RM London Highlights Gallery – 1973 Alpine A110 Berlinette
This yellow cutie went for just $33,000 – making it quite a great value. 1973 Alpine A110 Berlinette
CUSTOMS
Update1 Acura Previews SEMA TLX Concept From Galpin Auto Sports
SEMA is about to kick off and Acura is bringing three sweet TLX sedans: the TLX GT racecar, a TLX wearing Acura Performance accessories including larger wheels and a body kit, plus a custom from Galpin Auto Sports. We can see that the GAS TLX concept has a gloss-black grille=] Stay tuned for better photos of all three.. SEMA TLX Acura Puts 2015 TLX Performance and Personalization Front and Center at 2014 SEMA Show Galpin Auto Sports Acura TLX to debut at SEMA featuring custom styling and performance modifications Acura Racing Spirit alive with radical TLX GT Race Car for …
RM Hershey Highlights – 1941 Chris-Craft 27-Foot Barrel Back “Runaway Jane”
A bit of a diversion here — the Hershey PA event from RM Auctions delivered a huge swath of old-world excellence. More pre-war cars, coaches and trucks than are typically seen at these events, to be sure. Among the collection’s top earners is this stunning 1941 Chris-Craft 27′ Model 115 Custom Runabout. Widely know as one of the most beautiful boat styles of all time, any Chris-Craft is a beautiful sight on the water. But this “Runaway Jane” is particularly beautiful, with the stunning handmade tail section forming almost a perfect half-circle. Dubbed the “Barrel Backs” for a resemblence to …
Part Two – ETERNITI Artemis Shows Widebody Excellence
PART TWO: The Artemis The Artemis is the latest from Eterniti Motors – with revised detailing and a more unique nose versus the Hemera. The Hemera from Eterniti London was the debut SUV for this bespoke car customization house. Launched in late 2011, the Hemera is sold as a complete vehicle with pricing from about $300,000. The upgrades shown here are extremely comprehensive – with only the roof panels carrying over from the factory machine. Custom 23-inch wheels slide under the surreal widebody that is flawlessly executed in a new flowing aesthetic. Out back, vented fenders form giant …
Muscle Truck All-Stars – ETERNITI Hemera Is Porsche Cayenne Turbo Masterclass
The Hemera from Eterniti London was the debut SUV for this bespoke car customization house. Launched in late 2011, the Hemera is sold as a complete vehicle with pricing from about $300,000. The upgrades shown here are extremely comprehensive – with only the roof panels carrying over from the factory machine. Custom 23-inch wheels slide under the surreal widebody that is flawlessly executed in a new flowing aesthetic. Out back, vented fenders form giant scoops in either side of the body, while a gorgeous pointed rear spoiler houses a new CHMSL in glorious fashion. We have emails out to Eterniti …
RM Dallas Preview – ORIGINAL 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra Estimated at $1MM+
All original – right down to this lovely green color – with less than 15,000 miles from new? Fitted with a 427 Ford Police Interceptor V8 with extra torque and durability from new when built in 1966? Yessir! 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra RM Auctions  Sam Pack Collection 14 – 15 November 2014 Lot 188 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra To be auctioned on Saturday, November 15, 2014 Without Reserve $1,100,000 – $1,400,000 Chassis no. CSX 3279 425 bhp, 427 cu. in. Ford V-8 engine with a single four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel coil-spring independent suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic …
GEMBALLA GT Cabrio – See and Hear The Amazing Porsche 911 Carrera Upgrade
 In case the gorgeous new front and rear fascias were not enough to make you love the Gemballa GT Cabrio, check out these audio samples of the dual-mode exhaust below!  (update: these audio clips appear broken or do not work in every browser. Sorry) Full Power – Exhaust Valve Open / Closed Startup – Exhaust Valve Open / Closed GEMBALLA GT Cabrio  An Open Show of Carbon and Emotion  GEMBALLA GT aerodynamic and technology package for the Porsche 991 Carrera S Convertible  The Porsche 991 Carrera S Convertible combines speed …
Meet 2016’s Hottest Hypercars: LaFerrari Roadster vs McLaren P1 Spider
We can only take full credit for the McLaren renderings shown here – the LaFerrari Roadster is from Garrett Bradford’s blog. But pairing up these fantasy renderings seems logical. Both will heavily leverage the folding-top tech from the 458 and 650S cabriolets, with flying buttresses to house parts of the folding hardtop mechanicals and three-piece folding panels to stack compactly above the engine bays. Of course, a flatter tail is definitely sexier — as shown by this unfinished render draft. So, why Spider versions of these hardcore hypercars? It is a natural evolution for both, and allows production of an …
GEMBALLA MIRAGE GT Carbon Edition in 94 High-Res Photos
Gemballa really hit a home run with this Carrera GT upgrade – with more than a half-dozen of the ultimate Porsche hypercar undergoing this special program to boost its drama in every way. Wilder on the outside, inside and especially under power — the Gemballa Mirage GT is perhaps best-known for its V10’s aural delights.  GEMBALLA MIRAGE GT PRESS RELEASE     April 2009 The ultimate super sports car – GEMBALLA MIRAGE GT Carbon Edition  For more than 25 years, the automobile manufacturer GEMBALLA Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG builds exclusive sports cars which are based on the Porsche model …
Holiday Gift Guide – 2015 TechArt Calendar is Large-Format Inspiration
The 2015 TechArt wall calendar is now available for ordering! Limited to just 1000 copies, every month shows one of TechArt’s amazing custom Porsche in high-gloss, full-color glory. The dimensions are about 20-inches by 28-inches, and the price is about $50. Included at the bottom of this article is the order form — but act fast to secure one for the TechArt Porsche lover in your home! 2015 TechArt Calendar Leonberg, October 2014 – As of now the official TECHART Wall Calendar 2015 can be ordered. Limited to 1,000 copies it presents twelve exciting images of current TECHART Individualization …
