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Video: Which Spyder is the fastest? EVO finds out [UPDATE]

At first glance, pitting the Porsche Boxster Spyder against the Audi R8 Spyder is a bit like throwing a trout in a five-gallon bucket with a piranha. After all, the big Audi boasts over 100 horsepower more than the baby Porsche. Throw in the fact that the R8 puts its power to the ground through all four wheels while the Boxster Spyder is left to manage with just two, and the fight looks even more bleak for Stuttgart's finest. Still, the Audi R8 Spyder isn't a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination. The vehicle needs all 430 horsepower from its 4.2-liter V8 to move the sports car's 3,858 pounds around the track.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder, meanwhile, weighs in at over 1,000 pounds lighter. That 100 horsepower gap doesn't seem so big now, does it? EVO Magazine recently took the time to put the two vehicles to the test and worked up a quick video of their exploits. Who came out on top? You'll just have to hit the jump to find out for yourself.

UPDATE: EVO's embed code is busted, so click through to watch the video.

Chicago: 2012 Ram Laramie Limited is one fancy truck

The Chicago Auto Show was commonly known for years as a truck show, with automakers using the McCormick Place to show off their sport-utility vehicles and pickups. And while trends have indeed shifted in the automotive world (SUV is a dirty word these days), some companies still take time to debut a special truck or two here in the Windy City. Ram, Chrysler's pickup truck arm, has brought its new 2012 Laramie Limited to Chicago, offering full-size truck buyers a host of upscale standard amenities in a decidedly classy package.

The Ram Laramie Limited's exterior is attended to with the addition of big alloy wheels and chrome accents, while inside, there's a smattering of leather upholstery with contrast stitching, deep berber carpets, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, unique gauges, LED ambient lighting and navigation, among other amenities.

The Laramie Limited is available in 1500, 2500 HD and 3500 HD configurations, and will hit dealerships later this year.

Continue reading 2012 Ram Laramie Limited is one fancy truck

Chicago: SVT celebrates 20 years with the Mustang that started it all

Ford debuted the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible earlier today at the Chicago Auto Show, but it wasn't the only Mustang vying for our attention on the show floor. In fact, we had a hard time keeping our eyes off this Vibrant Red beauty.

The pony car in question? A 1993 SVT Cobra R, the pinnacle of the Fox Body Mustang. The standard SVT Cobra made its official debut at the Chicago Auto Show back in 1992, and its reappearance in the Windy City was a fitting reminder of the 20th anniversary of Ford's Special Vehicle Team.

So what makes the 1993 SVT Cobra R so special? For starters, just 107 were produced, making it one of the rarest Mustangs ever built by Ford. The 235-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 is the same powerplant as the one in the standard Cobra, but the R model had less weight to push around thanks to the removal of the rear seats, radio, air conditioning and all sound deadening material. Ford also fitted the Cobra R with adjustable Koni shocks, larger front and rear brakes, 17-inch wheels shod with Goodyear tires, an external engine oil cooler and power steering fluid cooler, aluminum radiator and more.

The particular Cobra R brought to the show by Ford is literally a time capsule from the early '90s and in incredible condition. Amazingly, the odometer reads just over 4,100 miles. You can check out the car in detail in the gallery above.

Video: Which Spyder is the fastest? EVO finds out

At first glance, pitting the Porsche Boxster Spyder against the Audi R8 Spyder is a bit like throwing a trout in a five-gallon bucket with a piranha. After all, the big Audi boasts over 100 horsepower more than the baby Porsche. Throw in the fact that the R8 puts its power to the ground through all four wheels while the Boxster Spyder is left to manage with just two, and the fight looks even more bleak for Stuttgart's finest. Still, the Audi R8 Spyder isn't a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination. The vehicle needs all 430 horsepower from its 4.2-liter V8 to move the sports car's 3,858 pounds around the track.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder, meanwhile, weighs in at over 1,000 pounds lighter. That 100 horsepower gap doesn't seem so big now, does it? EVO Magazine recently took the time to put the two vehicles to the test and worked up a quick video of their exploits. Who came out on top? You'll just have to hit the jump to find out for yourself.

Continue reading Which Spyder is the fastest? EVO finds out

Official: MAMA says Volkswagen Passat will knock you out

Detroit has the North American Car and Truck of the Year. Chicago? The Family Vehicle of the Year. And for 2012, the winner is the Volkswagen Passat.

While we must have missed last year's inaugural winner - it was the Hyundai Sonata, by the way - we did catch this year's award presentation. The Passat beat out two other finalists, the Ford Explorer and Mazda5, in the voting of 68 automotive journalists. Those car scribes all belong to the Midwest Automotive Media Association, or "MAMA," as the Chicago-based group is affectionately known.

