SUV show -- Ford Edge

The Edge is Ford's all-new SUV that debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January and is aimed to compete in the hot crossover SUV market. The Edge design features a bold three-bar grille that is similar to the Ford Fusion sedan, a raked windshield, a fast-sloping back window, a high-mounted rear spoiler, a high beltline and wheels that are pushed to the far corners to deliver an aggressive stance. The interior features seating for five and cargo space can be maximized to carry objects up to 8 feet long when the rear seats and the front passenger seat are folded.

The 2007 Ford Edge is powered by a new 265-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Available with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, the Edge is equipped with MacPherson struts in the front and a four-link independent rear suspension for improved ride and handling. The interior features a center console that can fit a laptop computer and a number of options including a panoramic Vista Roof, a segment-first MP3 audio jack and six-way power-heated adjustable front seats. Standard safety features include Advance Trac with Roll Stability Control, seat-mounted side airbags and Safety Canopy air curtain system with rollover detection and extended-duration side-curtain airbags.

SUV show -- GMC Acadia

The Acadia is GMC’s first crossover SUV that combines car-like handling with the capability of a sport-utility vehicle and offers three rows of seating for up to eight passengers. The Acadia’s profile is sleek and aerodynamic, with a sporty, tapered roof life. The design is showcased by polished aluminum roof rails, large prominent headlights that use projector beam technology, distinctive LED taillights and a rear spoiler enhance the vehicle’s sport appearance. Featuring a body-frame integral design that enables lower step-in height and interior space of larger SUVs, the Acadia has a host of safety features that include six standard airbags and a standard StabilitTrak electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation technology.

The 2007 GMC Acadia is powered by a 275-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 with variable valve timing producing 251 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic transmission, the Acadia gets an estimated fuel economy of 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway with FWD and 17 and 24 mpg with AWD. Towing capacity is up to 4,500 pounds when properly equipped. The interior features a “low and away” instrument panel that as high-quality, low-gloss materials and a Smart Slide second-row feature allows easier access to the third row. Standard safety features includes StabiliTrak stability control system with rollover mitigation technology, traction control (FWD only) and a tire-pressure-monitoring system. Also standard is power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, 18-inch wheels and tires with optional 19-inchers, and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.

SUV show -- 2007 Toyota RAV4

The RAV4 is Toyota’s sporty compact SUV that was introduced in Japan in 1994 and arrived in the U.S. in January 1996. The second-generation RAV4 debuted for the 2001 model year.

The latest RAV4 has grown significantly, with a nearly three-inch longer wheelbase and more dynamic, less truck-like styling. At launch in Europe, it will have 2.2-liter diesel and 2.0-liter gasoline engines, but expect the U.S. version to have the 2.0-liter four and an available V-6, along with a longer wheelbase and available seven-passenger seating. The vehicle features Toyota's high-tech integrated Active Drive System in which stability control, all-wheel drive, and electric power steering are combined to ensure that even the most ham-fisted cannot fall off the road. In keeping with the safety theme, the RAV4 will be available with no fewer than seven air bags, including a driver's knee air bag. Inside, the most notable feature is one-touch folding rear seats.

The Toyota RAV4 was one of the models that kicked off the mini-SUV or "cute ute" segment when it launched in 1994. The RAV4 shed a bit of its "mini" image when it was redesigned in 2006, the new version offering both a third-row bench seat that expanded seating to 7 and an optional V-6 engine—both firsts for the RAV4. Despite its larger size, the RAV4 is still the entry-level offering in Toyota's SUV/CUV lineup, sized and priced just below the Highlander. It is available in standard, Sport, and Limited models.

The new RAV4 offers buyers a 166-hp, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine or a surprisingly large 269-hp 3.5-liter V-6. Both engines are available exclusively with an automatic transmission—a 4-speed for the 4-cylinder and a 5-speed for the V-6—and with either front- or all-wheel drive. The 4-wheel-drive (4WD) system automatically shifts power to the rear wheels as needed to maintain traction. The RAV4 doesn’t have a low-range transfer case, but it can be locked into 4WD mode at speeds under 25 MPH. Other off-road features include Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), which prevents the RAV4 from rolling backwards on a steep incline, and Downhill Assist Control, which maintains a steady speed on steep downgrades. HAC and DAC are standard on V-6 models and 4-cylinder models equipped with the optional third-row seat.

