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Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.

Lamborghini launches Polo Storico heritage division

Lamborghini has always been more forward-looking than it has been focused on its past, but it has still left an undeniable wake of historically noteworthy and highly collectable classics. To tend to them, the company has launched Lamborghini Polo Storico. Sant'Agata's heritage division brings with it new initiatives and consolidates several existing operations under one roof. For starters, the new department will be responsible for the Archivio Storico Lamborghini, a historical archive detailing the company's past models as well as materials and techniques employed in their construction – all of which is being digitized for the first time. Polo Storico will also stockpile original parts and (if necessary) reproduce them from the original blueprints. The services will extend to offering customers the chance to have their classic Lambos restored by experts at the factory using original parts, and even have the vehicle's authenticity certified by a technical committee. Of course Lamborghini isn't the first European automaker to offer such comprehensive services for its historic models. Arch-rival Ferrari launched its Classiche department several years ago, and more recently Land Rover opened a similar operation of its own. These developments underline an increasing emphasis that automakers have been putting on their own heritage and the preservation of their history in the metal. Related Video: Lamborghini relaunches Restoration Center: "Lamborghini Polo Storico" provides unique knowledge and guaranteed authenticity for classic Lamborghini cars Sant'Agata Bolognese, 16. Aprile, 2015 – Automobili Lamborghini is relaunching its restoration center under the name of Lamborghini Polo Storico. The new department includes the brand's historical archives, the vehicle restoration center, vehicle certification, and guarantees the availability of numerous genuine spare parts for all historical Lamborghini models. With its new Polo Storico, Automobili Lamborghini emphasizes the importance of preserving its broad heritage and unique knowledge. A big part of this new formula is the Archivio Storico Lamborghini. This historical archive includes the documentation of historical Lamborghini car models, as well as technical schemes, body colors, leathers, images and several publications ever made by the company.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #323 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #323 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
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