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Save the hot hatch for last. That’s what we kept telling ourselves as we wandered the Belgian countryside looking for Ford’s Lommel Proving Ground. As it turns out, the facility, located next to an air force base – restricted airspace, you know – is so secret, our hosts at Ford could hardly find it. So we had a little extra time to repeat the mantra: save the hot hatch for last.

On our way to Italy to drive the new Fiesta, we took a detour to Lommel to sample some of Ford’s European C-segment offerings. A variety of vehicles, including one with the new dual-clutch gearbox, a Kuga crossover and the fire-breathing Focus ST, would be on hand for us to drive around the track. But we knew that if we gave into temptation and drove the ST first, the rest would seem sluggish by comparison, even though the vehicles aren’t comparable. So did we resist the urge, or give into the little demon that’s always whispering in our ears to go faster? Follow the jump and we just might tell you.

Before hitting the track, we sat through a series of briefings on the company, the products and the facility. But one declaration caught our attention more than the rest: Ford VP Derrick Kuzak declared that the Focus ST was the best driving machine that Ford has to offer. That’s quite a declaration from the company that brought us the Ford GT, the Shelby Mustangs, and such rally-bred rockets as the RS200 and Escort Cosworth. Needless to say, we were keen to put Kuzak’s affirmation to the test.

The Focus ST is based on the European model, which went its own way from the North American version for the second generation. Following the launch of the new Fiesta, the next Focus will once again be a global vehicle sol simultaneously in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. Until then, the 225-hp Focus ST – available with either three doors or five and carrying a Volvo-sourced 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five – will remain a coveted offering exclusively for overseas customers.

But we knew we should drive the diesels first. So once the briefings were done, we stepped outside to find an assortment of Focus-sized vehicles. Maybe we’ll sample the DCT first, to see Ford’s take on the latest in transmission technology. Or the Kuga, to see how a European soft-roader handles the twisty bits. There was even a C-Max, a little Focus-based minivan. But what’s that over there? “There’s a Focus ST waiting for you, Noah”. Was that my little demon piping up again? Nope, that was one of our hospitable hosts from Ford’s European headquarters in Cologne. He knows what we came for. And in that glowing orange hue, it couldn’t be missed from a mile away. And I don’t even like orange.

Temptation won again, and we slipped into the ST’s leather-lined cabin, into the convoy and onto the sharply banked high-speed oval, one of 17 circuits at Ford’s vast 800-acre test center. Unfortunately, safety concerns – and a lack of certification – meant that our laps around Lommel would be escorted by pace cars – Mondeo wagons fore and aft – to make sure we kept things within reason. Or at least at a reasonable speed. Fair enough, this would force us to drive under similar conditions to what the everyday driver would face on the daily commute, only without any “everyday drivers” around to get in the way. Or traffic lights, pedestrians or speed cameras, for that matter.

This is exactly what LPG was made for: putting Ford vehicles to the test under safe conditions away from public roads. The facility first opened its doors – to those few with access, anyway – in 1965, and every European Ford vehicle since has undergone testing there. Nestled in the forest, LPG encompasses some 80 kilometers of track. Over the past nine years alone, Ford has invested over €23 million to keep it at the cutting edge. Aside from the dynos, climate chambers and suspension rigs, LPG features 17 distinct tracks, including the two on which we’d be driving: the high-speed oval and the infamous Road 7, a notoriously challenging circuit with more bends than a can of worms on ecstasy.

Pulling out onto the oval track, our rate of acceleration and top speed were limited by the pace cars, but the slightest gap between the nose of the ST and the car in front gave ample demonstration of the hot Focus’ ferocity. The turbo comes on linearly and with little lag, giving a smooth progression of power that ultimately proved intoxicating. As our speed built up and we pulled up into the embankment, the Focus ST tracked steadily and securely with a “bring it on” attitude. But it wasn’t until we pulled infield that the competence of its chassis really shone through.

The multitude of curves along Road 7 meant that once we got off the oval, we hardly had the chance to climb out of third gear. Not that the Focus didn’t try, though. After a lap or two, the unflappable Focus ST gave us enough confidence to push it into a bit of wheel-slip, which the car provided with pleasure and a linear progression that was easy to control, even for this novice driver. But oh, what fun. By European standards this is no small car, and compared to something like the junior Fiesta ST, the Focus carries a bit of weight. But that wasn’t about to stop it from showing us a good time. Neither was its front-drive layout, which usually makes tail-sliding a challenge, but even with the traction control and stability management engaged, the Focus still demonstrated a playful nature. We would have switched the systems off, but the option was buried deep within an electronic menu that we didn’t have time to navigate.

