Articles by Staff Writers

But after spending a week behind the wheel I have to admit to becoming a big fan of the medium-sized MG, which gets the 2.5-litre V6 from the larger model but in a car that weighs 245kg less.The 180 part of the name denotes the engine output in brake horsepower and the result is some spirited performance from what is a real head turner.2.5-litre V6 devlops 133kW of power at 6500rpm and 240Nm of torque at 4000rpm. It's not the most powerful V6 we have tested but it does provide an excellent combination of power and economy.Transmission is five-speed manual only at this stage. #comThat's a shame because the more compact dimensions of the car will appeal to older buyers looking for something a little different, but not prepared to put up with changing gears.Don't get me wrong. The manual is just fine by me, although I hope the action loosens up a little over time. The Gertrag box has a decent set of ratios with a nice long first gear that doesn't run out of puff.The dash from 0-100km/h takes a brisk 7.4 seconds. Performance is generally sharp, but is dulled by a full load of passengers. Exhaust has a nice throaty note.Steering is quick, with nice turn-in and the car sits low and flat in corners. The ride is firm, but not uncomfortable. However it does become easily unsettled on rougher roads, with some jarring from the suspension.Fit and finish of the car is not quite up there with the Japanese, but at the same time it's not bad. A quick squiz inside the boot shows some inattention to detail, particularly the generic gray cloth lining with its unfinished edges.A full aero kit is standard, with some sexy looking side air vents on the front quarter panels. A full size rear spoiler is optional instead of the neat lip job on the boot lid, but that's best left for the kids.Car comes fully equipped. There's only a couple of options including full leather trim, but we reckon the cloth with leather bolsters is just Jim dandy.Standard equipment includes aircon, sport seats, leather trimmed wheel, power windows and mirrors and a CD sound system.Fuel economy from the 55-litre tank was excellent and it is happy to take ordinary unleaded. Official figure is 9.5L/100km and this is pretty close to the mark in the 900km that we chalked up, despite punting it hard.

The BMW Z3 roadster may have looked too busy, too contrived on Australian roads. Set one down on the streets of Los Angeles and it made perfect sense; there it was an edgy, in-the-face machine that stood out in the crowd and looked right.These days the current crop of Nissans and Infinitis look clever in Los Angeles, the Murano, Infiniti FX45, the Maxima and 350Z have today's edge.Ford's jellybean Taurus looked very strange in this part of the world yet right at home on a Detroit freeway.But the Pontiac GTO – nee Monaro – was initially lost in the herd.A striking and handsome coupe on Australian roads, the Pontiac needed more for the North American freeways and Santa Monica Boulevard where restored American muscle cars, black Porsches and Hummers sitting on 24-inch wheels catch the eye.The original of these Australian-made GTOs faded a bit into the streetscape.For the VZ Monaro there are style and content tweaks.Holden reckon style changes to the VZ over the VU were as much driven by local customers.But the extras – such as bigger air intake and those snout scoops – also give the Pontiac GTO a little more agro for North Americans who, while loving the drive of the car, thought that first reincarnation a little bland on the outside.Even General Motors guru Bob Lutz, responsible for having the Monaro transplanted stateside, now thinks the first one needed a little more attitude.Along with style variations and the brightness of the new hero blue Turismo colour (a leftover Nissan Pulsar shade from the 80s?), there's the extra power and extra exhaust bass, thanks to a split-dual system.It is all that little sharper than before and the Monaro continues to turn heads.Holden boss Denny Mooney says: "You won't buy one of these if you're shy."With practice, the back-beat burble on the exhaust arrives with the right amount of throttle lift-off. Holding second gear longer than necessary also is allowed.And the VZ Monaro does stop people in their tracks, people stop and grin and that's nice.For 2005, Series III of the reborn Monaro boasts 260kW and develops 500Nm of torque if the 70 litre tank, now sitting between rear axle and rear seat, is filled with premium fuel. It is the most powerful factory Holden ever.A revised camshaft helps keep 93 per cent of torque on tap from 2300rpm to 5300rpm.This is important for both leaving the