Automotive Architecture

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1964 1/2 Ford Mustang Convertible — NY Worlds Fair Magic Skyway Car Number One

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      Ford definitely knew they had a major hit on their hands leading up to the Mustang’s original launch – even before the World’s Fair opened in Queens, New York City on April 17th of 1964. This car, serial #5F08F100004 — the 100004 part is the clue to its early-days provenance — was built as one of the very first pilot cars off the line, before March 5th of that same year. The build dates are a real pride point among Mustang owners of this period – and this 1964 1/2 Convertible was definitely, definitely one of the …

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2015 JAGUAR F-TYPE R Coupe -- Lifts Its Bonnet to Show 550HP 5

2015 JAGUAR F-TYPE R Coupe — Lifts Its Bonnet to Show 550HP 5.0-liter V8 — And Even A Deep and Large-Seeming Trunk!

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Forget Pippa!  This is 2014’s AotY! (Ass of the Year..) Pippa in an F-TYPE R Coupe? That could be quite the pair of yummy buns! Ever the diplomat who never voices his concerns too bluntly, I am trying to bite my tongue here really hard. But here is the skinny: the F-Type cabrio, at least on first sitting the other month, had a highly compromised driving position and barely any trunk. Those are big issues. Thrilled to see the all-new F-TYPE coupe does not suffer from both these maladies: the trunk is huge! Okay, it is not huge. But we …

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To Denali or not to Denali? 2014 GMC Sierra Style and Equipment Comparison

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  Q:)    Why go for the top-of-the-line Sierra Denali ? A:)    Allows optional 6.2-liter engine, style and cabin materials. The Denali is the only Sierra 1500 that is offered with the 6.2-liter V8 versus the top 5.3-liter engine in the standard trims. It is also equipped with perhaps 50 pieces of desirable equipment, including mechanical pieces like the external diff and transmission coolers, tougher undertrays, and a huge overhaul inside to bring this truck near-Escalade refinement levels. The road noise reduction and standard equipment inclusion is likely to biggest reason to go Denali over the $2,000-less SLE trim at the …

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Land Rover LR4 Discovery Concept Inks Deal as Ground-Based Virgin Galactic Shuttle Service

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Foolish follies with the Discovery Vision Concept? Never! This truck appears to be the real deal, arriving first as the Discovery Sport with a presumed five seats and off-road ability akin to the legendary Defender. It will then arrive as the presumed seven-seat LR4. The first of this new-gen model set (or trio!) is promised to be on sale some time in 2015. Virgin Galactic is certainly going places. Far away places! The Discovery marks the announcement of more glad-handed sponsorships — as the ground-based shuttle service of Virgin Galactic’s interstellar flights… some time in the future. But once at …

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VIDEO: Olthoff Racing Factory – Superformance GT40 Mark II – Specs, History + High-Res Photo Comparison Vs. GT40 Mark I

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Is there beauty in functionality? That is the question to ask when debating a GT40 Mark I versus its successor, the GT40 Mark II. Is authenticity of the actual 1-2-3 1966 7.0-liter Mark II race win better than the clean lines and simple aesthetic of the Mark I — which was actually a trouble-prone testing bed for the losing 1964 and 1965 seasons? The 24 Hours of LeMans is widely known as the most grueling durability and endurance test ever fathomed, let alone run annually with a field of more than sixty cars across four racing categories: LMP1, LMP2, GT2 …

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Volkswagen Debuts Striking Jetta CC Concept in Beijing – Dubbed New Midsize Coupe + Golf 400R and New Touareg

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Signs of life from Volkswagen? Glad to see someone in the Wolfsburg Emergency Room is yelling “Clear!” before brandishing the defibrillator paddles. Just in time too: Volkswagen of America’s sales hit a brick wall last summer and have been in double-digit free-fall ever since. The range is a mess of unwanted and ancient models. Great stuff from Volkswagen in Beijing today – including a Golf 400R and the latest Touareg refresh. But the really striking news? A Jetta-sized CC model that is a low-roof four-door sedan they are calling the New Midsize Coupe. But we will likely pronounce it “2016 …

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2015 Expedition COLORS and Animated Turntables

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2015 Expedition COLORS and Animated Turntables Updated with real-life photography as well as the latest colorizer and a few animated spinners of Green Gem and Ruby Red via Ford.com’s visualizer tool. In truth, the latest Expedition fails to excite me very much. But the upgraded cabin and suspension tech are very welcome for this big truck, especially when paired with the latest EcoBoost V6 — which will be a welcome addition versus the old 4.6 and 5.4-liter V8s that were previously still the Expedition’s only offering. Overall, however, it is brand loyalty that will sway most shoppers toward the Expedition …

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2015 FORD F-150 Trims, Colors and Tech Features – LED vs Halogen Headlights

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LED TECH DETAILS The LED low and high-beam headlights of this Platinum model are quite refreshing, especially when parked next to the also-new 2015 Expedition and its projector beams. The latest lighting of the F-150 instantly makes everything else seem very outmoded — when when the lights are not switched on. When they are, forget-about-it… Competing for style or energy efficiency via halogen or even HID lamps will be impossible. The LED theme continues in the blinker setup as well, with that subtle outline illuminating for turn indicators. In an ultra-cool touch, the amber portion is only colored when the …

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2015 Ford F-150 Platinum Is Disruptively Attractive in Real Life at Mustang 50th Event

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The 2015 F-150 looks as incredibly new, high-tech and desirable in the flesh as it did on the auto show stands! It is set up to be a major sales disruption in a market segment it already owns with a 2:1 sales advantage over any other brand. The new F-150 is not a sure thing, but it appears to have it all via such a perfect storm of new equipment, new efficiency, new comfort and new style. Why upset a market that already earns, we reported in January, a cool $14-billion in revenue every single year based on slice/dicing of …

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The Case for a 2016 Legacy GT – Latest Outback is Full 8 Inches Taller, Hurting Planted Stance and Handling Dramatically

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Less of a case as a visual and performance appeal. The benefits of ground clearance are many, and the Outback does still handle with a far more hunkered-down feel than any SUV or crossover out there. But nothing compares with the look and road feel of a road-hugging stance, to thisguy at least. For reference, this is the 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited versus the 2014 Subaru Outback. 2005 Legacy is on stock Bilstein suspension but +1 18-inch wheels and a roof rack delete, which really helps sink the car visually.  

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VIDEOS – Charleston Cars & Coffee – 1967 Chevy Nova, Drag-Prepped Hudson, Hemi Cuda and 2002 Superformance Cobra

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Okay! Trying to plow through all these Cars and Coffee photos before heading up to Charlotte tomorrow for the Mustang 50th Anniversary Celebrations — three days of playful work in the infield of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hoping to come back with some track videos and driving impressions to share — but one thing is certain: I will have more photos than most car magazines publish in a full calendar year! My Amelia adventure? More than 3000 photos, 99-percent of which are in-focus and use-able. But still 600 that I am too fatigued to write about (so far). Rainy day… …

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Bentley Boys, Roller Gents – Building My #RollsRoyceinColour Ghost SWB V-Specification

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Orig Published on: Jan 8, 2014 @ 22:21 The Rolls-Royce Ghost is absolutely spectacular on all levels, in all colors and even considering the cost. Experiencing Ghost up close only makes the configuration options of the new V-Spec even more enticing.   The new-for-2014 Ghost V-Specification is welcome because even though a Ghost could be made to look like this in the aftermarket, it is nice to see some of the wild old spirit of the founding gentlemen back in action. Before we dive in: Rolls-Royce refers to their vehicles as simply Ghost and Wraith, not The Ghost and the …

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The NSX Effect — Own One, And You Will Never Sell It — Black NSX Series I and Red NSX-R Series II

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I have met more than a few NSX guys recently — and they all have two things in common: — undying devotion to the machine — unwillingness to even consider parting ways with it This is exceptionally rare for supercars — or any car, for that matter. But as the years pass, the NSX’s charms grow stronger for almost every owner. It is a captivating machine in the flesh even today, to be sure. Our investigation continues on the NSX’s chokehold over its owners — wish updates as soon as we know more this summer with the next car’s (expected) …

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Mini Musclecar Is Ready To Boogie! 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger at Charleston, SC Cars and Coffee 31

Mini Musclecar Is Ready To Boogie! 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger at Charleston, SC Cars & Coffee

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Mini? The 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger — yes, that is its official special edition — is definitely not a mini car by any means. But when standing next to the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird… it looks like Danny Devito vs Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1988 classic Twins.  