2010 GEMBALLA MIG-U1 Is Easily Most-Outrageous Enzo Ferrari Custom EVER!
A blast from the past on this one – the 2010 Gemballa MIG U1. Even with the latest LaFerrari hogging the Enzo’s limelight, the MIG U1 is a terrifying level of customization and deeply enchanting levels of race-ready aerodynamics. This is still a very special car – and its Dubai plates show that Gemballa is still starring in these ultra-hot hypercar enclaves like Dubai, Singapore, Miami and Hong Kong. 2010 GEMBALLA MIG-U1 PRESS RELEASE     January 2010  GEMBALLA MIG-U1 – The super sports car in a unique overall concept  In the last 27 years, Uwe Gemballa …
AC Schnitzer Upgrades Gallery for BMW 3 series F30
 The BMW 3 series and 5 series are really the core competency of AC Schnitzer. These upgrades center on six key areas: – body styling – wheels – springs – engine mods – exhaust mods – interior decor The monoblock five-spoke wheels are particularly cool. These in a dark finish easily make anything from the 320i to 328i and 335i have the menacing stance of an M car — for far less money. All these pieces can be ordered individually from around the world via the AC Schnitzer website. http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/ AC Schnitzer BMW 3 series F30 http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/
GEMBALLA GT Spider Is Perfect Update For McLaren 12C Spider
As exclusive as the high-dollar tuning packages for supercars are, would you actually consider one if you owned the car? They are typically unresolved and will not age with the same grace as an OEM model. But every once and a while, there is one that is astoundingly sexy and premium. Such is the Gemballa GT Spider upgrade — with is a full revamp to the nose and nail of the 12C Spider from McLaren. More painted surfaces along with giant twin ducts in each bumper corner are stellar. Looking outstanding on the Gemballa G-Forged-One wheels, these upgrades are an …
RM Dallas Preview – 600HP V12 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe
The upcoming Sam Pack collection sale from RM Auctions in Dallas is shaping up to be a big mover and shaker in the world of American classics. As a follow-up to the cool Lincoln concept cars article, here is perhaps the most stunning Lincoln in years: a 1939 custom Zephyr Coupe. The waterfall grille design shown here is perhaps the best-known Lincoln design theme aside from the 1961 Lincoln Continental of JFK fame. The fact that modern Lincolns wear this aesthetic is no coincidence. A ground-up restoration and customization sees the original engine replaced by a 6.0-liter V12 …
2015 Z06 Coupe – Visualizer of All COLORS and WHEELS
PART TWO:The Coupe The new Corvette Z06 is a huge, huge achievement and one of the most exciting cars to ever come from any US automaker. As the first ultra-high-performance Corvette offered with a carbon-fiber targa panel and an optional automatic, the latest Z06 has the broadest possible appeal of nearly any supercar. What do we compare this new 2.95-second supercar most closely with? The Porsche 911 Turbo. That is a lofty but truly accurate competitor for the new Z06, and buyers are already clamoring for the 5000 Z06’s already on order. So in addition to the manual versus automatic …
2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible – Visualizer of All COLORS and WHEELS
The new Corvette Z06 Convertible is a huge, huge achievement and one of the most exciting cars to ever come from any US automaker. As the first ultra-high-performance Corvette offered with a softtop and automatic, the latest Z06 has the broadest possible appeal of nearly any supercar. What do we compare this new 2.95-second supercar most closely with? The Porsche 911 Turbo. That is a lofty but truly accurate competitor for the new Z06, and buyers are already clamoring for the 5000 Z06’s already on order. So in addition to the manual versus automatic question, convertible buyers have to pick …
Concept to Reality – 2011 Kia GT Was Stunning; Too Bad About The K900
Looking over the details of the gorgeous 2011 Frankfurt concept from Kia, the GT, really triggers frustration. Sure, some of these ideas like the C-pillar and roof accent made it into the latest Optima — but the most desirable rear-drive nature was lost on that front-drive model. Lost forever? One would think — until the K900 flagship debuted this year with pricing from $60,000, rear-drive, and a V8 engine. But where the GT concept is artful in its form, the K900 is a blob of vaguely-melted shapes, like a plus-size model who is not afraid to show some skin. The …
Hypercar Hall of Shame – 2005 MAYBACH Exelero
Hall of shame is right! A car so hideous that it shamed Mercedes-Benz into a full McLaren partnership to make the SLR? Perhaps too harsh? We were unsure how to position this article until catching the face of the woman in the background of the photo below. Yep, that about sums up the Exelero. There are a few nice elements of the Exelero, including is huge proportions and length versus such a low height, the sinking glasshouse and arced windows, and the elegant twisted-beam in the side shaping. This spiral form was/is all the rage in architecture, and was fresh …
Hypercar Halloween! 202MPH 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Pack in 110 Scary-Sexy Wallpapers
Trick or treat! Criteria for being a Halloween Hypercar? Amazing performance, stunning design, delicious details and exclusivity for the ages. What meets these criteria in spades? The 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package — an orange stunner with V10 legs for miles and a bite to sate even the sweetest tooth. Enjoy these photos – we have never seen many of them published in their full glory, and they are worth considering in detail. Interspersed are the LFA’s official specs from Lexus.com. Overall, the Nurburgring pack brought a fixed rear wing, an extra 10-horsepower, firmer and remapped suspension and transmission, and …
5 New SEMA Ford Transit Vans Are Seriously Cool: From Drifters To Limo-Buses To Off-Roaders!
 Okay, enough of my bad jokes about SEMA… These are all pretty cool and could feasibly find buyers in various big-van segments: everything from limo-bus to mountain rafting companies would all love to get their hands on these new Transit custom concepts for SEMA. Glad to see the Transit Skyliner made it over from the Paris show! SEMA Ford Transit Vans VANDEMONIUM: YOU WON’T BELIEVE HOW FIVE AFTERMARKET SHOPS DESIGNED THE FIRST FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM VANS FOR SEMA 30/10/14  Custom-built project vehicles from five coachbuilders will showcase different expressions of Ford …
SEMA Ford Expeditions Are Menace II Society! Tjin, DUB and Vaccar Editions Suit All Drive-By Terrains
Remember the last article where we noted that some SEMA concepts are so wild you might not want to drive them? One or more of these definitely applies in that category — but all are solid efforts overall. Ford is really showing GM and Chrysler how SEMA works this year! We love that Ford has various styles of many of its models, versus relying on one custom for each product line. If we had to pick one… it would be the widebody by Tjin with the wheels from the DUB edition? All are pretty wild, in truth, with the …
SCION Thrills With Concept FR-S TARGA TURBO + xB Camper Conversion
 Great ideas from Scion for SEMA! In a huge Vegas pavilion filled with unreal concepts and one-offs that you might (or might not…) even want to own, here comes Scion. The Cartel Customs Targa FR-S is brilliant and seems feasible both for current owners to pursue as well as for the company itself. The convertible FT86 Open concept looks to have been shelved for now, so why not the next best way to get wind in your hair? The xB conversion camper is also deeply charming throughout. Check out the cabin details and those plush leather seats! Reminds us …
Updated With Drive Video – 2015 Cadillac Escalade Platinum World Debut in Pebble Beach
Only in Pebble Beach could the revised Cadillac Escalade take a firm back seat to almost all the other cars nearby! Just a few days after the revised 2015 Escalade debuted its new eight-speed automatic and range-topping Platinum models, there they were on the Cadillac show stand in California! One detail clarification is that all Escalades from now will wear the crest badge, versus just the Premium as one might have surmised from the first announcements. The overall changes are very light and center around the new crest badge — sans wreath. It is a detail thing, to be sure. …
Future Classic Feature – 1999 Saab 9-3 VIGGEN Is Thunderbolt Legend – And This One Is For Sale!