lights and low-speed cruising. The revised six-speed manual has shorter gear ratios, apart from fourth, to better find torque at any time.While all this posing and cruising on those deeper, sharper 18-inch alloy wheels is quite self-satisfying, the Monaro has more and more to offer on an open road.The cabin is Commodore plus; there are the high centre dash gauges for voltmeter and oil pressure, the fancy race-style pedals, touches of extra chrome and a glossy piano black surround around the centre console. There's the dual zone airconditioning, four leather seats and a decent amount of comfort. This is handy for this is a car to be driven a long way.It squats low, holds well and covers distances with an easy lope, highlighted by the occasional exhaust bark and maybe a little bit of rubber protest leaving a slowish corner. This Monaro, as with the one before, deserves a long and flowing back country road to be best appreciated.It is a great Australian tourer and deserves to be let run. While there is a deal of street cred in trundling through the suburbs and shopping centre car parks, the crux of the Monaro's appeal is a hard run at highway speeds.Out here it is a well-balanced, quick-acting sports machine. The ride comfort is good although sharp-edged bumps can jolt, the performance is there with a howl and the grip is prodigious. Heroes can turn off the traction control for more attitude.This is not a traditional sports car. There is too much bulk to shift quickly on a tight mountain road although there is that low down V8 punch to shift out of corners hard. But give the Monaro a more flowing road and this is a very fast and very handsome Australian coupe at a great price, a 21st century muscle car.December figures in the US were a record for Pontiac GTO with 2952 sales, topping the previous record of September by 274 and bringing the full year tally to 13,569.

Add Cherokee and one has a sense of tribal power. It's an alluring combination and, frankly, I've long harboured a whim to get behind the wheel of a Jeep Cherokee.So, all my Christmases came at once when a feisty silver 2005 turbo diesel was put into my hands for girl testing. They make them for girls these days – fuel injection, power steering, automatic ...As an habitual manual driver, I was a bit askance at first but, hey, automatic is just a bit delicious. Like a duck to water, I took to it and off we chugged. Amazingly, this high-riding hard worker is as comfortable in the city as it is on dirt roads. It fits better into tight city parking stations than most sedans. You would not think it, looking at the vehicle. But it's a lean machine – and it even has flipper wing mirrors, which tuck flat in when you are going into a tight spot. How good is that.Between home, the shops and work, the Cherokee refused to drink, or so it seemed. The fuel gauge stayed so long on full that I started to worry. But when a couple of hard-driving days in the country took the fuel only to half, I figured it is just plain economical.The interior is classy without being showy. There are not too many gadgets, with a lot of controls neatly confined to the steering wheel. Above the rear-vision mirror is the temperature read-out etc – with the added feature of telling one in which direction one is travelling.I love that.The cup holders are a bit of an issue. There is one in the central console area – and the central storage unit is a bit awkward, being set a bit far back for the short-legged driver.But the interior door handles are the best I have encountered in a car. Sleek stainless-steel grips one slips the hand through. There are nice, sturdy hand-holds on both passenger and driver's side, too. Nifty for swinging sportily in to the car or for steep off-roading.The rear window opens with a double click on the key-ring control and the lower gate can be opened manually thereafter. The luggage area is like the car. It is more capacious than one thinks. And the interior generally seems spacious for the growing world of long-legged people. Headroom, too. It is quite a tall vehicle.Naturally the fun with this vehicle is in going out on to the rough roads – and the Cherokee surged merrily on the dirt, at home in front of a cloud of dust. Despite the warning signs about tippability inside the car, its road holding felt very secure on the winding dirt roads.Not that I am inclined towards any idiot derring-do in any motor car. Which is why I only got to open up the turbo power for one country overtake – and I was glad of the sure surge which made it a safe and easy manoeuvre.In all, the Cherokee is a trim, taut and terrific member of the compact 4WD family.

