Smart cars are small, but not that small, thus it's only a model inside Kinder Surprise eggs. During the next two years, 40 million miniature smart cars will be hidden in the novelty candy made by Ferrero. Miniature versions of the smart forfour, smart fourtwo coupe, smart roadster-coupe and smart crossblade models will be the surprise inside the chocolate eggs. The folks at smart are very enthusiastic about Ferrero, saying they are an "ideal partner" because both have "an extremely positive image and express a great deal of joie de vivre" in their products.

George Darling's 1988 Porsche Turbo 951
In 1988, three years into production of its 217hp 944 Turbo (951), Porsche released the 951 S with a 250hp engine that later became standard on all '89 951 models. It was easily one of the top 10 fastest cars on sale at the time, netting acceleration numbers close to the likes of the Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Testarossa, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Lotus Esprit. And thanks to a vast aftermarket industry catering specifically to this model, numerous 951 and 951 S cars on the road are fast even by today's standards. This red one, owned by George Darling, is one of the elite.

Most people don't realize that Earth Day started way back in 1970. Conceived by politician Gaylord Nelson, it was intended to demonstrate concern about rising environmental issues as well as educate people about conservation. Earth Day celebrations have had their ups and downs through the years; 2007, however, was recognized as one of the biggest ever and arguably the most successful.

The current Quattroporte was launched in 2004, the fifth Maserati sports sedan to wear this badge. Designed by Pininfarina, it's not only a fine Maserati, but also a pretty good car by any standards. Striking the balance between formal elegance and a sporty attitude, it makes its German rivals-even the suave Jaguar XJR-look rather staid.

It used to mean something to own a Ferrari or Lamborghini. They were cars for special occasions. Just to see one on the street was a talking point. Now they're everyday, usable machines that prowl certain bonus-riding, city-boy-ridden quarters of our country like rats. An F430 or Gallardo doesn't stand out any more. In the wealth centers of the world, a rusting Miata would grab more gazes. That's why Hamann Motorsport stepped in to give both cars some added plumage and flash, to reinstate the impact that's been lost to the mass market.

The Turbo X is Trollhattan's latest limited-production 9-3 hot-rod. It has a turbocharged, 280hp, 2.8-liter V6 delivering 295 lb-ft of torque between 2150 and 4500 rpm, and it brings Haldex's latest and greatest fourth-generation all-wheel-drive system to the 9-3 range.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

Mythic Cats
According to legend, the Jaguar XJ220 began as a top-secret side project designers and engineers worked on after hours. The original car used a twin-turbo V6 laying down 540 hp. The XJ220 S, pictured, was stripped down to be some 400 pounds lighter overall and its engine overhauled to produce an incredible 680 hp from the same 3.5 liters of displacement. Only five road-going examples are known to exist.

For several years, Audi's bread-and-butter car in the United States has been the A4. The company sells roughly 40,000 a year, with Avants making up roughly 10 percent of the mix. It's no surprise that, with such a small number of Avant sales, Audi isn't concerned about providing a huge amount of product diversity. With the launch of its new A4 Avant, Audi has announced that the only driveline combination for the North American market in the Avant will be a six-speed automatic 2.0T with the new rear-biased Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

I've never owned an SUV, or had any desire to. To me, they're gas-guzzling bricks hauling spoiled, DVD-watching kids, while being accident-safe by crushing the other car. But then I got in a BMW X6.

You may have first seen the new Mercedes-Benz GLK appear as a fun trolley for those fashionistas in the Sex and the City movie, bringing oohs and ahs to the theater from car guys and gals alike. Or maybe you saw the concept in January at the North American International Auto Show and you were surprised to see it in production already for 2010. Whichever culture you choose to tap info from, Mercedes' reach is all encompassing. They've been making four-wheel-drive vehicles for more than 100 years, so they're fairly confident there's nothing to prove with this newbie to the line. What we get with the GLK is a classic beauty made more comfortable.

The '09 John Cooper Works is the driving enthusiast's MINI--with more power, more torque, and an overall more sporting demeanor. An optimized air supply, new exhaust tract, and modified turbocharger push overall output to 208 hp (SAE) and 192 lb-ft of peak torque. With the "Overboost" function engaged, the torque figure is increased to a maximum of 207 lb-ft. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The gearbox features identical gear ratios to that of the MINI Cooper S, but the gears themselves have been strengthened to cope with the augmented power output in the John Cooper Works application.

The Southern California MINI Maniacs gathered for a car show, fund raiser and general MINI(and Mini) related good times. There is nothing better than a couple hundred classic and current MINIs showing up in one spot.

While the stock brakes on our long term MINI Cooper S were more than adequate for daily driving, we felt we could use a little extra stopping power for the canyon driving and occasional track use the car sees. We didn't want to go all the way with a big brake kit, as we wanted to stay with 17-inch wheels. We also wanted to see what we could do at minimal cost and effort.

