Improvements in the 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T surfaced among the curves and tight twists on a stretch of Colo. 119 from Rollinsville to Blackhawk last week.

Even with all its size and heft, the rear-wheel-drive Challenger has become a very capable, sure-footed handler.

Jan and I spent three days in the mountains with the new Challenger. Its sportier suspension is slightly lower, and includes short/long-arm front with a high upper “A” arm, coil springs and stabilizer bar. Its five-link independent rear suspension works with coil springs, gas-charged monotube shocks, stabilizer bar and an isolated suspension cradle. Most body lean has been eliminated in cornering.

The refinement, featuring Bilstein high-performance shock absorbers, has created a decent balance between hard-charging grip and turn security, and a fairly pleasant ride for driver and passenger.

The R/T Plus model we drove was finished in granite crystal metallic paint with dual red R/T side stripes.

The strong 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and smooth 8-speed automatic transmission beneath the hood are an outstanding combination. The Hemi generates 375 horsepower and torque of 410 lb.-ft.

The ultimate Challenger for ’15 is the Hellcat with an all-new supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi producing 707 horsepower, the most powerful V-8 ever for Chrysler Group. Pricing begins at around $60,000 for the Hellcat; the Challenger R/T we drove was sticker-priced at $44,255.

Other engines available in the new Challenger are a 485-hp, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 and a 305-hp, 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6.

The original Dodge Challenger made its debut in the fall of 1969 as a ’70 model, and was built until April 1974. Almost 190,000 were sold. It shared its platform with the Plymouth Barracuda. The Challenger was offered in two-door hardtop and convertible style, and, back then like today, also boasted a wide choice of engines, including the 426-cubic-inch Hemi V-8, a 440 V-8, 383 V-8, 340 V-8, 318 V-8 and Slant-6.

Inside the ’15 Challenger, the center console is shaped some like the original, with a ridge on the far side. This year’s automatic shifter is a T-shaped handle. A large 8.4-inch touchscreen media center offers access to navigation, Uconnect and Harman/Kardon premium sound with SiriusXM satellite radio. Seats are covered in suede/nappa leather.

Fore of the driver are Dodge Performance Pages display, which can be used to adjust throttle, steering and transmission sensitivity, as well as activate “launch control” for the brutish engine. Individual trials and performances can be recorded in the display,

A total of 16.2 cubic feet of trunk space makes the Challenger roomiest in its class for cargo.

The Challenger R/T rides on Goodyear Eagle F1 245/45R20-inch tires; big four-piston Brembo brakes (14.2-inch rotors in front, 13.8 in the rear) lend secure stopping power.

The 5.7 Hemi/8-speed automatic combination earned an EPA fuel-mileage estimate of 16/25 miles per gallon. My driving time resulted in an overall average of 22.6.

Among options not already mentioned, which helped push price from a base of $29,995 to $44,255, are remote start, adaptive speed control, automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot and rear cross-path detection, heated steering wheel, paddle shifters and power sunroof.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Dodge Challenger R/T Plus:

• Wheelbase 116 inches
• Length 197.7 inches
• Width 75.7 inches
• Height 57.1 inches
• Curb Weight 4,082 pounds
• Track 63 inches front, 63.1 rear
• Ground Clearance 5 inches
• Turn Circle 38.1 feet
• Drivetrain Rear-wheel-drive
• Engine 5.7 Hemi V-8
• Horsepower/Torque 375/410
• Transmission 8-speed automatic
• Steering electronic power
• Fuel mileage estimate 16/25
• Fuel mileage average 22.6
• Fuel Tank 18.5 gallons
• Wheels 20-inch
• Cargo Volume 16.2 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, Nissan 370Z

Assembly Plant Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 61%, Mexico 27%

Base Price of Lowest Model $26,995; Base Price of Review Model $29,995; Destination Charge $995; Sticker Price $44,255.

The little Mini Cooper showed a bit of growth this year, having been stretched 4 inches in overall length on an inch-longer wheelbase, and it is 1.7 inches wider.

Some performance pop, too, has been added to the 2014 Mini Cooper S hardtop – not enough to call it a Super Duper Cooper, though sufficient for a more fun drive. Under hood is a new 189-horsepower, 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed Getrag automatic transmission.

For the coming model year the really big news, effective following the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays, will be the arrival of the 2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop Four-Door, a hatchback that goes on sale in January.

It will be the first four-door for the Cooper hardtop. Pricing will begin just below $22,000, about $1,000 higher than the standard two-door Cooper.

The four doors will make the new Mini more accessible for four-passenger use than is the original. The wheelbase will be expanded by 2.9 inches and the overall length by 6.3 inches.

Engine choices will be a 134-hp, 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder or the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder. Both are turbocharged. Standard transmission will be a 6-speed manual, with a 6-speed Steptronic automatic optional.

The Cooper four-door will be a competitor of the Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic.