Now a lot of them seem to drive around in SUVs. You see them on the school run, in supermarket car parks, on the way to a family weekend at the beach or laden with mountain bikes and heading for the Hills.Part family station wagon, part off-roader, the so-called "softroader" offers an everyday driving experience with a hint of adventure.Sit down with pencil and paper and it's easy to compile a list of 24 softroaders, not counting model variations. Nearly every major car company makes one or is designing one.Of course, some softroaders are so soft you wouldn't dream of taking them down a winding bush track.Not so Mitsubishi's Outlander. With a powered-up engine and rugged-build quality, it looks strong enough to clock up some serious kilometres. The new version addresses a major shortcoming of the previous model. With a genuine 120kW of power at 5750rpm and 220Nm of torque 4000rpm, the Outlander has charged back to the front row of the crowded SUV pack.The 2.4-litre, SOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder motor has a couple of technological tricks up its sleeve.The engine management system re-tunes the motor when the revs hit 3600rpm. Without getting too technical, what happens is that the valves are kept open longer, so the engine breathes in more fuel and air.This provides more power for situations such as overtaking or towing a trailer up a hill.Below 3600rpm, the engine goes back to its original state of tune, which means it uses less fuel. The engine also runs on standard unleaded petrol. Available as the base LS, higher-spec XLS (the vehicle on test) and top-of-the-range VR-X, the Outlander comes standard with a four-speed auto gearbox with sequential-shift option.An on-board computer records the driver's operating style by observing typical engine revs, tyre load and braking. It then adapts the gearbox operation to suit, meaning the Outlander doesn't hunt through the box. Permanent four-wheel-drive runs through a centre differential with a Viscous Coupling Unit allocating torque in varying amounts to the wheels under cornering.Much of the system has been developed by the World Rally Mitsubishi Lancer Evo range and, generally, it works well. However, several times I heard the tyres squeal slightly on sharp turns. It made me think I was about to lose traction. I wasn't. Perhaps it was a quirk of the car I was testing or its tyres.Like many of its rivals, the Outlander doesn't have a low-ratio gearbox. This means it is compromised in offroad situations. While you can lock it up manually in first, it would be better to have a lower set of gears.Softroaders, however, are designed more for the access track to that national park camping ground than fording streams or heading off over a bluff. The Outlander doesn't look particularly large but its upright body style gives the impression of a spacious interior. Rear seats can be folded flat and the headrest taken off the front passenger's seat to load objects as long as 2.4m.The cabin is pleasant in an understated way, although I thought the gauge colours a bit lairy when backlit and the roof-rails look too big and clumsy.Operated by a pedal, rather than a lever, the handbrake is an acquired taste. It does contribute to a more roomy cabin.One important consideration for buyers is the suspension. Some softroaders float across bumps, which indicates they would struggle a bit loaded with the kids and camping gear.The Outlander has a much firmer set-up. This suggests it would be a better weekend workhorse but you do pay a price. Drive it across the typical judder bars of a new housing estate and you feel every bump. Laden, the suspension feels more compliant.Fit, finish, assembly and quality control all match the world-class standards expected and achieved by Mitsubishi.

The Mini is an iconic car that has holds huge appeal for both young and old alike and the cabrio version of the car should make many new friends.Mini Cooper Cabrio is priced from $35,900.The 1.6-litre four cylinder engine generates 85kW of power at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 150Nm 4500rpm. It is a willing worker but labours under the load down low.A five-speed manual is standard but our test car was fitted with the CVT auto. You get the option of D, Sport D or changing gears like a manual, either with the gearshift or with steering wheel mounted change paddles.The transmission makes the most of the smallish engine and the result is lively performance, provided you keep up the revs. But there's a bit of a lull before it gets going off the line.Like its hard topped sibling, the Mini Cabrio handles like a go-kart. Add in stability and traction control and this is one very stable motor car.We found the steering wheel change paddles easy to use, but the traditional gear shift was stiff during manual operation. You can flick seamlessly between the two and the transmission changes up automatically before redline is reached.The fabric covered roof is a snap to operate. There's no catches to release, just push the button and down it comes. Four buttons are located above the rear vision mirror, two for opening and closing the roof, the other two for operating the windows.The roof can also be operated from the remote and has a sunroof option which allows it to be opened halfway, providing a large 400mm opening. This can be done on the move up to a speed of 120km/h.Vision with the top up is limited, especially towards the rear. There's no B pillar but the C pillar more than makes up for this with a small rear window albeit a glass one. Add in some rain and changing lanes can be a bit of a lottery.In terms of parking, it's a good thing then that all versions of the cabrio get a parking distance sensor as standard.If you prefer travelling with the roof up, and most people who own a convertible would rather die than do so, airconditioning is also standard.Safety stuff includes ABS, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), as well as a strengthened bodyshell that incorporates strong tubes in- serted into the A pillars and dual rollover hoops with integrated headrests behind the two rear seats.Not much room in the back seat nor in the boot for that matter, so this could be a consideration if size matters.Although it takes premium unleaded, the Mini is a light sipper.

