Hybrids

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2014 Kia Optima Hybrid Updated With New Grille, LEDs Front and Rear – Specs, Features and Pricing

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The Kia Optima is a run-away success for the brand: since its latest design debuted, sales of the model are nearly double what the nameplate has ever achieved before. To keep this momentum and address buyer priorities, the Hybrid model has rounded out the base and turbo engine options. For the current model-year, the Hybrid brings a few updates both outside and in. The LED accents in the nose are a Hybrid exclusive, as are the lower double fog-lamp elements. These are not nearly as cool as the quad-LED setup in the SX-L trim, but are still pretty nice elements …

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Update1 – Land Rover Discovery Concept Previews 2016 LR4 Discovery and 2015 LR2 Disco Sport

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Update1 – Land Rover Discovery Concept Previews 2016 LR4 Discovery and 2015 LR2 Disco Sport The sternness of the original article here (below) seems like overkill in the face of perhaps the best-ever set of new Range Rovers from JLR in the past year. The firm is moving quickly and has eager buyers lining up for every new model it releases. This strategy is set to continue for at least the next three years, during which time we will see the replacement for the LR2 Freelander first. Renamed the Discovery Sport, the LR2 badge will go away and it will …

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2015 VOLVO XC90 Powertrain Teaser – Twin-Engine PHEV with 400HP Dubbed T8, 316HP T6 Also Coming to USA

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2015 VOLVO XC90 Powertrain Well, here is some good news! So far, we have seen the new XC90’s interior luxury and infotainment solutions. The luxury looks good, but the info touchscreen is a bit short of the Tesla 17-inch ideal. Under the hood? This has been another worry – will dropping the inline-6, turbo six and V8 engines hurt the XC90 in power-pad American showrooms? The answer is a big No! The range-topping plug-in hybrid powertrain is teased today, and it looks awesome. Called T8 for twin-engine 4+4 shorthand, the T8 brings 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. Through …

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LaMASERATI by Mark Hostler – The Wildest Hypercar Concept Ever

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Meet LaMASERATI by Mark Hostler – The Wildest Hypercar Concept Ever   Wow. This one really stopped me in my tracks today. Dubbed the LaMaserati concept by professionally-trained industrial designer Mark Hostler, the car is simply miraculous. Free-floating surfaces intersect, overlap and interplay in ways that beg to be touched. The floating wings and side buttress are perhaps the most breathtaking elements – unlike anything that any concept hypercar has ever attempted in real-life. The ultra-low nose is shaped for ground-effect aerodynamics at high speed, while the long-tail LED brake light slash will also reduce any turbulence or backpressure as …

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2015 Lexus NX200t and NX300h Are Ultra-Modern Inside and Out

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The 2015 Lexus NX200t and NX300h instantly make all other compact crossovers look 1000 years old. This is a seriously new and innovative take on the design of Lexus SUVs – and we love it. The surfacing is the most-notable point, with interesting creases throughout that make light bounce around inside the door panels and fender flares. It is totally fresh in a way that a mainstream, or even luxury model, has not been in at least a decade. Overstating things a bit? Perhaps – but the NX200t is extremely good-looking. This is one car where the F Sport trim …

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2015 Volkswagen Passat Debuts Blah European-Model-Only Redesign

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  This car looks a lot better in thumbnails than up close. If you are fretting about how lame and old all VW of America’s models are — do not fret. This face is coming “soon” to our de-contented US Passat, as well as the on-again CrossBlue SUV that US dealers have been clamoring for since 2009. VW is out of new ideas. They have nothing new in this Passat design outside, and so little inside that it might as well be the current model. The EuroPassat even borrows the full-width dash-vent-fake idea from the new Chevy Malibu. Pathetic. As …

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Goodwood 2014 Galleries – PORSCHE Macan Turbo, Panamera S E-Hybrid, RS Spyder, 962 and 917

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My huge crush on the Macan is an open secret. Great to see how wonderful it looks being pushed to the edge up the hill! Also including a cool photo I found recently of the 917 doing a jump test, plus that monster 16-cylinder 917 prototype from last week… 917 MACAN TURBO PANAMERA S E-HYBRID RS SPYDER GT1 LM Check out the tarts in the right of this photo testing the Lola Aston Martin… 962 and 935

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FT-1 Digital Colorizer – 150 Shades of 2016 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO

