WATCH NEW GOLF GTI IN ACTION

Upon the introduction of the fifth generation of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the MKIV disappeared like off-off-white on light beige. The presence - and newly reincarnated reputation - of the GTI we've enjoyed the last few years was something to behold; especially given the base car's blaa profile.

Can generation six one-up the reinvigorated GTI? Can it reinvigorate the reinvigorated one? Engines remain the same. Much of the architecture goes unmodified. Watch the video below to see if the new Volkswagen Golf GTI has added presence on the road.

COMPARING ZR1, COOPER S, S600, R8 V10 & NEW JAG XJ PRICING IN 3 COUNTRIES

Every automaker on the planet sets up national businesses underneath their international umbrella. These domestic underlings are very responsible for developing pricing schemes independent of what might be happening across oceans or borders. Costs must be covered; profits must be earned. That's the bottom line. Outside of those two factors, it's impossible to predict how any manufacturer will price their cars.

Five vehicles which readily display these remarkable differences are listed below with their prices from three different countries. With the help of XE.com you'll see how these prices relate (or don't relate at all) inside the parenthetical sections.

MINI COOPER S

Germany: €23,100 (equal to £19,896 or $32,976)

UK: £16,580 (equal to €19,241 or $27,470)

USA: $21,950 (equal to €15,375 or £13,244)

AUDI R8 5.2 V10

Germany: €142,400 (equal to £122,659 or $203,160)

UK: £99,580 (equal to €115,596 or $164,920)

USA: $146,000 (equal to €102,351 or £88,171)

MERCEDES-BENZ S600

Germany: €155,355 (equal to £133,773 or $221,501)

UK: £105,160 (equal to €122,096 or $174,124)

USA: $147,450 (equal to €103,393 or £89,044)

CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1

Germany: €136,000 (equal to £117,106 or $193,943)

UK: £109,000 (equal to €126,586 or $180,594)

USA: $103,970 (equal to €72,873 or £62,752)

JAGUAR XJL S'CHARGED SUPERSPORT

Germany: €139,900 (equal to £120,465 or $199,521)

UK: £88,000 (equal to €102,198 or $145,752)

USA: $115,000 (equal to €80,652 or £69,433)

WATCH SMART FORTWO COMMERCIALS

Numerous times over the last few days I've had to describe the spaciousness of GoodCarBadCar.net's long-term smart fortwo. Its twelve cubic feet of cargo capacity is equal to the space inside a Honda Civic's trunk; more capacity than can be found inside the trunk of a new Mazda 3.

Up front where real people spend their time, the smart's legroom is only an inch shy of the Civic's total. Headroom in the fortwo is superior.

Looking back at the older, smaller first-generation smart fortwo (the 450) in this commercial, it's not hard to decipher the ad's meaning. The second advertisement may not be suitable for children, depending on their age and temperament - but it's a hilarious way for smart to establish the fortwo's safety cred.

CHEVROLET SAYS THE VOLT IS A 230MPG CAR

This just in: General Motors hypothesizes, with the help of "a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles", the Chevrolet Volt of 2011 will sip just one gallon of gasoline for every 230 miles of city driving.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Volt should be rated at 230 mpg when the EPA performs its testing in advance of the Chevrolet Volt's on-sale date. Arriving at this number involves a complicated procedure, one that starts with the Volt using 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles. GM says the average cost of electricity in the United States 11 cents per kilowatt hour. The Volt's ability to travel 40 miles without using a drop of gasoline is tantalizing enough; its cost per mile figure of less than $0.03/mile is disarming.

GM's latest Volt press release explains its powertrain in this way: "In electric mode, the Volt will not use gasoline or produce tailpipe emissions when driving. During this primary mode of operation, the Volt is powered by electrical energy stored in its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. When the battery reaches a minimum state of charge, the Volt automatically switches to Extended-Range mode. In this secondary mode of operation, an engine-generator produces electricity to power the vehicle. The energy stored in the battery supplements the engine-generator when additional power is needed during heavy accelerations or on steep inclines."