A choice of three driving modes – Sport, Green and Normal – enhanced the driver control of the ’14 Cooper S hardtop I drove. Shift points were more pronounced and suspension stiffened in the Sport setting, while the eco-minded Green set tamed the performance and upped the fuel mileage. Overall fuel mileage average was 31.3 miles per gallon, right in the middle of its EPA estimate of 26/35.

Pricey options such as the sport transmission, navigation, panoramic moonroof, leather seats (heated) and harman/kardon premium sound pushed the Cooper’s price from MSRP of $23,600 to a sticker of $37,395.

Among other options were racing green metallic exterior finish, power folding mirrors, automatic climate control, 18-inch cone-spoke silver wheels, LED headlights, head-up display, satellite radio and anthracite headliner.

The Mini Cooper, built in England, was reintroduced into the U.S. in 2002 by its parent company, Germany luxury-car maker BMW, after an absence of 35 years. A convertible was soon added, and, later, two larger models, the Clubman and Countryman.

Here are the specifications for the ’14 Mini Cooper S Hardtop:

• Wheelbase 98.2 inches
• Length 151.9 inches
• Width 68 inches
• Height 55.7 inches
• Curb Weight 2,760 pounds
• Track 58.5 inches front, rear
• Ground Clearance 4.9 inches
• Turn Circle 35.4 feet
• Drivetrain Front-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.0-liter twinpower turbo 4-cylinder
• Horsepower/Torque 189/207
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering electric power
• Fuel mileage estimate 27/38
• Fuel mileage average 31.6
• Fuel Tank 11.6 gallons, premium
• Wheels 18-inch
• Cargo Volume 8.7 cubic feet
• Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles basic, 4/50,000 powertrain

Competitors Ford Focus ST, Volkswagen Golf R, Kia Soul, Nissan Juke, VW Beetle, Mazda 3

Assembly Plant Oxford, England

Parts Content Germany 35%, England 25%, U.S./Canadian 5%

Base Price of Lowest Model $20,745; Base Price of Review Model $23,600; Destination Charge $795; Sticker Price $37,395.

For 2015, an engineering feat by Acura has combined two models into one in a midsize makeover.

The result is the pleasantly styled ’15 TLX sedan, which delivered us smoothly to Vail and back.

The two 2014 models which met their maker to create the new one are the TL and its sportier stablemate, the TSX.

The new TLX is of much sleeker design than the two old bodies; it’s a bit longer than the TSX, though 3.8 inches shorter than the TL.

Fashioned so elegantly, and with a 9-speed automatic transmission, push-button shifts and all-wheel drive, the TLX made a hit with me.

A question for Acura, though, is whether one model can sell at the same pace or faster than the two models of the past. It’s the same query tossed at Sergio Marchionne, head of FiatChrysler, in his intention to do away with the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan in favor of its near-twin, Chrysler Town & Country. Will he sell as many minivans under the Chrysler nameplate as he has under combined Dodge/Chrysler names? I doubt it.

Regardless of level of future sales, the ’15 TLX luxury midsize four-door is a pleasure to drive.

A 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 is tied to the 9-speed automatic; it kept pace, often on the inside fast lane, with no problem on the I-70 climb up the mountains. With all the gearing available, a slight tendency at times to remain in higher gear with lessened performance, can be overcome with use of Sport mode in Acura’s Integrated Dynamics System. Using paddles at hand, shifts are quickened, throttle is more responsive and steering is stiffened. Upshifts are delayed.

There is no shifter in sight; it’s a matter of pushing buttons for P (park), D (drive) and N (neutral) and pulling a small lever for R (reverse). Push-button transmissions were popular 50 to 60 years ago, used by Chrysler, Mercury and Rambler, with some frustrating moments when a button would slip out of place. Those were mechanical; Acura’s is electronic, it won’t fail.

Only on either side of the Eisenhower Tunnel and over Vail Pass did we see any snow or feel wet roads. In more adverse conditions the Acura’s drive system, Super Handling All Wheel Drive, distributes torque between the front and rear axles, as well as between the rear wheels. Torque vectoring (distributing power to each wheel independently) has been enhanced in the new TLX.

The new Acura is a good handler, with a quiet cabin. It has a wide turn circle, almost 40 feet.

Its interior, with leather, is comfortably finished and roomy enough for five adults. Spacewise, the only lack is in headroom in the rear seating area; trunk space is 14.3 cubic feet. A deep dash juts sharply toward the front seats, putting center stack controls within easy reach of both driver and front-seat passenger, though cutting down on legroom, particularly for the passenger. The center stack features dual display screens, a lower touch-screen for audio and climate control, the upper controlled by knobs and buttons also for audio and navigation. It can lead to confusion.

Aided by the return drive from Vail, overall fuel-mileage average for the TLX was 29.4 miles per gallon; EPA estimate is 21-31.

The TLX sticker price of $45,595 was boosted by two packages:

Technical – Navigation with voice recognition and multiview rear camera, real-time traffic, ELS studio premium audio with 10 speakers, perforated leather seats, blind-spot information, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers and rear-cross traffic monitor.

