Sometimes I don’t know what I enjoy more about my job, getting to drive wonderful cars or having that privilege in new, exotic travel destinations.  I was fortunate to have ample seat time in the new, 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid, whilst experiencing Santa Fe New Mexico for the first time.  As enjoyable the scenery and vibe of our location was, the highlight was cruising across the high desert with speed and grace.

2013 VW Jetta Hybrid

On approach, only those with a keen eye will be able to distinguish the Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid from the non-hybrid version.  Updated alloy wheels in 15, 16, and 17 inch sizes are probably your best clue.  The subtle blue drop shadow, trimming out the front and rear badges will also indicate to you that something is different about this Jetta.  Overall, it continues a refined evolution of design of both the Jetta model, and the complete Volkswagen brand.

Once settled inside, you begin to see and feel the quality that separates the 2013 VW Jetta Turbo Hybrid from its competitors.  The standard leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel is a  joy to grasp, alluding to the overall premium nature of the entire vehicle.  The no nonsense gauge cluster includes two easy to read dials, trimmed in chrome, that are nestled to either side of the car’s standard Multi-Function Instrument.  The left dial is important to highlight, as it is the new “Power Meter”, taking place of the traditional tachometer.  Although the needle of the Power Meter sits at zero when the Jetta is at a standstill, it will climb as you accelerate and gain speed, and it indicates to you your level of consumption, both gasoline through the engine and electricity through the motor.  Keeping the needing in the 0-6, or blue range, is what is termed the Eco Mode, or most efficient driving style.

The Power Meter maxes out at 10, which is Boost Mode, where the Jetta Turbo Hybrid is achieving full system output, by having the electric motor and gasoline engine work together.  Once the accelerator is released, the Power Meter’s needle will drop to 0, and then into negative territory.  That is the green range, used to show that the car is now making electricity, to store in the ever so svelte battery pack.  On the SE model and above, a more thorough view of the current status of the car’s energy thriftiness is seen on the radio/navigation touch screen, that is mounted in the center console.  I particularly enjoyed the diagram of the car and it’s underlying drive train, showing in orange and blue (gasoline and electricity, respectively) where the power is coming from at any given moment, based on my driving style.  This became the default screen I chose to have showing while underway.

The way the Jetta Turbo Hybrid feels as you drive it is like a non-hybrid version of the Jetta.  Great handling, firmly planted to the road, confidently steering you through the curves and over uneasy terrain.  Exactly how a car should be, except this one also gives you the added benefit of being a hybrid.  The switch from gasoline to electric is hard to notices, when you are or aren’t trying pay attention.  It’s that stealth.  The way the electric motor takes up the energy upon breaking is my only gripe, as it is grabby and can seem heavy footed when an otherwise experienced driver would finesse the pedal better.  Being a turbocharged car, the requirement of premium fuel should not come as a surprise, and it worth  paying as it gets you class best acceleration, while delivering a manufacturer estimated highway mileage of 45 mpg.

With all the option available to the consumer, it is time to buy a car that is a hybrid, rather than a hybrid that is a car.  The 2013 Jetta Turbo Hybrid is that car that happens to be a hybrid, giving the best of both worlds.  Starting at under $25k, it is the “Car Guy’s Hybrid” that you can be proud to own and drive, and will really set the standard moving forward.

World’s Fastest Hybrid – The 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid 185 mph.

The World’s fastest car is… make that the World’s fastest hybrid car is the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid which reached 185 MPH on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Nevada.

The 2013 Jetta Hybrid recorded a record speed of 185.394 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Nevada, during the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) annual Speed Week. This is the fastest speed ever achieved by a production-based hybrid car on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats.

VW Jetta Hybrid Specs:

Vehicle: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
Engine: 1.4-liter turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder TSI® gasoline engine
Horsepower: 150 horsepower with an electric motor which provides an additional 27 hp.
Transmission: seven-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission
Fuel Consumption: Combined 45 MPG

VW Jetta Hybrid Speed Record

2013 Bentley Continental GT V8

Okay, take my favorite ultra luxury Sports Tourer, the Bentley Continental GT, strip out the rock solid W12 motor, and insert a lower powered V8.

Recipe for disaster? – Negative.

Cheapens the brand? – No way.

Perhaps this is the classic, textbook case of “less equals more,” as the 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 is such a terrific automobile, I would reckon that the Bentley Boys from Crewe, United Kingdom have another major sales success in the making.

Madrid and Logroño, Spain served as the backdrop for driving this latest Bentley masterpiece.  We arrived via motorcoach to the superb “Circuito de Navarro” racecourse near Logroño, stepped off the bus and listened to a song I’d never heard in a Bentley before.  Yes, I’ve heard similar songs written by other players: Corvette ZR1, Lexus LF-A, Audi R8, Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Vantage V8 and others. If I could somehow translate the aural audacity of the song I heard in Logroño, it would read like this:

“You thought I was in this game for comfort and fun, but now you know who’s really number one, as there is plenty of power in this gun.”

The sound was of three Continental GT V8’s warming up for our track time, and the fury unleashed by those three under full power was mesmerizing.  Forget I was freezing my tail off under Europe’s surprisingly harsh winter.  I stayed outside watching the warm up laps to get my blood pumping for my turn behind the wheel.

When time came to volunteer for who would go on the track first among the 15 or so journalists present, my hand shot up quickly, and I asked to ride in the Dragon Red GT V8.  What I did not know at the time was the red car was the only right hand drive model of the three, and I had never driven at speed on a track on the “wrong” side of the car!

After the requisite safety briefing, I donned a helmet and under the instructive eyes of a pro driver, hit the course.  Circuito de Navarro is a very fast track, with long, sweeping turns and a straight where you can really open up.