Audi has realized that no matter how good the Q7 is, the gargantuan size just sit well with some buyers, especially in light of recent gas prices. To still satisfy their customers who require a bit more ground clearance than what their Avants offer Audi is releasing the Q5. A five seat SUV that supplies nearly the same amount of passenger room with superior performance, driving dynamics and fuel mileage than its big brother.

Case Study #1
Jaguar XF
We took an aggressive yet integrated approach to modifying Jaguar's newest sedan. The front fascia (1) maintains a break line at the corners, but it's angled more steeply and runs deeper, terminating at the outside of the large cooling ducts. The grille (2) has a blacked-out mesh treatment, emphasizing the opening and the Jaguar badge. Deeper, sculpted rocker panels and larger side vents (3) finished in polished aluminum enhance the sides, while a rear fascia and deck spoiler round out the external body mods. Wheels are polished aluminum (4) with color-keyed centers that match the leather-and-Alcantara interior trim.

Product Spotlight
PLX Devices DM-100 OLED gauge
Manufacturers generally do a good job of keeping drivers in the dark about what's going on under the hood. And there are some things you really need to know. Aftermarket gauges are plentiful, but you typically need more than one. Finding a gauge pod to install a single gauge cleanly is a challenge and when attempting to install multiples, it often looks tacky. PLX Devices has a solution: the DM-100, a multi-purpose gauge that fits into a 2 1/16-inch (52 mm) mount featuring an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. It allows up to 32 different sensor modules to be combined into one gauge. By operating the four-button remote, the user can scroll through boost, air/fuel ratio, fluid temperatures and exhaust gas temperature readings-or display multiple readings-all in one gauge interface.

Let me cut to the chase. The Z4 M Coupe is my favorite long-termer so far. I realized this about 10 minutes into the drive. The cabin is ergonomically sound, with everything within reach and easy to figure out, including the navigation system. The carbon-look leather stitching is an especially nice touch through the interior and I've absolutely fallen in love with the fat steering wheel.

Pedal Pusher
BMW has developed a children's foot-powered pushbike that converts easily into a traditional pedal-and-chain-operated bike once the child has developed a strong sense of balance-all without the aid of training wheels. The Kid's Bike features an easy-to-install pedal system and an adjustable seat designed to grow with children from the initial stages of learning to big-kid pedaling.
$300
www.bmwusa.com

There's no debate about performance potential in the Porsche Cayman's mid-engine layout. The car's enthusiasts argue that the factory has purposely hobbled it, so as not to poach sales from the 911. As with most Porsches, there's a certain amount of conservativism in the design, meaning power left on the table for tuners to exploit. We decided to see what the Cayman S could do with improved breathing and an ECU tune that takes advantage of this potential.

He stood about five feet, seven inches and was dressed as expected for an auto mechanic. Blue shirt, blue pants, sturdy shoes and a baseball hat. In broken English, he told us he was the mechanic we'd been waiting for in our hotel car park. Since we were broken down in Khovd, Mongolia, and had no other options, we were more than willing to believe him. After shaking hands and learning that his name was all but unpronounceable, he told us to call him Tybo and to follow his right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Pajero across town to his workshop. Rich and I piled into our wounded 1929 Chrysler Model 75 Roadster and followed slowly over the bumpy streets.

The Long Beach Grand Prix (LBGP) sprang from the efforts of Chris Pook and a track design courtesy of Dan Gurney. From a conversation in 1974 to the inaugural running on September 28, 1975, the streets of Long Beach have witnessed the roar of Formula 5000, Formula One, Indy Cars (CART), Trans Am, Touring Cars, the ever-present celebrity races, Grand Am, ALMS, and just about anything else you can think of. The promoters have never shied away from being inventive or giving a slot to the latest fad.

Remember when you were a kid and had to get a haircut? They tried to get you in and out as fast as possible and the last thing they wanted was to dunk an already screaming kid's head into water, so proper hair washing was out. Dry hair is difficult to cut, so out came the spray bottle full of water. This uses a mechanical pump to force the water through a nozzle that atomizes the stream. It controls the amount of liquid applied, so things can be slightly wet instead of soaking. Those spray bottles are dampeners; the things in your car are dampers.

I was in a California car park the other week, taking a ride in a 1967 Shelby Mustang. I was in the States to drive the new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, but $95,000-worth of Teutonic efficiency was of little interest next to a giant lump of old Americana. The Mustang, like its owner, belonged to a bygone age, but both were in a fine state of repair. We sped out of the car park, the big V8 took a breath, the rear tires gave up their fight for adhesion for surely the millionth time and we sped forth at an alarming rate. We didn't stop properly, of course, and when we tried to turn left, the Mustang wanted to head straight for Nevada. But within the space of two minutes, the Ford served a cocktail of emotions that two days in the Benz couldn't match.

Lean And Hungry
The Carrera Club Sport was Porsche's answer to the 911s growing waistline. Pared down to its essence, the CS was essentially a bare-bones model (no radio, AC, undercoating, and so on) with a more powerful motor and tighter suspension. It was intended for serious drivers, guys more interested in lap times than laptops.