Candidates for the FVOTY must be new or updated vehicles that have four doors, have base prices under $50,000, and "appear at one of MAMA's two annual rallies." Other models considered in the 2012 voting included the Chevrolet Volt, Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey, Ford Edge, Ford Focus, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Subaru Impreza, and Toyota Camry.

Chicago: 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger escapes from the hive

Now that Fiat is officially tied at the hip with Chrysler, it's no surprise to see the Pentastar's aftermarket division take to the diminutive 500 like a honeybee to clovers (sorry). Which explains the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger, the first Mopar-fettled Fiat ever created.

The Stinger moniker seems to come from the machine's black and yellow paint scheme, which includes a somewhat homely set of bodyside decals and a checkerboard-patterned roof. Headlights, grille inserts, wheels and all other trim all get the black-out treatment.

Mopar-branded intake and cat-back exhaust kits are said to bump power from the 1.4-liter MultiAir engine, though the company isn't being specific when it comes to power figures. In any case, we pointed our camera lenses at the 500 Stinger, and you can see the results in our high-res gallery above.

Continue reading 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger escapes from the hive

Report: Maybach lost upwards of $500k on each vehicle sold

Daimler is shuttering Maybach in 2013 after seven years of production. In that time, the company's ultra-ultra-luxury arm managed to sell just 3,000 units, and CAR reports Daimler lost somewhere around $500,000 on each and every one of them.

Even with a ludicrous price tag of over $370,000 for an "entry" Maybach 57, the brand couldn't quite recoup the dizzying $1.33 billion Daimler poured into it since its (re)inception. Rumors ignited over a possible tie up with Aston Martin that would have resulted in a range of new and attractive models, but Daimler has instead decided to snuff out Maybach altogether.

We can hardly blame them.

Mercedes-Benz will pick up the ultra-luxury slack with a new range of sedans based on the S-Class. Those bruisers will likely bow in 2013 just as Maybach turns out the lights for good.

Chicago: 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser has been updated, apparently

Look very, very closely. This is the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser, which, though not immediately apparent, is different than the 2012 model. How, exactly? The updated SUV has new features like LED running lamps up front, a revised taillamp design and some new wheel options. Inside, there's a brand new hard drive-based navigation system complete with Toyota's fancy new Entune infotainment system.

Aside from that, there isn't much else in the way of newness for Toyota's stalwart off-roader. Under the hood is the automaker's 5.7-liter V8 with 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque, and a standard Multi-Terrain Select system keeps things in check for when the pavement turns to dirt... or sand... or mud.

Check out the full scope of Land Cruiser goodness in the press release after the jump, and click through our gallery of images live from the Chicago Auto Show to see all of those ever-so-slight design tweaks.

Continue reading 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser has been updated, apparently

Report: GM marketing chief thinks there are only two truck companies: Chevy and Ford

The Super Bowl ad for the Chevrolet Silverado shows that the rivalry between Chevrolet and Ford still rages strong. But is there room for another brand or two to mix it up in the battle for pickup supremacy? Not according to General Motors marketing chief Joel Ewanick.

Fox News reports that Ewanick said during a web chat on Jalopnik that "the two big players are Ford and Chevy." Ewanick added that it's like a presidential debate, saying "We want to have it with the other strong candidate - and we want to engage them and want them to engage us."

The Ram, also an excellent pickup, finished a distant third with a reported 244,763 sales. Still, Ram brand spokesperson Dave Elshoff insists that Ram trucks remain part of the equation, adding "across much of the west - where trucks are worked hard - it's Ram that's either number one or two in market share."

We're not so sure that the truck battle is Chevy versus Ford and then everybody else, but it sure is nice to see GM and Ford getting a little chippy. It's a good bet that the chatter grows louder as the next generation Silverado and F-150 hit the auto show circuit in about a year.

Chicago: 2012 Mopar Jeep Compass True North points... north?

Mopar didn't leave Jeep out of the customized fun here at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Based on the Compass, the 2012 Mopar True North boasts a two-inch suspension lift from Rocky Road Suspensions and 16-inch matte black wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All Terrain tires. Other exterior tidbits include a matte black grille surround and lower body cladding.

There aren't any changes to the standard Compass drivetrain that we know of, but the interior is fitted with a custom center console that features pitch and roll inclinometer gauges. Finishing it off is an audio system sourced from Kicker that Jeep says "transform [it] into a rolling high-end sound studio," which would appear to be completely unrelated to its intended purpose.

Continue reading 2012 Mopar Jeep Compass True North points... north?