The new Infiniti M is one sexy, sultry machine. It looks tight, taut, and ready to pounce. It really makes a strong design statement, which is exactly what Infiniti should be doing. The interior is especially enticing, with an ambience that is at once ultramodern yet traditionally posh. I dare say that Infiniti and Jaguar are now leading the way in cabin design, a mantle once held by Audi. Or, at least, they are the equal of Audi.

Ben Bowlby, the evil genius behind the radical DeltaWing race car, ought to be decked out in combat fatigues, with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder. Or maybe dressed in a stiff Russian suit and one of those funky hats Lenin used to wear. He is, after all, the most dangerous revolutionary in the world of motorsports, the creator of a car that not only looks unlike anything ever raced on a track before but also threatens to render everything on the track today instantly obsolete.

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is without question the ultimate factory-built off-road truck, and Ford's SVT engineers aren't about to let it get stale. For 2011, a few tweaks enable the SVT Raptor to literally open more doors to the world of off-roading -- and do it with even more power underfoot.

The Durango has been a staple in Dodge's lineup since it debuted nearly twelve years ago, but realizing a shift in the market, Dodge has seen fit to completely overhaul its full-size SUV for 2011. After a year's absence from the lineup, the SUV has undergone an array of changes including a complete overhaul in looks, and is now based on a unibody frame that it shares with Jeep's new 2011 Grand Cherokee.

After the demise of the Dodge Magnum, it's refreshing to have a wagon offering from a domestic manufacturer. It's likely that the CTS wagon will find very few takers -- if the slow-selling Magnum and the now-redesigned wagon-like first generation Cadillac SRX are any indication -- but in my opinion, this CTS wagon looks great and is hard evidence that Cadillac is willing to take chances to regain its world class status.

So these two Swedes, Volvo and Saab, walk into a bar. Long story short: Plenty of crazy stuff happens before they depart, worse for wear and unable to walk out under their own steam. But, praise Thor and the other Norse gods, they're still with us now.

For those of you who always obey the speed limit and come to a complete stop, the following information probably won’t be of much interest. But those of you who might occasionally bend the rules should listen up: We’ve got the skinny on Ford’s newest police vehicle offerings. You’d better start scanning the landscape for shapes other than the familiar Crown Victoria, which is no longer being sold.

Months in fleet: Two
Miles to date: 7850

First, allow me to state the obvious: $35,000 is a silly amount of money to pay for a front-wheel-drive convertible with two usable seats and few luxury options (no leather, no nav, no automatic climate control). If someone were to ask me to recommend some smart ways to spend $35,000, the Mini Cooper JCW convertible would fall somewhere between "patent leather suit" and "old General Motors Corp stock." And yet, if I wanted some wind in my hair, I'd probably give the Mini some consideration. Why? One word: Fun.

Honda's CRX is something of a legend, one of those cars about which everyone seems to have memories. Fond memories at that, usually involving an ultracool college-age dude who drove the wheels off one. The first-generation Honda Insight, on the other hand, is a car that the in crowd probably doesn't even remember, but it was pure dork delight. With an aluminum unibody, it was the first hybrid to reach the U.S. and posted the highest EPA combined fuel economy number of all time: 53 mpg (49/61 mpg city/highway).

Maybach has long been assumed to be at death's door. The brand is actually profitable on paper since the ramp-up investment has been fully absorbed by Daimler AG. Still, at a homeopathic 200 to 300 units a year, it's hardly worth the continued cost of a special distribution and service network. It doesn't help matters that current Maybachs are based on the previous-generation S-class -- not exactly state-of-the-art. Disillusioned and lacking a clear strategy, previous brand leadership was very close to putting Maybach out of its misery.

Months in Fleet: Nine
Miles to date: 20,724

This is the high-performance import sedan for those who march to the beat of a different drummer. It's decidedly different from the longtime category leader, the BMW M3, from the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, or even the Cadillac CTS-V. Like those three sedans, though, it's got one helluva V-8 engine stuffed under its hood, and it's mated to a state-of-the-art eight-speed automatic gearbox. The IS-F feels a lot smaller and more intimate than the other cars, which will be good for some people and off-putting for others. It's a bit more frenetic than its competitors, too, and perhaps falls more on the sport/performance side of things than the luxury side. Whereas the Cadillac and the Mercedes split luxury and sport equally, I'd venture. If you never thought Lexus could make a truly hard-edged sport sedan, you ought to drive this car; it likely will surprise you.

