CultureMap Auto Awards

Sports Sedan of the Year: All-electric and all-sport, the Tesla Model S burnsrubber, not oil

The 2013 Jaguar XFR-S makes its global debut at the 2012 LA Auto Show[https://www.laautoshow.com]
2012 Tesla Model S - CultureMap 2012 Sports Sedan of the Year
2012 Tesla Model S - CultureMap 2012 Sports Sedan of the Year
2012 Jaguar XFR - Runner-up CultureMap 2012 Sports Sedan fo the Year
Photo by Kevin McCauley
2012 Jaguar XFR - Runner-up CultureMap 2012 Sports Sedan fo the Year
Photo by Kevin McCauley

Editor's Note: In the first annual CultureMap Auto Awards, automotive writers Nic Philllps and Kevin McCauley bestow honors in 10 categories for the top 2012 cars and trucks and explain why they're deserving of a good hard look. Now for our fifth award:

Sports Sedan of the Year: Tesla Model S

It's good. It's really good. Tesla's first built-from-the-ground-up all electric car is beautifully designed, crafted beyond the industry standard, a technological breakthrough resulting in the first ever properly sorted fully electric sports sedan.

You may have expected us to give it the "Smart Energy Car of the Year" award, but the Model S' sports car performance and driving dynamics are right there with conventional gas-powered BMW M5 and Porsche Panamera GTS sports sedans.

Much like the iPhone and CultureMap, Tesla sent a wake-up call to all manufacturers that, yes indeed, a startup can create a game changer. The only downfall, as with all electric cars, is range being limited to the capacity of the battery but with up to 300-miles in store, Model S sets a new high for production electric cars.

Tesla offers an industry first "High Power Wall Connector" which is installed on a 240-volt circuit and combined with Tesla's Twin Chargers, charges at a staggering 62-miles per hour (compare that to the Chevrolet Volt's approximately 40 miles in 3.5 hours).

Driving the Model S lends itself to a certain feeling of guiltless, encouraging you to mash the accelerator to the floor all the while knowing you're not burning premium fuel and spewing tailpipe emissions on those left in your dust. The electric motor supplies instant torque and there's no engine noise or gear changes for a truly unique if not strange experience at first.

The Model S starts at $52,400 (after a $7,500 Federal Tax Credit) and tops out just over $100,000 with every option including Tesla's High Power Wall Charger.

Sports Sedan of the Year Runner-up: Jaguar XFR

When it comes to the world of super sedans it's Jaguar's XFR we find ourselves coming back to again and again as the current leader of the pack when it comes to the combination of style, refinement, and performance.

This is the gentleman's super sport sedan and while it may not have the 550+ horsepower of the BMW M5, or the Cadillac CTS-V's performance value price its further refined exterior styling and decidedly British V8 exhaust note get our nod.

But wait... there's more... 2013 sees Jag up the ante with the XFR-S bringing much of what was learnt from the limited edition XKR-S coupe and adds a new 8-speed automatic paired to the up-rated 550-horsepower supercharged V8.

Having seen and heard the XFR-S launched at the LA Auto Show, we cannot wait for what this video teaser promises:

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powering houston's future

Tech giant Apple opens free training facility at Houston campus

Courtesy of Apple

Apple has opened an Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston.

Global computer giant Apple Inc. unveiled its Advanced Manufacturing Center in the Houston area last week, marking the completion of the second of three facilities the tech giant plans to launch in the city by the end of this year.

The 20,000-square-foot training center will welcome small- and medium-sized businesses for free training and educational sessions to "help accelerate smart manufacturing across America," according to a release from Apple. The company opened a similar Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit last year.

The AMC is part of Apple's 500,000-square-foot site in northwest Harris County. It also features a massive manufacturing site for Apple’s advanced AI servers and Mac mini. The facility was originally slated to open in 2026, but Apple began producing its advanced AI servers ahead of schedule in 2025.

The company said it plans to begin manufacturing its Mac mini at the site this year. The move will bring production of the compact desktop computer to the U.S. for the first time.

“In less than nine months, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this Houston facility. We stood up a factory, started production, and shipped the first advanced AI servers off the line. Today, we’re thrilled to open our new Advanced Manufacturing Center, a place where businesses, workers, and students can learn the same innovative processes that we use to make Apple’s most groundbreaking products. And we’re pleased to begin Mac mini production later this year,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “We believe in American workers and American ingenuity, and we are moving at an incredible pace because we want to build more than great products. We want to build the future of American manufacturing.”

Apple's Houston expansion is part of a $600 billion commitment the company made to the U.S. in 2025.

The company originally announced plans in February 2025 to open a 250,000-square-foot Houston factory, but doubled the facility's planned size about a year later. Apple has reported that the factory will employ thousands of workers.

“Houston is grateful to Apple for this significant investment in our city. The Advanced Manufacturing Center will create local jobs and will continue improving the quality of life of Houston residents," Houston Mayor John Whitmire added in the release. "The AMC also recognizes our city as a growing technology hub and solidifies Houston’s leadership in the manufacturing sector of the United States.”

The opening comes on the heels of New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb Co. officially naming Houston home of its new $2.3 billion, state-of-the-art manufacturing site.

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This story was originally published on our sister site, InnovationMap.

technology openings apple