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2014 Camaro ZL1 Convertible Blasts Off in Wild Sprint Starts — 2 In-Car and 1 HD GoPro Hood-mounted Video

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These videos really speak for themselves, do they not? They speak in a language of burnt rubber, supercharger hum and exhaust bellow — but the message is loud and clear: the ZL1 is a huge monster of a machine and a dream muscle car without a doubt. Even with an automatic… this car is a heat-seeking missile! In-Car Video of Same Launch Above First Corner…   Bonus! the Z06 Convertible is front and center in the new Chevrolet performance lineup images released today. Our United States Navy pal’s 2014 ZL1 Convertible  

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1976 BMW 2002 – Seafoam Green with Flawless Bodywork + Updated 325i Wheels

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The BMW 2002 is such a special car. This cherished example is tastefully updated with a set of 325i rims from the 1980s and also a comfy pair of racing seats that surely provide far more support than the originals in vinyl ever could. As a previous owner of a 1975 VW SuperBeetle in this exact shade of green — I can assure you that it is one of the most love-able colors out there. But what makes this 1976 BMW so special is that is is clearly so adored by its driver. Not a spot of grime anywhere inside …

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Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec – Wheel Colors Visualizer! Plasti-Dip Fantastic Voyage

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The Genesis Coupe is well-loved among the auto tuning community –for good reason! It is a wonderful canvas. But is tuning just a left-coast thing? This group in the Southeastern US seems just as passionate as our pals in SoCal. Evidence? This Plasti-dip wheel respray was the second or third color choice our pal’s GC had worn. He loves wheel color! Said he developed a taste for it after adding a 9PSI turbocharger to his previous Toyota Yaris — bringing its total power tally of more than double what it was from the factory. A hooner’s delight in its 13-inch …

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2014 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.6 R-Spec at Cars & Coffee – Wearing Custom Lime Green Wheels!

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  Colors like this custom Plasti-Dip shade can be ordered as a special formulation from Plasti-Dip website. My solution was much jankier when doing my wheels in anthracite grey — a quick blast of color into the wet black Plasti-dip that was the only variety I could find in Chicago. But color is harder than adding a grey flash. These most likely start with a white Plasti-dip base and add color from there. The effect on the Genesis Coupe is definitely striking in person, but also the right amount of mature — these green wheels are actually pretty subtle versus …

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W Motors LYKAN HyperSport Makes Production Debut in Monaco This Week – Racecar In Pipeline?

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      Since winning 2013’s Best New Exotic car award here on Car-Revs-Daily.com,  the W Motors team has been anything but idle. The Lykan HyperSport’s whirlwind tour continues this spring with its European debut in Monaco April 17th through the 20th. Despite not exactly being street-legal in Europe and the United States yet — that is not likely to be a problem for this hypercar’s ~ten total owners. Not street legal there? Here is how the buyer conversations might go… “Let’s have the Lykan as our Paul Ricard HTTT track car, or maybe we should just order it shipped …

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VIDEO: 2014 BMW M6 Coupe — Before / After M Performance Upgrades — Exhaust Roars Like A ScramJet

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      Did you watch this video!  You must!  It is 40 seconds of shrieking roar. This M6 sounds absolutely ferocious. Far rougher and meaner than a jet engine. It sounds like a solid-state rocket… The M6 is available as a two-door hard or soft-top, or my choice: for four-door Gran Coupe. The key style differences in the three cars below concerns the grille finish: from totally blacked-out on the M Performance upgraded car, to the (my prefererence) chrome vertical clats on the the indoor cars, to the standard M6 coupe bringing up the bottom set of images. All …

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AWD TDI Golf SportWagen to Join GTI, TSI and TDI — But Not Until 2015 Calendar Year With Est $36k Price

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  The American-market Mark7 2015 Golf line is only about three years late, but finally looks like it is not missing some critical members this time. Scratch that: the Golf Plus and Golf Sportvan are still nowhere to be found, along with the long-promised/never-delivered e-Golf. The e-Golf is now on sale only in Europe, and has been teased in the US since at least 2008. As many VW people know very well, the GTI has always been the star pupil of the group — both due to its performance and it vastly superior build quality and materials versus the Pueblo-built …

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Concept Flashbacks 1978 Nissan DOME Zero and 1987 Nissan MID4 Type II 3

Concept Flashbacks – Nissan DOME Zero P1 and P2 and 1987 Nissan MID4 Type II

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What is not to love about a mid-engine hypercar concept? How about a three-pack of them?! These concept Nissan models are pretty amazing. All Nissans? Not exactly. The two Dome Zeroes below were from a startup by the same name, but were powered by the Nissan straight-six engine from the Z-cars of the era, making 145-horsepower in these applications. Limited any-res photos of each are readily available, but the Nissan Heritage collection does offer the specs of the 1987 MID4 Type II — which predates the Acura NSX and also foreshadowed the 300ZX and later, the 240Z of the 1990s. …

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Coolest Vintage Hood Ornaments -- RM Auctions Amelia Island 2014 -- Pierce-Arrow, Cadillac, Stutz, Chrysler, Ford, Aston-Martin, Bentley and More 43 - Copy

Coolest Vintage Hood Ornaments – Pierce-Arrow, Cadillac, Stutz, Chrysler, Ford, Bentley and More…

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I have an odd fascination with artful hood ornaments, and took some close-ups of favorites over the big Amelia Concours weekend. But first: when did hood ornament become a dirty word? They previously epitomized the height of class and prestige — while often serving functional benefits as well. Pierce-Arrow As the top-mounted radiator cap in the early days of luxury cars, you know knew the cap was screwed on (and threaded) correctly when the symbol faced dead ahead. (Ford) One highlight you must wonder about right away is the life-sized Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy. She is a 1940s art deco …

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Concept Flashback -- 1969 Alfa-Romeo Tipo 332 Coupe Speciale -- Gullwing Mid-Engine Supercar That Never Was 12

Concept Debrief – 1969 Alfa-Romeo Tipo 332 Coupe Speciale – Gullwing Canary in Supercar Coal Mine

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This Alfa is Canary Yellow. It was also a dying canary in the coal-mine of Italian supercar fates of the next decade. When a canary dies in his cage deep undergound, miners knew the toxicity of the air was going from bad to worse. In mid-1960s Italy, the momentum to start one’s own hypercar legacy was a powerful draw. By 1969, all in the small sports-car business at the time marvelled at Feruccio Lamborghini’s success in carving sales away from Ferrari. Ferrari had quashed nearly all attempts by Maserati and Alfa-Romeo at reclaiming their past glory, and non-Ferrari people were …

