Raymarine E70650 Alpha 9 Performance Display on 2040-parts.com

AutoWeek Best of the Best 2011: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, Jeep Grand Cherokee

Several decades have passed since we handed out an award whereby AutoWeek editors picked the best new vehicles in a given model year. We've dabbled in things such as "America's Best," when we've asked you--our faithful, opinionated and knowledgeable followers--to vote on the best vehicle in certain categories. We drive hundreds of vehicles each year (including all of the newest hardware), report the cold, hard facts and give you our opinions about which vehicles are worth your consideration when the time comes to make one of life's biggest purchases.

Mercedes SLA Roadster looks likely

As car manufacturers start to look with fresh eyes at smaller, cheaper cars, reports from Germany confirm that Mercedes is close to committing to the SLA, a small Roadster to be based on the next generation A-Class platform. The original SLA concept was shown at Detroit in 2000, and aimed to slot in beneath the SLK. But at that time Mercedes didn’t have a suitable platform on which to base the car, and the project was shelved.

Detroit Electric unveils the SP:01

Detroit Electric unveiled its SP:01 electric sports car April 3 in Detroit. The Lotus-based roadster claims 201 hp from its mid-mounted electric motor and a range of up to 180 miles from its lithium-polymer battery pack. The company is headquartered in Detroit’s Fisher Building; it’s led by former Lotus Engineering and Lotus Group execs Albert Lam, Don Graundstadt and Benjamin Boycott.