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Toyota FT-1 Digital Colorizer The FT-1 Concept is the next Supra. It just is. Toyota has commissioned a second prototype in a new color, so we’ve helped render the stunning Detroit 2014 FT-1 concept in 100-plus other shades to help them pick. Sure, some are better than others. But totally changing the color of a car is not an easy thing to do! Nor is it a standard set of commands, even. Every photo is different in its needs. Surprising is the black – which looks amazing!  This is the color most of the final-gen Supra’s ended up after years …

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600HP MiEV Evolution III Mitsubishi Zaps Pikes Peak Clouds with 9-min, 8-sec One-Two Finish

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600HP MiEV Evolution III Mitsubishi Zaps Pikes Peak Clouds Last year Mitsubishi had high hopes for the current-gen MiEV Evo to scorch the competition in the international Pikes Peak hillclimb, but left a bit disappointed. Knowing their intensive engineering focus as a company, we bet the team started to refine the car even further on the plane ride home. Enhancements began immediately and are actually remarkably comprehensive. They come down to two general areas of improvement: Mechanical changes seeking grip – increased grip more than ~60-percent with tires that went from 260-series widths all around to 330-series widths – better …

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Supercar Chic – Green is the New White?

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New header graphic for the site today! It is pretty silly… but makes a fun statement, right?   Here are the base images, in case you are loving this green supercar trend as much as I am! They are not as good up close… but who is, right?  

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The Porsche Story in 37 Rare Photos – A Winners Racing Legacy

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Porsche is ambitious to a fault. It is a core brand trait to excel in almost every single way – To the point where many thought a win at LeMans this year was almost an inevitability. Preparation, research, expertise and brilliance…. Equals: Porsche Racing. So when the 919 suffered out on the track, it was partial global surprise and partial relief. I mean, if Porsche could come in and snatch the title from Audi after 12 near-consecutive wins for Audi Motorsport — what does that really “say” about Audi? Nothing too flattering. So a bit of a relief, a bit …

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Jay Kays Green LaFerrari and F12 TRS Spyder Cause Deadly Fanboy Riots at 2014 Goodwood FoS

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  Okay, maybe not riots. But certainly a slew of strong emotions!  Gorgeous! Love it. Well ordered, Jay Kay! ‘…She said she’s from a quasar… 40 thousand million light years away! But she asked me for my number all the same…’ The custom F12 TRS was also in attendance, plus a California T, 458 Stradale and a Rosso Corsa LaFerrari… to name just a few…. Official Details from Ferrari UK below.     FERRARI AT THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2014 28/06/14 Yesterday, on the opening day of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Ferrari unveiled its new, spectacular, California T …

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2014 Mercedes-Benz E400 BlueTec Hybrid – Gibraltar to Goodwood… In One Tank of Diesel?

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Is EU Immigration reform debate stymied by classy and comfortable luxury cars!? It seems the E-Class Mercedes-Benz is as good as any passport for slipping from Africa up to the UK on just one tank of fuel… Of course, the Diesel-electric energy solution has long been the preferred method for locomotives – but thought too expensive for cars until Mercedes-Benz and a few French OEMs built them both into one car. It seems to be the best of all worlds – except for Mr. Frnakel’s bladder! 2014 Mercedes-Benz E400 BlueTec Hybrid Official Details below from Mercedes-Benz UK. 1,223-MILES: E-CLASS TRAVELS …

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Concept Flashback – 1978 Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000 Is Fastback Aero Limo

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What if aerodynamics took a front-seat for the first time? What if we wanted to maintain all the comfort and luxury of a flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class — while using half the fuel? Engine innovations were progressing rapidly through the 1970s, allowing huge guzzlers to drastically slash their fuel bills almost overnight. But aerodynamics were still a mystery. How to cut drag while enhancing creature comforts and road quietness? Streamline! The Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000 concepts first appeared in 1978, refined over three years, and re-appeared in public fort he 1981 auto show season. The look of a fastback limo was not …

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2014 Nissan NC2020 VGT In 12 New Photos Ahead of Goodwood Display Tomorrow

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  Update2 – June 26, 2014 The concept model of the spell-binding Nissan NC2020 Vision Gran Turismo is set for display this weekend at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. Being up close and personal with the NC2020 VGT will be a visual feast for showgoers, to be sure! Ahead of seeing the NC2020 out in the sun of Lord March’s estate, Nissan has released another photo set of the car for those of us who are thousands of miles from Goodwood. Hopefully some real photos of the machine in the sunlight, on the grass from Nissan in the next …

