Welcome to The Sport Wagon Enthusiast
The Most Comprehensive Sport Wagon Resource
The Sport Wagon Enthusiast is dedicated to providing information, commentary, and a community for owners of Sport Wagons. To be fair, we mostly focus on the "sport" aspect of our vehicles, but also greatly value utility, practicality, and ergonomic car design. While Sport Wagons are piloted by drivers of all ages, their strongest following is among individuals who value performance and versatility. This blend makes Sport Wagons the perfect vehicle: practical, sporty, and under the radar.
Sport Wagon Daily
Your One-Click Resource for Daily Sport Wagon and Hot Hatch News
BMW F11 5er Touring M-Sport Package Leaked
A leaked BMW brochure reveals what the 2011 5-series Touring M-Sport will look like. The aero kit (front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper) hints at the styling of the F11 M5 Touring, while a choice of 18-inch style 350M or 19-inch style 351M wheels add another element of customization. Stay tuned for a full gallery of high-res photos when BMW decides to officially unveil the F11 5er M-Sport Touring.
June 27th, 2010 (Source: CarScoop)
Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break Concept
Ahead of the upcoming Beijing Motor Show, Mercedes has revealed its anticipated CLS Shooting Break. No, we have not misspelled “Break,” rather Mercedes has made a point to remind us that this is the original spelling (vs. Brake), as in “breaking” in a horse from a carriage. Either way you spell it, Merc’s new 5-door CLS Concept is the company’s first step in tackling a new segment. Expect the CLS wagons (wagon and shooting brake are synonymous) to compete against platforms such as BMW’s 5er GT and Audi’s new A5 Sportback. The production version of the CLS Shooting Break may very well be more hatchback and less wagon. No matter the final configuration, the CLS Shooting Break will feature 5 doors, unique styling, a far greater practicality than the traditional 4-door coupe CLS.
Full Profile and Photos
April 21st, 2010 (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta: Sexy has a New Name
For all those who lusted for Alfa’s MiTo GTA, but need a bit more space, the Italian automaker has the answer for you: the Giulietta. Recently shown in production trim at this year’s Geneva Auto Show, the 5-door Giulietta embodies the panache we’ve come to expect from Alfa Romeo. Borrowing styling cues from the 8C and the smaller MiTo, the Guilietta hatchback will replace the 147, and be slotted just below the 159. The interior is sharp and cleanly styled, offering customers a much less confined experience than the MiTo.
If buyers opt for the highest trim “Quadrifoglio Verde” (four leaf clover), under the sumptuous sheet metal they will find an efficient yet powerful 1.75L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Also offered in the hot GTA version of MiTo, this engine churns out a healthy 235 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque with the help of direction injection...
Full Profile and Photos
April 15th (Source: Alfa Romeo)
BMW 5er (F11) Touring Unveiled; U.S. Forsaken
At the Geneva Auto Show last month, BMW unveiled its newest 5-series Touring: the F11. In nearly all aspects, the 2011 5er Touring appears to improve upon the last generation (E61) and trounces BMW’s technically sophisticated but aesthetically painful 5er Gran Tourismo.
The 5er Touring retains its practical 60/40 split rear seat, but luggage capacity grows in three different categories. With the seats up, customers can fit up to 560 liters (or 19.8 cu. Ft.) of luggage in the boot, an improvement of 60 liters. Furthermore, BMW has resolved a common wagon storage issue, where the rearward tilt of the back seats often prevents larger items from being stowed. To this end, BMW has implemented a system called “Extended Storage,” which is fancy speak for rear seats that can be titled to 90 degrees. With the seats facing straight up, and your spine begging for mercy, an additional 30 liters of capacity is added. Finally, with the rear seats folded down, an impressive 1,670 liters (or 59 cu. Ft.) or storage can be utilized.
Full Profile and Photos
April 14th (Source: BMW)
Walkinshaw Performance SS-V Superwagon
Sportec Audi S4 Avant rivals RS4 with 425 HP
Here are the SWE, we try to remain unbiased when it comes to automakers and tuners, but there are a select few who we love to cover. Swiss tuner Sportec is on that A-List (so is MTM, Hennessey, and VATH). Like their RS6 Avant and B7 A4 Avant-based RS300, Sportec’s tuning package for the B8 S4 Avant not only dramatically increases power, but also offers a wide range of styling options.