Such is the case with the impressive new 3.5-litre V6 that first saw the light of day in the gorgeous SLK350 late last year and now resides under the bonnet of the mid-size E350 sedan.Even better is the fact that the new donk does the same for the E-Class as it did for the SLK – makes it go really well and use less fuel into the bargain.It is arguably the gun 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine on the planet at this point in time delivering some 200kW of power and 350Nm of torque in a smooth and unruffled way.In the SLK, it is capable of putting down mid five second 0-100km times. In the E350 it's not quite as rapid due to size and weight penalties with the big body but the E350 still goes like a scalded cat.The 0-100kmh time, always a good barometer to overall performance and response, is a mid six second affair but the real appeal is in refinement and mid-range response. The whole effort is aided buy a seven speed automatic that is virtually seamless in operation.You'd expect this level of performance from Benz especially for the $124k ask and it delivers in spades.The E350 replaces the E320 that pales into insignificance compared to the newcomer.There's a Sports pack available for the E350 that sharpens up various functions for more enthusiastic drivers looking for an engaging feel. It comprises interior enhancements, 18in wheels, drilled discs, bigger tail pipes and body aero add ons.Fuel consumption is down to a claimed average of 9.7litres/100km for the sedan, slightly more for the wagon.The all alloy engine boasts variable valve timing and four valves a cylinder both of which help performance and fuel economy.Having seven ratios in the transmission no doubt helps too and also boosts acceleration and throttle response. This tranny is never caught out in the wrong ratio and there is a sequential shift mode, side to side on the selector stick.On a searching drive of the new E350, I found the car to be supple and steady, offering an uncanny combination of soft ride but flat cornering. The steering is too light but every other dynamic function is right on the pace.I was particularly impressed by the silky smooth transmission and the engine pick-up. It is like a sewing machine and delivers plenty of oomph from idle to redline at 7000rpm.The car is big and weighty at around 1700kg but there's copious rear seat legroom and the boot is large. It's great to drive, even on winding alpine roads and then backs up as a smooth sophisticate capable of carrying five in luxury.

Sometimes it's a smiling sunshine hoot, sometimes it's a screaming supercharger hoot and sometimes it's a grip-and-go cornering hoot. There are times when it's all three.That's because the newest Mini is a convertible, a supercharged hot hatch and a baby luxury car. All for one and one for all.It comes towards the end of the first built-by-BMW Mini's lifecycle, with development of a second-generation car at full speed in Europe.To give the test car its full name, and please take a breath now to get through it in one go, it's the Mini Cooper S Cabrio with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit.What that means is it's the combination of the new Mini Cabrio with the power-up kit developed by the same Cooper-family company that did the fast-car fix-up on the original Mini in the 1960s.It means a $54,750 price and a list of special equipment that runs from the Cooper Works engine bits to rear-parking radar and a full leather cabin.The S Works Cabrio is the all-for-one car that puts the best of everything into the one package.The Works kit means 154kW from a supercharged engine that powers the car to 100km/h in less than seven seconds, and the Cabrio kit makes the Mini into a worthwhile four-seat convertible.The car's roof is essentially an electric folding cloth top. But there is much more to it.The conversion has been done without losing the benefit of rear rollover bars and a heated glass rear window.It has a fully automatic control system that can even be operated with the remote keyfob.It also doubles as a targa top with a sliding front sunroof panel.The marketing team at BMW, which has a great grip on what's best in the trend business, also ensured the Cabrio comes in all the right colours, with three choices for the roof fabric, and a wide range of optional equipment.Still, the basics are all you expect, including CD sound and leather trim, electric mirrors and air-con.The roof is operated from two switches at the top of the windscreen support. One allows all four side windows to be tucked away for a clean look.The John Cooper Works kit does the job in the engine bay with bigger fuel injectors and special engine calibration, modified valves, a stainless exhaust, uprated supercharger, modified cylinder head and a special air-filter housing.There is a discreet badge below the grille to tell people what is closing from behind, and one on the back.The Mini Cabrio goes up against all sorts of rivals, from the classic two-seat Mazda MX-5 featured in this week's middle pages to the metal-roof Renault Megane