Those guys in the Mondeos did, though. Turns out these weren’t just minders, but Ford’s crack team of performance engineers. Towards the end of the day, we got to ride shotgun with one of them, electronics off and helmets on. Whatever we thought we had come to understand about the Focus ST’s capabilities went out the window, the same direction through which we had to watch the road as our expert pilot hustled the Focus sideways around the track like a turbocharged shopping cart.

So what about those other cars in the motor pool? Yeah, we almost forgot about those, too. We’ll have another report on the Kuga for you soon. We also took a couple of laps in a Focus with the new PowerShift dual-clutch gearbox, which, when hooked up to a diesel engine at least, came across as more comfort- than performance-oriented. It’ll be interesting to see if Ford will offer PowerShift on any performance models, but so far no word has come on whether that will transpire. With a quick-shifting clutchless gearbox, who knows, we might have gotten out of third in the ST. On the diesel version, however, the DCT proved more of a replacement for a conventional torque-converter automatic than a substitute for a manual.

Of course, that was after driving the Focus ST. And after a few laps in that orange beast, we have a feeling that most cars would feel rather lethargic. But everything is relative. Case in point: Ford is working on a new, even more powerful Focus RS. Enthusiasts were initially disappointed when the announcement came from Ford that, due to cost and weight issues, the RS would stick with front-wheel-drive instead of all fours like the championship-winning rally car it’s built to emulate. Those who’ve driven the prototype around Road 7 promise we won’t be disappointed. Looks like we’ll have to arrange another visit to Lommel, then. We just hope we can find it again.

The 2009 Dodge Journey carries the size and shape of a typical crossover, and it has seating for seven and all the amenities you could possibly ask for at $30,000. On paper, the Journey has a plenty of things in its favor, yet we had our doubts.

First off, it looks a lot like the Dodge Caravan, which works against the Journey when considering that many crossover buyers want to avoid the minivan stigma. It’s also based on the less than impressive Chrysler Sebring platform, which we have found to be just awful. Then there is Chrysler’s corporate 3.5L engine, which is less powerful, refined and efficient than similarly sized engines from its competition. Chrysler’s recent track record for vehicles that are less than class competitive also lent support to our notion that the Journey might be a letdown. Regardless, we tried to clear our minds of these things when the Journey arrived for a week-long stay in the Autoblog Garage. Hit the jump to see how Chrysler’s new crossover fared.

Our well equipped Journey R/T FWD finished in Inferno Red Crystal Pearl Coat Dodge came equipped with a sunroof, leather seating surfaces, a navigation system, second row DVD screen, and MyGig multimedia system among its many options. We basically got the “works” package, which tipped the price up considerably from the $26,785 base price of the Journey R/T to $32,375.

On the outside, the Journey has clean, straight lines and an athletic stance. The design also holds true to the main design themes of Chrysler’s crosshair division. Our R/T model came equipped with large 19-inch chrome wheels that are shaded by the vehicle’s bulging wheel arches. The minimalist corporate crosshair grille helps keep things simple up front, yet doesn’t help the Journey make a memorable impression in the very crowded CUV segment. True story: on two occasions we walked right by the Journey while trying to find it in a parking lot. That doesn’t happen when you’re driving Nissan’s new Murano, for instance.

Chrysler has struggled with interiors over the past several years, and the Auburn Hills-based automaker worked hard to get things right with the Journey. Materials are considerably better than they are in the Dodge Avenger, for example, with soft-touch surfaces on the dash and a more comfortable center console. Unfortunately, the improvements over other Chrysler interiors just aren’t enough. For instance, while designers provided a flat surface for the driver’s left arm to rest on the window sill, it’s made of hard plastic and made our arm sore. The arm right below that’s built into the door has a little give to it, but it’s too low for a short arm to reach. The Journey’s seats are also stiff and lacking in proper thigh support for long drives.

