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Missed Shift? American Top Gear struggles to find its own identity

"What happened to Top Gear?" my favorite bartender asked this past weekend. "Somebody took the BBC's scripts and wrote Tanner, Rutledge and Adam over cues which previously said Jeremy, Richard and James," I replied. It's an easy sideswipe I admit, but for me--and I'm guessing for the automotive enthusiasts who constitute AutoWeek's audience--it largely tells the tale.

Rent-an-Aventador: Exotic-car rental companies cater to client needs

For those who adore exotic sports cars but want to avoid the staggering depreciation, high maintenance costs and laughable insurance premiums required for ownership, there is a solution: exotic-car rental. At its new Los Angeles airport location, Black & White Car Rental recently displayed its latest acquisition, a Lamborghini LP-700-4 Aventador to be used in a fleet that includes Ferrari 458s, Mercedes-Benzes and even daily drivers such as the Toyota Camry. “Obviously this car isn't our bread and butter,” said Dan Darvish of Black & White.

Kia GT could spawn Coupe and Estate

Kia GT could spawn 2 door coupe and estate variants The Kia GT Concept from Frankfurt is heading for production in 2013, and it looks like it could be joined by a Coupe and Estate. It’s not just Hyundai who are starting to push in to the luxury and performance territory currently dominated by the Germans, sister company Kia is getting in on the act too, with cars like the very convincing Kia GT we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year. The Kia GT is a four-door swoopy coupe with RWD and a 3.3 litre turbo V6 kicking out 390bhp, 394lb/ft of torque and looking every bit as convincing as anything that could be considered competition.