and Peugeot 307 coupe-convertibles.The VW Beetle Cabrio is in there too, in a droptop class that is growing all the time and even includes a value-added new Saab 9-3 convertible in the $60,000 range.ON THE ROADTHE S Works Cabrio is a ripper of a car. It's not for everyone, with an engine that screams and howls and pops, but the people who like it will really like it.It's also very hard to park, has a tiny boot, can be a bugger to contain and could be a long-term problem with so much mechanical and electrical complexity in the Cabrio system.But who cares when the top is down and you are sprinting into the sunshine?The driving enjoyment in the Cabrio Works is right up with the MX-5 and way beyond the thrills you get in a Megane or 307CC. The Beetle Cabrio barely moves the meter.The Cabrio Works' price is pretty meaty even without dipping into the extras list, and beyond its obvious rivals, but this is a car with extra appeal.It is nice just to fold the roof flat for a quiet sunset cruise, because the Mini is refined, comfortable and easy to use.Back-seat space isn't huge, but you can happily take friends along.The Cabrio is nicely quiet at all times, top up and top down, and the system works well. One button, no fuss.Some people would prefer a folding metal roof, but the Mini system is a good design.And we really like the sliding front panel, which gives you extra air and sunshine even if you don't want the full Cabrio experience.The quality seems a little better than that of earlier Minis we drove, without the driver's seat squeak that was so annoying at first, and we're still taken with the funky dashboard.The boot is a pain – even with the fold-flat rear seats – and we found it difficult to back the car with the roof up, and not much better with it down, because of the giant rollbars.But the John Cooper Works kit more than compensates, even if the fitted price puts $9850 on a Mini.It transforms the car into one capable of beating V8s away from the lights and really moving along a twisty road. But it's the way it does it, with excellent bottom-end pull and a surge all the way to the redline, that's so impressive.The hi-tech engine upgrade is well matched to a car with great grip and brakes, even if the steering wheel does jerk around in your hands if you push on broken surfaces.The six-speed manual works well, the steering has good feel, and the sporty suspension still copes with bumps.THE BOTTOM LINETHE S Works Cabrio is just the thing to have in Melbourne in GP week. It's great for a posing cruise but can still light up and go. It's a memorable car that should appeal to a lot of people who want something special that's more than a convertible.

The new $37,490, seven seat, diesel Terracan CRDi raises the bar again because it is arguably the most "together" vehicle Hyundai has in its local lineup.By together I mean, well built, sensibly laid out, impressive performance, high levels of refinement and safety and extremely capable on and off road.Yes, it's a big call, but a drive proves the point.Our test vehicle was the leather equipped manual Terracan Highlander with high and low range constant all wheel drive.The diesel is a DOHC, turbo four cylinder common rail unit of 2.9-litres giving 120kW/345Nm output.It's enough to make the Terracan hum along sweetly in all driving conditions with a good reserve of go under the right foot. Off the mark isn't too bad either but the engine really starts to sing at around 2000 rpm and stays until about 4500. It provides a wide operating range that is capably harnesssed by the slick shifting five-speed manual. A four speed automatic is also available but that's the next test.The diesel is a new device from Hyundai shared with Kia and it displays the strengths now expected from common rail engines – excellent performance, minimal fuel consumption, smooth running, quick start-up, no black smoke.There would be precious little difference on the road between the 3.5-litre V6 and this diesel Terracan in performance.It has softish suspension which allows a degree of body roll when cornering hard. That's the trade off for comfort in the rough. The suspension is a double wishbone and torsion bar front and five link rear with coils and a rigid diff.It should be pointed out that the base model and Highlander's 4WD systems are different with the former having selectable 4WD and the later constant awd.It makes little difference on or off the road as both vehicles are capable, go anywhere vehicles in the true 4WD sense.Terracan is built on a ladder chassis and has adequate ground clearance and wheel travel.The steering is possiblya litle too light but the turning circle is not bad. The diesel manual weighs in at 2200kg.It will go around 800km without too much trouble and is well equipped with goodies like pollen filter aircon, cruise, alloys, dual front airbags, full size spare, ABS remote central locking and electric ancillaries to name just a few.Some might criticise the vehicle's styling but it really only needs a tweak here and there – the grille and side cladding for example.

