Nissan recently invited us to a swanky party to celebrate the launch of the 2013 370z at the Chicago Auto Show, so I wanted to share some photos from the event with you guys.

Earlier this summer I took an awesome road trip from Chicago to Charleston, SC. My chariot this time? One of the BEST road trip cars I have ever had! The Ford Flex Platinum Edition is everything you would want from a a road trip car.

Honestly, it would be a pleasure to have this as my every-day alternative to a mini-van or SUV if you need that extra space for kids / soccer gear etc. too.

While road trips may typically feature big bulky SUVs or at least roomy sedans, sometimes it is fun to take shorter trips in a car that is just plain fun to drive. The 2011 Ford Fiesta is one such car - small and compact but surprisingly zippy and one of the most fun driving experiences I have had in a long time.

Every so often a car comes along that really impresses me. The 2011 Ford Explorer is one such example. Sure, we all know the Explorer line and in many ways, it is the iconic SUV. What Ford has done with the new version however, just blows me away by combining two of my favorite SUV's - the Edge and a Land Rover.

Fast cars are nice, family cars are good, but a nice beefy luxury SUV just makes a road trip fantastic! For our trip to Cleveland last month we were lucky to have an opportunity to drive the 2010 Buick Enclave.

If you haven't seen a Buick recently, you should really go check one out. This isn't the same General Motors interior that you know and love(?). Maybe its just me, but my perception of GM cars over the past 10 years has been that they are cheap, moderatly styled, and "nice" but not really where I would drop $60,000 on a new car.

While we are privileged to be able to play with some amazing cars, sometimes it is good to remember that the best car for a mancation is the one sitting in your garage. Yes, the one that is as fun to drive as it is practical and affordable for everyday use. On our recent  trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville we asked around for a car that was 1) fun to drive 2) as fuel efficient as possible and 3) could perform equally well on the plains of Indiana as the mountains of North Carolina.

Sometimes you need more than a sports car or a typical suburban SUV to pack all the guys into and head off on a great adventure. Man Tripping was invited to come check out just such a vehicle, the new 2011 Infiniti QX. With a 5.6 liter V8 engine, and pretty much every feature one could ask for, the QX 56 is as capable as it is gorgeous.

In fact, the designers refer to a Learjet as their influence when designing the interior. From what we experienced, they were pretty much right on target!

When imagining the a road trip you probably don't think of the Ford Mustang. Instead, you might have visions of a big SUV with plenty of room for the guys and gear. What if I told you that you can now have a bad-ass Mustang featuring tons of trunk space, the latest in navigation systems, fantastic gas mileage and it is also a blast to drive?

Last week Ford invited me out to LA as one of the first media in the world to test out exactly how awesome this car was. I wasn't expecting more than just a sports car - but I was wrong!

On our road trip from Chicago to Nashville, we were fortunate to have Nissan provide a fantastic car for the journey.

The 2010 Nissan Maxima is being promoted as the Return of the 4-Door Sports Car, and it is a great car for any guy who is looking for a car that is luxurious enough to impress any client, looks sexy enough to impress the ladies, and has enough power and sportiness to make it a heck of a lot of fun to drive!

Our route was pretty simple and involved a lot of highway driving, but we also took the Maxima around town, and on some country roads in Dayton, OH as well to test the handling.