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625HP 2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible – SURPRISE OFFICIAL REVEAL

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Here I am, farting around and debating a nap instead of writing up the 2015 Golf Sportwagen, which will replace the hideous and hated Jetta SportWagen, and ding goes my iPhone! **VERY** fresh email. Unlike the hundreds and hundreds of firewall attack alerts I have received all day long since yesterday, this is HUGE NEWS! HUGE NEWS! Only two weeks ago, we published some disgracefully-shoddy Speedster and Spyder renderings, one of which included a Z06 drop-top. In that article, we outlined how there are “two types” of Corvette buyers — which is a polite way of saying the drop-tops were …

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Jeep Wrangler MOAB Concepts Are All Do-Able Via Latest MOPAR Upgrades + Cool Option Animations

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Part two of the Jeep Moab 2014 Concept series! These trucks can all be built with the help of MOPAR Jeep Performance Parts — via my heavy-handed hyperlinking far below… If you are shopping for a new Wrangler, definitely worth checking out the Car-Revs-Daily.com animated buyers guide and full article as well. http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/02/22/buyers-guide-2014-jeep-wrangler-unlimited-trims-tops-options-colors-visualized/ Jeep Wrangler Level Red is a nod to the most challenging off-road trails Jeep Wrangler MOJO gets Wrangler Level Red off-road gear, with 37-inch tires, shortened bumpers, winch and higher-clearance fenders Jeep Wrangler Maximum Performance created for hard-core enthusiasts who seek the ultimate in power and capability …

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MOPAR Adding Huge JEEP Upgrade Options — Cherokee Adventurer, Cherokee Dakar and Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel Trail Warrior

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Jeep just debuted a six-pack of new concepts for next week’s Moab off-road rally — which annually gathers thousands of Jeeps and Jeepers together for adventures out on the rocky desert trails. And more than a little fun back at base camp, too! This annual event is a huge part of Jeep culture — and is surely one of the biggest off-road extravaganza’s anywhere in the world. The new Cherokee adds Adventurer and Dakar spec levels via the MOPAR upgrades, while the Grand Cherokee is now upfit as a Trail Warrior in EcoDiesel spec. A diesel is perfect for off-roading …

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Build Your Own 500HP Chevy Truck with Valvoline! 5 Body Styles, 5 Engines, 10 Colors, Wheels, Graphics!

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Valvoline and Hendrick Motorsports have nabbed two of the biggest names in US auto racing for the entertaining and fun ‘Reinvention Project.’ It pits Dale Jr. versus Jimmie Johnson in a battle of resto-modding wits — five vintage Chevy truck bodies to choose among, and engines up pushing nearly 600 horsepower! It is both an on-track grudge match with drag racing and burnout contests for the resulting real-life pickup trucks each racer designed himself — a riot of power and semi-politeness among the guys. Cruise over to Facebook.com/valvoline to give them a thumbs up, and vote on your favorite. The …

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Nissan Taps Skyline Bloodlines for Future IDx Rear-Drive Compact Range

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Originally: Published on: Dec 31, 2013 @ 21:39     All hail, the IDx NISMO Concept. Along with its Freeflow sibling, these twins reclaim some of Nissan’s proudest – and most stylish – historical moments. Just a brief thumb through the Nissan Heritage archives shows the huge strides made by Nissan between 1965 and 1975. The cars went from down-sized, durable and cute bubbles into sedan shapes with much blockier lines. The BMW M Division, AMG or NISMO strategy is long-established with the Skyline range, which has come in all flavors: from luke-warm four-doors all the way to extreme fastback …

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2015 Escalade ESV Standard, Premium and Luxury – Buyers Guide and Pricing from $72k

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The 2015 Escalade is easily the hottest full-size truck of the year. Its arrival is still forthcoming, but the first Tahoe’s and Yukon’s are already starting to trickle onto dealer lots. Extra attention to the Escalade’s cabin and driving experience explain why the Cadillac is not shipping first. But better late and perfect than early and unfinished. For most buyers in the market for an Escalade-sized truck, there would be a few solid preference to keep in mind: — ESV length versus the shortie would be a no-brainer for me — the price increase is only $3,000 but the increased …

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INFINITI Q50 Upping Pressure on BMW With Aggressive New Turbo Engines — 2.0L Turbo for Europe … or 560HP GT-R V6 for US!

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Okay, that is not super fair. The European market is also a sure thing for the Q50 Eau Rouge, which runs a 560-horsepower twin turbocharged engine that is closely related, if not the exact same, as what powers the upgraded 2014 Nissan GT-R. But the bigger news may be down at the lower end of the range: Europe is the first market to benefit from a new sharing deal with Mercedes-Benz. Infiniti will borrow the brand-new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that is seeing duty, or will soon see action, in everything from the CLA250 to the E250. So, the Infiniti Q50 …

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Citroen DS Brings Parisian Street Style to Beijing with DS 5LS — 5LS R Version Packing 300HP!

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Citroen and Peugeot are hugely popular brands in China. But so far, the cars on offer have not achieved the market share to go along with all that admiration. Step forward, Citroen’s high-fashion DS brand. With a logo that looks like French designer couture, the exteriors and interiors of many current Citroen models become far more stylish and appealing. The 5LS sedan is a great example of Citroen’s re-alignment toward not only having a fashionable brand, but selling hundreds of thousands of that car in China’s extremely competitive market. WIth every brand on Earth trying to tap the same “Cuppies” …

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Lexus NX to Debut in Beijing This Month — 2015 NX250? NX200 Turbo? Based on Fascinating LF-NX Turbo Concept

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Lexus just revealed the production face of the Lexus NX crossover, which is widely expected as a 2015 model to slot under the RX in the brand’s lineup. The NX willl debut in Beijing on April 20th, with styling that is quite fresh and unique — if not as sharp-sided as the LF-NX Concept car. Either way, it is a very promising step into the future of Lexus design. Teaser of production car is just these top four images. Orig Published on: Dec 1, 2013 @ 10:53 The Lexus LF-NX Turbo is the second iteration of the concept shown in …

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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray — Animated Evolution in Polo White

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Ever since the debut of the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban in September 2013, General Motors seems to — finally — be a far more forward-thinking company. The irony was not lost on anyone during the 1980s and 1990s: the largest and most successful industrial entity of the 20th Century, and  perhaps all of American history, was rapidly in decline and risking it all via short-sighted management strategies that equaled awful cars.   Part of looking forward is knowing where you came from, of course. Good (but often not-so-good) skeletons of cars in the closet would no longer be swept under the …

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Speculative Renderings – Future Corvette Z51 Speedster and Z06 Spyder

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INTRODUCTORY CAVEAT: I hope these do not irk General Motors too much. They are all labeled as ‘speculative renderings’ — in case the dismal quality of these Photo”Chops” did not make that clear already to everyone. It is harder than it seems to achieve anything like photo-real results. To avoid any confusion among buyers is my goal in labeling everything as renders, but also to explore these ideas visually. A separate (and amazing!) article coming in a few hours will be a thorough, real-life buyers guide to the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible’s trims, wheels, colors and options later this afternoon. …

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1928 BMW Dixi Roadster – Zentrum Museum

