“In JX, we have created the next great luxury family vehicle – one with seductive design, sophisticated craftsmanship, a roomy interior, innovations that make life more efficient, and advanced safety features,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “I’m proud to say it’s built right here in Tennessee!”

The new JX features the world’s first Backup Collision Intervention system (BCI). Backup Collision Intervention uses sensors in the rear of the JX to detect potential obstacles when backing out of a parking space. If an obstacle is detected, the system gives visual and audible warnings. And, in case the driver doesn’t respond in time, BCI can step in and automatically apply the brakes to help avoid a potential impact.

The new Infiniti JX starts at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $40,450 for the JX35 FWD and $41,550 for the JX35 AWD model. Reservations are being taken now at InfinitiUSA.com/all-new-JX. The JX goes on sale at Infiniti retailers nationwide in March.

Fiat 500 sales have been sluggish. With more room, and a more mainstream appeal, Fiat hopes the 500L will help attract more buyers. The Fiat 500L will be produced at the FIAT plant in Kragujevac, Serbia, and will arrive in the United States in 2013.

In honor of Presidents Day we thought we would share a bit of automotive history courtesy of Cadillac. Here's a list of some of the top rides provided to the Commander in Chief over the years.

President Woodrow Wilson rode in a Series 53, 1916 Cadillac through the streets of Boston during a World War I victory parade in 1919.

A lavish 1928 Cadillac Series 341 town car was used late in the Calvin Coolidge administration. The Series 341 was new for 1928 and featured a 90 horsepower V-8 with a smooth dual plane crankshaft, 3-speed manual transmission and tiltable beam headlamps.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, legend has it that President Franklin D. Roosevelt used a heavily armored 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan that was originally owned by gangster Al Capone.

In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles, dubbed the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth," were delivered to the U.S. government. Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the vehicles were 21.5 feet long, weighed 7,660 pounds each and were equipped with a small arsenal, two-way radios and heavy-duty generators. Durable and reliable, the two "Queens" served Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

President Eisenhower, a noted car enthusiast, rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorado models ever produced during his 1953 inaugural parade. The Eldorado represented a high point in automobile design history, as it had the first wraparound windshield, a feature quickly adopted on other production models.

In 1956, the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II convertibles replaced the original series, to serve President Eisenhower, and continuing to serve Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Both vehicles were retired in 1968.

The Ronald W. Reagan administration took delivery of a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine and a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. It is often stated that the real Presidential Cadillac Fleetwood limousine was used in the 1993 film In The Line of Fire, starring Clint Eastwood, but in fact it was a carefully constructed replica and not the precise car that the Presidents used in that era. For security reasons, Presidential vehicles are no longer used outside of their official duties.

The Cadillac that debuted for service during the William J. Clinton administration in 1993 marked a new era. Up to this point, Presidential vehicles typically were production cars modified by limousine companies. The 1993 Presidential Brougham was designed, developed and built by Cadillac in a secure process that continues today, with presidential vehicles built in private to exhaustive specifications.

President Obama's Limousine

The 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine resides at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., while the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.

Today’s Cadillac Presidential Limousine debuted in front of a massive worldwide audience during President Obama’s inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 2009. Sometimes nicknamed “Cadillac One” after the nomenclature for Presidential aircraft, the current limo incorporates signature design and technical elements from Cadillac production cars but is exclusively built for its mission. The car’s specifications are known only to the small team that designed it. The most visible difference is a more upright stance than predecessors, for improved outward visibility.

Engine: 6.2-liter

Horsepower: 563

Torque: 479 lb-ft.

0-60 mph: 3.6 seconds

1/4 mile: 11.8 seconds @120 mph

EPA: 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway

The SLS was the first car totally designed by Mercedes-Benz’ AMG performance brand. And it sure impressed us, not only with its sheer performance, but by successfully pulling off the gullwing-coupe styling of the original SL. And we knew it was just a matter of time before this car arrived, the SLS AMG Roadster. Now it trades the gullwing doors for a folding soft top; so, let’s see if that was a good trade or a bad one.

Well in any transaction, there are usually winners and losers. Oftentimes when a hard top is traded for a soft one, the loser is body rigidity and handling. The fact that the 2012 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Roadster rides on the same rigid aluminum space-frame as the SLS Coupe certainly helps to alleviate those concerns. 