SUV show -- Honda CR-V

The CR-V is Honda’s compact SUV that is redesigned for 2007, featuring new exterior styling that trades the trademark rear-mounted spare tire and side-hinged rear door for a rear liftgate. The CR-V originally debuted in the U.S. in 1997, built on the Civic platform, and quickly became the best-selling compact SUV. The CR-V was redesigned for 2002, offering more power and smoother exterior styling.

The 2007 Honda CR-V is powered by a 166-horsepower 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with a 5-speed automatic transmission. The CR-V is offered in three trim levels, LX, EX and EX-L. Standard equipment includes 4-channel ABS, Vehicle Stability Assist, traction control, 17-inch wheels, tire-pressure monitoring system, air conditioning, AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3/WMA playback and four speakers, power door locks, power windows, and a retractable center tray table. The EX adds a moonroof, chrome grille, rear privacy glass, security system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a dual-deck cargo shelf, an AM/FM/6-disc in-dash audio system with six speakers, an exterior temperature indicator, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The EX-L adds leather-trimmed seats and armrests, heated front seats, body-colored side mirrors and door handles, XM Satellite Radio, available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation with Voice Recognition and rearview camera, and an AM/FM/6-disc center console CD changer audio system.

About the SUVs

A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a passenger vehicle which combines the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or station wagon together with all or off road ability. Most SUVs are designed with a roughly square cross-section, an engine compartment, a combined passenger and cargo compartment, and no dedicated trunk. Most mid-size and full-size SUVs have three rows of seats with a cargo area directly behind the last row of seats. Compact SUVs and mini SUVs, such as the Toyota RAV4 and Suzuki Vitara, may have five or fewer seats.

It is known in some countries as an "off-road vehicle" or "four-wheel drive", often abbreviated to "4WD" or "4x4", pronounced "four-by-four". However, not all SUVs have four-wheel drive capabilities (see Mazda Tribute, for example). Conversely, not all 4WD passenger vehicles are SUVs (see, for example, Subaru Impreza).

More recently, manufacturers have responded to buyers' complaints that SUVs "drive like trucks" and demands for "carlike ride" with a new type of SUV. A new category, the crossover SUV uses car design and components for lighter weight and better fuel efficiency, but is no longer designed or recommended by the manufacturer for off-road usage or towing.

auto show -- 2007 Aston Martin DB9

The 2007 DB9 is a 2-door, 4-passenger luxury sports car, or convertible sports car, available in two trims, the Coupe and the Volante.

Upon introduction, the Coupe is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, V12, 450-horsepower engine that achieves 12-mpg in the city and 19-mpg on the highway. The Volante is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, V12, 450-horsepower engine that achieves 13-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims, and a 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is optional.

About DB9
Launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday, 9th September 2003, the Aston Martin DB9, became the first car to be produced at the company’s modern facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

The innovative DB9 began an exciting new era for Aston Martin as it took on a fresh direction with new models.

Using a radical new aluminum bonded frame, the 2+2 DB9 remains one of the most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. It successfully balances the attributes of a sports car with features normally found in luxury cars.

About the car
Each of the headlamps is set in a single aperture in the front wing.
There is no separate nose cone. The aluminum bonnet runs all the way to the leading edge of the car. This accentuates the length of the bonnet and the power of the car, all front cut lines emanate from the grille.

There are no computer gimmicks. Aluminum is used for door handles, on the dashboard, in the instrument cluster, and for some trim panels. The most distinctive use of aluminum is probably in the instruments. The dials are made from aluminum, and are of noticeable 'three dimensional' design. They are flood lit, not back lit - making them especially attractive and clear at night.

The engine is developed from the V12 used in the Vanquish. The advanced quad-cam 48-valve engine has been designed by Aston Martin engineers in partnership with Ford's RVT (Research and Vehicle Technology), and is unique to Aston Martin.

One of the finest and fastest sedans ever -- 2007 BMW Alpina B7

BMW Alpina B7 is unlike any other BMW, it packs a supercharger and 21-inch wheels and tires.It's a special one, sort of something limited, and turnes of the 750i.

