Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Jaguar XF

My first impression of the 2009 Jaguar XF was one of disgust. I spent much of that day in the office talking about how much I hated the front end. “How could Jaguar do this?! The headlights are all wrong!” I was up in arms about the design, and the press photos from the manufacturer were to blame. They just didn’t do the car justice. It was a bunch of flashy images that screamed “Target Audience,” not “Cool New Car.”

When the New York Auto Show rolled around I got a chance to sit in a production version, and after one real-life impression, I was sold. The interior design is close to flawless, full of clean lines followed by accents of wood, metal, leather and plastic. After getting a chance to drive and photograph the XF recently, I can recant my earlier statements and tell everyone that I actually like the headlights. They fit. And so does the Supercharger.

A full set of photos is below. Let me know if you think I do it justice or if the headlights still don’t work.

Cars.com's Track Days in Photos

Last week, the crew from Cars.com got to hit the track at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. More than 90 new cars were on hand, and many were allowed out on the very demanding course. Other vehicles were driven on local roads. On the second day, we got to do some off-roading and auto-cross as well. Check out the photo gallery below for more than a hundred photos of all the action, shot by our staff photographer, Ian Merritt.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 BMW M3

From the outside, the 2008 BMW M3 sedan looks nearly identical to the regular BMW 3 Series sedan, except for a couple of flashy highlights. Different wheels, M3 badges, and a set of vents highlight the impeccable German design. But unlike any 3-Series or previous M3’s on the road, the 2008 looks as if it received some intriguing (and controversial) rhinoplasty. A large bump in the middle of the hood creates one of the most ferocious looking cars on the road. What some people may see as a blemish to the exterior design of the car, I see as a big beauty mark. The already mean fascia matched with aggressive wheels and dual vents on either side of the bump make this car look like one bad mother. But let’s be honest, I’d never own a white car unless I owned a chain of car washes. A full set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 Volvo C30 R-Design

While reading comments on our blog during the second media day of the New York International Auto Show, our chief blogging officer, David Thomas, spotted something interesting under Joe Wiesenfelder's post on the Suzuki Concept Kizashi 3.

"Off topic, but can you take some pictures of the Volvo C30 R-Design while you're there? Ian takes some of the best auto pictures I've ever seen (way better than Autoblog and Jalopnik), and the pictures at Autoblog just aren't doing a good job of showing me how it's different from that standard C30." - Brian E.

Well Brian E., it's your lucky day. While I can't truly answer your question about the differences between the regular Volvo C30 and the more expensive Volvo C30 R-Design, I can tell you that it is one sweet machine. Design note: Watch for the etchings in the center stack near the radio as they repeat across the entire center console. It's pretty spectacular. A set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 Audi R8

The new 2008 Audi R8 is, quite simply, a head-turner. With its low, wide stance, extremely wide tires and blade-like side air intakes, the newest car in Audi’s lineup looks like it’s ready to go from zero to 175 in an instant. The R8 is a production car that has the look and feel of a concept that’s skipped all scrutiny and gone straight to the assembly line.

Audi has upped the ante in the design field by bringing material touches to the R8 that are normally found on cars that cost twice as much. Pieces of carbon fiber (or carbon-fiber-like materials) are found throughout the exterior and interior of this car, from the side intakes to the engine housing, from the dashboard to the door handles. Audi’s interior design has always been top-notch, and the R8 is no exception. The fit and finish of the seats, dash, instruments and controls is truly fantastic, with Audi’s coordination of like-colored metal, leather and plastic.

The R8 is a low-wedge coupe whose shape is cut from the same cloth as the Lamborghini Marcielago, but without all the pomp and circumstance of oversized front and rear spoilers or scissor doors. Don’t let the shape fool you, though. The R8, in this photographer’s opinion, is the first truly unique-looking car produced in the past couple of years. It looks like a supercar from the future, yet the designers still made it look distinctly Audi by adding the company’s trademark headlights, highlighted by an “eyelash” of bright white LEDs. It’s a striking car in photos, and it’s drop-dead gorgeous in person. A full set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: International DMAXX Truck

As throwback sports jerseys, old corporate logos and material nostalgia become all the rage in modern design and pop culture, International decided to show off a vehicle that encompasses modern car design, complete with a retro look. The International DMAXX was once a 1939 International D-Series "half-ton" pickup, and after a lengthy conversion it’s become a modern marvel complete with a MaxxForce V-8 turbo-diesel engine that produces an astonishing 650 pounds-feet of torque. The DMAXX’s exterior design is retro, gently offset by a hidden mechanical overhaul based on modern technology. With a classy red and black paint job, this truck stuck out among the blacks and grays of the modern cars littered around it. All that chrome, all that power, all that history ... it’s truly a beautiful machine. A full set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 Chicago Auto Show Muscle Cars

So I started off this year's Chicago Auto Show with one goal in mind for this feature: Photograph the 2008 Dodge Challenger. That goal? It was achieved with smashing success. Dodge even put three different-colored models on the floor for us to crawl around in. After fighting off crowds of onlookers and pushing my way to the front of the pack of gawkers, I decided it was time to give the domestic car companies their due by producing a Through Ian's Lens post that highlights my three favorite modern muscle cars. So without boring you with more jibber jabber about design lines and aesthetic mumbo jumbo, here are the 2008 Dodge Challenger, the 2008 Ford Mustang GT500 KR, and the Chevrolet Camaro "Bumble Bee" concept. A full set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 NAIAS Highlights