But, not wanting to leave anything to chance, AMG added thicker door sill members, inserted bracing into the dashboard cross member, windshield frame, and center tunnel as well as bolted structural reinforcements to the soft top storage compartment and rear axle mounts. They also added an additional cross-member behind the rear seats for the dual roll bars. While it doesn’t have quite the same stunning look as the Coupe, the Roadster does exude the same classy aggressiveness typical of a sporting Mercedes.

The top is triple layer fabric, with glass rear window and folds in just 11-seconds, blending in very nicely with the overall design. Trunk space remains the same whether the top is up or down, and holds just slightly less than the Coupe at 6.1 cubic-feet. Rolling stock is 265/35/19’s up front and 295/30/20’s in the rear, on “flow-formed” lightweight alloy wheels.

While the looks certainly aim to please, under the SLS Roadster’s long hood lies an engine that’s even more eager to please. It’s the same naturally aspirated 6.2-liter AMG-designed power unit as the Coupe; that revs to 7,200 RPM, producing 563-horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque along the way.

While we loved the classic red leather interior in our last Coupe, most of the staff loved our test Roadster’s heritage white leather and black stitching theme even more. There is a roomier feel to the open air seating, and the seats themselves are comfortable and supportive. As before, most controls are angled towards the driver and easy to reach. Red needle gauges on silver backgrounds have an aviation look to them. And they are easy to read at track speeds which we easily exploited at our winter testing facility, Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, Georgia. 

Off the line, sprints to 60 were accomplished in just 3.6-seconds. That’s actually 3-tenths faster than we achieved in the Coupe last year, but track conditions were much more favorable this year. The ¼ mile was also a bit quicker at 11.8-seconds and 120 miles-per-hour.  Best times were achieved by putting the AMG Speedshift DCT in Sport-plus mode and letting it rip through the gears on its own. When it came time for ripping through the corners, the SLS Roadster loses nothing to the Coupe. Weight is up only 88-pounds, and we noticed no lack of stiffness without the presence of a hard top. 

The car still takes a bit of getting used to, due to the fact that you feel so far removed from the front wheels. But, as confidence builds, the SLS rewards aggressive driving with quick steering, good feedback, and smooth weight transitions. All-aluminum, double wishbone suspensions at both ends keep things relatively flat in corners. While the optional 3-mode adaptive suspension does even better. 

Although it lacked the optional AMG ceramic braking system, our car’s brakes worked great throughout our testing, offering good feel and fade free work. Straight line stops averaged a good 121-feet, and that was after a couple days of abuse.

On public roads, at more sane speeds, the SLS is no less rewarding. There are no supercar quirks to deal with, just a comfortable, almost daily-driver-like nature. Top down cruising is more in the old school Roadster vein, with lots of wind in your hair as you appreciate the stirring sound of that big V8. 

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the Roadster are the same as the Coupe, 14-City, 20-Highway.  Expect to average around 16 miles per gallon of Premium in daily use.

Since we picked the SLS as one of our Drivers’ Choice Dream Machines, supercar pricing is expected. The SLS Roadster rings up about $7,000 more than the gullwing Coupe at $196,975.

Life is full of tough decisions. The 2012 SLS AMG Roadster is indeed a throwback, but one that also throws you back in your seat. It may have traded its gullwing doors for a folding soft top, but it lost nothing in the performance category during the exchange. So, now there is a choice; cool gull wing doors that everyone can see you get in and out of, or an open air cockpit where everyone can see you cruising around in. Whichever one you spend your lottery dollars on you’ll be a real winner. 

Engine: 2-liter

Horsepower: 200

Torque: 207 lb-ft.

0-60 mph: 8.0 seconds

1/4 mile: 16.3 seconds @ 88 mph

EPA: 22 mpg city/ 27 mpg highway

Energy Impact: 13.7 barrels of oil/yr

CO2 Emissions: 6.1 tons/yr

With all of the compact crossovers that have arrived over the last few years it’s not hard to overlook the Volkswagen Tiguan. Still, the Tiguan has brought a touch of luxury to compact crossovers. And with Volkswagen’s goal of a huge jump in sales here, the Tiguan is a very important vehicle for getting there. Still, in a very crowded segment, does the redesigned Tiguan offer enough to finally make it a volume player?

The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan may be lost in that sea of small crossovers, but with a host of updates, it looks to have found its bearings and may finally be headed to the “land of increased sales.”

Wearing a nicer outfit is always a good way to attract attention, and the Tiguan’s updated threads start with a spiffy new front end treatment. A fresh horizontal-bar grille has been added to match the rest of the Volkswagen lineup. It integrates nicely with the new clear-lens, swept back headlight housings, though our SE test did not feature the up-level SEL’s Bi-Xenon’s and LED daytime running lights. 

