car auto blaas

Listen, General Motors. We know you’re kinda busy getting back on track, jump-starting your IPO, and generally getting your house in order. We appreciate it and everything. But could we ask just one favor? You see this Vauxhall? Could you bring it over to this side of the Atlantic, please? You don’t have to bring Pontiacback to do it, no matter how many people are still looking it up on Google. You can slap a Bowtie badge on the nose – heck you can make it a Buick if you want. Call it a Daewoo for all we care. Just bring it here.

What we’re talking about is the new Vauxhall VXR8, and it could very well be the best performance sedan The General offers this side of the Cadillac CTS-V. And it’s just undergone a series of updates, complete with a restyled front end, tail and interior, along with some new gizmos to keep all the power in check.

The VXR8 is based on the Holden Commodore, but instead of the hot ClubSport R8 model on which the previous Vauxhall was based, the new model starts with the new E3 GTS just launched in Australia. That means a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 with 425 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque – kept in line by new Magnetic Ride Control and Launch Control systems, driving through a six-speed transmission (automatic or manual) and a mechanical diff – for a 4.9-second sprint to 60 mph and an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

There are plenty more reasons to want this muscle sedan on American shores, pronto, and you can read all about ‘em in the press release after the jump. We just hope someone at the RenCenter is listening.

For the 2011 model year, Acura has freshened up its flagship RL sedan. What exactly does “freshened up” mean when it comes to the RL? It may not look like much more than a cosmetic touch-up, but there are quite a few new tricks going on under the nip-tucked skin.

The 2011 Acura RL continues to utilize the 3.7-liter V6 engine with 300 horsepower that powers all four wheels courtesy of the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. New to the powertrain, however, is a six-speed Sequential Sportshift automatic transmission. It’s a smooth-shifting unit that allows for the occasional sporty dash courtesy of the wheel-mounted paddles while also improving fuel economy by two miles per gallon on the highway – EPA ratings come in at 17 mpg city and 24 highway.

An upgraded gearbox is nice and all, but since this is an Acura we are looking more for new technology. The 2011 RL is fitted with Hemholtz resonators in the wheels (a “world’s first” for a passenger vehicle). These chambers sit in the center portion of the inside of the wheel and help diminish road noise, which results in a quieter cabin. Coupled with increased floorboard insulation, the 2011 Acura RL behaves like a library out on the road. Unless of course you twist the knob for the ELS audio system.