Fast Wagons

e63 wagon

HD Road Test Review – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model

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Updated 1.5.2015 With 63 New Photos   When it comes to the rarest of Mercedes-Benz AMG cars and trucks, the S-Models are the absolute top of the pops. And the E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Estate? The ultimate in rare supercars – the S-Model Estate is certainly up there with the most-exclusive cars available. By our estimates, fewer than 200 total S-Model E63 AMGs will come to the United States per year, but even one is a huge blessing.   The E63 Estate is just one click slower to 60-mph than the S-Model sedan. That makes this the 3.6-second wagon king. …

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2015 Cadillac Escalade ChopTop Renderings

Fantasy ChopTop Renders – 2015 Cadillac Escalade Feeling Lowww!

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Big drama in development work on the site today. The only respite for this author – to stay busy and resist panicking as all images went down? Making more custom images, oddly enough. A chop-top conversion is one of the hardest to handle with OEM quality. A widebody is almost exclusively an exterior upgrade, but a chopped roofline requires some serious changes. Roll cages, electronics, cabin trims, doors, doorframes and glass all need to be redone. Not exactly something you can eyeball along the way, or carbon-fiber your way out of CAD-CAM studies in advance. But for visual impact, a …

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2015 Nissan JUKE Color Studio Offers 4000+ Unique Trims Via 12 Customizable Areas

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  The new 2015 Nissan Juke Color Studio is a fantastic step forward for Nissan – with MINI-besting combinations of trims that total at least 4000 unique variations. How? Over the eight base Juke coolors for 2015, shoppers can custom-color 12 sections of the body in unique accent shades. Everything from matte black wheels to carbon-fiber-effect wraps creates a mind-boggling level of one-of-a-kind Jukes. Once a shopper has picked their ideal Juke Color Studio combination, the results can be sent right to the local Nissan dealer to be fitted to a new Juke on arrival. The styling of the new …

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2015 Nissan JUKE Secures High-Style LEDs All Around in Design Refresh + Official USA Pricing

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  Updated 12.1.14 The 2015 Juke in the USA now brings the latest styling enhancements seen first in Geneva on the Euro-market Juke. Included below are 2015 USA Juke prices. Watch this space for a follow-up article on the 2015 Juke’s new Color Studio accessories.   NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan announced U.S. pricing for the new 2015 Nissan JUKE sport cross, which features a revised exterior and enhanced standard equipment – plus a new JUKE “Color Studio” personalization program. The 2015 JUKE goes on sale today at Nissan dealers nationwide, following its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto …

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2014 Peugeot EXALT Concept Refreshed for Paris – Will Future 509 Sedan Reach This Level?

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UPDATED 9.5.14   2014 Peugeot EXALT Concept   PEUGEOT EXALT CONCEPT: A NEW INCARNATION FOR THE PARIS MOTOR SHOW 04/09/14 European version of PEUGEOT EXALT Concept Car brings a host of innovative features Hybrid petrol-electric power train has a combined output of 340hp A new version of ‘Newspaper Wood’ returns to uniquely tailor the Concept’s bespoke interior PEUGEOT is showcasing the EXALT Concept Car in a new livery at the Paris Motor Show next month. The bodywork features shades of grey that emanate from the bare steel covering the majority of the exterior to the distinctive ‘Shark Skin’ rear end. Inside, the …

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Road Test Review – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Estate is 3.6-Second Wagon!

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INTERIOR GoPro Review Info – Part One   When it comes to the rarest of Mercedes-Benz AMG cars and trucks, the S-Models are the absolute top of the pops. But the E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Estate? Perhaps the ultimate in rare supercars – the S-Model Estate is certainly up there with the most-exclusive cars available. By our estimates, fewer than 200 total S-Model E63 AMGs will come to the United States per year, which is a crying shame. The E63 Estate is just one click slower to 60-mph than the S-Model sedan. That makes this the 3.6-second wagon king. The …

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Concept Flashback - 2001 Audi Avantissmo is A8 Dreamwagon

Concept Flashback – 2001 Audi Avantissmo is A8 Dreamwagon… Directly Influenced 2015 Bentley Falcon SUV

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There are shades of the upcoming Bentley Falcon SUV all over this A8 Avantissmo concept from 2001. That is no bad thing! Enjoy this delightful look at superluxury transport – as envisioned in Audi’s 2001 showcar catalog.