One thing Chrysler excels at is adding nifty features that make life easier for both the driver and passengers, and the Journey excels in this area. There is a storage area under the front passenger seat, a place above the glove box to keep your beverage cool, and gaming ports for the LCD screen. Oour personal favorite is the integrated child safety seats, which can be accessed by simply pulling a cord. As the father of two five year-olds, it’s nice not switching car seats between my wife’s car and mine. The integrated safety seats also mean I don’t have to haul around two thoroughly stained pink booster seats that just get in the way when the kids aren’t in the car.

We were left scratching our heads, however, with Dodge’s decision to put seven seats in a space that can only comfortably fit five. The third row is so small that my 12-year-old and her friend had their knees up to their chests because there was no leg room. To make room for the ill-fitting third row, Chrysler also had to move the second row forward, which has far from class-leading leg room as it is.

While the crossover segment isn’t where you’d expect to find a well-heeled, athletic chassis, the segment overall has improved greatly in this area over the past couple years. Given that the Journey is based on the floating, ponderous Sebring platform, we didn’t have high hopes for it. Fortunately, our bias was easily stripped as the Journey was surprisingly capable on the open road. A trip to Chrysler’s Chelsea proving grounds showed that the Journey could take hard cornering with relative ease and not a scary amount of body roll, and the Journey felt solid and in control on rough pavement.

Steering was another area where the Journey surprised us based on our exposure to the Sebring, as it provides good feedback of the road beneath your feet. While the Sebring’s lifeless steering wheel is downright scary, the Journey’s actually communicates the road to you and isn’t so overly assisted that it feels like a wet noodle in your hand.

Chrysler’s 3.5L V6 is the top shelf engine offered in the Journey, and while it provides adequate grunt to get you going, this ancient mill is still far from similar engine offerings by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford and GM. With 235 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque, It’s missing too much twisting force off the line and during highway passing situations. After driving other CUVs with 3.5L and larger V6 engines, the Journey gives the impression that there’s an even smaller engine under hood. The six speed-automatic transmission, however, felt smoother than one we tried in the Sebring, which felt choppy and ill-calibrated. We would have liked the slush box to hold its gears a little longer during spirited driving, but Chrysler did provide a manual shifting mode. The Journey averaged a ho-hum 20.6 mpg during our time behind the wheel, which is almost exactly what we got in the much larger and more powerful Ford Flex.

While our one week with the Dodge Journey R/T was anything but exciting, Chrysler’s newest crossover did perform beyond our expectations. Unfortunately, our expectations for the Journey were low, and this segment is filled with machines that virtues more appealing than the Journey. Chrysler has done a great job differentiating the Journey from its competition with neat features like storage bins and integrated child seats, but the issues we have with it are much more fundamental. While not quite good enough to stack up against the best vehicles in its class, the Dodge Journey R/T should find a few buyers who are enamored by its tricks.

Ford Motor Company sent Jaguar packing this year when it sold the storied English automaker, along with Land Rover, to Indian mega corp. Tata. On its way out the door, Jaguar took something special: the XF sedan. Its entire development process having been carried out under the stewardship of Ford, the XF is easily the most tasty fruit born of the cross pollination between the Blue Oval and Leaping Cat since they were first joined back in 1989. Read on to find out how the 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharge fared in the Autoblog Garage.

The 2009 Jaguar XF is the second manifestation of Design Director Iam Callum’s intention for the brand (the first was the 2006 XK) that heralds a completely new look for the automaker’s entire lineup. Based on the CX-F concept car that debuted at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the new XF is not just unlike any Jaguar you’ve ever seen, but it’s also distinct from any luxury sedan offered by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Nearly all connection with past Jaguars has been deleted save for the fluting that begins above the headlamps and flows into the hood. Next to those, however, are creases, bold lines and even a power bulge in the hood that’s visible from the driver’s seat. We generally like the new grille, the chrome split lower air intakes, and the hood that swells with testosterone, but miss the sexy cat slit headlights of the concept that would’ve put this design over the top.

The XF features a coupe-like profile that flows into broad rear fenders with a strong, high shoulder line. Yes, the rear of the XF, particularly the taillights, still looks very Aston Martin in execution, but average buyers will likely just see a shapely rear end. The XF also features chrome in all the right places with brightwork used to draw attention to particularly attractive elements like the aforementioned lower air intakes, the grille and a strip across the rear connecting the taillights that’s emblazoned with the word ‘Jaguar’ in case the uneducated wonder what it is. While the design of the XF may be polarizing, it does have some particularly fetching angles from which it looks like a million bucks.