Advance – Collision-mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control, ventilated front seats, exterior puddle lamps, remote engine start, front and rear parking sensors, LED foglights and road-departure warning.

A lesser-priced version of the new TLX can be bought in the $35,000 to $38,000 range with front-wheel drive, a 206-hp, 4-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 35 mpg on the highway. It is equipped with an all-wheel-steering system, not available with the V-6 engine.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Acura TLX SH-AWD:

• Wheelbase 109.3 inches
• Length 190.3 inches
• Width 73 inches
• Height 57 inches
• Curb Weight 3,774 pounds
• Track 62.8 inches front, 63.1 rear
• Ground Clearance 5.9 inches
• Turn Circle 39.6 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 3.5-liter V-6
• Horsepower/Torque 290/267
• Transmission 9-speed automatic
• Steering electronic power
• Fuel mileage estimate 21/31
• Fuel mileage average 29.4
• Fuel Tank 17.2 gallons
• Wheels 18-inch
• Cargo Volume 14.3 cubic feet
• Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles basic, 6/70,000 powertrain

Competitors Lincoln MKZ, Audi A4, BMW 3 series, Lexus IS

Assembly Plant Marysville, Ohio

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 65%

Base Price of Lowest Model $31,890; Base Price of Review Model $44,700; Destination Charge $895; Sticker Price $45,595.

Eighteen months after the new Jag roadster stole the spotlight at the Denver Auto Show, the hardtop version, the 2015 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, came my way.

What a tough, robust two-seater sports car it is, with a 550-horsepower, 5-liter supercharged V-8 twisting out 502 lb.-ft. of torque.

A simple pull of a small switch beside the shifter activates dynamic drive mode for the Jag; the performance enhancement is felt about as quickly as the extreme roar is heard from the quad exhausts. The response is tremendous, with tightened steering. The coupe will do the 0-to-60 sprint in 4 seconds and boasts a top speed of 188 miles per hour.

Shifts are almost imperceptible with an 8-speed automatic transmission, though control can be quickened with use of orange paddle shifters at either side of the steering wheel.

The R-package’s retuned dampers boost the level of superb handling. The cornering grip mixes a sense of security with the fun of the drive.

Complementing the coupe’s large power capability are extra big brakes, with tremendous stopping strength. They’re 15-inch rotors in front and 14.8 at the rear. Red calipers draw attention to the sizable rotors in the 20-inch wheels. They run on Pirelli 255/35ZR20 tires.

The sleek Jaguar looked right at home outside Elway’s at Cherry Creek one noon last week when we joined Ted King for a birthday lunch for his wife, Shirley.

With its long, sloping hood and big nose out front, the low-slung F-Type exudes appeal to streetgoers throughout downtown Denver. It stands only 52 inches in height and is of medium overall length; at 176 inches it is almost half-a-foot shorter than a Mercedes-Benz SL550.

The ivory-colored interior is luxuriant and bright. Finished in premium leather, it features touchscreen navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and a 770-watt, 12-speaker Meridian sound system.

A small rear window and wide C pillars limit view out the rear, and, on the highway, when a rear panel lifts for downforce at higher speeds, there’s even less vision. And, up front, the sun visors are the smallest (shallowest) I remember, measuring less than 3 inches. They barely fall into the top of the windshield area.

When the Jaguar is locked, door handles retract flush into the body panel for a neat look at the side, especially for the fact the side mirrors also fold in. The handles, very plain in appearance, lend an awkward look when they’re unlocked, jutting out at an odd angle.

The R Coupe comes in at a staggering price of $102,825. A standard F-Type coupe, with power from a 3.0-liter V-6, can be bought in the $70,000 to $75,000 range.

With the F-Type earning accolades for the British-built Jaguar, the company intends to drop its XK grand touring coupe and convertible after the ’15 model run.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe:

• Wheelbase 103.2 inches
• Length 176 inches
• Width 75.7 inches
• Height 52 inches
• Curb Weight 3,638 pounds
• Track 62.4 inches front, 64.1 rear
• Ground Clearance 4.8 inches
• Turn Circle 35 feet
• Drivetrain Rear-wheel-drive
• Engine 5.0-liter supercharged V-8
• Horsepower/Torque 550/502
• Transmission 8-speed automatic
• Steering rack-and-pinion
• Fuel mileage estimate 16/23
• Fuel mileage average 18.3
• Fuel Tank 18.5 gallons
• Wheels 20-inch
• Cargo Volume 11 cubic feet
• Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles basic, 4/50,000 powertrain

Competitors Porsche Cayman, Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz SL550, Chevrolet Corvette, BMW M4, Dodge Viper

Assembly Plant Castle Bromwich, England

Parts Content Germany 53%, England 41%, U.S./Canadian 2%

Base Price of Lowest Model $65,925; Base Price of Review Model $99,000; Destination Charge $925; Sticker Price $102,825.