The new BMW is 100 horsepower short of an M5

BMW has announced an M Performance 5-series, coming to our shores as a 2018 model. The M550i xDrive should satisfy those customers who fancy themselves a sports car enthusiast, but don't want all that pesky sports car power.

The M Performance cars are a bit more tossable than their standard offerings, but keep the power a bit lower so you can keep speeding tickets at bay. While the M5 sedan has 560 horses under the hood, the M550i will get a slightly more practical 456 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

 

More aero, more power, more wheels steering

You wouldn't be faulted for thinking that the Lamborghini Aventador didn't have much room for improvement. But Lamborghini thought otherwise, enough so that the Aventador now has an extra letter at the end of its name.

The Lamborghini Aventador S might not look much different than its forebear, but it is. There's a whole bunch of new aero both fore and aft, all in the name of increasing cooling and improving aerodynamic efficiency. The rear diffuser can be optioned in carbon fiber, because of course it can. All in, front downforce is improved by 130 percent.

 

2017 Volvo V60 Cross Country review:

HE GOOD

Comfortable ride, lots of safety tech and all the practicality you're liable to ever need.

THE BAD

Its interior tech leaves an awful lot to be desired.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A rugged and capable all-rounder that will not leave you wanting.

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Roadshow Automobiles Volvo 2017 Volvo V60 Cross Country

Volvo's stunning XC90 SUV and S90 sedan leave many of its older cars, like this V60 Cross Country, in a somewhat uncomfortable place. These cars are a link to earlier days for Volvo, remnants of its Ford ownership and somewhat more humble styling. They're still great machines, but driving one you're left wondering just how long it'll be before they, too, are reborn into the same, classier look and performance of Gothenberg's latest.

 

The 707 horsepower Dodge Charger Hellcat is one wicked beast

Dad! We launched the Hellcat!"

I had just driven my pal's 10-year-old son home from a swim meet in the 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. He burst through the door, jabbering away to his dad about how much fun he'd just had and lording it over his two brothers. If you want to get on the good side of a kid, just take them for a ride in a 707-horsepower muscle car.

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The Charger Hellcat certainly is intimidating.

Emme Hall/Roadshow

With the kid in the backseat and his mom up front, we pulled up to a stop light, a long straight freeway on ramp ahead of us. "OK," I said. "Green light....go!"

2017 Toyota RAV4 review:

THE GOOD

The 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE offers a more dynamic drive character in this normally sterile class. More aggressive looks thanks to the exclusive SE styling touches make the RAV4 visually appealing. Good power and fuel efficiency from 2.5-liter engine.

THE BAD

The SE's sport suspension provides a firmer ride quality that may turn off some customers. In our drives, a rattle from the left B-pillar would annoyingly come and go. The RAV4's Infotainment system doesn't offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capabilities.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Those who need the practicality of a compact crossover but don't want a drab-looking or drab-driving vehicle should put the RAV4 SE on their "must drive" list.