Just as the exterior breaks from the past, entering the interior is like hopping out of an E-Type into a Star Trek Shuttlecraft. Overall it is an aesthetic gem with just a few functional foibles. The dash is dominated by a strip of silver that extends from door to door, above which our tester sported soft black leather with red stitching. Muted Oak veneer inlays are also set in the center console and on the doors. The large touch navigation screen is located in that strip of silver, which is met from below by a center console that contains large, easy to use controls for the stereo and HVAC systems. We’ll refrain from trashing Jaguar’s sluggish nav system (it’s been done to death), except to say that its slow performance takes away from a well-designed user interface and attractive graphics.

The center console itself features the interior’s most striking element: the JaguarDrive gear selector. Traditional shifters are sticks for sentimental reasons only, as many modern day automatics don’t require the mechanical motion of pulling a lever from P to D to get underway. Jaguar replaced the stick with a rotary knob that lays flush with the console’s surface when the car is off and rises to meet your hand when turned on. It’s purely theater and joined onstage by a Start button that pulses red when you get in and flush air vents that flip open. This startup performance isn’t really functional nor even impressive after a few showings, but it always elicits remarks from first time passengers.

Other trick features that set the XF interior apart include proximity sensors for the interior lights and glove box release. Instead of pushing buttons, you wave your finger in front of the front dome lights or the small circle embedded in the wood trim above the glove box. Branded JaguarSense, this technology is more functional than backflipping air vents and thus was appreciated more in everyday use.

While the XF’s instrument panel is ultra chique modern, Jaguar does a good job warming up the interior with the aforementioned leather and wood, as well as, in the case of our tester, a striking shade of orange called Spice for the leather seating surfaces. The seats were luxury car comfy, though we were surprised that the XF Supercharged didn’t have more side bolstering to prevent ejection out the side window during hard cornering. And like with most luxury vehicles, the driver is given so many ways to adjust his seat that finding the right position is a never-ending pursuit.

So far we’ve learned that the Jaguar XF has a love-it-or-hate-it exterior and an avant-garde interior, but sedans in this class sink or swim based on how dynamic they are to drive. This is where the XF Supercharged shatters your preconceived notion of a Jaguar. The heart of the beast is Jaguar’s venerable 4.2L V8 that’s supercharged to produce 420 horsepower and 413 ft-lbs of torque. While not sporting the newest tech available, the supercharged 4.2L V8 is an eager to please engine with an abundance of on-demand torque and subdued purr that’s ready to roar with a tap of your right foot.
Facilitating forward movement is Jaguar’s six-speed Sequential Shift automatic transmission, a shift-by-wire system that can click off gear changes 15% faster than the same tranny in the XK. There are also large paddle shifters that turn with the steering wheel for manual control, and we actually enjoyed using them. The shifts are shockingly fast and accompanied by a throttle blip that smooths the transition so the car stays settled when shifting during a corner.

What really shapes the XF’s personality are the transmission’s different modes, which include standard, Winter and Dynamic. Being August, we didn’t a get a chance to try out how Winter mode affected grip on slippery surfaces, but we did play with Dynamic mode… a lot. Engaged by a button below the rotary gear selector that’s marked with a checkered flag, Dynamic mode not only makes the transmission shift faster, but also increases throttle sensitivity and generally quickens the cat’s reflexes. Combine Dynamic mode with a defeated stability control system, and the fate of the rear tires is entirely in your hands. In this most extreme set up, the XF Supercharged feels like a completely different animal, one that’s much more aggressive and shouldn’t be fed by hand.

The XF Supercharged has a sports suspension with a CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension) system that features two stages of dampening depending on whether you’re puttering around town or really pushing the car. Any change in damping levels while we were driving went unnoticed as the suspension felt firm all the time. We blame the combination of 20-inch, five-spoke wheels wearing low profile tires and a rock hard rigid body structure, as the suspension is entirely on its own in isolating passengers from road irregularities. If you can live with it, the sport suspension rewards by hustling this 4,194 lb sedan around like a running back.