LAPTIMES FROM evo ISSUE 133

The general feeling at GoodCarBadCar Towers leads to suggesting that the good folks at evo Towers in some Shire of England that the number of timed lapt performed in production cars around the Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit must increase. Far more telling than 0-60 stats provided by magazines around the world, laptimes show the true performance capability of a vehicle. Take the GTI and RenaultSport below, for example: not only is the little Renault quicker than the Golf; it's more than two seconds quicker than its predecessor, the Clio 197. Laptimes deliver this type of info. 0-60 numbers tell a short story. Check out previous evo laptime reports right here.

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Renault Clio 200: 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds

Aston Martin V12 Vantage: 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds

Audi R8 V10: 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds

Porsche 911 GT3: 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds

Renault Clio 200: 1:32.0

Volkswagen Golf GTI MK6: 1:32.4

NEW-FOR-2010 PORSCHE 911 TURBO GALLERY

Six cylinders displacing 3.8 litres, mated with two turbochargers and direct injection, make Porsche's new 2010 911 Turbo a 500 horsepower kind of car. Porsche's estimates are usually conservative, and they're saying the new Turbo will hit 60mph in 3.4 seconds. Their suggestion that the 911 Turbo will reach 194mph (312kmh) is entirely believable.

Yet, for the first time ever when it comes to the introduction of a new Turbo, I don't care.

Though it may sound like heresy coming from an auto enthusiast, the 911 Turbo has begun boring me. Always with the power and the superior all-wheel drive and the grip and the traction. If every car were a 911, the Turbo would be analogous to mainstream midsize V6 sedans. Sure, it's fast and solid and luxurious and good-looking (from some angles). But most of its customers choose the automatic. There are two semi-useable seats in the rear. The Turbo is by no means the fastest 911 available. Thank the GT2 for that fact. And it's nowhere close to reigning as the champion of frightening hardcore sportscars. Blame the GT3.

Check out all Porsche-related posts here

'Tis the speed of the 911 Carrera S that, for me personally, makes the new 911 Turbo finally boring. Countless others have already come to this conclusion. They're driving the Audi R8. Some of them, dare I point out, are sitting in the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG with the top down.... until the sky falters and spits out a few droplets.

See the Porsche Boxster in The Good 12 & The Good 12 v2.0

Yes, the 911 GT3 makes the Turbo look like the 911 for your grandfather. Comfortable and fast with a reputation that makes him look younger. But.... really not the best tool for corner carving. Better than almost anything on the planet? Yes. But not the best.

Oh, and if I want knock-the-wind-out-of-me; hand-the-policeman-my-license; make-my-wife-angry; insult-every-environmentalist-alive kind of speed, the 911 GT2 is better suited to playing the villain.

Porsche's new 911 Turbo ticks all the boxes. Jaw-droppingly fast? Tick. Slightly more mature rear wing than before? Tick, indeed. Technologically advanced? Tick check. Slightly improved fuel efficiency? Ticker-tape parade. PDK transmission availability? Check tick.

Pent-up excitement finally released from every auto enthusiast now that pics (7 below) and specs have been released? Fail.

CHEVROLET EQUINOX WEBSITE FORBIDS THE GOOD CAR GUY FROM COMPARING EQUINOX WITH TERRAIN

Behind every post on GoodCarBadCar is a lot of Build Your Own time on automaker's websites. For some future pieces, this involved a trip to Chevrolet.com's Build Your Own Equinox section. This morning, clicking Build Your Own resulted in.... nothing. Instead, I figured Competitive Comparison might do the trick. Only Competitive Comparison instantly brought up the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape.

One click on Compare to Similar Vehicles should allow for something more direct: the new Equinox with the 2010 GMC Terrain. Check out the screenshot of what followed when I clicked the aforementioned link this morning.

C'mon, a simple, "Not Acceptable Behaviour At This Time", would have been fine. Maybe a Yield sign with an arrow directing me to the Terrain's website. But Forbidden? "You don't have permission?" This is like a No Trespassing sign.

I'm hurt.