Such is a formula for disaster if you are in a car not up to the task.

Let’s start with pure performance.  The 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 is outfitted with a 4.0 liter motor outfitted with twin turbochargers and outputting 500 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque (the bulk of this prodigious torque is available beginning at just 1700 rpm).  Power is channeled to the tarmac through Bentley’s corporate all-wheel drive system (think Audi quattro), and a very impressive 8-speed automatic transmission with paddleshift capability.  Zero to sixty miles per hour comes up in an impressive 4.6 seconds, with a top end of 188 miles per hour under foot should you feel the need for ultimate speed.

Coming out of the pit lane, I quickly got the 5,060 pound GT V8 up to speed.  Touch the brakes to distribute weight and dive into the corner.  Hit the sweeping turn with your foot fully planted and watch as the big GT slides effortlessly using the throttle. Was I in a Bentley or a BMW M3?  The beauty of it all was just the week before, I had been in the M3 at Laguna Seca Raceway, and while the racetrack edge goes to the M3, one must factor in that the big Bentley weighs in at about 1300 pounds more than the Bimmer.  Tossing around a big, powerful car like the GT V8 was pure fun.

Back to Navarro, more aggressive turns, and then a straight with a pretty significant bump.  No loss of composure here.  A final series of turns, and then on to the straight, where the sounds of V8 fury are again unleashed with a full assault on the go pedal.  No issues driving on the wrong side, as my instructor and the Continental GT V8 had my back.

So we’ve established that the GT V8 goes hella fast and corners well, but what is all of this worth if your car cannot stop safely and securely?  On the racetrack, or on the roadway, clamping down from 140 plus miles per hour can create so much heat that brakes can fade away to the point of not being able to safely stop you.

So Bentley did the needful, dispatching the car with available Carbon Ceramic brakes with rotors so large at 16.5 inches, they’re bigger than the wheels on most economy cars.  Braking is forceful and fade free, even after mad romps around the track.

Style wise, the new GT V8 is very much a Continental GT. It’s distinguished from its 12 cylinder brethren by a radiator grille in gloss black mesh bordered by a thin chrome rim.  The lower grille features massive air intakes for engine breathing and brake cooling, divided by strakes into three distinct segments.  At the rear, figure eight exhaust pipes and a blacked out lower rear valance convey the power at hand.  In contrast to the black enamel winged “B” emblem on W12 models, the new GT V8 features a red winged “B,” reviving a badge hierarchy of earlier Bentley models from the 1920s.

Inside, you still get the full luxe Bentley treatment.  I was particularly impressed with the sonic quality of the “Naim for Bentley” audio system with its crisp highs and pounding lows.  Even the “lesser” base system comes with eight channels and eight speakers, 15 GB of storage for music, six disc CD changer and iPod capability. As one would expect in a Bentley, leather, wood and polished metal abound inside.  This is one well crafted motorcar.

After an impressive day at the track, we drove around Spain’s scenic countryside.  Again, the V8 did not disappoint, as Bentley estimates the new V8 is 40% more fuel efficient than the W12 equipped up-level GT.  I love the W12, but is does not sound as wicked as the V8, even though it’s a faster, more powerful motor. Ride quality is excellent, and you can dial in the fun factor using the adaptive damping system.  Full “Sport” was our mode of choice to tackle the myriad switchbacks we encountered during our drive.

So is less more?  At an expected price about $20,000 cheaper than the W12 GT, I’d have to say yes.  Unless you are a status freak, you’ll miss nothing from going “down” to the GT V8.

It’s all Bentley, and that means it is very, very good.

Should you desire the top down experience, the GT V8 is also available as the GTC V8 Convertible.

This is the most powerful road-ready sports car every built in the history of Porsche.   With power up by 90 horsepower and the weight reduced by 154 pounds, it has the best power to weight ratio in its class, with just 4.9 pounds per horsepower.

The 3.6 litre 6-cylinder boxer engine boosted by two turbochargers with variable turbine geometry, combined with a gasoline engine, drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Developed especially for the 911 GT2 RS, the tires are 325-30s on 19 inch rims and transfer this tremendous power into equally tremendous performance and acceleration on the road.  It generates 620hp at 6500 rpm.  The maximum torque of 516 pound feet is available from 2250 rpm.  It goes from 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds; from 0-124 in 9.8 seconds, and 0-186 in 28.9 seconds.  It boasts a top track speed of 205 miles per hour and achieved a lightening fast lap at nurburg ring of just 7minutes and 18 seconds.

Despite the increased power, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are down 5 percent, compared to the previous generation GT2.

The phenomenal stopping power is due to the Porsche composite ceramic brakes.  The longitudinal and crosswise dynamics are ensured by the Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management, anti-roll bars, dynamic engine mounts and Porsche Stability Management.

YouTube Link: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS video

Setting it apart from the previous generation GT2 is its use of carbon-fibre-reinforced components in a matt-black surface finish, even wider wheels and flared wheel arches at the front, new light-alloy wheels with central locking hubs, as well as ”GT2 RS“ model designations on the doors and rear lid. The upgraded front spoiler lip and the rear spoiler lip made of CFR are now almost 0.4 inches higher to provide aerodynamic precision as well as extra downforce.

The interior more closely resembles a luxurious racecar and flaunts its sporty performance in every detail, featuring lightweight bucket seats made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic in carbon surface finish and lightweight door panels with door opening straps. The basic interior color is black, which contrasts nicely with the seat centre sections and the roof lining as well as the segments on the steering wheel rim. The gearshift and handbrake lever are both finished in red alcantara.

Limited to just 500 units worldwide, the 911 Gt2 RS will be available in the US in October 2010 and will have an MSRP of $245,000 US dollars.

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