While the standard XF sedan gets 12.83-inch rotors at all four corners, the XF Supercharged receives larger front rotors that measure nearly 14 inches in diameter. They’re up to the demands of a powerful sports sedan, but felt grabby during around-town driving where you’re not trying to arrest all forward momentum in an instant. The variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering also feels artificially light at low speeds, but builds up a nice weighty feel as speeds increase.

The Jaguar XF Supercharged does come impressively loaded for its base price of $62,200, which is admittedly not cheap. Our only options were an adaptive cruise control system for $2,200 and heated steering wheel for $300, bringing the total with a $775 destination charge to $65,475. That’s a premium price for a newcomer to the luxury sports sedan segment, especially one wearing the badge of a brand that doesn’t have many of its nine lives left.

Jaguar desperately needs a hit, and we think the XF lineup including the standard model, Supercharged and upcoming XF-R can ultimately deliver. In fact, we don’t believe Ford would’ve gotten the billions it did for Jaguar had it not been for this sedan that proves there are still people in Coventry who still care about the Leaping Cat.

After decades of decay, Cadillac began a transformation in the waning years of the last century that would allow the brand to compete against modern luxury brands. Decrepit beasts like the late Eldorado and Seville were euthanized and, while the decision to switch mostly to alpha-numeric naming was dubious, Cadillac finally started creating cars that could compete directly with the best from Europe and Japan, and the first generation CTS was one of them.

In spite of this progress, the Germans still had something Cadillac lacked, namely AMG, M and RS models. So Cadillac devised the V-Series, the first of which was the 2004 CTS-V. Just as BMW does with the M3 and M5, Audi with the RS4 and RS6 and Mercedes with innumerable AMGs, the CTS-V had a bigger, more powerful engine; beefier brakes and tires; a suspension to match and an upgraded interior. This, however, is an arms race that has yet to subsie in spite of ever higher fuel prices. With BMW, Mercedes and Audi now offering even more powerful engines, Cadillac has stepped up to the plate with an all-new CTS-V and we had a chance to drive it at the even newer Monticello Motor Club in New York. With a new supercharged LSA engine closely related to the LS9 in the Corvette ZR1, the CTS-V makes some big promises. Read on after the jump to see if it delivers.

The dollar rallied to a six-week high Wednesday after U.S. productivity increased at a larger-than-expected rate and sentiment surfaced that Europe’s economy may have slowed considerably.

The dollar rose about 2 cents versus the euro — a large move in the currency market — to $1.5370 on Wednesday afternoon. The dollar also gained against the world’s other major currencies, rising about 2 cents to $1.9530 versus the British poundת about 0.5 cents to $1.0555 versus the Swiss franc and about one-half yen to 104.85 yen versus Japan’s yen.

U.S. productivity gives dollar a lift

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Labor Department announced that U.S. worker productivity increased at a 2.2% annual pace in Q1 2008, well above the 1.7% Bloomberg News survey consensus estimate.

Independent currency trader Andrew Resnick told BloggingStocks Wednesday the Q1 2008 productivity data, combined with a sense that the European Central Bank is behind-the-curve concerning interest rate cuts to deal with slowing economic growth, put traders in dollar-buy mode.

“There’s a sense now in the market that some of the [economic] fundamentals may begin to favor the dollar now, and they’ve been against the dollar for so long. That’s giving the dollar a lift,” Resnick said. “Also, it’s hard to believe the euro could find buyers at these levels, but we’ll have to see. One negative data point against the dollar and sentiment could change.” Resnick added that he is long with the dollar in the euro-dollar and British pound-dollar currency pairings.

U.S. economy bottoming?

Further, Resnick said that although the bulk of the fallout from the subprime mortgage / housing recession has affected the U.S. economy, there’s a growing consensus that the U.S. economy is “approaching a bottom,” whereas Europe “is at the beginning of their economic slowdown.” The perspective is fairly nuanced, Resnick admitted, but if in fact the U.S.’s economic cycle is ‘ahead’ of the European one, that would increase the attractiveness of dollar-denominated investments, boosting demand for the dollar.

A key data point will occur Thursday when the ECB meets to discuss short-term interest rates, with a decision due at 7 a.m. EDT. Resnick said traders expect the ECB to keep its benchmark, short-term rate, the refinance rate, at 4%. But if the ECB’s statement hints at slowing growth or economic sluggishness in the euro-zone, “that would build the case for a likely move higher by the dollar in the months ahead.”