The not quite a hatch, not quite a people mover, is extremely well equipped, with a speed limiter standard equipment on all models.It's not something we normally see outside a Benz and comes as a real boon for speed camera-shy city drivers. Dial in the speed and it won't exceed the limit unless you tromp the accelerator.It's cars like the Scenic II that redefine where the family sedan is headed.Scenic II is priced from $29,990. Add $2200 for automatic transmission.Scenic II sits on the same platform as the Megane II hatch and sedan and shares much of the same componentry, including of course the engine. Style-wise it gets the controversial French bustle but it is not as pronounced as in the hatch.The car seats five with individually moulded seats for the rear three passengers instead of the normal bench seat. The centre rear seat is slightly smaller than the other two.The 2.0-litre, variable valve equipped four cylinder engine delivers 98kW of power at 5500rpm and 191Nm of torque at 3750rpm. Not the most powerful or torquiest of engines around but works well in combination with the transmission. Good fuel economy too.Transmission is a choice of either six-speed manual gearbox or four-speed "pro-active" tipshift style automatic. Our test car was fitted with the standard manual change mounted high on the dash within easy reach. It is smooth and intuitive and delivers the best performance the engine has to offer.The Scenic is a gadget lover's dream, with a digital speedometer and lots of switches to twiddle. It all takes a bit of getting used to, but once you work it out the car is user friendly. Kids will love the underfloor hidey holes.Scenic II scores a full five star safety rating. Safety features include dual front and side airbags, curtain airbags and front and rear seatbelt pretensioners. ABS brakes with elec- tronic brake force distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist are also standard.Fuel economy is good at an average of 9.6L/100km from the 60-litre tank. And like the old one, it prefers premium but runs happily on standard unleaded.You don't get alloy wheels with either of the lower grade models. Standard model also misses out on climate controlled airconditioning, rear power windows, an automatic parking brake, and a mirror for communicating with rear passengers and a few other little things – but that's about it.There's always a catch and in this case be warned that any colour apart from white attracts a premium of $650.

"Have faith," I insisted, with fingers crossed. "It's a smart car."I had heard great things about this "Mini-Me" vehicle: tough, comfortable, reliable, revolutionary even, part of the Mercedes-Benz group.And, after all, it's called a forfour ... for four people ... so why not put it to the test?Well, aren't I just the smartypants. The forfour passed the test with flying colours.The only place the smart car struggled (and only a little) was pushing up through the Adelaide Hills. But, don't forget, the 1.3-litre engine was working overtime with the car loaded to the brim. It's surprising what you can fit into a car that measures just 3.7m long and 1.7m wide ... four people plus enough gear for a weekend away, including liquid refreshments.Yes, there is enough room in the boot for an Esky. Just. In fact, the entire back seat moves forward or back to allow for more leg room or luggage – depending on how nice you want to be to your passengers.The 2/3 split seat also folds all the way down so you have a mini version of a station wagon.A common misconception with this little car is that driving it will make you feel vulnerable because it's so small.Not so, thanks to a lot of smart ideas. The roomy interior makes you feel like you're in a much larger car.Safety was obviously a big consideration in the smart design, starting with the tridion safety cell (sounds like something out of a Dr Who series).Then, add dual front and side airbags, integral safety seats (whatever that means), seat-belt tensioners, belt-force limiters and a whole ABC of safety features, including ABS brakes with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution) and ESP (electronic stability program).As for looks, this little car is a smart dresser, thanks again, in part, to that tridion cell – the frame on which the forfour is built.The cell is also the base for some pretty snazzy colour co-ordination. Pick one of three frames and then chop and change the other panels (from a choice of 10 colours) to create the look you want – sleek silver, bold red and black, trendy black or adorable panda. The panels are made from scratch-resistant plastic, robust enough, Mercedes says, "to withstand light bumps virtually unscathed".Unfortunately, I can vouch for that – thanks to some smart alec who hit me and then took off.Barely a scratch on the bumper.But the smart ideas don't stop there. Here are just a few more to whet your appetite:Automatic windows in the front but manual in the back.A tray by the side of the front seats ... how often have you dropped something down the side of the front seat and then struggled to find it?Removable ashtray.A four-way interior light with a soft glow or stronger individual reading globes.LOVE ITEverything – the look, the size (small on the outside but big on the inside), easy on the juice and especially the fact that other cars seem to "bounce off" those special body panels.LEAVE ITHaving to give it back.