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Road Test Review w/ Pricing and Specs – 2014 Mazda3 Grand Touring

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We were amazed with the all-new 2014 Mazda3 from the moment we laid eyes on it – especially the slinky and low-slung sedan variant that just arrived this Spring to Mazda dealers nationwide. After some joyful driving of the loaded 2014 Mazda3 s Grand Touring model, it is clear that the praise we shared in the “2014’s Smartest Compact” article was not sufficient. This might be the best car on the market in general, with no caveats for size or price. It is that good. I am struggling to convey how outstanding a machine it is in all regards — …

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Buyers Guide Info – Building my 2014 Renaultsport Clio 200 EDC Lux

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If you were transplanted to another country tomorrow and needed a company car, what would you select? Nothing too garish or expensive, and something that will keep you entertained over the years of living in a new place? My choice would have a few priorities: — something that cannot be bought in America — something that fits the local roads and driving conditions well — chic, fast and low are always my goals I would be leaning toward a few cars, one of which is the new Renault Clio RS 200. Its turbocharged engine is just a few upgrades (intake, …

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2014 Nissan JUKE is Still Best New Car from $20k

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Nissan JUKE is Cool New Car from $20k As a car writer, one of the most popular questions I get asked is: what car should I buy? I have a few default answers based on the price range and buyer needs discussed with that person, but is there one fall-back for people who might want an SUV, AWD, and a great value-for-money? Yes, yes there is. The Nissan Juke. From about $20,000 even for the front-drive models with a CVT, up to a max of about $28,000 as the Juke NISMO RS — the Juke really does have something for …

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2014 MINI Paceman Cooper S – Built-out and Recommended Options for Loaded $34k Price

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2014 MINI Paceman Cooper S Options The MINI Paceman might seem a little unnecessary, but it is a unique choice that is a must-have fashion statement for some. For my personal preference of rear-drive, or rear-drive-based AWD cars, the BMW X1 would be my pick over the Paceman any day of the week. But the appeal of the Paceman is pretty real for its extra ride height over the very low-slung MINI hardtop. The style and image is what sets the BMW and MINI apart for most buyers. But both share one critical issue to be wary of: the ability …

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5.2s to 60mph, 148MPG Plug-in Hybrid AWD! Audi TT Offroad Concept – A Sure Thing As Future Q2 (or Q4?)

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The big three German luxury brands are infamous in charting each-others new models rigorously. When the Mercedes-Benz R-Class emerged to shocked faces across the globe, BMW was not far behind with the 5 series GT in a slight tweak on the theme. Once one of the big players has established a market, it is widely seen as almost a sure-fire new segment that all must either join or be left out of completely. The rationale is often more than a little flawed – as the R-Class seven-seater and five-seater minivan/wagon trend failed to spark much interest. But one clear segment …

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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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Rendered Speculation — 2015 INFINITI Q70L Coming to New York Show with Revised Q70 and QX80

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Update: My own errors never cease to amaze me. The Q70 Sedan will debut tomorrow with a Q70L version. Big news this week from Infiniti, which will debut revised versions of the QX70 Q70 and QX80 SUVs, formerly known as the FX M and QX. The look is highly likely to reflect the latest QX60 and Q50 styles — but there is a nugget of interesting info here as well. The new QX70 Q70 will debut a LWB version promising five extra inches of legroom in back!  This will make it very commodious versus the pinched-glass version today. So, in …

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2015 Nissan Murano Brings a Hypercar-inspired Restyle! Flowing Surfaces Accented With Macho Wheel Flares and Low Roof

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The new 2015 Murano is here and looking very stylish! It wears a very similar style to that previewed by the Detroit 2014 Sport Sedan Concept — but where the car-like forms of the Maxima are soft, the Murano’s are much crisper and more masculine. Another distinction? This is the real deal. Not a concept. The Murano will make its public debut on Wednesday in New York before hitting showrooms in November of 2014. Favorite angles abound on this five-seat crossover — from the “outta my way” nose aggressiveness, to the blacked-out pillar treatment for the floating roof, to my …

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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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WOW! 2014 Peugeot EXALT Concept — Onyx 4-Door GT — Raw Alloy Body with Sharkskin Textile Wrap + 340HP HYbrid4 Power