The SAAB 9-3 Viggen is a legend of a car. Named after the Thunderbolt fighter jet, the Viggen celebrated all that made the Saab 9-3 the firm’s most-successful model throughout the marque’s storied history. Front-drive, mad power and turbo antics were all paramount with the Viggen — but in typical Saab fashion, this was not a badge and stickers job. The upgrades list over the standard 9-3 Aero is absolutely huge — with what amounts to an all-new, direct-injected engine just the start of the custom elements in the Viggen. EXHAUST NOTE VIDEO INTRO The 225-horsepower and 258-pound-feet of …
AC Schnitzer Range Rover Sport S Is Seductive Style and Performance Makeover
Have performance parts, will travel long distances at high speeds! The AC Schnitzer upgrade program for the Range Rover Sport is a dapper and subtle way to make the factory truck far more intense looking, sounding and feeling around corners. The various exhaust options let you pick the style that is just right for your RRSS. The key holder inside a cupholder insert of this and other AC Schnitzers is handy, but would be cooler there was somewhere on on the gearknob to mount the key. AC Schnitzer Range Rover Sport S
2015 BMW X6 M Is New Podium Race SUV From $103k
PART TWO: The X6 M The X6M is just a bit harder, a bit wider and even wilder than the new X5M — with the rear fender strike and chopped roof design feeling right for its massive new power and pace. PREVIOUS The most powerful BMWs ever made have just shattered the glass ceiling of SUV performance. WIth 567-horsepower through standard xDrive AWD, the new X5 and X6 M have sprint times of just 4.0-seconds along with a devilish M styling overhaul. The grille and front fascia are all-new designs for the X twins, with twin-chrome vertical accents inside each …
2015 BMW X5 M Revealed! Cayenne-Beating 4.0s, 567HP Muscle Truck Arriving Spring 2015
 The most powerful BMWs ever made have just shattered the glass ceiling of SUV performance. WIth 567-horsepower through standard xDrive AWD, the new X5 and X6 M have sprint times of just 4.0-seconds along with a devilish M styling overhaul. The grille and front fascia are all-new designs for the X twins, with twin-chrome vertical accents inside each kidney recalling the M3 and M5. Down below, a new trapezoidal shape forms a spiked area of the bumper, creating an all-new look not seen even from the aftermarket so far. Very menacing and mean styles here, with incredible side-view mirrors …
AC Schnitzer BMW X5 Upgrades Are Gorgeous and Functional!
Two things come to mind with the new X5 from BMW: the lack of an X5 M (so far…) and an overall bumper treatment that can be very busy and awkward. Where is the clean M-car styling we love so much? AC Schnitzer’s latest upgrades catalog addresses this nicely – with huge wheels, lowering springs and a tasteful bodykit to wrap the front and rear in high-speed style. The exhaust and ECU changes also free up about 50-horsepower for all of the engines, as well as sounding absolutely outstanding! Â AC Schnitzer BMW X5 – Exhaust Notes Check out the parts …
Ferrari IPO! Fiat Chrysler to Float 10% Stake on Global Market
BBC and FT.com are reporting today that Ferrari will be spun off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles into a seperate unit. The vast majority of existing Ferrari equity will go to FCA shareholders and current backers, but a 10-percent portion of the firm is heading for an IPO. No word on the timing or location of this first-ever public sale offer from Ferrari, but New York is the most logical venue for a mega-debut of the firm in the stock market. The Ferrari spin-off is said to be part of an overall capital investment plan by FCA, which is heavily leveraged …
Pristine Porsche 924 Martini Rally Car Up For Grabs In New UK Sweepstakes!
 Imagine driving not just a rally car every day, but a Martini Racing rally car from the heyday of high-speed gravel pace. Not just a Martini Racing rally car… but a Porsche too! The dream is real with a new sweeps from UK firm Classic Car Win. Entries are via text for about $7 each — with details below. http://www.classiccarwin.co.uk/ For those outside the UK, the photos are still a visual feast. This 924 is flawless. Porsche 924 Martini Rally Car CLASSIC CAR WIN LAUNCHES ITS FIRST COMPETITION WITH A PORSCHE! 29/10/14 CLASSIC CAR WIN is giving …
2015 Scion tC Release Series 9.0 Brings Showcar Style To Showrooms From $24k
Scion’s Release Series cars are convincing upgrades to standard models – showing what is possible in a full stage one makeover outside and in. The FR-S RS1 and this new tC RS9 stand out as some of the best factory customs on the market – and certainly in this price range. 2000 copies of this lowered and blacked-out Scion tC will reach showrooms around February of 2015 — with cool accents like black wheels, lowering springs and even a milled central exhaust outlet. Very cool upgrades all around from Cartel Customs. 2015 Scion tC Release Series 9.0 Scion tC Release …
2014 Fiat FCC4 Concept For Sao Paolo Is Samba Rambo SUV Pickup!
Lambo Rambo… in Portuguese… is Samba Rambo? This amazing concept from Fiat is called the FCC4 and looks to be about the size of the Jeep Cherokee, but wearing giant rock-crawling rubber and a bad-ass pickup-truck bodystyle. Fresh ideas and designs abound, including the floating C-pillar and wrap-around brightwork of the glasshouse. Inside the roof and bed structure, we see some of the organic bracing seen from Bertone lately — all good stuff. Looks fantastic, and opens new doors to what the Fiat brand can be in the large Brazilian market. Fiat FCC4 Concept Â
RM London Highlights – 1920 Bugatti Type 23 Was First Rally Supercar + RARE Archive Photos
When racing in a straight line, the key attributes you want are a long wheelbase and huge power. But when racing up tight mountain roads, with switchbacks every few hundred metres, you want the shortest wheelbase possible. Still with the huge power, but in a nimbler and pointer package. Bugatti has always chased the extremes of performance, and this Type 23 is no different. Chopped short like a Sport Quattro — this Type 23 is hilarious at first. We can see in these extremely rare archive photos a T11 racer and an the enclosed-shell Bugatti T32 ‘Tank’ sharing this same …
Road Test Review – 2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited Is Nipping Camry and Mazda6 Heels
Rave review first-drive here on the new Subaru Legacy! Along with three dozen all-new photos of this newly-competitive mid-size car. It looks like the drive video we shot did not survive its GoPro upload to the computer, so we will write this one up the old-fashioned way! EXTERIOR The new Legacy’s design is shown in its best light with the 2.5i Limited, which wears the latest LED accents and projector-beam lighting from the 3.6R top-line model. As equipped, this 2.5i is actually very handsome and premium. Why the surprise? Well, let’s face it: the base Legacy has been seriously nerdy …
RM Hershey Highlights – 1905 FIAT 60HP Five-Passenger Tourer by Quinby & Co.
A top earner at the Hershey, Pennsylvania event from RM Auctions earlier this month? This 1905 Fiat Tourer with a whopping 60-horsepower. 60HP is double what anything else offered in 1905 — with huge power like this making it the Rolls-Royce and Bentley of its era. The Fiat packs triple the 20-hp that the Ford Model T’s “L-head” four-cylinder delivered from from 1910 to 1930. A wheel and triple-pedal setup on the floor also predates nearly any other car with this now-standard control layout. This very car was originally owned by August Anheuser Busch Senior — to give a sense …
Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Yaris SE 5-Door Is A Hipsters Delight!
 2015 Toyota Yaris Review Quick: name the only Toyota (or Lexus) that is imported to the US from Europe? Any guesses? The header here is a solid clue. It is indeed the 2015 Yaris. Designed and built in Europe, the land of hot hatch excellence and cheap/cheerful mini cars, the Yaris embodies all the frisky spirit of the Fiat 500 or the MINI Cooper — but with a giant discount. The 2015 Yaris hopes to sell on more the efficiency and low entry pricing, however. It brings a full suspension redesign, a cabin upgrade and even funky LED lighting on …
First 2015 NISMO GT-R Delivered To Winston-Salem NC; Witch Trial Soon?