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Concept Flashback – 2001 Peugeot Moonster Is Nuclear Fuel-Cell Lunar Lander

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Nuclear fuel cell? That is pretty modern indeed! In fact, the Moonster has no detailed powertrain and is simply an object of pure fantasy. Even so, the craft is clearly designed for the most all-terrain of any surface — something like we might find on another planet. Here is an exclusive rendering of how the suspension might look extended – to give a higher ground clearance. Nuclear fuel-cells are generally the briefcase-sized reactors that keep many spacecraft in operation for years at a time. When paired with solar energy harvested via photovoltaic cells, the combination keeps our satellite television stations …

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2017 Aston Martin ELV8 Crossover, SUV and AWD Sedan Renderings

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 2017 Aston Martin ELV8 Crossover, SUV and AWD Sedan Renderings SUV adaptions by Car-Revs-Daily.com staff Original Artwork by Lutz Valdeig – Atelier Valdeig PART TWO: ASTON GOES AWD All the previous article applies to this SUV idea even more. Aston Martin could sell alot of SUVs or crossovers with access to the 4Matic-ready platforms of Mercedes-Benz. 2017 Aston Martin CROSSOVER RENDERING 2017 Aston Martin SUV 4×4 RENDERING   2017 Aston Martin AWD SEDAN RENDERING ASTON MARTIN REACHES INFLECTION POINT   Big changes at Aston Martin – 2013 and 2014 have finally seen the big apex point in the company’s resurgent …

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Exclusive! Future Car Rendering – 2016 Aston Martin LV8 – Lagonda Vignale by Lutz Valdeig

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Original Artwork by Lutz Valdeig Atelier Valdeig ASTON MARTIN REACHES INFLECTION POINT Big changes at Aston Martin – 2013 and 2014 have finally seen the big apex point in the company’s resurgent modern history. Ulrich Bez has stepped aside from some of his all-controlling ways, huge chunks of equity have been sold to investment firms, and a broad partnership with Daimler Benz means Aston finally has some big-company resources to utilize once again. For as much-maligned as Ford was during their stewardship of the brand, Ford was a wonderfully generous partner to Aston-Martin during the many, many years that it …

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2014 Nissan NC2020 Vision Gran Turismo in Nine New Colors

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2014 Nissan NC2020 Vision Gran Turismo in Nine New Colors When I am nervous about something or procrastinating at my desk, Photoshop always seems like a good idea. This is not a full article, or even a full set of renderings. But it is not easy to do these, and it is taking more time than anticipated. =] ABOUT THE NC2020 I love the NC2020 concept’s design the more I review its intricacies – of which there are many. Here are nine other colors in the rear three-quarter angle.

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Update1 With Novak Djokovic- 2015 Peugeot 508 Facelifted With New LED DRLs, Box-Design Beams and Tweaked Cabin Tech

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My passion for great LED lighting is spiraling out of control. It seems, lately, that a new headlight design with some flashy LEDs is enough to win my favor. But am I alone? LED lighting and headlights are by far the easiest piece of a car for the manufacturers to update — no new sheetmetal is required at all in many cases. But the impact on the 30-percent of the time spent driving in the dark or dusk? A totally transformed car. This new 508 is more than an LED refresh – and includes various new shapes for the grille …

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Concept Flashback – 2012 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

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The Panamera Sport Turismo Concept is still quite miraculous, even more than a year since its initial debut. Widely believed to preview the 2014 Panamera facelift, the Sport Turismo has had an even larger impact on a different model altogether: the Macan. Much of the creamy and smooth surfacing, huge rear arch bulges, and the nose treatment all directly previewed the handsome new Macan S and Macan Turbo models. From the start of the Sport Turismo’s media tour, Porsche insisted that this model could appear as a new body style for the second-gen Panamera. It was hard to believe at …

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2015 Audi A8 Limps In With Same Old-Man Design, But Adds FWD, Hybrid and TDI Flavors for USA

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An early debut of the 2015 A8 would seem to jeopardize sales of the current 2014 A8 and S8 – but the changes are mostly tech and powertrain-based. A very evolutionary styling A8 makeover on the 2015 models will go unnoticed by most observers, keeping the 2014 cars relevant. Here are the image galleries of the 2015 Audi A8 TDI, TFSI, Hybrid and W12 LWB models. See if you can tell them apart!  (Hint: it is not easy, but the grilles and tailpipes are the best clues.) 2015 Audi A8 – LEDetails 2015 Audi A8L W12 2015 Audi A8 Hybrid