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Okay!  Final roadster article from the BMW Zentrum Museum and delivery center in Spartanburg. The Z3, Z8 and Z4 Alpina and many others are featured in this mini museum, but these three are stand-outs for me in how the each speak to their respective decades so effectively. What do I mean? Well, the 1928 Dixi is far ahead of its time versus the heavy and getting-heavier American cars of the period, which were anything but sporty in corners. Or the slow-coaches of England, for that matter, where 5-mph was generally “too fast.” for urban areas or rural routes.   The …

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Concept Flashback: 2006 BMW GINA Light Visionary Roadster – Animations of Dynamic Surfaces

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2006 BMW GINA – Animations of Dynamic Surfaces The 2006 Concept GINA is still a memorable favorite. While the idea of a fabric-wrapped, space-frame skeleton is tough to fathom, it is a real possibility in the coming years.Why? Active aerodynamics and panel shaping are far simpler without stamped steel or alloy for the main panels. Even though the GINA is visually polarizing, this concept is certainly ahead of its time. Imagine surfaces weighing 1/10th the amount of even the lightest carbon-fiber panels. The BMW Z4 would suddenly tip the scales at perhaps 2,200 pounds versus ~3,500 – which is nothing …

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2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition – Drake the Akita

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UPDATE: Drake is home from surgery and doing well. It is this April Fool’s birthday tomorrow and my best friend, Drake Burkart the Akita Labrador, is in surgery right now overnight for a torn ACL.   The TPLO procedure is hopefully not life-threatening, but I am very upset anyway to see him in such pain. Therefore, is a very emotional day for me, so I am going back to some all-time favorites for car-news comfort. Here is Drake. As an American Akita breed, he is something like the GT-R in many ways. Akitas in the US were generally bred with …

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1989 BMW Z1 in Spartanburg, SC -High Demand but High Price

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1989 BMW Z1 in Spartanburg, SC -High Demand but High Price A bit less to say about the Z1, which is unusual for me.  For many, many years the Z1 was my all-time favorite car. I saw one in Germany as a young child and was instantly smitten by its power-sinking doors and ultra-refined aero profile. To me, it was everything a BMW sports car should be. Versus the large and imposing 635CSi and 750iL of the time, it was nothing short of a revelation for BMW lovers worldwide. Even today, its shapely panels are quite bewitching. The Z1 was …

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Car Museums Showcase – 1937 BMW 328 and R60 Bike in Spartanburg, SC

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The 1937 BMW 328 is a little-seen roadster gem from BMW that was, perhaps, the firm’s most advanced and sophisticated achievement outside of aircraft engines at the time. Seeing one so close in the flesh really rings home how advanced this 328 was versus its contemporaries from Aston-Martin and Jaguar — two much-better-known sports-car innovators (and competitive benchmarks) of the time.   Where those cars both still wore giant flat fenders, the 328 is completely smooth in all areas. This aero-led thinking was surely a testament to BMW’s aeronautic history until this point, but also a deep bow to the …

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2014 Ferrari California 30 Edition – Blu Mirabeau – 60-Angle Sunny Photo Shoot

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With the California T coming in September as a 2015 model car, the sonorous atmospheric V8 is becoming even more desirable. Yes, the turbo will surely still sound lovely. But any turbo engine sounds far more muffled than a natural breather. This final 30 Edition model weighs 60-pounds less overall, and has a sharper performance focus to all its moves.     Lastly, pretty sure this is Blu Mirabeau, but it might be Azzurro California. Cruise over to Ferrari.com to configure and order your own!        

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QOROS e-BIQE Concept Is Human Pedal Power + Plug-in Electricity

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 QOROS e-BIQE Concept Is Human Pedal Power + Plug-in Electricity QOROS is showing some real promise lately. Here is the basic idea behind the QOROS brand: World-best European engineering, branding and safety expertise. Built in low-cost China, but to German quality standards. The idea certainly has promise, and some huge-name executives behind the efforts. Most of them are German OEM refugees — who know a thing or two about excellent quality, safety, performance and handling on two wheels, four, or 18. If there is one core template for (real) global transport exports from China, it will be led by a …

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2014 LeMans LMP1 – Toyota TS040 Hybrid – A Dark Horse in Audi vs. Porsche Battle

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The TS040 Hybrid is looking mighty rapid this year, with a huge increase in stamina and budget for the Toyota Motorsports Group based in Cologne, Germany. Training with past winners and local talent can only be considered a huge new asset in the Toyota WEC racing ambition for its LMP1 cars. TS040 Hybrid running from ToyotaGB on Vimeo. So, is the TS040 fast and powerful enough to outwit the Porsche 919 Hybrid and Audi R18 trio? Fast enough remains to be seen, but the Toyota effort in LMP1 has garnered five race victories since 2012, which is certainly nothing to …

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BMW X3 and X4 Spartanburg Factory Tour in 111 Photos!

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BMW Spartanburg Factory Tour During this factory tour of the X3 and X4 assembly line, I could not help but to keep looking around for the rest of the facility. The loud parts., The hot parts. Places where workers are wearing the typical combo of HazMat + X-Ray lead vests for safety. But in fact, these areas were nowhere to be found. This is partly due to the extremely cutting-edge processes employed in Spartanburg, but also because some key components are handled off-site: including engines from Germany and stampings from Magna Steyr’s facility just down the road. This model factory’s …

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1982 BMW 1.5-liter F1 Turbo Engine Makes 1100HP! Two Videos and 17 Detail Photos

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1982 BMW 1.5-liter F1 Turbo I love a good turbocharger, and this is certainly one of the best. The carbon-fiber shell for the turbo unit and the engine cover itself has a very National Aeronautics and Space Agency feel to it — showing how advanced this material was in the early 1980s. No company had brought the artful woven patterns we take for granted today from Pagani and all the rest — C-F and Carbon-Kevlar were simply the strongest materials known to man. Looks were a firm afterthought on the space shuttles as much as for this F1 engine. But …

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Update2 ~2015 BMW X7 Officially Joins X3, X4, X5 and X6 at Spartanburg

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UPDATE2: 5.28.14 with Digital Rendering Spartanburg is a crowning achievement of the BMW Group today, 20 years since the first US-built BMW rolled from this once-small South Carolina factory in 1994. Today: the Ultimate Driving Machine is far more than a just a machine. BMW has become a sentient being, born and raised on trustworthy US soil.   BMW today is a compelling human endeavor as well as one whose faith in the United States makes it the ‘Ultimate Driving’ employer, taxpayer and corporate citizen. But to most SC residents? A global titan of a company we are giddy with …

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Amelia Island Time Capsules: $903k 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Roadster — Leaves Me Cold — Find Out Why?

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Plowing through my gigantic Amelia Island photo folders. =] Not only do I rarely meet a Bugatti I do not like — I think the Amelia Island 2014 event was the first time I have ever touched any Bugatti, whatsoever! Therefore, you can imagine my internal surprise at my blase feelings toward this magnificent 1939 57C — which were less than positive. I just didn’t like it. The color seemed off, the coachwork overwrought, and certainly not nearly as stunning, genuine and authentically-desirable as the racecars across the room. I blamed poor lighting on day one due to the car …

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2014 911 Targa4 and Carrera S Featuring PDLS LED System

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After yesterday’s article on all my failed LED headlight attempted, my admiration for the Panamera Turbo and Cayenne Turbo’s quad-point LED setup is very clear. Sidebar: Posting so many of my hideous DIY failures is really mortifying. But at least a break from the 600-or-so Amelia Island photos I am still sitting on?! Here is a 360-degree spin from one of the beach-walk decks in front of the Ritz-Carlton. This is a point of view panarama — versus a subject-focused turntable like many of my fly-arounds that center on an automobile. It was grey, overcast and raining that day, which …

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2015 INFINITI QX80 Eau Rouge – Digital Rendering – 700HP Turbo V8 To Stomp GL63 AMG?

