Driven: 2010 Ferrari California

The California looks best in darker colors, which help hide its homely rear end. The stacked exhaust pipes supposedly made more room for underbody airflow management, but they're not pretty. I also don't care for the frowning horizontal opening that contains the supplemental rear lights. Fortunately, the front of the California is far better resolved, although the car appears tall and narrow, rather than having the wide and low stance that one expects from a sports car. The long front overhang is very reminiscent of the Maserati GranTurismo, a more elegantly styled piece of automotive jewelry. As always, styling is subjective-you might look at the photos and love it.

Visibility to the rear is acceptable, and what can't be seen is detected by standard parking sensors. The trunk is easily large enough, at least with the roof up, to accommodate a large suitcase. The California's rear seats are 911-sized (meaning two things: the same size as the back seats in a Porsche 911, and that you'd have to dial 9-1-1 to have emergency personnel extract any adult who tries to squeeze into the back.) The rear seats can be replaced with a beautifully finished cargo shelf at no cost, but in either configuration, the space can be used for additional storage, and the California even offers a trunk pass-through for long items.

All of the usability means the California can easily be driven daily, and for long distances. That is, of course, the very purpose of a Gran Turismo. This Ferrari is a few programming issues short of true perfection-but the important stuff is all there. The California hits 60 mph in about four seconds, tears up back roads with impeccable balance, and cruises quietly, smoothly, and comfortably. It's an F430 with a Vulgarity Reduction Program, which is exactly what Ferrari set out to achieve and exactly what its buyers will expect. People like me will still prefer an F430, but those of sound mind, body, and pocketbook needn't look past the California in their search for a Maranello masterpiece.

Driven: 2010 Ferrari California

The 453-hp, 4.3-liter V-8 is deeper in pitch and less sonorous in note than the F430's engine. The California's V-8 still uses a Ferrari's trademark flat (180-degree) crankshaft, so it sounds like two manic four-cylinders instead of the deep, distinctive burble that you get from 90-degree V-8s. The California's exhaust note is certainly impressive, but it achieves that more by virtue of its volume than its pitch, especially from inside the car. That's exacerbated when the transmission is in automatic mode-the lack of interruption in power during shifts makes the engine's note change sound just like a conventional automatic. I think Ferrari needs to program in a very quick misfire during shifts to interrupt the exhaust note momentarily. Other sports car manufacturers do this.

Speaking of fuel delivery interruption, one other area that could benefit from additional programming is at very light throttle openings. All modern cars cut fuel to the engine when you lift completely off the throttle-and the transition between very light load cruising and fuel-cutoff is quite rough in the California. It's especially noticeable when you're trying to coast down a hill or when you're in stop-and-go traffic, as it makes for considerable jerkiness. On the other hand, Ferrari has done a fantastic job of hiding the ticking sounds that high-pressure injectors make at idle. The injectors are located under a big, red, and gorgeous intake plenum, and the underside of the hood is lined with a sound-deadening material that makes the ticking almost completely inaudible. And lest we forget the important part-the California's big, wide, flat torque curve. This is a V-8 that never feels soft; it pulls hard from idle to its 8000-rpm redline.

The California's navigation system is the same Harman/Becker unit used by Chrysler. It's a decent touch-screen unit with great usability, but the screen's resolution is a generation or two behind the best, so the map itself is of limited use. The sound quality is only fair (it doesn't come close to the JBL sound system in the Scuderia Spider 16M, for example), but the system offers easy-to-use Bluetooth phone integration, a hard drive for music storage, aux-in jacks, and full iPod integration.

The California also comes with two-zone climate control and air conditioning that kept the cabin cool even in 105-degree desert sun. The seats are supportive, and without exception every interior material is top-rate. The folding hard top refuses to rattle or creak, and even though it required a few ticks longer than Ferrari's quoted fifteen-second time to open or close, it's quick enough to operate if you're the first to arrive at a red light. The mostly aluminum structure is so incredibly robust that at no time did I notice any scuttle shake or chassis flex

Driven: 2010 Ferrari California

From the driver's seat, the experience is typical of today's Ferraris, which means a big red start button, a Mannetino controller on the steering wheel, and a paddle-shifted transmission. Upon first driving off, you notice that the suspension is supple, the gearchanges are smooth, and, like all modern Ferraris, the steering is Cadillac-overboosted and lacking in feel.

I drove the California in traffic for almost a hundred miles before I finally flung it into a corner-and became quickly aware that, like the 599 GTB and the 612 Scaglietti, it has two very distinct personalities. The California turns in with amazing immediacy-likely a result of having most of its weight between the axles. To that end, the V-8 is mounted completely aft of the front axle and the dual-clutch transmission is a transaxle mounted in the rear. Not much feedback comes through the steering wheel, and the brakes are somewhat wooden, but this is a car that knows how to dance. Chassis balance is spot-on perfect, serving up high-speed drifts that are easily controlled with the throttle.