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From the (tiny) desk of the editor:

Yesterday Motorola CEO Greg Brown told board members and shareholders that, among a lot of other bad news, the company is no closer to finding someone to lead the company’s rotting cellphone business (which Moto is in the middle of spinning off as its “Mobile Devices” unit). One shareholder remarked, “You’re not doing your job that you’re paid for. Either put up or get out.” That investor, like the rest of us, has witnessed the slow-mo train wreck that’s been that handset business in the days since the RAZR peaked; the things brought to light in the insider letter I published on Engadget just reinforces the fact that it’s time for a change at the top. Some even suggested that I take over Motorola’s handset business. I thought it over — okay, I’ll bite if Greg does.

The problem with so many American technology companies today — especially in the mobile space — is that while they have no dearth of business acumen at the top of the pyramid, they’re typically dry on vision and foresight. They spend brief periods of time innovating, and then milk a technology, brand, patent, or some combination therein for as long as they can get away with it (or in Moto’s case, way longer). They play it safe and go for the easy money. Motorola’s handset business has come to define this in the gadget world.

I’ll be honest, I’m in no way a professional businessman. I wouldn’t know how to interpret a multi-billion dollar OIBDA sheet, and as the crew at the Engadget network of sites might tell you, I’m probably a better editor than manager. I’m woefully ill-equipped to run a business end-to-end of the scale of Motorola’s handset division. Thankfully there are plenty of suits there to blather on about SarbOx and earnings and compliance, because while I won’t be the person to bring it, what’s clear is that Motorola needs someone at the top who knows what makes a good phone good, and a garbage phone garbage. Somebody that isn’t afraid to say no, and who isn’t interested in flogging a slow-dying brand to pad an earnings report. The company needs someone that’s not entrenched, an outsider with little interest in pandering to internal big company politics and the post-Zander status quo. Maybe someone that’s not afraid to leak some upcoming handsets to Engadget.

Am I serious? Would I really leave my position as editor of Engadget to try my hand at plugging the holes in Moto’s sinking ship? Sure — not that it matters, because let’s be honest, there isn’t a chance in hell that’s going to be happening any time soon. But the right technologist — I didn’t say exec, I said technologist — sure as hell needs to step up, because if Brown plans on installing another out of touch, overpaid, clueless executive in the revolving door, they might as well sell the company off now while they can still fetch a reasonable price. And hey, if that’s the case then maybe I’ll lobby our Time Warner overlords to pick it up and let me try my hand. I doubt I could be much worse than the last guy.

-Ryan

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The US smartphone market may continue to be dominated by

mobile platforms from Apple, Microsoft, and RIM, but Linux has been creeping into ever more mobile devices in the last few years. Some Motorola RAZR 2 models have donned a Tux, Palm is looking to Linux to drive its next-generation consumer smartphones, and Android’s backers hope to spread it to an even wider array of handsets. Linux is also driving many avant garde connected consumer electronics devices such as the Chumby, Nokia N810, Amazon Kindle, Dash Express, and whatever the fertile minds tinkering with Bug Labs’ modules are envisioning,. Even the remote control that houses the user interface of Logitech’s Squeezebox Duet is a Linux computer.

However, none of these products are intended for as flexible a range of uses as a notebook PC, where Linux is being tested as a tool to achieve lower price points on a new generation of low-cost but style-conscious ultaportables. ASUS set the pace with Xandros on the Eee PC, and HP has tapped Novel SuSE Linux for the 2133 Mini-Note, but whereas the Eee’s positioning has been somewhat of a loose hybrid between an adult OLPC and the Nintendo Wii’s culture of global inclusion, the HP Mini-Note has been strongly focused on reckless, immature students while acknowledging potential for senior executives that have been known to share their temperament.

This summer seems to be shaping up as a key time for ultraportables with new powerful and power-optimized processors coming to market, the highest-profile of which is Intel’s Atom. However, the first real consumer test for these products will be this fall, when the key target market of students see them as a price-competitive alternative to the 15-inch budget notebook.