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One has to admire the resilient spirit of Peugeot Citroen. Budgets too tight to stay in LeMans? Take the powertrain up Pikes Peak in the new 208’s body shell!  And then keep rocking that super-diesel at the 2015 Dakar rally’s of Chile! A similar feat today with the just-revealed Exalt concept for Beijing. It carries forward many of the ideas first explored on the bare-metal Onyx hypercar concept, but this time with the gorgeous proportions of a RWD four-door coupe. That cab-backward layout is something French engineers and the buying public have been clamoring for since the demise of the …

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Concept Flashback — INFINITI Q30 from Frankfurt 2013 — Design Previews 2015’s Sexiest Compact Crossover

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The Infiniti Q30 concept is coming very soon — likely by this year some time as a 2015 production model. This is great news — the Q30 is gorgeous and very slinky and sexy versus the similarly-named, similarly-priced and similarly-sized Audi Q3. The Audi ends up looking a bit stubby and awkward by direct comparison… 2015 AUDI Q3 INFINITI Q30 Concept  

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Audi SUV and Crossover Showcase — 600-Photo Galleries of Q3, Q5 hybrid, SQ5, and Q7 TDI S-Line Plus

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Between 1994 and 2004, Audi’s biggest barrier to more US sales was a pretty limited number of model choices. In 2014, that is definitely no longer an issue: Audi’s American model range is huge. Disregarding the many, many engines available in each model, as well as S and RS cars — Audi is now packing at least 30 body styles. Add five more with the A3 and Q3 family for 2015, and keep adding five extra mystery machines for at least the next four years. Overall, plenty to choose from — with pricing that starts at $30,000 for the crossovers …

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Introducing Special Contributor Andy Stella — How to Trade Up from a 1995 Buick Skylark to a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic

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Ed’s Intro: Please welcome Andy Stella! A car-minded guy with some hilarious insights to share in this two-pack of intro articles. Coming up next is his Top 5 Cars to Street-Park in Chicago — but his personal car history had me rolling on the floor with lulz. Enjoy. By: Special Contributor Andy Stella       From Car Hell to Car Bliss… in Only Six Easy Steps!   My first car was a 1995 Buick Skylark that I bought from my mom. That poor thing endured driver’s ED for my older brother and I, many trips into/out of the snowbanks …

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2014 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V Wagons — Cult Classics — 3.6-liter V6 Offering Dark Vsport Grille via New Touring Package

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The Cadillac CTS Wagon is a plum machine, and one so rare you may never pass yourself going the other way on any road, worldwide. Available with a rear-drive 3.0-liter V6, or the upgraded 3.6-liter in rear-drive or AWD, this is a massively practical car that just happens to be gorgeous. It would be my pick in a heartbeat over the CTS Coupe, but versus the new sedan? That is a toss-up. What the Wagon does bring is that intangible sense of coolness that every fast wagon driver will know and love. What does that actually earn you? Nods of …

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Speculative Renderings – 2016 Cadillac Escalade V – How Does 650HP ZR1 Supercharged 6.2-liter V8 Sound?

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Guess who does not like renderings one bit? Manufacturers….!  A great Escalade buyers guide article is in final draft form, and coming soon to actually drive sales versus just unique visitors to this news website. But as long as I’m burning bridges shore to shore… A Cadillac Escalade V-Series? The idea is a bit tough to fathom or accept at first, but is a firm fit with buyer wants in this segment. One look at the aftermarket or even the GL63 AMG shows that once cost is no object, buyers often simply want it all. Light off-road ability plus a …

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Okay Now! European JUKE Nismo RS Features Matching LEDs Above and Below The New Round HID Lamps

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The recent European Nissan JUKE article spent a faintly absurd amount of words and on the color choice of the show car, as well as the LED lighting functionality of the JUKE Nismo. Hiding on my desktop is another Geneva debut I have yet to cover: The JUKE Nismo RS with the solution to both the LED and icky color problems! This photo of the JUKE Nismo RS for Europe confirms: all three lighting elements can now be used simultaneously.     Perhaps a trivial distinction, but one that American JUKE Nismo owners will understand. The JUKE Nismo RS in …

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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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European Nissan JUKE Previews Deeply Cool LED Designs Front and Rear — Securing High-Style Kudos After Dark

