The heartbreak of Jaguar love finally requited

As a young boy in the early 1960s, I would trek solo to our local auto show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While other boys and their dads would make a beeline to the latest Corvettes and later American muscle cars, I would always head first for the Jaguar stand. I found the combination of different styling, luxurious wood and leather interiors and promise of fast travel through landscapes that were foreign to me to be intoxicating.

Best and worst states for car insurance prices

Drivers in Louisiana and Michigan are hit hardest when it comes to car insurance premiums, while those in Maine and Iowa pay the least, according to here. Ten most expensive states (average annual premium) -- Louisiana: $2,699 -- Michigan: $2,520 -- Georgia: $2,155 -- Oklahoma: $2,074 -- Washington, D.C.: $2,006 -- Montana: $1,914 -- California: $1,819 -- West Virginia: $1,816 -- Rhode Island: $1,735 -- Kentucky: $1,725 Ten least expensive states: -- Maine: $934 -- Iowa: $1,028 -- North Carolina: $1,085 -- Ohio: $1,106 -- New Hampshire: $1,112 -- Idaho: $1,133 -- Vermont: $1,176 -- Indiana: $1,183 -- Washington: $1,226 -- Arizona: $1,227

2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe review notes

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: Just when all the auto pundits thought the big-honkin' all-wheel-drive full-size (at least for Mini) Countryman was the first sign of Mini's impending demise, along comes the apocalypse, otherwise known as the Cooper Coupe. Though people of all ages venture that it “looks cool” or “interesting” or “fun,” none of them have had to drive it or live with it. Let's get out of the way that it can be as fun to drive as a Mini Cooper S, but it's not an improvement over the larger, more functional, more sanely styled model.