Although most of the auto industry is using billboards and Twitter feeds to announce the oncoming battery-powered revolution, German automakers have been more circumspect. At various times, they've pooh-poohed the viability of electric vehicles and, at others, tantalized us with green supercars that will, at best, be extremely expensive and extremely limited in production. But make no mistake, the Germans are coming around, if somewhat belatedly, to the idea of electric vehicles for the masses, and to that end, they are developing a veritable alphabet soup of electric small cars that you may or may not have heard of. Here's your cheat sheet on the affordable electric cars we expect from the Fatherland.

Replica cars are nothing new. Hot-rodders have been relying on new 1932 Ford body shells for years, and longtime readers may remember the Autokraft Cobra that was splashed on the cover of our second issue, in May 1986. But those are copies of exceedingly rare, expensive, and significant cars. A 1966 Ford Bronco is none of those things. And yet, starting later this year, the public will be able to assemble brand-new ones.

Q: What motivated your invention?
A: I can tell you the light-bulb moment down to the GPS coordinate. I was in my BMW 540i, taking turn 1 at Summit Point . It's a very hard, double-apex right-hand turn at the end of the front straight, requiring trail braking going in and a downshift during the turn. I kept losing speed and losing control in the turn because I was holding onto the steering wheel and sliding in my seat. My driving instructor told me, "You've reached that level where you've got to put harnesses in your car." But this was my daily driver, and I didn't want harnesses. So, I started to tinker with a few ideas and then tried them on the track. It took two years to find the solution.

Months in fleet: six
Miles: 20,333

Months in Fleet: Eight
Mileage to Date: 18,114 miles

Volkswagen's monopoly on affordable diesel passenger cars in the U.S. is about to end. Starting in late 2011, American buyers will have at least one fuel-efficient diesel to choose from at the Mazda dealer. While the Mazda team refuses to officially acknowledge that the 6 sedan is the diesel engine's destination, the company has previously announced the engine will first appear in a "next-generation midsize sedan." Furthermore, we're driving Technical Prove-out Vehicles, or TPVs, that are next-generation Mazda 6 sedans, clothed in the current car's sheet metal. The 6, though, might not be the only diesel Mazda we receive. The CX-7 crossover seems a natural candidate and U.S. executives seriously want a Mazda 3 with a diesel, but that compact car presents a pricing challenge.

I've spent four nights jumping between the Volkswagen GTI and this Civic Si, cars that, arguably, cater to the same demographic and that cost about the same. After all this back and forth, I think I'd take my $22,000 to the VW dealer.

With the lowly Corvette ZR1 and a fresh Porsche 911 Turbo yapping at its hooves, the prancing horse rises to the asphalt-kicking cause. Ferrari's 458 Italia not only eclipses the performance of every challenger save the Bugatti Veyron, it lifts the normally-aspirated bar to heights that will probably never be topped.

A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to drive an M3 very much like this test car on the Lightning course at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Driving on a racetrack is always a fun, but good God, the M3 was amazingly fantastic and super fun at NJMP. The V-8 engine is so rev-happy, so powerful, and it sounds incredible. The dual-clutch gearbox (although a pricey option at $2900) is a thing of beauty, and that comment comes from a guy who adores traditional manual transmissions. The steering is telepathic, and the chassis is near perfect.

As delivered by the factory, Audi's S5 Cabriolet makes for a charismatic convertible. Although lacking the V-8 grunt of its fixed-roof sibling, it offers an enticing combination of power and style, yet is comfortable and benign enough to use as a daily driver. Is there any way to improve upon Ingolstadt's invention?

If tinkering with your car is a weekend passion, create the backdrop that makes that time spent even more enjoyable. Gladiator® GarageWorks has just what you need - work surfaces, tool storage solutions and supply storage - to help keep you (and your projects) on track.

Color me impressed. Nissan's Rogue is going on four years without any major revisions (a mild face-lift is due in 2011), but there's still a lot to like, especially if you're in the market for a comfortable little sport-utility.