Is the NISMO GT-R a witch? How else could the car be so insanely fast in a straight line or around any racetrack? It must be witchcraft. Winston-Salem, North Carolina residents are seeking justice today after the first-ever US customer received his dream GT-R this week, rendering all other supercars obsolete. After all, if it can’t be explained… it must be witchcraft! Sure, Salem Massachusetts is where the original witch trials were held … but the NISMO GT-R has sought a change of venue to secure an unbiased jury. Until a verdict is reached, sales of the 2015 GT-R NISMO …
Concept To Reality – Part Two – 2007 Lexus LF-A Roadster
PART TWO: THE ROADSTER Why show a nearly-identical roadster version of the LF-A Concept for the 2007 show season? Mainly, to show the potential of the front-engine supercar design, as well as to prove that the idea was still progressing nicely on the road to production. In lipstick red, the LF-A Roadster certainly got hearts racing. People we palpably excited for the car at this point — but would have to wait another two years for the production coupe to drop its silk robes. 2007 Lexus LF-A Roadster PREVIOUS How time flies! Versus the 2010 Lexus LFA production supercar, …
Concept To Reality – Part One – 2005 Lexus LF-A Coupe In 31 High-Res Photos
How time flies! Versus the 2010 Lexus LFA production supercar, the 2005 Lexus LF-A Coupe is fairly shocking. Why? Not just its hyphen versus the hyphen-free production car? Yes, but there is more =] First of all, the production car is far more attractive.This is a rarity across almost every concept to reality series before, and shows how quickly the Lexus supercar idea was evolving alongside Lexus’s overall design aesthetic. And secondly, that this LFA concept seems so unbelievably early in the car’s evolution. Detail elements that are typically finished in most Toyota and Lexus concepts are very raw and …
3.2s, 199MPH 2015 Audi R8 Competition Edition Revealed Ahead of LA Show
 Audi just released the details of its 60-copy 2015 R8 Competition — a harder, faster and stronger version of the ultimate four-ringed supercar. Based on the R8 V10 Plus, the Competition Edition runs a 570-horsepower version of the 5.2-liter V10 engine from the Plus with a racing-tuned S-tronic DSG gearbox. The extra power and pace is announced by the R8 Competition’s unique matte carbon styling accents throughout, along with a more soulful engine note and gloss-black detail elements. 2015 Audi R8 Competition  Oct 28, 2014 , HERNDON, Va. Limited-edition Audi R8 competition to debut at Los Angeles Auto Show …
2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom Metropolitan Collection Is Bespoke Tastemaker + Berlin Lightshow
 An unexpected challenge when commissioning a Rolls-Royce? The thousands of options for the exterior and interior can be slightly overwhelming. What if an ultimate tastemaker could select and deliver the ultimate in 2015 mood — with just the click of a button? Such is the new Phantom Metropolitan Collection – a subtle but ultra-stylish member of the Phantom family – available in a limited-run of two dozen copies. The Metropolitan Collection celebrates the greatest parts of city life with a subtle satin grey/blue outside over a lovely ivory cabin with custom woodwork and detailing. The Phantom Metropolitan is a …
Update1 – 2015 Ford Mondeo Brings New LED Headlights + Hybrid Option
 Updated 10.28.14 with 20 new photos Ford’s new Mondeo is heading to European dealers by the end of this year! Revised LED lighting, tech and redesigned steering/suspension round out the changes. The Mondeo Hybrid will also be new to the European and UK market. Might these updates show the direction of Ford’s hot-selling Fusion here in the US? Time will tell! Despite lots of moves toward global models, the Mondeo vs Fusion name difference is slightly helpful in making different update cycles by market a bit easier to swallow. This is in sharp contrast to the Euro VW Passat versus …
HD Track Drive Review – 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Is Powerful But Huge And Floaty
Updated 10.28.14 With Track Drive Video We were thrilled to get in the new Challenger for some hot laps around Autobahn Country Club — and extra happy it was a V8! But despite being near the top of the range of many Challengers for 2015, this R/T automatic was greatly outclassed by serious sports cars. The R/T felt fast, but also enormously floaty and very heavy around all corners. There was an odd sense of height in the car at all times – like it was riding too high and had a lofty center of gravity as well. In corners, …
HD Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Camry XSE Is FAST and QUIET!
Fast and Quiet? Yep. A variation on Fast ‘n’ Loud is what most sedan shoppers actually prefer in their daily drivers, and the Camry XSE nails these benchmarks better than any other mid-size sedan. INTRO Can you imagine how tough the Camry is on competing cars like the Accord and Fusion? As far as we see it, the Camry gets better and better every year — without one slot in the armor of this best-seller to sneak an arrow through? The only area where the previous Camry let its competition get some ideas was with the overall exterior design, …
Concept Flashback – Lexus LF-LC in 77 High-Res Photos – Future LF-C?
When looking closely at the 2011 and 2012 Lexus LF-LC concepts, you see clear influences all around toward the latest RC. You also see the design from these advanced studies throughout the Lexus line for 2015 – with everything from the GX to the ES and LS wearing a giant spindle frame grille and arrowhead lighting elements. There is more to these beauties than just the nose, however: they share the exact proportions and hard-points with the vaunted LF-A supercar. Are these designs intended as a second-generation LF-A? Something like an LF-C with hybrid power from the Toyota TS040 LeMans …
Hypercar Hall of Fame – 2011 Bugatti Veyron L’Or Blanc Really Is White Gold
 What if that enchanting effect of light dancing on paint could be immortalized? Kept flowing forever in perfect for an artistic dream in glowing white? That is the result with the 2011 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport L’Or Blanc. The one-of-a-kind porcelain inlays create a Veyron that is unlike any other Bugatti — and unlike any other car. There is real artistry in creating the ‘white gold’ effect shown on this masterpiece, and Bugatti details the process below. We estimate that the design and creation of L’Or Blanc took at least 12 months — from the time the Veyron was …
MOPAR Rolling Deep Into SEMA With A Dozen Custom Chryslers, Dodges, Fiats and Jeeps!