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Okay, this is admittedly very silly on many levels. But here you go! It started out as a Photoshop experiment to de-chrome the QX80, but then, it got really out of control. The roof chop is particularly delightful to these eyes, but not necessary for the below performance upgrades of a possible IPL or Eau Rouge edition. Next thing I knew, I was adding Q50 Eau Rouge details left and right!  Ahhh! But one thing is certain: the 5.6-liter V8 in the QX80 could, in theory, make 700 horsepower with some of the GT-R’s turbo technology. Heck, with a K&N …

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Evolution of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class from 1904 to Present

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Mercedes-Benz S-Class Evolution When Mercedes-Benz launches a new S-Class, the lead-up coverage is remarkably similar each time. Safety innovations, luxury, tech, style to make Lexus and Jaguar weep. But there is more to the story than just the 1960s forward. In fact, the first in this bloodline dates to 1904 in a hilarious red jalopy of a stagecoach. Hilarious in retrospect only! This was no joke at the time – the peak height of class and luxury travel. This red magic stagecoach did not require horses out front to move its occupants along in comfort and manure-free bliss. And so, …

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2.8s QUANT e-SportLimo – Design Shootout vs Porsche 918

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2.8s QUANT e-SportLimo – Design Shootout vs Porsche 918 Why so curious about this car’s origin and vision? A few things seem a bit unusual. Let’s dive into the salty blue of QUANT together.     We knew suspected from first seeing this car’s badge that it comes with a large beer-mug of Bavarian heritage: the Quandt (with a D) family is a major controlling shareholder in the BMW Group. Along with the Porsche’s and the Piech’s — these are some of the most revered industrial dynasties in Germany. And also some of the most shielded and private. But is …

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Cosmetic Car Mods Part 5 – White LED Emblem Baseplate

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Cosmetic Car Mods Part 5 – White LED Emblem Baseplate LED emblem base-plate. (Sticks under badge, wired into low-beams) This one is self-explanatory. Can be fun, and also comes in various styles for the rear ends of many brand logo’s as well — making the white outline flip to red under braking. But these are just the single white baseplate I had on my Subaru (briefly). Quality is dismal, and this one was never the exact same oval shape as my OEM Subaru badge — but for $12 or so, you definitely get some up-close curb appeal. Who else has …

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2014 ItalDesign Clipper Crossover by Giugiaro – A Mad Six-Person Golf Variant?

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ItalDesign’s Clipper Crossover by Giugiaro – A Mad Six-Person Golf Variant? The thing with VW owning Giugiaro these days is that many of the concepts have much more production-possibility than ever before. Take the Parcour SUV — many of its ideas are flowing directly into a future Lamborghini model. The style and themes shown on this Clipper van most directly relate to Volkswagen’s newly-clean aesthetic — but take the block forms and flat surfacing to a very interesting place. Is it beautiful? Oh no. But might it be after refinement into a production vision? Perhaps. Additions like a brand-specific element …

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Black Swan SLS AMG GT3 In Detail — Incredibly Fascinating Aerodynamic Solutions Under Disguise Mirror Wraps

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The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has long been the oversteer king of Deutschland. We all recall Clarkson cooking many, many sets of tires in his — and even trying to locate a replacement in rural North Carolina a few years ago. So how would this car do on the track with that handling attitude and tail-first handling mantra? Well, of course. But only once it spent countless hours in the wind tunnels of Mercedes-Benz. For racecars, the engineers’ brief on aerodynamics is much easier overall than road-going supercars. Yes, tons of downforce and Yes: zero lift whatsoever, no matter what it …

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Amelia Island 2014 – 1939 Aston Martin 15/98 ans DB4 SuperLeggera

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 Amelia Island 2014 – 1939 Aston Martin 15/98 ans DB4 SuperLeggera Before we dive into this incredibly delicate but very powerful 15/98 shortie roadster — here is a selfie of your humble scribe with a touchably-smooth (caressably-soft?) 1960 DB4. Smooth, but definitely not soft. This DB4 wears the cherished SuperLeggera badge — indicating its body was made of aluminum-alloy versus steel.Aston-Martin worked with Milan’s Carrozzeria Touring on a number of projects in this era. Estimated weight saving with alloy? 250-pounds or more. This DB4 sold for $462,000 by RM Auctions on March 8th, 2014. Adding $150,000 to that total takes …

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Top Cosmetic Car Mods Under $50 — Part 3 — Plasti-Dip Your Wheels Into Metallic Anthracite Grey — How-To Instructions and Photo Results

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  Part Three of a new ‘DIY Car Mods’ series. Definitely some really trashy stuff included in this series of articles. But what is the best/worst part of modifying your own car? No matter the price of the upgraded parts — you have zero guarantee they will perform as promised, or even fit. So please take all these with a hefty dose of salt. Ideally, these are just ideas based on what has “stuck” on my car’s cosmetic refresh list over the years. Many, many even trashier upgrades have been installed and later removed from deep shaming by car-guy pals. …

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Geneva Booth Babes 2014

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Geneva Booth Babes 2014 “It’s hard out here for a bitch.” — Lily Allen No life is easy, even for the most attractive humans in Switzerland. But standing and being approached by unwashed journalists for days on end at Auto Shows? That is some of the hardest trade show work there is. A big round of applause for these very attractive gals from Geneva 2014. “Blue Steel” Honorary Achievement in Mean/Sexy Posing: shown directly below.  

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Video Walk-Around + 33 Photos – 1935 Amilcar G36 Pegasé Boattail Roadster

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This car is quite special. The video notes that thhe Pegase Boattail Roadster was by Jacques Soutchek, but that may not be the case. The tiny Amilcar company of Paris certainly shared much of the Soutchek style shown in various custom Delehaye’s and Bugatti’s — a style which was typically hand-formed alloy and steel by only a small group of skilled craftsmen like Mr. S. Overall, the Pegase Boattail Roadster is most notable for its rarity and immaculate presentation, if not its sheer pace or the grandeur of some of the gigantic Delehaye’s and Bugatti’s from this interwar period. Tent/Lawn …

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Amelia Island 2014 – 1914 Mercedes-Benz GP Car

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1914 Mercedes-Benz GP Car This car does not photograph with quite the same intensity and impact of seeing it up close. There are numerous elements that truly reminded me more of a racehorse than a racecar — including the specially-made leather bonnets for much of its suspension and braking gear. Why? To keep the grime out while putting its 105-horsepower to use hitting nearly 67MPH. In 1914, those were death-defying speeds. The Dunlop Cord tires are filled harder than horseshoe steel: 80-plus PSI to maintain shape, versus about a 35PSI max in modern cars. But the real racehorse impression? This …

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Green With Envy! 2015 Audi S1 Sportback Evokes Cut-Length Sport Quattro S1

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2015 Audi S1 Sportback ]We will not see the Audi S1 here in the states for the current generation of models, but there is still something really delightful about the cars. The latest news is the reveal of a five-door version of this speedy and highly pivotal cutie. Grip in a these S1 pocket rockets is also sublime — look for the grip comparison videos versus the Nissan GT-R for evidence of how fly-paper-like the S1 can be, even versus other four-paws. The green is my new favorite car color, and something we hope to see crossing the Big Blue …

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2014 Hyundai PassoCorto Is Torino Design Vision Come to Life!