To the meat the new S4- its 3.0L TFSI Supercharged V6. This engine has received widespread praise, and Sportec utilizes electronic wizardry to make it even better. By just tuning the ECU and adding a sport air filter, Sportec’s S4 Avant churns out 425hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. Compared to the stock output of 333hp and 325 lb-ft, this significant boost in power enables the tuned S4 to sprint to sixty in a healthy 4.5 seconds (vs. 5.1 stock).
Full Profile and Photos
April 9th (Source:Sportec)
Buick Regal Wagon for U.S. Market?
GM’s Buick division is up to something, and we think its all good. These spy photos show a fleet of Opel/ Vauxhall Insignia wagons and Buick Regal sedans in Detroit. Both the Insignia and the Regal are based on the same platform and are currently being built exclusively in Germany. The mystery is that Buick denies plans that it will offer a wagon variant of the Regal. So why are these wagons stateside?
Full Story and Photos
April 8th (Source: Jalopnik)
Touring Superleggera Flying Star
At the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, seasoned Italian Coachbuilder Touring Superleggera unveiled the best Bentley Continental we’ve seen to date. Called the “Flying Star,” the Shooting Brake design is “a sports car featuring enough space to join a hunting party or golf tournament with elegance and efficiency.” Based on the Bentley GTC Convertible (as that model had the best structural qualities), the Flying Star offers a third door and folding rear seats which when stowed offer nearly 43 cubic feet of storage room (twice as much as a BMW 5er GT!).
While significant practicality is added in shooting brake form, the Bentley loses none of its athletic abilities. If customers opt for their Flying Star to be based on a “Speed” GTC, the 6.0L twin-turbo W12 motor will produce 610 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Touring Superleggera says the Flying Star will travel naught to sixty in 4.7 seconds, and continue on to a super-car humbling 200 miles per hour. That makes this one of the world's fastest sport wagons. With impressive utility, phenomenal performance, and Audi’s (Bentley’s parent company) all-wheel drive system, the Flying Star Shooing Brake is the perfect limited-production, go-fast anywhere in style, utilitarian Sport Wagon.
Photos and Profile
Alpina B8 4.6 Touring is a Rare Blast from the Past
Venerable BMW tuner Alpina has been creating refined and properly fast proper-adorned automobiles for decades. With the recent slew of four-hundred-plus horsepower wagoAlpina B8 4.6 Touringns, it’s easy to forget that the 5-doors of yesteryear were quite potent. Case and point: The Alpina B8 4.6 Touring. Start with an E36-series BMW Touring, shoehorn a 4.6 liter V8, add a six-speed manual transmission and lots of other BMW “M” division bits, and you’ve got one hell of a wagon for 1996.
With 333hp and 346 lb-ft of torque, the Alpina B8 4.6 Touring launched to sixty in 5 seconds, and screamed (with a V8 snarl) to over 175 mph. The only thing better about its performance was the exclusivity. While over 200 B8’s rolled out of Alpina’s factory, only 27 were Tourings (the others being coupes, sedans, and cabriolets). Styling is certainly…of the era, but all sport wagon enthusiasts should pay homage to this blast from the past.
Full Story and Photos
April 6th (Source: Alpina)
Sportec joins 700hp RS6 Avant Club
Swiss tuner Sportec just announced a performance package for Audi’s C6 RS6 Avant, and in doing so, joined an exclusive club of tuners who have boosted the RS6 to at least 700 horsepower. Sportec is well known for tweaking VW, Audi, and Porsche products, and has experience tackling 4-ringed 5-doors with its RS3S00. The Swiss tuners M.O. is developing tuning packages with clean designs and incredible performance, and Sportec doesn’t disappoint with the RS6 Avant. Like those who have already tunned the RS6, Sportec has reprogrammed the ECU, optimizing power and boost for the twin-turbochargered V10. The result is 700 horsepower at 6,200 rpm, and 584 lb-ft of torque between 3,000 and 6,200 rpm.
