Jalopnik is proud to present a new feature charting the travels of the world's automotive journalists, as they test the latest whips in exotic locales (on automakers' sugar-daddy dimes). While we're not entirely sure if these intrepid scribes declare their air miles as income on their tax returns, we're positive you'll enjoy this look at some of the world's best destinations. Well, if you don't, we certainly hope the journos did.
Wards
Junketeer: Tom Murphy
Car: Lexus GS450h
Location: Hawaii
Junket Quote:
(Dateline) KOHALA COAST, HI
Thanks for the Memory:
"Virtually no one will cross-shop a 911 with a GS 450h, so the comparison seems silly. But Lexus makes a valid point. Its sedan is practical, stylish and fuel-efficient, while being just as fast as a world-renowned high-performance European sport coupe."
The Car Connection
Car: Lexus GS450h
Location: Hawaii
Junketeer: Paul Eisenstein
Junket quote:
"So it was an unexpectedly appropriate place to go for our first drive of the 2007 Lexus GS450h, a sedan that delivers a variety of its own surprises. The new model could very well redefine both the Lexus brand and the concept of hybrid-electric vehicles."
Thanks for the Memory:
"While we're skeptical of the save-the-earth claims, we're duly impressed with the GS450h's overall performance and handling. It's lavishly equipped and incredibly quiet, as you'd expect from a Lexus, but has a much more sporty feel than the brand has traditionally been known for. We expect a lot of folks to pay attention when the sedan reaches showrooms."
Edmunds.com
Car: Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
Location: Dubai
Junketeer: Chris Walton
Junket Quote:
"It was not by accident that Porsche chose to introduce the 2006 Cayenne Turbo S on its own world-class (assembly-line adjacent) racetrack in Leipzig, Germany, as well as in the silty, orange sand dunes outside Dubai in the United Arab Emirates."
Thanks for the Memory:
"Doing with ease what appears to be impossible is what the 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S is all about."
Edmunds.com
Car: BMW M Roadster
Location: Jerez Spain
Junketeer: Ed Hellwig
Junket Quote:
"After a few laps around Spain's Jerez road course in the new 2006 BMW M Roadster, a high-performance version of the standard Z4, Bruhnke is smiling again."
Thanks for the Memory:
"Compare it to other high-performance convertibles, however, and the M Roadster is the new king of performance per dollar."
Roadandtrack.com
Car: Jaguar XK
Location: Arizona and England
Junketeer: Pete Egan
Junket Quote:
"Jaguar invited us to Arizona in mid-winter to drive the car on dry desert roads, and then we flew on to England (where the weather was still pretty mild, despite all the Christmas lights and pubs flowing with holiday cheer) to talk to the factory engineers and interview designer Ian Callum, who also styled the Aston Martin DB7 and Vanquish."
Thanks for the Memory:
"In the marketplace, the XK has to go up against the Mercedes-Benz SL and the BMW 6 Series with some cross-over to the Porsche 911 and Cadillac XLR. Potent company, but Jaguar's answer is a good one. The new XK is faster, lighter, roomier, quicker, better-handling and civilized as ever on the open road."
Related:
The Truth About the Truth About Junketeering [internal]