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Tesla Model S first EV to earn high praise from Consumer Reports

Tesla Motors Inc.'s all-electric Model S sports car received the highest score in Consumer Reports' ratings -- a 99 out of 100 -- along with widespread plaudits from the magazine's automotive testing staff. The magazine said the $89,650 EV it tested "performed better, or just as well overall, as any other vehicle -- of any kind -- ever tested by Consumer Reports." The last vehicle to achieve a score of 99 in the magazine's testing was the Lexus LS 460L, which was tested in 2007. The Model S, which went on sale in 2012, also marks the first time any electric vehicle has earned a score that high, the magazine said Thursday.

A closer look at the 2015 BMW M3 sedan and M4 coupe: Turbocharged performance is gonna cost you

By the time the 2015 BMW M3 sedan and M4 coupe were revealed at the Detroit auto show, we already knew a lot about what to expect from the Roundel's newest generation of high-performance driving machines. It was no secret, for example, that the new M3 sedan and its two-door counterpart, the M4, will be down two cylinders and a few hundred pounds from their predecessors. Now that we've had a chance to get a look at the cars in production trim, here's a closer look at what's under all the aggressively vented fascias, spoilers and M badges.

Mini Cooper SD (2011): the faster diesel Mini

Mini today finally went official with the high-performance diesels we scooped last year. The Cooper SD trim is available across the Mini range, on the hatch, convertible, Clubman estate and Countryman junior SUV. It's a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel generating 141bhp and 225lb ft from 1750-2700rpm.