April 5th (Source: APS Sportec)
Jonisbal Renders 2012 BMW M5 Touring
On the heels of BMW’s unveiling of its new F11 5-Series Touring, venerable rendering master Jonisbal has tackled the next M5 Touring. Although BMW has yet to ever confirm a 5-door variant of their next generation M5, chances are pretty good. When it is unveiled (probably about a year from now), look for a twin-turbocharged 4.4L V8 churning around 560hp. Power will be sent via BMW’s magical 7-speed DCT dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels. If BMW’s production M5 Touring looks anything like the masterpiece Jonisbal has penned, we have no doubt sales of the Touring will accumulate quickly...
Full Story
April 2nd (Source: Jonisbal)
Three Strikes: The Pedestrian 2011 TSX Sport Wagon
We had high hopes for the Acura TSX Sport Wagon. Unveiled yesterday at the New York Auto Show, the production specifications leave much to be desired. This is a classic case of “Three strikes and you’re out!”
Strike One: The TSX Sport Wagon will only be offered with a 200hp 2.4L Inline four cylinder. Enthusiasts were keeping their fingers crossed for the RDX’s 2.3L turbocharged mill, or at the very least the 3.5L V6 from the TSX Sedan. No dice on either.
Strike Two: The only transmission offered with this anemic four cylinder is a 5-speed Automatic. No manual, not even as a special order, will be offered. A four-cylinder engine isn’t the end of the world, but paired with a boring automatic transmission, not leaving the house becomes a more attractive option...
Full Story
April 1st (Source: Acura USA)
Volvo V60 Wagon Spied
Earlier this month at the Geneva Auto Show, Volvo debuted the production version of its bread and butter S60 Sedan. Naturally, we inquired about the status of the wagon. A month later Brenda Priddy and her quick-fingered spy photographers were able to capture the V60 sans camouflage. The fifth door flows seamlessly with the rest of the ultra modern and V60, and shares a lot of design cues with its larger 5-door sibling,the V70.
While Volvo has yet to even formally announce the V60, expect the production version to come with a turbocharged 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine. Power and torque should be at 300hp and 325lb-ft, respectively. Guaranteed is front or all-wheel drive matted to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The option of a proper 3-pedal manual is still up in the air, as is an “R” performance variant...
Full Story
March 31st, 2010 (Source: AutoBlog)
SW Green: Lexus CT 200h- Hybrid Luxury Hatchback
Hybrid- Luxury- Hatchback. What’s not to like? First shown as the LF-Ch concept at Frankfurt’s Auto Show last September, Lexus’ new green hatchback promises to add some stiff competition for ze Germans. Gunning for the BMW 1-series, Audi A3, and Mercedes B-Class, Lexus is offering the first hybrid in the premium compact segment. The Japanese automaker claims the production version will offer “new levels of refinement and attention to detail, without compromising style or driving pleasure.”
The production version will be called the “CT 200h” and will feature Lexus’ second-generation hybrid technology. So equipped, the CT 200h can be driven exclusively on electric power and will certainly be an efficient hatchback. The architecture of the CT is likely to be based on the recently revealed HS 250h hybrid, so this 5-door will be front-wheel drive. Expect efficiency to rival if not exceed the HS 250h, which means at least 35 highway and 34 city on the U.S. cycle.
Full Profile and Photos
March 30th (Source: Lexus)
Breaking: Cadillac CTS-V Sportwagon Unveiled
Its official, America has entered stepped into the ring with the big boys. Cadillac just announced it will produce a “V” version of its CTS Sportwagon. That means 556 supercharged V8 horses. Better yet, it comes with a 6-speed manual and rear-wheel drive. Since the release of the CTS Sportwagon we, and much of the internet blogosphere, have been dreaming of a high performance version to combat BMW’s M5 Touring, Audi’s RS6 Avant, and Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon. The day has finally come...
Full Story and Photos
March 29th (Source: Autoblog)
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