 MOPAR GOES ALL-IN WITH FLEET OF CUSTOMIZED SEMA SHOW RIDES 24/10/14 The 15,000-square-foot Mopar Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show display will feature Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brand vehicles personalized with Mopar products Hundreds of existing and prototype Mopar parts and accessories also will be showcased at the Las Vegas Convention Center Dodge brings a high-powered collection of concepts and production performance vehicles, including the Dodge Viper ACR Concept, Dodge Dart R/T Concept and Dodge Challenger T/A Concept, as well as the new 2015 Dodge Charger Scat Pack powered by the 6.4-liter 392 HEMI® and the 707-horsepower …
2015 Midual Type 1 Launches New Era for SuperLux Sport Bikes
The Midual Type 1 is an exciting new entry in the motorcycle market – with luxury and personalization details that make an extremely exclusive machine even more personal. Designed from scratch with every part both stylish and functional, the Midual project vaguely recalls the Pagani factory. Where most makes would contract out small pieces to parts suppliers, the Midual team and milling and 3D printing and leather-wrapping everything in-house. The results are certainly stunning to touch and hold. Performance from the 25-degree twin-cylinder engine is also said to be rorty and planted around corners, with an ultra-low center of gravity …
50 New Photos! 2015 Lexus NX300h and NX300h F Sport Are Best-Looking SUVs of the Year
Updated 10.24.14 with 50 New Photos These latest photos from the UK show the hybrid NX Lexus in an absolutely beautiful light. The complex and emotional creasing of the surfaces is endlessly entertaining to the eye, while the practicality of this mid-size crossover pair belies their base price in the mid-$30,000 ballpark. It is surprising and welcome to have an F Sport version of the Hybrid. This is definitely a car to worry both the BMW X3 and X5. The Lexus NX will be in dealerships in just a few months, with a December arrival projected nationwide. 2015 Lexus NX300h …
RM Hershey 2014 Highlights – 1956 Ford F-100 Panel Truck
In the auction world, you either go where the money is — or where the collection is. In the case of the Sam Pack collection in Dallas this November, you go to the collection. Same applied here with the Hershey, PA auction earlier in October for the Jeffrey Day estate. A charming collection of mostly pre-war vehicles is specked with stagecoaches from 1860 and curio’s like this F-100 panel van. The more utilitarian models in many millionaire’s collections carry some form of sentimental value. And how could this baby blue Ford not be special? We just wonder: how many cases …
Best of Paris 2014 – Citroen Divine DS Concept
Updated 10.23.14 The DS premium brand spin-off is a HUGE, huge success — sales and margins on the line are better than even Citroen could have imagined five years ago. This gorgeous concept hatchback is relatively practical by French concept standards — it runs a standard THP 1.6-liter turbo engine (with a non-standard 270-horsepower) and a compact four-door hatchback shell. Most logically, this machine would slot in above the DS3 and below the DS5. So will the DS4 be this gorgeous as a production car? Fingers crossed that the nose makes it intact, as well as the …
$35k 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Now Available From Select VW Dealers; 86-mile Range From Li-ion Batteries
 The VW e-Golf has come in with a surprisingly affordable price tag: just $35k with few options makes it one of the cheaper full-EV models available, and the cheapest European EV ever to reach US shores. It undercuts the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive by more than $10,000 and is clearly benchmarking the Nissan Leaf, its clearest competitor. The Ford Focus EV recently chopped $7k from its $42,000 pricing strategy — with all non-Tesla EV makers struggling to find shoppers. Struggling to find shoppers…. at any price, is how that sentence wanted to end. People are not on-board with EV …
Kia SEMA 2014 Preview – K900, Soul and Sedona “Day At The Races”
 Kia just rolled out its latest SEMA concept car – and it is clearly the best yet. A K900 called the “Day at the Races,” it promises a huge upgrade in style as well as performance. Big brakes, a deep body kit and a massive intercooler appear in this teaser photos. So will this be the holy grail? A turbocharged V8? Stay tuned for more details as they become available. Overall, the K900 needs all the halo it can get. Sales have been extremely lackluster in the first six months. This is in sharp contrast to the new Hyundai …
RM Dallas Preview – 2002 Lincoln Continental Concept + 2004 Lincoln Mark X Concept
This is a rare pair of concepts — two of more than 75 very special cars that are up for auction November 14 and 15 in Dallas. Part of the Sam Pack collection, these two Lincolns are both very special parts of the Pack auction. Pack appears to have loved American cars best, and Ford and Lincolns best of all. These modern concept cars represent an option to own something that does not exist — true one-offs. But one is far more desirable than the other! Which one? We would say the Mark X concvertible is the more usable versus …
Track Drive Review – 2015 Subaru WRX Manual is Turbo Boxer HEAVEN
UPDATED 10.23.14 Thrilled to have spent more time with the new WRX — again on a racetrack! Pretty lucky chap. And this time, we came back thrilled. Absolutely floored with love for the WRX. Why? This test car was a manual versus the automatic. The differences could not be more stark – with big engine burble, more playful handling, and feeling like it has and extra 100 horsepower versus the pokey auto. Love it. Check out the full drive video below. It picks up about 3-minutes in. The 2015 Subaru WRX is really a terrific car: much more …
2015 Exige S Automatic Is Quickest LOTUS Streetcar EVER! 3.8s 60mph Sprint, Race Modes and Coming to USA
Lotus has just announced details on the quickest production car ever — the new Exige S Automatic. We cannot think of another street-ready and USA-legal Lotus that has ever been so quick — with nearly all of Lotus’s hottest technology, biggest powerplant and raciest equipment, all on the most-hardcore and lightest model. The latest Exige S is really a king-maker on any racetrack, but also a delight on the roads there and back. It is 50-state legal and priced from about $75,000. In terms of thrills per buck, the Exige S will make a Porsche 911 look like a giant …
Bugatti GS Vitesse 1 of 1 Edition Celebrates Type 41 Royale In Bespoke Yellow / Black
When spending more than $2-million on a single car, every one is inherently special. The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse falls into this league of ultra-customized purchases – where an extra few hundred thousand dollars in special add-ons in the new normal. Such is the case of this Vitesse One of One edition, delivered in secret last month at Pebble Beach in a private gala. Aside from the gorgeous fly yellow into obsidian exterior, there are unique touches on all sides. The grille is quite special – as the first-ever Veyron to have the normal mesh replaced by a laser-cut PL, …
TECHART MACAN Stage Two Revealed! Aerokit, Exhaust Flaps, +50HP and Suspension Reflash Join The Fun
When one of these press photos instantly becomes my Twitter profile’s headline graphic, you know TechArt is doing something right! The latest upgrades for the super-hot 2015 Porsche Macan hit exactly the right notes. In what we are calling Stage Two versus the previous wheel options from TechArt, the team has revealed a subtle but effective aero kit. Up front, a deeper nose-plate in contrast grey helps ground the Macan’s somewhat awkward grille design, and this ground effects kit wraps the sills and rear diffuser as well. We enjoy all these upgrades and accents in Acid Green, as this is …
RM Monterey 2014 Highlights – 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S Earns $1.2M
 After being declined an RM Auctions press pass for this year’s Monterey (Pebble Beach) auction, we froze RM coverage for a few months to focus on Gooding and Bonhams. But this stunning Lamborghini has brought us back into the fold. A combination of the right spec and the right colors makes it one of the hottest classic supercars in the world in 2014. Originally yellow, this early P400S runs an original engine and shows just 30,000 miles under its Carrara White exterior. We have learned a bit about the Carrara White color recently – being named after the Carrara …
2015 DELAHAYE USA Bugnotti Reimagines Type 165 With New Styling and Modern Mechanicals
PART TWO: The Bugnotti While researching the Delahaye 135M Figoni et Falaschi article yesterday, we came across Delahaye USA — a custom fabrication specialist with two stunning models in the current range. The Pacific is an ultra-long and low homage to the classic Bugatti Type 57S, but powered by a modern V12 and bodied in carbon fiber. The Bugnotti is a nod to the Delahaye Type 165, but vastly different in design. Modern running gear and standard AC make Delahaye USA a one-of-a-kind option for those seeking art deco design, exquisite craftsmanship, and fully bespoke choices for every possible element …