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 2014 Hyundai PassoCorto There are many features of the Hyundai PassoCorto Concept that really excite the eye — in ways that the similarly-sized Alfa-Romeo 4C simply does not. A few favorites include the LED lighting in back, which forms a solid light bar the nearly the entire width of the machine. This rear lightbar also forms a (nearly) free-form plane of the Hyundai rearward — improving aerodynamics dramatically. There are numerous other semi-overlapping sheer planes in the PassoCorto design, with near-flat surfacing that appears aero-optimized, clean-cut and also exceptionally-modern. The PassoCorto’s fused-layering is quite unique and innovative. The overall sheer …

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2014 Ferrari FF COLORS and 100+ Interior Options

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2014 Ferrari FF COLORS At first, I thought the Ferrari FF was only offered in about six colors. How wrong was I!? That is just the first batch of paints available on the outside — with five collections the total blooms to a robust 60-plus, we estimate. But that is literally the tip of the iceberg when configuring an FF! Wait until you get inside the cabin — then the real magic of low-volume exotic production takes hold. We’ll present these configuration screenshots in some order from the outside in, as is the layout of the Ferrari FF’s main web …

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2015 FORD Mustang GT Visits the Candy Paint Shop for (19)64 and 1/2 Rendered Color Options

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Is the Mustang order book open already for first deliveries in late 2014!? That thought passed through my head while already elbow-deep in PhotoShop this morning. I usually only try to change the color of a car that is: — out of production (like the McLaren F1) — or not released in full detail yet (ie Lambo Huracan). These next Huracan ones are the official colors options versus my photochop above. Adding too many colors that are not factory options might make automakers care even less about our little website. It is good to tread a little lightly in that …

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2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid -- 30 Real-Life Photos -- Live Configurator Link + 80 Images of Options, All Colors and All Wheels 93

2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid — 30 Real-Life Photos — Live Configurator Link + 72 Images of Options, All Colors and All Wheels

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Panamera desire but also confusion? Such is life in the fast lane. This hugely-successful model has bloomed into an eight-strong fleet this year. What is new? The Turbo S, Panamera LWB, Diesel and even this all-new plug-in e-Hybrid. (Versions outlined and pricing comparisons here in previous article.) The Panamera S e-Hybrid slides in between the Panamera S and the Panamera 4S on price. Surely, luxury limo’s are passe company cars for those with more dollars than actual eco guilt? No longer. The Panamera S e-Hybrid is the first-ever plug-in luxury car in existence. Doubtful? Count them down. 1. Tesla = …

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2016 PAGANI Huayra Roadster by ALDO SICA

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2016 PAGANI Huayra Roadster I was all prepared to promote these amazing designs by aspiring car design student Aldo Maria Sica with the standard fluff about how students must put their skills to use — and mean no infringement by using well-known (and well-guarded) brand names and likenesses on their design studies.   But the world is already very aware of Aldo Sica’s great talent — his LinkedIn shows he landed a dream job working for Bugatti design in Berlin. A quick hop up from Torino where he studied transportation design — it is still a six-hour journey many students …

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2014 PAGANI Huayra Carbon Edition + 200 Amazing Photos

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How is Pagani’s sales team performing in the face of the all-new P1 and LaFerrari? So well!  They are busy at the moment, can we call you back? Pagani’s huge rise to greatness has avoided the key pitfall of many hypercar brands: unsustainable growth. Luckily, the hand-crafted carbon-fiber chassis and bodywork of the Huayra makes any kind of volume production a distant, distant daydream. Not only does Pagani lay and autoclave each piece itself from the fabric forward; nearly every metal component is also machined (on site, from billet alloy blocks) one-by-one as well. This ensures two things: — Horacio’s …

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2015 Porsche Macan Turbo Is Fast, Athletic and Nimble in 50+ Real-Life Photos

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  I’ve been a huge fan of the Macan since first seeing the finished show cars last Fall. With Macan S and Macan Turbo variants in the USA launch line-up — it seems like it is hard to go wrong with this latest — and sportiest-so-far — Porsche crossover. But how does its $49,900 base price feel in real life? Is that a bit steep considering the Cayenne also carries that same base price for 2014? The base pricing, as many Porsche owners know, is really just a starting point. Finding a car without a single option would be like …

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2014 SEAT Leon Cupra 280 Sets New ‘Ring Record + Leon Sports Styling Pack Is Calling My Name

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My long-distance love affair with the SEAT Leon continues to heat up! I love the standard LEDs of this Spanish GTI — and also love its overall design and performance. For the Geneva show, SEAT revealed its track-champ two-door Leon as well as this delicious Sports Styling Kit for the full range. The gloss black alloys and brilliant blue paint are simply astounding, and very appealing! Now, to shorter than Ocean between us… =]

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2015 Z06 — First Outdoor Showing — Forthcoming Chevrolet Corvette Track Monster Holds Still For 26 High-Res Photos

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The Z06 has only been shown in public four times since its Detroit show debut in January. It attended the auto shows of Chicago, Geneva, KC and Dallas — but otherwise has been trapped in captivity when in public. Do you remember how cooped-up KingKong felt upon arrival from overseas? The Z06 looked similarly ready to explode off this show stand. It is ready to squash Porsche 911 GT3s and perhaps even a few Italian exotics as well. Great to see this rule-breaker has escaped the convention center fluorescent bulbs ahead of its first deliveries later of this year. The …

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HyperGallery – 2.6s Porsche 918 Spyder in 77 All-New, High-Resolution Photos

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Porsche 918 Spyder This article’s turntable is more of a DIY effort — on your part! (Excluding these first snippet spinners) Simply scroll down at your own pace to take in all of the angles we could capture on this exotic hybrid supercar. The 918 is approximately 70-percent sold, but act fast to make sure you are not left out in the cold in the upcoming hypercar rumble royales. After tonight’s TopGear feature, the Porsche team is sure to knock that sold percentage up to 80-percent! Why not sold out? Porsche will make 918 of these cars, which is 3X …

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Amelia Parking Lot Finds ~1966 Alpine A110 Berlinette

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Amelia Parking Lot Finds ~1966 Alpine A110 Berlinette When no one knows how many of a particular car model was ever imported into North America, the number is surely under five in total. Sidebar: Anyone remember the “Ameritech McLaren F1” ? Case in point. Owned by the CEO of.. let’s speculate… Ameritech!  Why Ameritech? Because this corporation could afford to bring it over without type approvals, and without waiting for the 25-year-old classic cars loophole in order to make it road legal.  A client demonstration platform, I can hear someone saying. So his guys stuck some nasty reflectors on the …

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2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG COLORS, Options + Leathers Guide

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2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG COLORS So, which 2014 S-Class is for you? The S550 starts things off with a 4.8s sprint to 60-mph for just $90,000, while the S63 AMG lops that time down to just 3.9s for an extra $50 Large. For real-life Kings and Queens? Still the rear-drive S65 AMG for now — but stay tuned for the extra-long-doors version and perhaps even a six-door Pullman S700 (?) in the next few years. The all-new AMG 4Matic is heavily rear-biased, with last fall’s E63 4Matic drive proving these are still exceptionally-balanced and great-steering vehicles.       S63 …

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1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder in 59 High-Res Photos

