplish light, bounced against the redline. Oops. Though there's a deep engine note, the well-sealed cabin doesn't allow exterior sounds to dampen the conversation. Ours turned to the proper way to pull up the playlist of an iPod on the large screen in the center of the dash instead of a discussion of how clumsily I launched us onto the highway. It was then I realized that this is a sports car, but one designed with an eye towards hiding that fact from its passengers.

Though there's a lot that keeps the car's athletic nature from the passengers, including the sleek and modern interior, the ride over the uneven and damaged roads leading away from the highway and towards the final resting place is punishing. The plush and aerated leather seats do a decent job of absorbing the blows being translated through the suspension, which in S trim is firmed up a bit, but there's a click every time we hit the slightest bump. It turns out the sound was the clip in the rear passenger's hair hitting the rear glass. It was lucky for her she wasn't any taller.

I pull the G37S through the main arch of the front gate, which is designed to mimic the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. Unfortunately, the office is closed and we have no idea where, amid the hundreds of plots, his ancestors are actually buried. Though there are narrow concrete paths through the grounds you can only do the searching on foot. After a while having no luck finding his unique last name among the typically Irish-Catholic names (Murphy, Kennedy, O'Brien) I stop to take stock of the coupe.

Compared to the even the most ornamented tributes, the G37S looks almost gaudy. Though in a more austere coat of silver, the massive chrome grille shone like a beacon when the clouds began to break and the 10-spoke wheels practically glittered. Compared to the light coat of paint, the rich red taillights are practically jewels. If the eyes of the dead are upon us, they're thinking we've come along way since the Great Famine.

The cemetery was a truly beautiful and holy place and we were all glad we came. One last time we hoped for some sort of divine inspiration to help us divine the location of the gravestone's, a voice from the other side. We had no such luck. Content that we'd tried our best we set out for the curvy roads ahead, hoping to communicate with the athletic beast lurking beneath the luxurious visage.

The aggressive sports car behind the massive grille came to life as we zipped up and down the ravine, seeming unimpressed with what we considered fun roads. The faster I pushed the car and the harder I sent it into the corners the more unconcerned it became. It wasn't an easy exercise — it took considerable effort and numerous steering inputs to keep it inline — but I was unable to find