The BMW Alpina B7 carries a base price of $115,695 and includes the interior and all the standard features of a 760Li including power sunshades and soft-close doors.Toss in the $1,300 gas-guzzler tax and the B7's MSRP is a knee-buckling $124,480. Or approximately three Saleens.
About Alpina

the B7 is only the second Alpina-modified BMW ever offered in America. The first was the Roadster V8, a car based on the Z8 Roadster, and BMW imported only 450 of them in 2002-'03.

Alpina first made its name when it helped BMW develop the lightweight BMW 3.0 CS of the early 1970s, but the company's recent models have delivered very high levels of performance at moderate engine rpm and with an automatic transmission. In other words, they contrast starkly with the machines developed by BMW M, which always feature high-revving engines backed by either a manual or sequential manual (SMG) transmissions.

Bolt on the Blower

The blower is a centrifugal supercharger bolted to the front of the B7's DOHC 4.4-liter V8. Although BMW fits its 750i with a 360-horsepower 4.8-liter V8, Alpina uses the smaller-displacement V8 used in this car's predecessor, the 745i. Alpina has also fortified the engine with a stronger bottom end, a lower 9.0:1 compression ratio and a new exhaust system.

The supercharger makes 12.0 psi of boost, which cranks up the engine's power peaks to 500 hp at 5,500 rpm and 516 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. That's up from 325 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque, so you should be considerably impressed. It's also 62 hp more than you get in the V12-powered 760Li.

Throttle response is a bit sluggish (probably due to that long intake tract), but all that grunt (along with the shorter final-drive ratio from the 760Li) is enough to make this the quickest 7 Series you can buy. Acceleration to 60 mph is accomplished in a neck-snapping 5.0 seconds flat, and the quarter-mile is covered in only 13.3 seconds at more than 108 mph.

Sure, an M5 will eat its lunch in the quarter-mile, but the B7 nearly matches the M5's 0-60-mph run of 4.8 seconds. It's a real testament to the B7's serious bottom-end torque, especially when you realize the B7 weighs 4,704 pounds — 700 more than an M5.

So the blower works, but it does its thing incognito. Blower whine is not part of the B7's soundtrack. Instead, its big V8 supplies its endless amounts of torque with a deep V8 bellow — again in stark contrast to the high-pitched exhaust sound of an M engine.

Backing the beast is the same six-speed automatic used in a 750i, but Alpina has fitted it with Switch-Tronic, a manual-shift program controlled by buttons located on the back of the Alpina steering wheel. The buttons work well enough, but the B7's transmission is not this car's finest piece. Aside from the fact that it makes every start from a stop in 2nd gear, we find it annoying that the transmission doesn't hold gears in manual mode nor does it match revs when downshifted. If the B7's engine might be ranked a 9.5, its transmission is just a 5.
Alpina does, however, get the B7's suspension just right. The combination of firmer suspension calibration and 21-inch wheels and tires sounds like a recipe for a teeth-chattering ride. But it isn't. The B7's ride is certainly on the firm side of the luxury sedan envelope, but it's remarkably smooth and compliant.

By the way, the design of these 21-inch radial-spoke rims is an Alpina signature. It features 20 slender spokes and mimics a design Alpina has used on every one of its models since the BMW 3.0 CS of the early '70s. And those 21-inch Michelins, well, they cost $550 apiece to replace. How do we know? Don't worry about it. Just keep the B7's stability control on or be ready to write a large check to your local tire shop.

Although the wheels are what everyone notices first about the B7, the sizable rear spoiler and the other tweaks to the look of this 7 Series don't exactly go unnoticed. Meanwhile, the interior additions are more subtle. Along with the three-spoke steering wheel, Alpina adds only badging and a new instrument cluster with a 200-mph speedometer.

Steering feel is exceptional and the factory-installed Active Roll Stabilization system keeps body roll in check. The B7's balance and overall grip is impressive. This very large, very heavy sedan generated 0.85g on our skid pad and blazed through our slalom at almost 69 mph. In other words, it handles as well as an M5, but with a much more agreeable ride.

The B7 also stops like an M5, hauling down from 60 mph in just 114 feet with absolutely zero fade after three hard stops. Again, this car weighs 4,704 pounds. Unbelievable. Alpina has accomplished this by fitting the brakes from the 760i — a model only sold in European markets — that feature rotors that are 1 inch larger in diameter.
The 2007 BMW Alpina B7 is one of the finest and fastest sedans ever.