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1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder This little 718 RSK is the ultimate in 1950s racing roadster chic. That is part of the reason this 1,270-pound flyweight earned $2,600-per-pound. The 550 is perhaps better-known, and certainly easier to build yourself via replica kits, but this 718 RSK is perhaps Porsche’s first real track-ready road car. Just looking at its five-speed manual and 148-horsepower top-line specs shows how advanced this car was in 1959. Tech Specs c/o Gooding & Company Twin Weber 46 IDM Carburetors 148 BHP at 8,000 RPM 5-Speed Manual Transaxle 4-Wheel Finned Alloy Drum Brakes Independent Trailing-Arm Front Suspension …

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Amelia Island 2014 – 2005 Maserati Birdcage 75th Concept

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2005 Maserati Birdcage 75th Concept The Birdcage 75th runs the full (Enzo-derived) MC-12 running gear under these exotic panels — ensuring this is a truly rapid exotic as well as a design showpiece. Under that huge glass perspex canopy: the visible steering linkage and inboard, pushrod suspension are quite magnificent. One concern with the original Birdcage concept was that the cabin became a bit hot in any sunlight — but hopefully the Birdcage 75th solves for that with air conditioning. Unfortunately for this car’s new owner… Based on the race-car steering wheel and driver package, however, this car may not have …

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Amelia Island 2014 – 1968 Porsche 907 Longtail in 74 High-Res Photos

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1968 Porsche 907 Longtail This is the Daytona 1968 winner himself. He is quite breathtaking in person — with me doing so many slow laps taking photos… that I think we started getting some looks from the other guests. Oh well. It was worth it. Extraordinary barely begins to describe this car’s in-person impact. These are relatively un-edited so far, but more articles on the Porsche Motorsport legacy coming soon.

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2014 Volkswagen T-ROC Concept – A Baja Coupe for Silver Lake Dunes!

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2014 Volkswagen T-ROC Concept I like the T-ROC even more in the official images versus the sketches from last week’s preview article here. The T-ROC is still firmly a concept — but here is what we predict: this exact car, with streetable tires, coming soon to VW dealers nationwide. Based on the MQB architecture, the T-ROC will hopefully be more affordable than the Tiguan, but more feature-rich than the Taigun. The night-vision, terrain cameras and blackout functions of a military vehicle headlight are present on the T-ROC’s foglight (above). Examples of this tech shown here: Very cool. Keeping the two-door …

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Design Analysis – 2014 Alfieri Maserati Concept

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Design Analysis – 2014 Alfieri Maserati Concept Only the short-sighted have ever underestimated Maserati. One man named Enzo found the Trident such a threat that he spent more than a few years trying to bury his cross-town rival in the 1960s and 1970s. Over Maserati’s supernaturally-blessed, but tumultuous, 100-year history so far: the Trident has adorned many far-flung concepts and racers that were each at least 20 years ahead of their time. In an era when Ferrari and Lamborghini were bringing key auto design functions back in-house, the wildest cards in Italy frequently found an eager audience with Maserati. It …

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2014 Rolls-Royce GHOST Series II Revealed! Plus Wraith & Phantom LED Comparison

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2014 Rolls-Royce GHOST Series II Early bird gets the worm! This applies in elementary school as much as it does in Warren Buffet’s Berkshire compounds — with one of Buffet’s companies recently snubbing high-frequency traders’ access to market-moving news releases. As we know, Geneva is seven hours ahead of eastern time in the United States. Therefore, as I type this at 5:58am, the Ghost Series II has already blown the doors off this Swiss expo hall. But wait, I hear you say: “The car does not look all that new?” That is the Rolls-Royce way. Huge progress without boastfulness. Continuity …

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2014 Nissan ZEOD RC LeMans Mt. Fuji Track Demo

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2014 Nissan ZEOD RC LeMans Ask and ye shall receive? Only last week, we lamented the lack of angles of the ZEOD RC versus the flawless 29 angles of the car’s potent 1.5-liter, 400HP turbo triple, which both propels the car and charges the batteries (we think.) Well, the strip-tease continues for the ZEOD RC. The latest batch of info from Nissan’s UK-based Le Mans operation shows the real-life racer in much more detail. (Just kidding — looks like we just did not look hard enough for images. This release is tagged October 21st, 2013.) Nissan’s hybrid-electric Garage56 experimental entry …

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Concept to Reality – 2006 SAAB Aero-X to 2013 SAAB 9-5 Turbo6 Aero XWD

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Concept to Reality – 2006 SAAB Aero-X to 2013 SAAB 9-5 Need a reason to save SAAB? Here it is: the 2006 Aero-X concept — which presented a number of jaw-dropping ideas for a potential Swedish GT supercar. This template and aesthetic was the guiding light for the production 9-5 that never quite made it to volume production. So how close is the Aero-X to the doomed 9-5? You be the judge — but we’d say: very, very close. Front Angles Front Three-Quarter Angles Side Profiles INTERIORS Rear Three-Quarter Angles Rear Angles  

HD Driving Video: Best Rally Roads – Phantom Canyon Road in Colorado

HD Driving Video: Best Rally Roads – Phantom Canyon Road in Colorado

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Published on: Jan 30, 2014 @ 6:00 I got some great drives during a recent trip to Colorado, including the legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb route. After a week in the area, I discovered that the really fun roads are the smooth but unpaved mountain roads in the region. Included in the first Travel Adventure Series, here are descriptions, maps and video of a 22-mile stretch of rally-style gravel heaven called the Phantom Canyon Road in Adelaide, Colorado. My criteria for off-roading trails are pretty wimpy. My car, a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT, is all-wheel-drive but very, VERY low. I know …

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Ferrari Goes Turbo! 2015 California T Cabrio Packing 577Lb-Ft of Hissing Boost

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Yes! the Scuderia is back on boost. As the F40’s twin-turbocharged V8 still proudly displays to anyone with the balls and cash — Maranello has always loved forced induction. Time to lower the fences – these stallions want to run wild! 2015 Ferrari California T       The 458 Speciale also debuted in Sepang this weekend.   A few more of the Seabrook stallions.  

All The Pretty Cavallino – Seabrook Island, SC Equestrian Center

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Those Alpha and Beta nametags on some articles? They are … not a joke. The ‘alpha‘ usually means I have zero clue if something will work properly, or even show up at all on my v.dynamic website! Beta means I am pretty sure something I’ve created and coded will display. If it works, the Beta tag goes West. If not, it stays in Beta jail… forever =] Alas, my dream of a lightboxed Facebook.com/CarRevsDaily photo experience… managed entirely on Facebook’s end… was too-good-to-be true. And you know the saying, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” …

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W Motors Lykan HyperSport in 4 Color Turntables + Interior and Mechanical Detail Photos

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  W Motors Lykan HyperSport Hopefully the animations are a helpful and fun part of CarRevsDaily. I love them because they are auto-play, relatively small download-able GIF files, and cross-platform friendly. They are new. I have not seen anything like what CarRevsDaily offers – outside this site that is. There is a real art to creating — often from lousy images — flawless spinning turntables, dynamic motion simulations and all the others. It is really difficult, and a matter of major trial/error over a years-long learning process. Sometimes, though… when the moon is just right…   There is some real …

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Car-Revs-Daily Recommends: Black Magic Tire Foam — DIY Touchless Shine + Cuts Brake Dust/Wheel Grease

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Tires are by far the dirtiest and most soiled part of any car. This makes sense — they touch all the ickiest parts of the road and rubber traps dirt far more deeply than painted finishes of any kind. Black Magic Tire Wet Foam is my preferred option for a touchless shine on any tire. Note: the tires can be wet or dry when you apply, but generally this should go on after a car wash has cleaned the tires as best it can. No endless pumping of a washer handle is needed with this aerosol, nor is there any …

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1968 Corvette ASTRO and ASTRO II Concepts at the National Corvette Museum + Ferrari and Bugatti-style Concepts 8

1968 Corvette ASTRO and ASTRO II Concepts at the National Corvette Museum

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The Corvette Museum is fantastic. So much so that reviewing my visit’s 350+ photos is a bit mind-boggling. Organizing the coverage into topic chunks seems most logical versus one massive article. The below video highlights these Astro concepts briefly… before my iPhone conked out of battery life mid-filming. Good times. Let’s dive in to these exceptional concept Corvettes in the Engineering and Prototype room. The Astro and Astro II are both from 1968, and show the deep divide over where to take the Corvette C3 in its 1970’s iteration. They show a wild expression of streamlined principles across the board, …

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Volvo XC Coupe Concept Looking Ready for Summit County, Colorado!