Compared to the Eee, HP’s Mini-Note is positioned much more closely to a traditional PC with a $599 starting point for a version with Windows and a 120 GB hard drive. HP offers a version with Linux for $100 less, but even somewhat tailored standard desktop Linux operating systems can’t match Windows for ease of use or application support. In a $500 device, Linux has a hard time competing powering a consumer PC.

At less than $300, though, the 2GB version of the Eee becomes more interesting as a mobile productivity appliance. ASUS created a friendly, tabbed interface with big watery icons for the Eee, but launching applications takes consumers into mostly off-the-shelf Linux applications, some of which struggle on the device’s original 7-inch screen — key to its low cost. Any illusion of a unified design dissolves quickly. Some obvious tasks, like simply changing the taskbar clock to display 12-hour instead of 24-hour time, can’t be done with default graphical controls.

To maximize this opportunity, manufacturers should take a page from leading-edge specialized Linux devices and create an integrated and engaging platform optimized for this form factor. Of course, internet appliances have a miserable history, but times have changed. These products are now aimed at savvy, mobile, tech-savvy consumers, not the grandparents keeping MSN TV alive. Initiatives such as Adobe AIR and Google Gears are laying the groundwork for online lifestyle applications to invade the desktop. A patchwork national WiFi infrastructure courtesy of Starbucks is a forerunner of WiMAX and LTE networks. And even the 7-inch Eee has shown the aptitude of Firefox under Linux for average consumers.
It is no coincidence that, mirroring Microsoft’s product gap between Windows Mobile and Windows Vista, the historically hazy and suddenly hot device space between the cellphone and the notebook is emerging as the best shot yet for the Linux desktop.

Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group,. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.

As regular listeners to the podcast know, Project MR-S met its untimely demise when a truck driver clipped the rear end of our 2ZZ-powered daily-driver, spinning it into the center divider with my fiancée behind the wheel.

 Fortunately, Melissa made it out okay. Unfortunately, said truck driver sped off and has yet to be found. Karma’s a bitch, so we sleep soundly with the knowledge that what goes around comes around.

But life goes on. So with summer fast approaching, we set out to find a sui

table replacement that would serve double-duty as daily driver and part-time track tool. The criteria was simple: something rear-wheel-drive, with a manual transmission, a small displacement engine and a blogger-friendly price tag. After a few weeks of research, we narrowed the list down to an NA Mazda Miata (MX-5) or something of the BMW variety. Having to install a roll bar (required for some track events) in the Miata quickly knocked it out of the running, so an E30 or E36 Bimmer became the focus of our late night, highly-caffeinated searches through Craigslist. And then, as if guided by the all-knowing entity upstairs, our friends at Modacar found a 1992 BMW 318is at an auction. It met all the criteria and had a price we couldn’t pass up. Two days later, we drove it home and Project Track Slut was born.The goal of our newest entrant into the Project Garage is pretty straightforward (for now): take care of some basic maintenance to ensure that the 1.8-liter four doesn’t go ‘pop’ while hammering through turn 7 at Laguna, and swap out the stock suspension and rollers so we’re not scraping door handles while snaking through Thunderhill.
A few days after our purchase, we did a thorough inspection of anything that could wear — from belts to bushings – and came away content that the 16-year-old Bimmer was up to snuff and for the planned day-long lapping sessions.

Our first order of business was to get rid of the stock pizza-cutter wheels that were wrapped with tire technology developed during the Carter administration. After spending some time scouring a few forums, we came across a set of E38 7-series wheels, sized 16×8 (with a 23mm offset) and wrapped in Falken ZE512 tires, sized 225/45R16 at all four corners. Rubbing isn’t an issue, since the swap is somewhat common on E36s, but a small dent in the right-rear fender (inflicted by the previous owner, ahem) caused some occasional scraping. It wasn’t common, but if we ransacked Safeway or someone over 200 pounds was forced into the back seat, we would cringe every time we hit a bump or expansion joint.
But it was a small price to pay. The new hoops and grippy rubber with stiff sidewalls proved the old edict that tires and wheels make the car. It’s the most cost-effective upgrade, adding ease and confidence to everything from sweeping on-ramps to twisting coastal roads. Naturally, we’re far from done.