The dual-clutch transmission shifts with no interruption in power; it's nothing like the old F1's brutal, neck-snapping full-throttle shifts. But I actually prefer the single-clutch transmission, at least until Ferrari's software engineers get around to a Version 2.0. Even though the dual-clutch box provides mostly seamless shifts, making for more comfortable driving, it's not quite as well programmed as the old F1 box, and a few glitches are apparent. (Read my blog on Transmissions for more detailed information about the Ferrari dual-clutch transmissions.)

Like all modern Ferraris, the California's suspension is able to filter out small road surface irregularities without compromising body control. Lateral body control (lean in corners) feels, from the cockpit, to be nonexistent, but the suspension does allow a lot of brake dive.

First Drive: 2010 Kia Forte

Give Kia credit; it's not afraid to take on a monumental task. The ambitious Korean automaker didn't start selling cars in the United States until 1994, and a mere fifteen years later it offers a full range of vehicles, from the entry-level Rio sedan to the seven-passenger Borrego SUV to the spunky, funky Soul "urban passenger vehicle." As with almost every other carmaker, its sales are down this year (although Kia's 6.8 percent drop looks positively paltry compared with the double-digit dips suffered by most of its competitors). The faltering economy hasn't stopped Kia from forging ahead with its product plans, however. In fact, the automaker boasts that not only have there been no cutbacks, but in May, it spent more money marketing its products than during any other month in company history.

Which brings us to the all-new Forte. With the Forte, Kia has set its sights on the notoriously competitive (and profit-challenged) compact sedan segment, and it is aiming squarely at the powerhouses that currently dominate the market: the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. That's no small task, and one at which Kia's erstwhile small sedan, the Spectra, utterly failed.

Compared with the Spectra, the Forte has a more dynamic look, with a distinct wedge-shaped profile and a wider stance. Its trunk is cavernous, with 14.7 cubic feet of cargo volume that can be further extended by lowering the split-folding rear seats. The cabin is nicely appointed, with cloth or leather seats, a user-friendly center stack, steering-wheel-mounted controls, standard Sirius radio, and Bluetooth.

The Forte is available in three trim levels: LX, EX, and SX. The LX and the EX are equipped with a 156-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission, with an optional four-speed automatic. The sportier SX comes with a 173-hp, 2.4-liter four with either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. A Fuel Economy Package, which improves EPA estimated fuel mileage from 25/34 mpg to 27/36 mpg (city/highway), is available on the EX.

We drove an EX with the lively 2.0-liter, but the four-speed automatic to which it is mated longs for another gear - hammering the pedal for passing maneuvers resulted in timely but abrupt downshifts that were accompanied by too much engine noise. The sportier SX had an even more satisfying amount of power, but the six-speed manual took some getting used to, due to its overly sensitive clutch takeup and vague shift action. Although the Forte's performance isn't exactly ground-breaking, its speed-sensitive steering is accurate and progressive, its four-wheel disc brakes are up to the job, and its suspension, which was tuned in the U.S. for American road conditions, absorbs bumps well without unsettling the ride.

The Forte is unlikely to dethrone either the Civic or the Corolla - or for that matter the Mazda 3 - but Kia now has a bona fide competitor to all of them.

The Specs

On sale: Now
price: $14,390/ $17,890 (LX/SX)
Engine: 2.0L I-4, 156 hp, 144 lb-ft; 2.4L I-4, 173 hp, 168 lb-ft
Drive: Front-wheel