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2015 Peugeot 508 Facelifted With New LED DRLs, Box-Design Beams and Tweaked Cabin Tech

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My passion for great LED lighting is spiraling out of control. It seems, lately, that a new headlight design with some flashy LEDs is enough to win my favor. But am I alone? LED lighting and headlights are by far the easiest piece of a car for the manufacturers to update — no new sheetmetal is required at all in many cases. But the impact on the 30-percent of the time spent driving in the dark or dusk? A totally transformed car. This new 508 is more than an LED refresh – and includes various new shapes for the grille …

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2014 Nissan GT1 Concept Details Revealed – NC2020 Vision Gran Turismo

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2014 Nissan GT1 Concept Details Revealed – NC2020 Vision Gran Turismo Update1 – June 16, 2014 The details are out! But they are not complete yet – no specs accompany this brief. Stay tuned. Last week’s teaser image created quite a media buzz, with everyone speculating left and right about this machine as ‘the next GT-R’ in headlines. It is tempting to do! These ideas are seriously fresh,and these three more high-res angles confirm it is a front-midship design. That was not certain from the front three-quarter teaser last week. DESIGN BRIEF Low-drag but high-downforce. The design is so aero-focused …

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Atlanta Dream Cars – 1955 Chrysler Streamline X Gilda by GHIA is Turbine Aero Ideal

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Man, when your iPhone comes home with better photos than your Nikon — you know you were in the wrong settings. Very, very strict photo protocols were in place at the Atlanta High Museum of Art’s Dream Cars installation — which is a shame, really. It turns out, after speaking with the very kind, smart and helpful media liaison upon my return to Charleston Monday morning — that the concern was not about photos of the cars at all. No one told he gestapo of hourly blue-coats, however, who were incredibly irritating. In fact, the entire photo ban was to …

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Concept Flashback – 2013 Audi Fleet Shuttle Quattro

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How did this one slide past me? Not only do I not really recall seeing this October 2013 concept, but I have not even heard of the movie in which it was featured! Ender’s Game is the title – came out on November 1, 2013?? It may be a German-language film, which would make sense as to why Americans might not have been the target market for the film, or the concept car. So what is this thing? It is a low and long sedan, much in the same style as the A7 Sportback. Does it matter? Yes. Maybe. Yes, …

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2015 McLaren P1 GTR Renderings

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2015 McLaren P1 GTR Renderings McLaren today confirmed that the P1 hypercar will go into extra innings once its 375-unit production run is completed in early 2015. The next chapter will take McLaren back to the world’s GT racetracks, including Le Mans – where the very impressive F1 GTR won its class. McLaren only released a few teasers, so it was up to us to fill in the gaps.               Here is an exclusive rendering of how the 2015 McLaren P1 may look, with the changes detailed below. WHEELS/TIRES These are directly from the …

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2015 BMW i3 Is Ugliest Car Since The Isetta – Makes Prius V Look Sexy and Pontiac Aztek Look Fun

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I want to like the BMW i3. I really do. But this little pumpkin just doesn’t light my jack-0-lantern. It is so unbelievably fugly that it makes the Prius look sexy. Hell, the i3 makes the Prius V look sexy. Here are all the stats and 199 photos of the violently repugnant 2015 BMW i3. If this car is anywhere near as successful as BMW hopes it will be, I will eat a rotten pumpkin whole. There is just no way people will pay $50,000 to drive this hideous turd. Yes, the dashboard is nice. But that is the only …

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2014 Lexus GS350 vs F Sport vs GS450h – Buyers Guide Info and Model Comparisons

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Something about the GS is quite special on the roads. This car looks wide, brand-new, and clearly a flagship Lexus. But it is not immediately clear which: none look this good, this rear-drive and wide. Relatively clutter-free taillamps help plant the GS from the back, where this base-model GS350 looks more than worth the price. But how to tell them apart! GS350 versus the GS350 F Sport versus GS450h? Very subtle differences to the untrained eye, but the F Sport adds some intrigue to the nose and grille that is only clear up close. In addition to the wind slashes, …

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Vision GT Concept Car Teasers – What Is Left? Subaru, Lexus, Honda, Tesla, Aston, Ford, GM…