Down low, there are new honeycomb grille openings and a simulated skid plate. The rear fascia has been updated as well with a smoother look and more distinctive tail lamps. 

But, between the two ends things remain much the same, save for some new wheel options. Silver cargo rails adorn the roof, and there’s a hatch-mounted rear spoiler. We find the overall theme more classy than youthful or sporting. Our front wheel drive SE rides on 18-inch alloys. And that ride is a very compliant one. Road manners are impressive, as the Tiguan is both smooth and comfortable. The engine makes good power for both passing and sprints off the line. 

There’s little new under the hood. The same 200-horsepower, turbocharged 2-liter as before. It makes a healthy 207 pound feet of torque using direct injection. Though most of our staff found it even peppier, thanks to very immediate throttle response, some complained it sounds too much like a diesel. By, the way, a true diesel Tiguan for the U.S. is still years away.

What has changed is a heavily revised 6-speed automatic transmission that boosts Government Fuel Economy Ratings to 22-City and 27-Highway. Expect to average about 24 miles-per-gallon of Premium in daily driving. That makes the Energy Impact Score better than average at 13.7-barrels of oil consumed per year, with annual CO2 emissions of 6.1-tons. By the way, a 6-speed manual is also available. 

At the track, our automatic Tiguan sprinted to 60 in 8.0-seconds flat. Good for any CUV. Soft, but reasonably quick shifts helped to propel us to the end of the ¼ mile in 16.3-seconds at 88 miles-per-hour, feeling solid and stable the entire way. As before, through the cones, we found the Tiguan to be quite entertaining. There’s good steering feel even with electric assist. Tires are grippy and there’s ample feedback. Weight is well balanced and turn-ins were quick. Tiguan feels very much like the Golf that it’s based on. 

Up front there’s a fully independent strut type suspension, and in the rear there’s a multi-link setup. Even when speeds get ratcheted up to sport sedan territory, the Tiguan stays plenty stable, inspiring much confidence; though it does exhibit a fair amount of body roll. 

Brakes are also impressive, with good response, and good numbers stopping from 60 in 126-feet. Though there is a lot of nose dive, and occasional rear wheel lock-up, but hard stops were consistently smooth and straight. 

The interior design of the Tiguan is very clean, and refreshingly simple. Materials quality is well above class average. Most everything inside is carryover save for some new trim pieces.  Our SE model came equipped with leatherette seating, panoramic sunroof and easy to use touch-screen navigation. One complaint that most of our staff shared is seats that are are a bit on the hard side, as you feel like you’re sitting on them rather than in them. 

Rear seat room is adequate and cargo space is not as generous as many rivals, making the Tiguan more for young couples or empty nesters, than for growing families. Rear seats do slide and recline as well as fold flat, expanding the cargo space from 23.8 cubic-feet to 56.1. The front passenger seat also folds flat for hauling longer items. 

Though pricing remains a bit high for compact utes, they are down a little from last year, with a base front-wheel-drive Tiguan S starting at $23,660. The mid-level SE stickers for $29,455, while the fully loaded SEL rings in at a lofty $34,795. 4Motion all-wheel-drive is available on all models. 

While the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan might still be too pricey to be a true volume player, for those who want to crank up the fun-to-drive volume, it’s the perfect ticket. To us, that, and the overall quality aura of the Tiguan, make this compact CUV well worth the extra cash.

Quick Listing

Road Tests: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Road Tests: 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan

First Impressions: 2012 Toyota Prius c

Goss’ Garage: Bleeding Brakes

Green Motoring: Clean Cities: Detroit’s Metro Cars

Also included are two data discs packed with a Lotus Racing video documentary, the best of  Lotus Racing audio podcasts, and more than 100 exclusive images to tie it all together.  If you’re a Lotus enthusiast or a Formula 1 fan, you simply can’t miss out on a book like this.

Unfortunately, most drivers don’t do anything except check the level of their brake fluid and that’s a bad thing because brake fluid has the ability to attract and absorb moisture from the air around the car. And in about two year’s time, there could be enough moisture in the brake fluid to make the braking system in the car dangerous during a panic stop. Well, what do you do?