First Drive: 2010 Subaru Outback

For fifteen years, the Outback as all but defined Subaru in the United States. The high-riding wagons have been the perfect vessels for the brand's signature all-wheel-drive system. Through three generations, the Outback formula has effectively remained the same. For the fourth-generation 2010 Outback, Subaru has made the most significant changes so far to its best-known model. The Sport-Utility Wagon: More of the former, less of the latter. Subaru had been offering four-wheel-drive station wagons here since the mid 1970s, but it wasn't until 1995 that the company created the Outback as a special model. Essentially an all-wheel-drive Legacy station wagon with extra ground clearance and a rugged, outdoorsy image, the Outback has hewn to the same formula through two successive redesigns, even as it has added more engine options (including a turbocharged four and a six-cylinder) and more luxury features. For 2010, however, the Outback branches out, using a unique bodyshell instead of borrowing one from the Legacy wagon (which is no longer sold in North America, but is still offered in Subaru's home market). Given free reign to craft an Outback-specific body, Subaru designers evolved the shape away from a pure station wagon and more towards a crossover/SUV--much as they did with the new Forester last year. As a result, the car is fractionally shorter in length (by 0.8 inch) but substantially taller in height (growing 2.0 inches) and wider (2.3 inches). The larger body provides more passenger room and cargo space. Most significant is the increase in rear-seat legroom, which has been expanded by nearly 4 inches, and is now truly generous even for passengers over six-feet tall. The higher roofline provides lots of headroom as well, and seat comfort--formerly a sore point--has improved. In the cargo hold, a repackaged rear suspension is less intrusive, and maximum volume is up by nearly 6 cubic feet while the height of the load floor remains low. Still a kin to the Legacy, at least under the skin Although it no longer uses a Legacy wagon's body, the Outback is still mechanically related to the Legacy sedan, which is also new for 2010. Both cars share four- and six-cylinder horizontally opposed boxer engines, along with a range of available manual and automatic transmissions. This new Outback, however, loses one of its previous three engine choices. The base 2.5-liter four remains, as does the--now larger--six-cylinder, but the turbocharged four has been dropped (although Subaru still offers it in the Legacy GT). Subaru product planners point to poor sales of the turbo in the outgoing model, although a turbocharged engine's inherent advantage at high elevations would seem to make it a good choice for in mountainous areas where the Outback is so popular. Two boxers left standing Like all Subaru engines, the two remaining offerings are horizontally opposed, or boxer, engines. The four-cylinder is essentially the same unit that as before. For 2010, however, its two available transmission choices are new. Where the Outback previously did not offer a manual transmission, it now has a six-speed stick shift as standard on the base and mid-level ("Premium") trim levels. Choosing it saves $1000 over the available automatic, but you give some of that back at the gas pump, as the manual's gas mileage, 19/27 mpg (city/highway), falls short of the automatic's 22/29 mpg. The reason for the automatic's efficiency is that it's a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which is great for fuel economy but is a little strange when accelerating as it can hold the engine at the optimal rpm rather than allowing revs to rise with the car's speed. There are also shift paddles that allow the driver to effect manual up- and downshifts through six preset ratios. Overall, the 170-hp four is up to the task of moving the relatively lightweight Outback--which is commendably svelte compared to the typically porky crossover--but one occasionally wishes for more grunt during two-lane passes or when climbing the steepest hills. The Outback's optional six-cylinder engine is larger than before--3।6 liters, up from 3.0. Its 256 hp is a modest increase over the smaller six's 245 hp, but its 247 lb-ft of torque a represents a more substantial jump over the previous 215 lb-ft. Despite the increased displacement, the six--which is paired exclusively with a five-speed automatic--manages to increase both city and highway fuel economy by 1 mpg, to 18 city/25 highway. And unlike its predecessor, it runs on regular fuel. This engine makes easy work of propelling the Outback. Less expensive to run than the old six, and less expensive to buy (the extra cost is slightly lower than before), the six-cylinder could see a greater take rate than its recent average of 10 percent or

On (and off) the road

Both engines are surprisingly quiet--the burbling, boxer-engine patter that has long characterized Subaru four-cylinder engines is suppressed. The Outback is a quiet cruiser overall; Subaru has finally ended its fixation with frameless door glass, and wind noise is notably absent. The front suspension is essentially the same as before with damper struts, but the rear switches from a multi-link setup to A-arms. The ride on the highway is plush, if a bit floaty, with suspension tuning identical for both engines. The steering is slightly quicker in the new car but it's not very linear, with a bit too much gain as one moves off center, resulting in the need for small steering corrections.

Of course, a major component of the Outback image is its ability to venture off-pavement, and that capability is slightly enhanced, as all Outbacks now have 8.7 inches of ground clearance and the front and rear overhangs have been trimmed. For most Outback buyers, "off-road" likely translates to "dirt roads". We bombed down plenty of dirt two-tracks in the mountains of Montana, and the Outback never put a tire wrong. More impressive was the car's body structure, which proved tight and rattle-free despite the pounding.

Other items and innovations

In keeping with its outdoorsy image, the Outback is often shown with bikes, skis, or kayaks on its roof, so it's fitting that a roof rack is standard. An interesting new twist, however, is that the rack's crossbars--which often are sold as an extra-cost accessory or, if they're standard, can't be removed and therefore contribute to wind noise--pivot out from the side rails, where they're stored when not in use. A new Harman/Kardon sound system is available, with a USB port and an iPod input (for those who don't upgrade to the H/K system, and iPod input is available as a dealer accessory). Other new options include navigation, a rear-view camera, and Bluetooth phone connectivity. The parking brake is now electronically activated by a button on the dash, and includes a useful hill-holder feature.