2015 DELAHAYE USA Pacific Is Ultra-Chic V12 Homage to Art Deco Masterpieces
While researching the Delahaye 135M Figoni et Falaschi article yesterday, we came across Delahaye USA — a custom fabrication specialist with two stunning models in the current range. The Pacific is an ultra-long and low homage to the classic Bugatti Type 57S, but powered by a modern V12 and bodied in carbon fiber. The Bugnotti is a nod to the Delahaye Type 165, but vastly different in design. Modern running gear and standard AC make Delahaye USA a one-of-a-kind option for those seeking art deco design, exquisite craftsmanship, and fully bespoke choices for every possible element along the way to …
HD Road Test Review – 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Is Sophisticated But Trumped By New WRX
The GTI seems like a city car for people who actually want a BMW. The tricky thing about the latest GTI is that it overlaps with the base BMW 228 and even the $33,000 320i sedan. This is a big problem for Volkswagen — but it is not the worst problem. The competitiveness of the 2015 WRX is definitely causing wrinkled foreheads in Wolfsburg. The Subaru is now as refined as the GTI when cruising, but far more fun and much quicker at all times. Bright red seems to be the GTI’s signature color. After driving the new GTI a …
LA Teasers! Scion iM Concept Car Previews New tC + 2016 Acura ILX + Prius V Facelifts
First look this morning at the very promising Scion iM concept car for Los Angeles! The ‘iM’ name of this hot new Scion prototupe is a reference to the brand’s new Driven campaign, with fans and Scion drivers encouraged to tweet with the #iMdriven hashtag to show some love. (Not to be confused with Range Rover’s #IamDriven contest .. which we did not win. A skydiver from ‘ellay’ won the trip to Carmel.) So what is this Scion iM concept? It appears to be a hotter and more-aggressive sports car. The deep scoops and lighting elements are heavily FR-S-influenced, as …
400HP, 4.1s 2015 BRABUS Mercedes-Benz GLA Hunkers Low on 21s + Aero Kit
 The strangest part of the GLA-Class and other small crossovers lately is how low they actually are. Is it an SUV? The OEM plastic shields on the fenders say yes, but the mind is not so sure. It has taken 20 years then for the world to catch up to the classic Subaru Legacy —> Outback conversion. Taller springs, chunkier rubber and an Eddie Bauer package outside is all you need to sell thousands of cars a year! Just kidding. (JK BFR = just kidding, but for real.) How to stay ahead of trends and planted in corners with …
2016 McLaren P1 GTR Sexts Out 10 Salacious Cockpit Snaps! Uncensored, NSFW Photos Inside
 The P1 GTR is having its full goodies exposed now – in what we are calling the pappening! It started with upskirt photos in Pebble Beach, and has now led to this spread-eagle display of its most private areas for the world to see. The giant exhaust cans and rear spoiler are visibly erect at all times – definitely prepared for racing scenarios lasting more than four hours. Thoughts on the latest skin pics from between the P1 GTR’s legs – aka, the cockpit? It is remarkably bare down there. There is not a scrap of Alcantara comfort fuzz …
Pebble Beach Concours – 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brewster Riviera Is Gilded Dream
This Rolls-Royce Phantom Riviera was finished by Brewster in the United States, which saved it from the destruction that many exotics in Europe suffered during the second world war. The gold-lead paintwork is original, as are the 18-carat plating on the door-handles and other detailing. Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brewster Riviera Â
Pebble Beach Concours – 1911 Hotchkiss AD Amiet Enclosed Limousine
Paris-based Amiet bodied this Hotchkiss limo in 1911 — more than 30 years after Connecticut industrialist arrived in France to set up a military armaments factory. The competitors for the Hotchkiss would have been the Benz wagon. Looking like a stagecoach was a nice ‘in’ to gentrified society buyers. These folks had long traveled within enclosed coaches, leaving the rain and smells of the city to the driver up front or simple farmers. For a sense of what the hoi polloi were traveling in? See the steam-car nearby for context! After more than 100 years, this original Hotchkiss limo …
Spanish Bay Classics – 1948 DELAHAYE 135M Figoni et Falaschi Captivates In Black
Tucked over in the corner of Pebble Beach resorts is Spanish Bay, a more modern setup than the relatively classic (albeit still uber-lux) accommodations at The Lodge. And in a corner of a mini classic car display at Spanish Bay? This surreal 1948 Delahaye. It took more than a few minutes to even identify this car tonight – we even wondered if it was a replica briefly, simply because there is little info about each of these low-batch supercars handcrafted near Paris. The 135M is very enchanting in a rich black monotone — which is quite a contrast with many …
Quail Classics – 1950 Healey Silverstone Roadster Is Race-Optimized Aerolithe
We need an article to put together while my pulse comes down after totally breaking this website a few hours ago. Learning to be a webmaster on the fly is fraught with peril. Would Healey have said the same thing about his much-wider Silverstone roadster for 1950? This ‘E-Type’ Healey was widened by more than a foot versus the D-Type of 1949, which was initially planned as an affordable vehicle to slide under a $4,000 cap at which new car taxes doubled from 33-percent to 66-percent. The plan was to put Jaguar and Alfa-Romeo and Maserati power and tech into …
Best of Awards – 2015 Lexus RC-F Review in 3 Videos, 170 Photos and 467 Reasons It Beats BMW M4
TRACK DRIVE VIDEO Â Â The downside of being the first guy in the seat of the amazing Lexus RC-F last month at a big track drive event in Chicago? We were part of the first laps around the track – barely scratching the surface of the RC-F’s abilities. But the upside? Driving one of the hottest and most-anticipated supercoupes in years. We absolutely love the RC-F and find it is a huge leap from the IS-F before in almost every way. Included here are: track drive video, pit lane intro video, an exhaust/startup video 30 all-new photos from Autobahn …
Updated With 80 Gorgeous Photos! 2015 Ford Mustang GT Review
Updated 10.20.14 We have a confession to make: while downloading and editing these 80 new photos of the Mustang media drive in LA, we took a break and sent off a few emails to Ford contacts. Why? The Mustang is so gorgeous in these photos that we are trying to charm our way into an upcoming east coast media drive event. The 30-min track lap above was not enough time. Fingers crossed we can make it work to get up close with the EcoBoost as well as the GT. Take a look at all the new photos from Ford below …
2012 Cadillac CTS-V with Satin White Wrap by CAMSHAFT vs 2015 CTS-V Coupe Midnight
Tastes are changing fast. In the latest Corvette C7 sales breakout for 2014, gloss black wheels took nearly half of the sales on the top Z51 trim level. Old staples like silver and chrome are now battling for the remainder of sales. This makes sense. Supercars and hypercars as far back as 2005 and 2006 started to appear with black wheels. This is a great top-down was to make a trend go mainstream. Similarly, brightwork is out. Chrome trims on the windows have long been ditched on M Sport BMWs, but it takes a custom touch to update your own …
2016 Toyota FCV On Sale October 2015! Fuel Cells Now Less Vaporware, More EVent H20rizon
Are those typos in the headline? No, just some attempted cleverness. The FCV is an EV and H20 event horizon. VAPORWARE? Fuel cells helped define the term vaporware. Vaporware is now a ubiquitous silicon valley description of long-term possibilities that are always on the distant horizon. Part of the reason fuel cell Hydrogen vehicles have earned and propelled this bit of jargon is that their main byproduct is water vapor by converting hydrogen into electricity for a battery pack. The other reason is that companies have been researching this technology for more and 30 years, with no production models to …
2015 Maserati Ghibli S Q4 ZEGNA EDITION In Exclusive Blue with Silk-Lined Cabin
Talk about a meeting of the unpronounce-ables! The new Ghibli (ghee-blee) Zegna (Xen-yaa) Edition is the second partnership between Maserati and the famed Italian fashion house. Outside, the Ghibli Zegna wears exclusive shades for its rich light-blue paint and liquid-silver wheels, but the real action is inside. The leather-edged seats and dash and doors now have a silk seating area with hand-woven chevron patterns.Even the headliner is now wrapped in gorgeous and touchable Zegna fabrics. The Ghibli Zegna’s swanky cabin promises to be as soft as the exact yarns in Zegna’s suits and sweaters — of which a certain Fiat …
Road Test Review – 2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5-Door Drives Like BMW!