Well, brake fluid should be flushed at least every two years. Now, flushing is no more than sophisticated bleeding; you’ve heard the term when technicians work on your car, they tell you they need to bleed the brakes. Well, bleeding the brakes is to get rid of air in the system. Well, flushing is no more than bleeding but we’re going to get rid of all of the old fluid in the system. Now it used to be that was a job that you had to take the car to the repair shop for, but today we have this system from Phoenix Systems. And what this is is a do it yourself bleeding kit that gives you the ability to bleed or flush the brakes on your car. Pretty simple, comes with instructions. You hook it up to the bleeder valve on the wheel cylinder or caliper on the car, whichever style brakes your car has. And you crack the bleeder valve about one half turn open. Now, before you start anything, you’ve got to make sure the master cylinder reservoir is full of the proper type of fluid. Once everything is set up, all you do is squeeze the handle on the bleeder; it will draw the old fluid out – you can actually see it through the hose. You continue bleeding it until you have fresh clean fluid coming through the hose. Also, make sure you keep the master cylinder reservoir full or you’ll run into problems. Now, that’s the way it’s done.

After you’ve completed each wheel, you simply tighten the bleeder valve, remove the apparatus and move it to the next one. But what is the sequence? Well, the sequence is you pick either rear wheel; you bleed that one completely, wash it out. Then, you go to the opposite front wheel. Once that’s done, you go to the remaining rear wheel and then finally to the remaining front wheel that is opposite of that last rear wheel. This will get all of the old fluid out, you’ll have a much safer brake system on your car and the parts in the brake system will actually last longer. If you have a question or comment, drop me a line right here at MotorWeek.

BRIAN ROBINSON: The Tiger name has been on many Triumph’s over the years, but none quite like this. This Tiger 800XC looks to take not only the Tiger name, but the Triumph brand on a whole new adventure. 

Based on the more street-biased Tiger 800, the XC is built for those who like to take their adventures off the pavement occasionally. Not that the Cross Country is a true dual-sport machine; it’s still a bit too heavy for that. 

I’m not much of an off-roader, myself, but I do enjoy a nice gravel road on occasion, and often where they lead me. And for that, the well-balanced XC is more than capable. If your plans call for more serious trail-riding, you’ll want more aggressive tires for the standard 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear. 

The Tiger 800’s tubular trellis frame is old school steel, no lightweight aluminum here. The dual-sided swingarm however, is aluminum. Motivation is provided by a liquid-cooled, 799cc inline-triple engine. Though mostly new, it does get some parts from Triumph’s 675cc Street Triple. Horsepower comes in at a healthy 94, and torque at 58 pound-feet. 

A small standard skid-plate offers some protection, but this extra-beefy full sump guard is one of the many options that Triumph has available. Another is this Arrow muffler. Mounted high on the right side, it sounds great, yet is not overly loud. A full fuel tank holds 5-gallons, which will take the weight of the Tiger to 473-pounds and get you about 200 miles between fill-ups. 

Our test bike had been ridden very hard at the hands of a few testers before we got our paws on it, and there were a few fit & finish issues that stood out, but we like the overall styling of the XC. It looks ready for just about any type of adventure. Dual headlights complement the beak-like front end, and a small windscreen is standard. Also standard on the XC is a beefy luggage rack and there’s even a decent tool kit. Both hard and soft saddlebags are optional. 

Front forks are hefty 45-millimeter Showas, with over 8-inches of travel. A single Showa monoshock does a good job of soaking up bumps in the rear, and is adjustable for both preload and rebound. Brakes are your standard dual front, single rear disc affair. Dual pistons calipers get the job done upfront, while a single piston caliper resides in the rear. 

Both the handlebars and seat height are adjustable to custom fit the Tiger to your body. Gauges are fairly basic by modern bike standards, but a trip meter is included.

Having an off-road focused agenda has done little to squash the fun factor of this mid-size bike. It feels very solid, and is quick to turn in. While riding position is fairly high, you still feel like you’re sitting in the bike, not on it. 

Power is more than adequate, but never overwhelming. And for those that feel an 800 is not enough for long-distance touring, I found the Tiger managed quite well on long highway slogs. The only problem being a bit of buzz coming through the handlebars at interstate speeds. 

Pricing for the Triumph Tiger 800XC is very competitive with the rest of the segment at $11,999. Now if you have no off-road intentions whatsoever, the more street-friendly Tiger 800 can be had for a grand less. 

This bike couldn’t have arrived at a better time, as adventure bikes look to be the next motorcycle fad in the coming years. And, this 800XC is just the start of the adventure for Triumph, as they’ve recently announced a larger Tiger 1200 Explorer coming later this year. Both bikes will finally give the BMW GS some serious competition in the adventure bike category.