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is gigantic. When I say gigantic, I truly mean GIGANTIC in terms of the number of new cars on the floor. It took me close to three days to see everything I wanted to see, and if I had stayed another day I probably would have found even more to look at. Here is a “Best of the Best” gallery I’ve put together from those three days of stomping around Detroit and the Cobo Center. Next year I’m bringing my Segway. A full set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 NAIAS Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

This past week, I experienced my first North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and I think I fared pretty well. After my duties as a photographer for Cars.com were filled, I made sure to photograph the cars that need very little introduction. Major auto shows offer a forum in which I can indulge my weakness for four-wheeled works of art and the craftsmanship of ultra-luxury vehicles.

If I were to make a list of the great artistic manufacturers, Rolls-Royce would be in the top 10. Rolls-Royce took the opportunity to build a custom model just for the show, and at 18 feet, 4 inches long, the 2008 NAIAS Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is one of the longest two-door cars out there. With its stainless steel hood and teak wood inlay, this car is a shining example of elegance and affluence. White leather and electronic controls round out the interior of this massive cruiser, while small touches — like an umbrella holder inside the door frame — make for a well-rounded experience. A full set of photos is below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2007 BMW Alpina B7

What can you say about the outside of a 750 unit, limited-run, $115,000 imported German sedan with a 500 horsepower, supercharged V8 engine? Aesthetically, not much. To the untrained eye, the outside of the 2007 BMW B7 Alpina looks exactly like any other 750 BMW on the market today. A different rear badge, 21-inch rims, and a few slight fascia modifications (like the Alpina insignia on the front spoiler) are about the only portions of the exterior design that set apart the B7 from its equally expensive kin.

But the design and implementation of the interior is where the rare B7 sets itself apart. The thought and effort put into the overall comfort for the driver and the passengers start with the seats themselves. From there, the opulence sweeps through the cabin, with brushed metal highlights on fine wood grain. The interior roof is covered in Alcantara (designer synthetic suede) and the steering wheel is housed in sewn leather. Since the design of this car hinges more on the texture of pretentious materials and not on a color palette, I have chosen to show these images to you black and white. After all, elegance deserves elegance. More photos below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 Subaru Impreza STI

The Subaru Impreza received a complete redesign for 2008, six years after its last update. Boy, did it need it. The four-door hatchback — there’s also a sedan version — has finally shed its ghastly oblong rear windows and rounded rear end, replacing it with a more angled, aggressive hatch. The front has followed the design cues of its big brother, the Subaru Tribeca, and rid itself of the split grille, replacing it with a nice curved façade. A single hard body line moves from the corner of the headlight across the top of the front fender, past both door handles and finishing at the flared corner of the rear taillight. The STI model I shot has a few exterior features that are quite impressive, including multiple LED brake lights and a generous yet subtle spoiler. The engine in this car still revs at rally levels, but for the first time the exterior wants to live in the city. More photos below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2007 L.A. Auto Show

The big winners at the Los Angeles Auto Show are usually the greenest, most-efficient hydrogen- or sea-water-powered cars. But the prettiest vehicles are found in the exotics wing. Although I appreciate many cars in my price range and slightly above, these astronomically priced cars are always the eye-catchers. Here are a few photos of what was happening below the radar and above six figures.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 Infiniti G37S

The new Infiniti G37S is a sport coupe that is as elegant as it is fast. The lines on this car are so sleek and speed-invoking that Infiniti has used a painted rendering of the car as a secondary logo. From grille to tail, the G37S body is designed to catch your eye; Infiniti has created a provocative body shape here. The over-extended, elongated headlight cases in the front and rear create visual bookends for the streamlined body, while twin tailpipes and a small spoiler add an aggressive stance. From the large, rounded grille and oversized badge in front all the way through the leather and metal of the interior to the flat, abrupt tail, the G37S visually embodies a balance of class and performance. The photos are below.

2008 Audi S5: Through Ian's Lens

Like its big, bulky cousin, the Audi Q7, the S5 is first recognizable by its beast-like headlights and grille. The four rings of the Audi badge shine through the small chrome crossbars, and a tiny S5 badge sits snugly in the lower left corner, making people “in the know” aware that you’re driving a high-performance machine. The design team at Audi loves to play off the dichotomy of the curves in the logo and the vertical and horizontal straights of the grille and bumper. Small LED strips accent the main headlight housing like eyelashes and stay engaged as bright daytime runners. The rest of the car is designed with subtle lines that are smooth but fairly anonymous. I think the design mash-up of both European and Japanese exteriors is what I like most about the S5. It could fly by you on the road, and if you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t know what kind of car had just burned you.

2008 Honda Accord: Through Ian's Lens

We’ve changed the name, but rest assured this photo blog has gotten some great enhancements since we debuted it a few weeks back. This week, I tackle the love-it-or-hate-it styling of the new Honda Accord coupe. You can browse all my shots below, along with commentary on the design.