By Special Contributor Ken Glassman Mazda has been making some great cars for a long time. And Mazda has been setting themselves apart from the crowd by dialing in more driving excitement. You can always count on a Mazda to offer outstanding handling and excellent performance into all their models. And the 3 series Grand Touring is no exception. Â EXTERIOR The styling of this 5-door hatchback is slick and unique. Hatchbacks are not nearly as popular in the US as they are everywhere else in the world, but this one may change how Americans look at a hatchback, and see …
Concept Flashback – 2008 GMC Denali XT Is Hybrid V8 Chop-Top!
How many awesome ideas and cars hit the chopping block during the financial crisis? More than a dozen from each manufacturer, we would estimate. That goes for much of the new engine tech and almost all of the new segment-busting models like this Denali XT. As wide as a full-size truck, but two feet lower — the Denali XT is seriously sexy even as we enter 2015. The ideas shown on this truck are pretty evergreen, and might be up for a revival some day. The Hybrid engine tech shown is paired with a 4.9-liter, direct-injected V8 — the one …
2015 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Performance Pack Adds LSD and Dual-Mode Exhaust For Last-Ever Atmo V8
Turbo world domination is in hyperdrive with the AMG range. Will the SLK55 be the last of the atmospherically-combusted AMG V8s? With the SLS bowing out and the C63 AMG and C63 S new for 2015 with turbocharged 4.0-liter V8s, the list of unboosted AMG models is now down to just a handful. Sure, the CLK63 is technically on the books – but we would be surprised to see this old girl renewed for 2015. On the other hand, a new SLK is still more than a year out. The SL-Class is most likely to benefit from an AMG-GT-style makeover …
Updated With 50 New Photos – 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 and CLS63 AMG Refreshed With Standard 4Matic
Updated 10.19.14 Well, would you look what we have here! See, it really does pay to crop photos extra tight (sometimes). You never really know what you will find. Such was my excitement to see the facelifted 2015 CLS63 AMG in the second Mercedes-Benz release about the new 24-LED-per-side MultiBeam headlights. These replace the previous block/bar of lighting in the CLS, which was unique but not exactly welcoming, warm or desirable. The new layout is much like the E63 AMG, but with only a single LED band up the top of the lamp shape. Of …
New Paris Art Museum from LVMH’s Arnaud Shows Progress in Gehry Design Aesthetic
Part of the grandeur of the world’s best art museum’s comes not from the collections inside or troved away in the basements – but the designs of the buildings themselves. This latest Parisian masterpiece is called the Fondation Louis Vuitton, named and housing the art collection of Bernard Arnault – the leading man behind LVMH, a luxury powerhouse owning brands far beyond the Louis Vuitton, Moet and Hennessy its name includes. Initially, the space will house the permanent collection of Arnault himself – consisting of thousands of precious artwork so far invisible to the public. Arnault is set to become …
Concept Flashback – 2004 Toyota MTRC – Off-Road EV Racer With Adjustable Ground Clearance
Any huge fans of radio-controlled cars out there? Yep, that is what we thought. Almost all of us! The baja racer design of many off-road cars and trucks makes them fast over almost any surface, indestructible and, above all, fun! How to bring that joyful rally racing function to a life-sized prototype? One that can have a wild body shape, self-lifting suspension and a smooth underbody (and big splitters) to maximize downforce? The Toyota MTRC stands for Motor Triathlon Race Car — and employs a variety of very smart techniques for making a life-size RC car. Tandem seating and in-wheel …
Update3 With 70 New Photos – 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 Coupe Priced from $116k
Update3 10.17.14 Three updates?! This article is becoming a beast and a half – with about 150 photos of the new S550 in Pebble Beach and elsewhere included below. But who can deny how gorgeous the new S-Class Coupe is in every latest photo! Not us, that is for sure. The options shown on this S550 Coupe make it every bit as sexy and slinky as the S63 and S63 AMG Coupes — not to mention the Bentley Continental GT. In terms of differentiating among the powertrains, the big key is in the front bumpers — where the S550 is …
2015 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition 35 Celebrates Otto’s 500K Mile World Tour
 One of the best parts of any trip is the momentous return home. A place you never knew you missed until seeing and feeling all those familiar sights through a dusty windshield up ahead. In the case of ‘Otto’ the 300GD Mercedes-Benz, the journey has been 26 years, 216 countries and 900,000 kilometers in the making. The photos of Gunther and Christine Holtorf’s long, long journey home to Swabia from Germany are absolutely miraculous. The map of their travels is completely unbelievable! The red lines below are not borders — those are their routes! Along the way, Otto and …
Update1 – Road Test Review – 2015 Ford Fiesta ST Is Freaky Fast, Freaky Good
 Updated 10.18.14 With New Videos Performance Specials. They are the cream of the crop. They are the CTS-V’s of the world, the M5s and the Lancer Evo’s. They are freaky specials that are the product of pure driving joy, allowed to slip into showrooms every now and then. For car guys, they are the holy grail. Rare. Special. Excellent. From the moment you sit in the Ford Fiesta ST, you know that it is going to be a hugely fun drive. The seats are packed with support bolsters and the engine start button kicks the Fiesta into life with a …
Updated with 55 New Photos – 2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed in Paris + Colorizer
Updated 10.16.14 The Mulsanne Speed is clearly the best-looking flagship in the Bentley sedans range. Surprising how nicely the dark trims and giant five-spoke wheels clean up the appearance so dramatically. Bentley even suggests a few very bright colors in the visualizer — things like Apple Green are just one of the hundreds of standard and custom shades available.  Check out the visualizer here. http://visualiser.bentleymotors.com/bm/en/831-speed   PREVIOUS Holy flagship, Batman! The Bentley Mulsanne Speed tops the Bentley line for 2015, with sexy exterior trim tweaks and a huge jump in power from the gutsy 6.75-liter V8 engine up front. …
Spec Rendering – 2016 Subaru WRX STi RS500 Coupe
Just a bit of fun for this Friday afternoon – a potential WRX STi Coupe. We have called it the RS500 in a nod to the previous Impreza RS Coupe of the 1990s, with the 500 a power ooutput of this rally-prepped turbo engine. The exterior changes are extensive, but we aimed for production feasibility over other-worldly style. To this end, the windshield rake stays almost exactly the same, as do the front doors and other hard points up front. Obviously cut out the rear doors, and shortened the wheelbase by five inches to make the RS500 Coupe pivot a …