 In the next installment, we’ll be swapping out the tired stock suspension with something that balances rigidity with civility, and rolling the rear fenders to make sure that when things get low, our rubbing issue isn’t exacerbated. From there, it’s all about a tune-up, new brakes, pads and lines, and some lightweight wheels wrapped in sticky summer rubber. We might even hit the junkyard to find an LSD. In early July, we’ll be hitting up our first scheduled track event to see how the car and our mods are fairing, providing continuous updates and technical tidbits throughout. Stay tuned. Fast, cheap fun is on the way.
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As regular listeners to the podcast know, Project MR-S met its untimely demise when a truck driver clipped the rear end of our 2ZZ-powered daily-driver, spinning it into the center divider with my fiancée behind the wheel. Fortunately, Melissa made it out okay. Unfortunately, said truck driver sped off and has yet to be found. Karma’s a bitch, so we sleep soundly with the knowledge that what goes around comes around.

But life goes on. So with summer fast approaching, we set out to find a suitable replacement that would serve double-duty as daily driver and part-time track tool. The criteria was simple: something rear-wheel-drive, with a manual transmission, a small displacement engine and a blogger-friendly price tag. After a few weeks of research, we narrowed the list down to an NA Mazda Miata (MX-5) or something of the BMW variety. Having to install a roll bar (required for some track events) in the Miata quickly knocked it out of the running, so an E30 or E36 Bimmer became the focus of our late night, highly-caffeinated searches through Craigslist. And then, as if guided by the all-knowing entity upstairs, our friends at Modacar found a 1992 BMW 318is at an auction. It met all the criteria and had a price we couldn’t pass up. Two days later, we drove it home and Project Track Slut was born.
The goal of our newest entrant into the Project Garage is pretty straightforward (for now): take care of some basic maintenance to ensure that the 1.8-liter four doesn’t go ‘pop’ while hammering through turn 7 at Laguna, and swap out the stock suspension and rollers so we’re not scraping door handles while snaking through Thunderhill.

A few days after our purchase, we did a thorough inspection of anything that could wear — from belts to bushings – and came away content that the 16-year-old Bimmer was up to snuff and for the planned day-long lapping sessions.

Our first order of business was to get rid of the stock pizza-cutter wheels that were wrapped with tire technology developed during the Carter administration. After spending some time scouring a few forums, we came across a set of E38 7-series wheels, sized 16×8 (with a 23mm offset) and wrapped in Falken ZE512 tires, sized 225/45R16 at all four corners. Rubbing isn’t an issue, since the swap is somewhat common on E36s, but a small dent in the right-rear fender (inflicted by the previous owner, ahem) caused some occasional scraping. It wasn’t common, but if we ransacked Safeway or someone over 200 pounds was forced into the back seat, we would cringe every time we hit a bump or expansion joint.

New rubber replaces tread technology from the 40s.

But it was a small price to pay. The new hoops and grippy rubber with stiff sidewalls proved the old edict that tires and wheels make the car. It’s the most cost-effective upgrade, adding ease and confidence to everything from sweeping on-ramps to twisting coastal roads. Naturally, we’re far from done.

 In the next installment, we’ll be swapping out the tired stock suspension with something that balances rigidity with civility, and rolling the rear fenders to make sure that when things get low, our rubbing issue isn’t exacerbated. From there, it’s all about a tune-up, new brakes, pads and lines, and some lightweight wheels wrapped in sticky summer rubber. We might even hit the junkyard to find an LSD. In early July, we’ll be hitting up our first scheduled track event to see how the car and our mods are fairing, providing continuous updates and technical tidbits throughout. Stay tuned. Fast, cheap fun is on the way.

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A couple of weeks back I wrote a bit about the new Dodge Challenger SRT-8. But to honor the embargo that the Public Relations people put on driving impressions, I had to hold the best stuff until now. And man, was it worth the wait!

Despite a sagging economy, sinking car sales and soaring gas prices, the SRT-8 version of the Challenger is going to do just fine. That, despite the fact it only averages 15 mpg and costs $40,000. No worries, mate, it’s the other numbers that are going to sell this car.

Check ‘em out:
0-60 mph: 4.9 seconds
¼ mile: 13.7 seconds
0-100-0 mph: under 17 seconds
60-0 mph: 110 feet

When it comes to top speed, the SRT people have had the car up to 170 mph, but that was on an oval. Since the Challenger is not speed-limited in any way except for its aerodynamic drag, they believe that out on the Salt Flats it will go even faster.

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