Prices rise and fall.

As before, there are three trim levels, now called base, Premium, and Limited, all three available with either engine. Options are few. Base sticker prices starts at $22,995 plus destination (versus $22,295 for the '09 base car) and top out at $30,005 for the top-spec model (compared to $32,095 previously).

The new Outback looks less like the overachieving wagon that won legions of fans, and more like any other crossover. But its abilities remain and have even been enhanced. Despite looking more like it competition, the Outback is still lighter, more economical, and more off-road capable than most.

2010 Subaru Outback
Base Price range: $23,690-$31,690 (with destination)

Powertrain

Engine: 2.5-liter SOHC H-4
Horsepower: 170 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 170 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Powertrain: 3.6-liter DOHC H-6
Horsepower: 256 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 247 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, continuously variable automatic, 5-speed automatic
Drive: 4-wheel

MeasurementsL x W x H: 188.2 x 71.7 x 65.7 in
Legroom: 43.0/37.8 in
Headroom: 40.8/39.3 in
Cargo capacity: 34.3/71.3 cu ft (seats up/down)
Curb weight: 3386-3658 lbs
EPA rating (city/highway): 19/27 mpg (2.5L, 6-speed), 22/29 mpg (2.5L, CVT), 18/25 mpg (3.6L)
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NEW AND FUTURE CARS: First Look: 2010 Jaguar XJ

There are classics in car design, such as Ford's Mustang and Porsche's 911, whose shapes have persisted with subtle variations for forty years. Jaguar's XJ sedan is almost equally long-lived, but sales have dropped as it passed through many iterations that were all much too closely based--even the last all-aluminum model--on Sir William Lyon's original design. Now, finally, the XJ has a completely new shape, impressively handsome and vastly better, in terms of space and comfort, than any of its forebears.

The initial presentation to the American press at Hedsor House, an archetypical English stately home, was the best I've experienced in half a century of seeing new cars before their public showing: we were marshaled onto a second floor balcony overlooking the home's beautiful park and its long driveway. Two of the new cars--one of each wheelbase--approached and moved smoothly around the area so we could see them from every direction while Jaguar design leader Ian Callum talked about their design. Given that it is impossible to properly judge a new design until you have seen it in motion, this was a brilliant way to present a vitally important product.

The XJ has some elements reminiscent of the midrange XF, in particular the nearly rectangular trapezoidal grille, but in all respects the XJ is more refined, elegant, and impressive. Its six-window side profile is elongated and beautifully delineated by a bright metal surround culminating in a thicker section at the pointed aft end.

The C-pillars are a glossy black on every car. Questioned about making it body color, Callum insists that the difference is important, even on cars painted black, where only surface reflectivity, not color, changes. There is no question that the upper looks wider with darkened glass and the blacked-out pillars. Dramatic elongated taillights owe nothing to the past.

The body sides are quite plain, with only a small chrome vent on the front fender behind the wheel opening and a slight indentation through the front doors that disappears a third of the way back on the rear door panels. There are sharp peaks to the front and rear fenders, well outboard, to emphasize the body's width.

The front profile rounds down following the wheel opening, allowing the hood and grille to thrust forward, with the headlamps joining the disparate profiles. A subtle bulge above the center of the headlamp cover recalls, almost subliminally, surfaces behind the headlamps of the original XJ. The interior is pure classic Jaguar, raised to the nth power. The sound system is so good that by contrast it puts the Lexus "concert hall" into the provincial high-school gymnasium category.

Life is going to be difficult for all luxury car makers now (much like the 1930s, when many makes disappeared), but we think Jaguar has an excellent chance, if only based on the fact that everyone who saw the XJ was eager to drive it as soon as possible.

Mesothelioma

What is it?

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of cells lining the body's internal organs, known as the mesothelium. There are three recognized types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease, accounting for roughly 70% of cases, and occurs in the lining of the lung known as the pleura. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum and pericardial mesothelioma originates in the pericardium, which lines the heart.
Who is at risk for Mesothelioma?

The only recognized cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, though other factors such as smoking can make the disease more or less likely in some individuals. Industrial laborers were widely subjected to asbestos exposure on the job, as the material was widely used throughout the 20th century. Few of these workers knew they were being exposed to asbestos, however, despite the fact that many manufacturers were aware the material was hazardous. In most cases, mesothelioma symptoms will not appear in an individual exposed to asbestos until many years after the exposure has occurred. Those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should fill out our form to receive a free mesothelioma information packet, detailing treatment options, emerging therapies, and jobsite exposure information.