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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 Huracan races Su-30 jet in Russia

We've seen it time and time again, but we never seem to get tired of it. We are referring, of course, to races between supercars and fighter jets. The time-honored tradition has seen a Lamborghini Reventón take on a Panavia Tornado, an SRT Viper line up alongside an F-16, even a Red Bull F1 car tackle an F/A-18 Hornet. But now it's time for the new Lamborghini Huracán to take its turn. And since this contest takes place in Russia, its rival is none other than the Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker-C, the two-seat version of the earlier Su-27 and one of the most advanced aircraft to come out of the Soviet Union.
Now there are, of course, many ways to set up a race between car and jet, but for this one, the organizers had the competitors line up on the runway, accelerate past a marker (at which point the jet is already in the air), turn around and return. We'll let you watch the video for yourself to see which won, but either way, there can be little question that the Su-30 and the latest Lamborghini are two of the most formidable performance machines ever devised.

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder promises 201-mph top speed

After chopping the roof off the Aventador SuperVeloce in Monterey, Lamborghini has, unsurprisingly, decapitated its entry level Huracan and given birth to the successor to the Gallardo Spyder. The new Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder is set to debut this week at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, offering the same 5.2-liter, 610-hosrepower V10, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive system. The top speed is a hair-raising 201 miles per hour, down just a single digit from the hardtop model, while the 0-62-mph time has fallen from 3.2 to 3.4 seconds. Blame the increase in weight for the slight drop in performance – the Spyder model adds 264 pounds to the hardtop's 3,135-pound dry weight. Of course, unlimited headroom and looks that can kill more than make up for that. According to Lamborghini, the lightweight softtop can be dropped in just 17 seconds and at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour. Impressive though that may be, it's the improvements that Lambo has made over the old Gallardo Spyder that are really newsworthy. Torsional rigidity is up 40 percent over Sant'Agata's last entry level droptop, while downforce jumps by 50 percent with the Huracan Spyder. Prices for Lamborghini's newest convertible start at 186,450 Euros ($211,341 at today's rates), with deliveries slated to begin in the spring of 2016. Read on for the official press release, and check back soon for live images from the floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Or, if you really want to see the debut go down, you can watch the livestream of the reveal, here. Related Video: Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder: Performance and lifestyle under the open sky • Inspiring Huracan technology and performance with open air emotion • Electrohydraulic, lightweight soft top for pure Spyder feeling • Smart aerodynamic solutions for maximum open-top driving comfort • Naturally aspirated 5.2 l V10 engine with 449 kW/610 hp, 0 - 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, top speed 324 km/h (201 mph) • 'Cylinder on demand' technology in combination with stop-and-start system for lower CO2-emissions Sant'Agata Bolognese/Frankfurt, 14.09.2015 – Automobili Lamborghini presents the new Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder at Frankfurt International Motor Show. The open top version of the Huracan LP 610-4 combines the power and performance of the coupe with the emotion of open-air driving.