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There are a few must-have items when traveling up from Denver to the main ski resorts of Colorado: – 4wd or lockable AWD – ground clearance encouraged – huge surplus of power for high-grade passing needs – great road-holding and high-speed stability — especially on the descent. The XC Coupe looks ready for all that and more. Time for afternoon cookies at Beaver Creek! The XC will look right at home in the resort’s famous enclosed valet parking… snow or shine. Live Reveal Official Images Galleries      

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Low-Volume Specials – Buick Regal Country Tourer Could Be Yours… At A Price

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When a long-term product plan from GM was released a few years ago by a disgruntled employee to a German newspaper, the revelations about what exactly lay ahead for Opel were quickly silenced. Luckily, it was not the Guardian who received the documents. The one thing I recall before all the news … went away … was the Country Tourer name for a potential Vectra replacement wagon.   An all-road-style option for families who not only need AWD, but need some extra ground clearance and gravel resistance on the lower panels as well. These are not some kind of “country” …

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HD Video – 1953 Gordini 24S Blasts Around Its Favorite Tracks Before RM Auctions Paris Sale

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 This car defies logic. On one hand, it looks adorable and cute. So narrow and low, with the blue bodywork peeled back around the exhaust manifold and the straight-cut pipes. Watch the below… The Gordini starts to howl at about the half-way mark of this video preview. Kudos to its bold driver, who is not shy with the loud pedal. Firing up the 24S takes a prod onto an organ-stop switch – included as the fuel cutoff for racing. This very car won the Tour de France (a car race at the time…) and also traded paint with Porsche and …

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Iconic Classic Supercars: 1965 Bizzarrini Strada Alloy 5300GT One of Most Influential Cars, Ever

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Ever the tornado of creativity and speed, Ferrari was quite volatile in the early 1960s. For every race they won, it seems like a failed buyout from Ford and the epic ‘palace revolution’resulted in a big brain drain for Maranello. Competing hot-shot engineers would form nearly a dozen competing supercar marques, including Lamborghini, De Tomaso, Iso, ATS, ASA and Bizzarrini. Each led by a mastermind engineer, stylist, machinist or visionary, only Lamborghini’s brand was strong enough to make it to the 1970s and beyond. The Ferrari exodus left all these talented men with huge ideas, but less of a real …

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Update1 – KAMAZ 4911 Dominates 2014 DAKAR Rally For 12th Truck Class Win

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So you like the Ford Raptor and that feeling of being unstoppable on any terrain? Try the Kamaz-4911 on for size: – 17.2-liter, mid-mounted TD V8 engine – 730 horsepower @ 2500 rpm – 1991 pound-feet of torque @ 1300 rpm – Maximum Speed – 102.5 MPH Trust me, I had to check those numbers thrice myself. A 17-liter V8 is cool, but only the start of the fun for this multi-purpose truck platform. Initially designed with six and eight-wheel options and variants, the Kamaz 4911 basically runs the engine from a tank, but in a (relatively) lightweight racing chassis. …

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Iconic Classic – 1925/34 Rolls-Royce Phantom I – Round Door Aero Coupe

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This Phantom Series I Rolls-Royce V12 rumbled out the factory doors in 1925, but did not add these gorgeous stream-liner panels until its coachwork was complete in 1934. There is much to learn from this Jonkheere Aerodynamique Coupe – even today. The grille treatment is remarkably swept-back, but maintains the classic proportions very artfully. It is very hard to imagine these designs being fabricated by hand, but that was the only way to achieve results like this in the early 1930s. CAD-CAM has come a long way since the Round Door Coupe – but very few of this car’s contemporaries …

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Best of 2013 Awards – Tail-Out, Balls-Out Supercar – $70,000 Lotus Exige S

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What a pivot for Lotus Cars in 2013. While still reeling from ownership changes and a variety of management re-alignments, Lotus Cars shines its green and gold flags through any fog. This is a racing company at its core, and the Exige S arrives to American buyers with all the power, prestige and class of true exotic cars. While sharing a vaguely familiar silhouette with the Elise and previous-gen Exige, the looks are very modern and fresh up close. All the race-ready Exige S styling elements really work together with its ultra-low, ultra-wide footprint.     Where the previous Exige …

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Update1 Racing Heritage: the Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz (100+ Rare Photos)

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Imagine a combination of all forms of racing – off-road to high-speed – done by one core chassis design.   During the 1930s, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows were storming every type of racing one could imagine: both competitively in Formula races and for world record attempts outside the circuit. This sent the Silver Arrows up hillclimb events, on ultimate Vmax runs, and even a few winter setups that included a dually rear wheel and a closed shell cockpit at one point.   All these variants were highly ingenious engineering achievements around one core chassis design. The open-wheel profile of any …

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Snapper Showcase: ItzKirb Captures the Wild Graphics of this Porsche 911 GT3 RS

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ItzKirb Photography strikes again! These GT3 RS photos are dazzling, and will warm the hearts of car lovers everywhere on this chilly Monday morning. Be sure to check out ItzKirb’s Facebook page for all his latest exotic cars and exotic babes – of which he seems to have an endless supply of both! https://www.facebook.com/itzkirb There is even on of the artist himself, pondering his subject. Thanks Kirby! Tallpapers

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Own This Authentic 1969 McLaren M10-A To Be A Racing Hero

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One thing I love about the English car mag culture is their enthusiasm for track days – and track day cars. I hope this catches on here, and am doing my part with a few ‘first-times’ under my Dunlop belt.   But one thing that will always beat an Exige S or other time-attack miracles? A real, fire-breathing race car. Nothing will bring all those study hall sketches to life like this 1969 McLaren M10A currently for sale by FantasyJunction in Emeryville, California. Priced at $160,000, this car comes with a drooling list of included equipment, and stretch-folders full of …

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The Most Stylish 4-Door Never Made? 1980 Ferrari Pinin Still Brilliant

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The 1980 Ferrari Pinin concept shares much of the low-slung beauty of the 400i models, but none of their affordability. This one-off concept is being sold by Museo Ferrari for $1.2 million. Before you write off this design and its gob-smaking egg-crate grille, take a few minutes to twirl it around with 30 years perspective since its debut. Yes, the nose is messy, and the clamshell hood shows some panel fit issues in some of the photos.   But Enzo Ferrari himself is also sitting in the car for some of the photos, evaluating it around Fiorano on a nice …

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