2015 Audi Sport TT Cup Is Customer Racing Series Alongside DTM – Now Taking 18 Driver Applications!
12 races over the 2015 DTM season will see dozens of normal guys train with Audi Sport and head out for intense 30-minute TT Cup races with a truly world-class engineering and racing support team at their disposal. The Audi Sport TT Cup is a customer racing program that will run these 30-minute races of 24 cars each before six major DTM races in the 2015 season. The price is sure to be high for those who want to join, but the rewards will be high too. This is a fully race-prepped TT with 310-horsepower, roll cage, lightweighting and flypaper …
1250HP, 2.6s MANSORY Carbonado GT and Apertos Roadster Are Eye-Popping Lamborghini Aventador Makeovers
You think the Novitec Torado Aventador Roadster is lavish and unbelievable? Check out these three from Mansory – the King tuner of the automotive world. Not just for the comprehensive overhauls and the princely pricing. Mansory literally has around a dozen monarchs on its (very private) client list. Real-life Kings. For these types of shoppers, nothing standard or factory-made will suffice. Step in, the Carbonado GT and Roadster – of which only three will be made. They build on the first-gen Carbonado ‘Black Diamond’ ideas, but now with more power and more lavish design upgrades. The Carbonado name is the …
Update1 – Superlux Style VOTE! Mansory Bentley Flying Spur vs. Mansory Rolls-Royce Wraith
These two are both pretty outrageous expressions of UHNWI style and personalization. The colors and trims shown here are not the ‘limit’ of Mansory’s abilities. Moreover, they are the opening salvo. You can have anything your mind can dream up on a Mansory custom. The refinements are pretty extensive outside, inside and under the skins of this Wraith and Flying Spur. The Wraith with a matte-effect silver on the grille and upper body is actually pretty interesting in contrast to the super-metallic sheen of the painted surfaces. The interior of the Flying Spur is remarkably glamorous – and shows the …
2015 Land Rover Discover Sport Enters Production With Uniquely British Launch Art and Events
Giant flowing art installations in red and blue outside a brutal banking building in London? Check. Off-road course made in astroturf on a river barge up and down the Seine in Paris? Check. Collaboration with Virgin Galactic to shuttle passengers from Spaceport America out to their intergalactic spacecraft idling on the runways? Check. All good stuff to launch the Discovery Sport in style and with memorable flair. This seven-seat Discovery Sport is now in production for first UK customers before arriving in the US market in Spring 2015 as a 2016 model. Check out the details on the Nino Mustica …
INFINITI Q50 Parachutes into 2015 BTCC BAttle! OEM Racing Program To Benefit British Army Paratroopers
Proof that the Infiniti Q50 is ripe for more performance than even the Eau Rouge concept? The new BTCC Q50! Wearing an awesome widebody with menacing aero vents and scoops, the Infiniti Q50 BTCC entry is low and lean and mean. The program’s headline sponsor is Infiniti itself – with the car wearing a satin grey finish and giant Infiniti logos on both sides. In addition to building brand awareness in the UK, the team will raise money for a newly-formed Paratrooper Regiment charity for the British Army. The new “Support Our Paras” foundation is a combined entity for the …
Chevrolet SEMA Cars Lineup Includes Blacked-Out Impala, SS, Cruze and Sonic Sedans
Okay now! After being seriously unimpressed by the SEMA Colorado and Silverado concepts from Chevy, we are pleased to share a better sedans lineup. Everything from the SS to the Impala to the Cruze and Sonic benefits from a cool personalization. The performance of the cars will stay the same, but the desirability and ‘want’ factor is clearly increased dramatically on all four cars. The lack of a Malibu here hints that a Malibu performance concept may still be forthcoming from Chevy before SEMA next month. Our favorite among this group is the Impala Blackout — which is likely to …
Chinese-Market SUV and Crossover Concepts – Acura vs. MG vs. Chery vs. Haval vs. Changan
Concept cars are a helpful thermometer for showing the Chinese car market’s rapid progress recently. Sure, Chinese joint-ventures and domestic car brands can contract with the same European or American dream fabricators to make a stunning concept — and they have many times in the past. But as the home-grown industry evolves and matures, we are seeing much fresher local ideas than ever before. Local designs and local execution has been shown at the most recent Beijing and Guangzhou auto shows — with a heavy focus on SUVs and crossovers since 2013. That is the year when Chinese law changes …
Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
Like any project, the ones you are passionate about are far easier to do quickly and with great results. Alternatively, the ones where there is tough news to deliver can sit on the back burner for far longer than is ideal. And so it is with car reviews – even week-long press loaner reviews that are usually top-priority. There are great updates to the latest Avalon and Avalon Hybrid, including the exterior style, interior tech and great efficiency. But there are also serious areas where the new Avalon Hybrid neither delivers the cushy ride of the old model — nor …
Novitec Torado Reveals 728HP LP700-4 Aventador Roadster Upgrades
 Novitec Torado’s upgrades to the Aventador Roadster increase its sensory impact dramatically – none more so than sight and sound. This upgraded Aventador is now louder both visually and aurally via its 728-horsepower V12, huge ground-effects bodywork pieces and a sinful rear wing. That wing itself is perhaps one of the most impressive pieces in the new Aventador Roadster upgrade catalog from Germany’s Novitec — its creases and form are a perfect amplifier to to the roadster’s long rear deck. The wheels and lowering springs are nice too — but the wing is a real must-have for this guy! …
Zero to Hero in the 2015 Chevrolet Impala CNG SuperCruise
The Chevrolet Impala is a critical test-bed for two future GM technologies in 2015: a bi-fuel CNG option and the forthcoming SuperCruise automated highway driving system. We caught up with a 2015 Impala LTZ featuring the shield grille that comes on LTZ cars with the Safety tech option package – and this is still the best-looking full-size sedan from Chevy in decades. The current setup does not yet incorporate lane-keeping and automatic steering, but that is certainly in the pipeline. The Cadillac CT6 is tipped to debut a true SuperCruise functionality next year — with on-ramp to off-ramp highway driving …
2015 Honda Pilot – Colors Guide in 8 Animated Turntables
Just a graphics post here, none of the usual write-up and specs detailing. No nonsense – a bit like the 2015 Pilot itself! Below all the color spinners is a guide to which cabin colors pair with which exterior colors. 2015 Honda Pilot COLORS Alabaster Silver Metallic  Crystal Black Pearl  Dark Cherry Red Dark Amber Metallic Modern Steel Metallic Obsidian Blue Pearl  Taffeta White  White Diamond Metallic  2015 Honda Pilot COLOR CHART  LX EX SE EX-L Touring Alabaster Silver Metallic Gray Fabric Gray Fabric Gray Fabric Black Leather Gray Leather Black …
2014 Alfieri Maserati Underwhelms In Person With Bloated Surfaces and Mildewing Cabin
Updated 10.11.14 Forgot we have photos of the Alfieri Maserati from the Pebble Beach concepts lawn! The car is not that great in real life. Its nose is by far the best feature. Overall, it looks too stubby and odd around the mid-section, where its wheelbase appears too short to balance its giant bulging real end. Another oddity? The jackasses who were minding the car would not shut its doors and windows. When asked for third time, he slowly dipped down the back glass but wouldn’t latch it for photos. I mean, seriously? I thought he was just a …
4K Road Test Review – 2015 Ford Transit 3.5L EcoBoost LWB, Low-Roof Cargo Van
Breaking News: NASCAR developing 2018 commercial van racing series. The NASVAN Home Depot Cup will feature the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Chevy Express, Nissan NV and the Ram ProMaster. Each van will hit top speeds of more than 199-mph while they trade paint around circuits like the legendary Charlotte and Atlanta Motor Speedways….””” The news above is pretend. There are no current plans for a NASVAN series. But if there were, we could sign up for the new Ford Transit as our ride first time, every time. This rear-drive big van is shockingly good on the road and at the …
2014 Nissan Sentra NISMO Concept + Altima NISMO Rendering with V6, Six-Speed Manual, LSD and Nismo Tuning
Updated 10.11.14 With 35 Photos and Altima NISMO Renderings We love the NISMO strategy at Nissan. The sporty overhaul of conventional models has always been a secret weapon of the German premium brands, and Nissan appears to be taking this niche strategy to the broader market via the $21,000 Juke NISMO and hopefully this Sentra NISMO in the future. A 2016 Maxima NISMO has been teased and is virtually a sure thing when the hot future Maxima debuts this winter at one of the big auto shows. But let’s step back a moment and think closely about the potential …