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Oh yes! Were you growing a bit fatigued with the GranTurismo VisionGT concepts? Well, brace yourself! We are only about 20-percent of the way through the major manufacturer releases – only Mercedes-Benz AMG, VW GTI Roadster, Mitsu XR-PHEV and a handful of others have been seen so far.   This leaves the vast majority still to come, in a drip feed about once monthly over the next year or more. Why this slow trickle? It is to provide space for each car to be driven by people in the game, and room to breath around the other announcements. Here are …

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Vision GranTurismo Scores a Super Evo Crossover! Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV Evolution

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What to make of the latest VisionGT concept? This is the Mitsubishi XR-PHEV Evolution – a futuristic look at both the Mitsubishi racing effort and the future of the Evo itself. Is the styling really possible? It does resemble the latest Mitsubishi concept cars from 2013 and 2014 – but this is not necessarily a great bit of news. Mitsubishi is going in some unusual styling directions – but the performance of the XR-PHEV Evolution is sure to be ridiculously quick. It leverages both the S-AWC all-wheel-drive of the Evolution as well as the EV tech shown in the latest …

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Nissan and GranTurismo Evolution Detailed – 150+ Nissans Drive-able in GT6

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Did you see the teaser photo Nissan just released of the NC2020 GT1?! I will include it here… due to the huge excitement I feel at this moment! You are surely wondering: is this the next GT-R? The answer is likely a “No, but….” No, this Vision GT6 concept is not the real thing coming as the R36 generation of the legendary GT-R Nissan. But it will influence the real thing – particularly with what looks like some kind of e-Boost or hybrid technology in the powertrain package. We are just speculating based on the appearance of the wheels in …

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2014 Nissan GT1 Vision GranTurismo Concept? Mysterious Teaser Shows Hypercar Proto

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Nissan GT1 Vision GranTurismo What is this high-performance creature!? I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this photo on Nissan’s press site today. The car could be dubbed the GT1 or perhaps the NC2020 — short for Nissan Concept 2020, we imagine. Nothing is certain. The only word is that Nissan will tell us more next Monday, June 16th. Our hunch is that this might be the next installment of the Vision GranTurismo concept car series – liket he VW Vision GTI Roadster and dozens of other custom machines made for GT6 drivers. This would make sense …

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Hypercar Evolution – 1969 McLaren M6GT vs. 1995 McLaren F1 vs. 2014 McLaren P1

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  Only one of these LT1-powered road cars was officially made by McLaren. At the time, “by McLaren” literally meant that Bruce’s racing crew had created a road car for the boss. The saying goes that the original M6GT was his daily driver: attending events and developing the production plans of this racing prototype for the road. His plan was for a run of 250 cars, but only three more were created by Trojan, a fellow racing shop with the ability to complete the street-legal fiberglass bodywork, doors, and all the other trimmings like wipers and blinkers. It was a …

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Off-Road Test Review – 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid is Surprisingly Silent + Very Capable

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As shown by the Toyota 4Runner off-roading article earlier this week, we know I am a total wimp when it comes to off-roading. Despite my grand ambitions to be a Bowler Wildcat-running mudder in my own 2005 Subaru Legacy GT — all efforts to date have seriously damaged the car. I am on my fourth set of wheels, for example. But what would even lead me to take my beloved Subie off-road? One word: grip. The Subaru AWD system is seriously unflappable. In wintertime this year, I was fortunate enough to have a 2WD Chevy Silverado press loaner in my …

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HD Road Test Review – 2014 TESLA Model S 85 – Smooth Power, Great Dynamics, Unequivocal EV Brilliance

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 2014 TESLA Model S 85 Review After a scathing Op-Ed the other week about Tesla Motors’ many (perceived) shenanigans on Wall Street and in Washington: I decided it was time to get behind the wheel to experience the car itself. I registered my interest in the Model S at TeslaMotors.com and promptly received a nice phone call from Silicon Valley to help arrange things. But the nearest Tesla dealers were at least five hours away from me, so I put a pin in the Tesla test drive and went back to work on normal vehicle reviews/ keeping the website up/ …

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2014 Lexus GS350 vs F Sport vs GS450h – Buyers Guide Info and Model Comparisons

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Something about the GS is quite special on the roads. This car looks wide, brand-new, and clearly a flagship Lexus. But it is not immediately clear which: none look this good, this rear-drive and wide. Relatively clutter-free taillamps help plant the GS from the back, where this base-model GS350 looks more than worth the price. But how to tell them apart! GS350 versus the GS350 F Sport versus GS450h? Very subtle differences to the untrained eye, but the F Sport adds some intrigue to the nose and grille that is only clear up close. In addition to the wind slashes, …

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