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The updated Nissan JUKE debuted in Geneva this month, with only a light refresh visible outside. Until it gets dark, that is! The LED updates now place V-Motion swish marks in the top indicator lamps up front, bi-xenon LEDs for the main round beams below, and some refreshed lower trim styling that now includes painted areas inside the lower grille region. The main front blinkers are still in the top lamps on the hood — just as much smaller amber LED units, we expect. This remains unknown as of now. The overall appearance is greatly enhanced by these revisions, and …

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2015 Cadillac Escalade Colors, Leathers and Specs Preview

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2015 Cadillac Escalade Colors, Leathers and Specs Preview Introducing the 2015 Escalade. The 2015 Escalade is looking pretty desirable as the winds change and snow starts falling in Chicagoland. The full line of codename “K2XX” SUV’s are all vastly improved for 2015, with Tahoe’s starting in the high $30,000’s at the low end. At the high end is the latest Escalade, which repositions itself as the true flagship of Cadillac. And, perhaps, General Motors. Starting with prices about at the same level as previous models, the Escalade is scheduled for an early Spring 2014 roll-out to dealers nationwide.   Exterior …

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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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My #LED #FailWhales — 123 Photo Showcase of Later-Junked DIY Headlights — Quad Projectors, LED Blades, LED Eagle Eyes… and 10 Other Icky Iterations

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Many of you may wonder about some of the eye-catching elements in my headlights over the years. The LED passion obsession started in 2009 for me, and took three years and six pairs of headlamps for me to realize: stop wasting time and money. But I was convinced!  The tech to build DIY LED headlights was out there, I would say to myself over and over. For context, this was after I had already spent much time in 2007-2008 upgrading to HID low-beams and stripping the middle element of the headlights (the chrome shroud) out completely.   But what style …

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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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Top Cosmetic Mods — Part Four — DIY LED Brake Light Bar Under Glass — Total Cost Barely $20

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And now, Part Four of the DIY cosmetic mods series. LED light bar under glass: Unique and V.Cool LED style enhancement. This one is not easy to find, but is very cheap to buy and a 5-minute install for most applications. Full article coming up about this in the future. — Why? Brings a Bentley or Audi A7 look to any car, better safety, makes car look impossibly low and wide at night. — Cost: this LED set from a junkyard Cadillac Catera cost me $2.50. Two dollars, and 50 cents. Total. — CAVEAT — You must find a DIY …

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2014 SEAT Leon Cupra Scores First OEM Embedded Spin-Table! Plus 3 Reasons The Leon Cupra Spanks Renaultsport Megane (…and VW GTI)

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The most unlikely fan of SEAT? Any American! While our LED obsession is well-documented — it is not just the available full LED headlights that are big turn-ons for the Leon. We love the latest SEAT car style, value proposition and brand statement. Any favorites in the ten-strong SEAT range? We are huge Leon admirers especially. Why? Check out the (mid-range) Sports FR Kit below and tell me it is not incredibly sexy. Three reasons to crave the SEAT Leon: 1.) — Value: Versus the VW GTI, the Leon is significantly more affordable for new-car shoppers, both in actual transaction …

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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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Top Cosmetic DIY Car Mods Under $50 — Part 2 — Fake Brembo Caliper Covers — How-To Instructions and Photo Results

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Part Two 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. And …

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Top Cosmetic DIY Car Mods Part 1 Switchback Blinkers LED DRLs Under Glass LED Turn Signal 2

Updated With Night Photos — Top Cosmetic Car Mods Under $50 — Part 1 — Switchback LED Blinkers — How-To Instructions

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Part One 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. And …

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My 30PSI-Boosting Subaru Legacy GT on HD GoPro Video + Photo Comparo vs Cadillac CTS 3

My 30PSI-Boosting Subaru Legacy GT on HD GoPro Video + Photo Comparo vs Cadillac CTS 3.6 Wagon

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This one is pretty fun. My first external GoPro mounting that also includes some very hard driving. Challenge: Name that Video’s Locale! At least half the time in this film was spent worrying that the camera would fly off the hood at any moment! Got lucky this time, but definitely looking into a more reliable and stick-able suction mount. My Personal Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon in photo comparo versus 2011 Cadillac CTS 3.6 Wagon. Which would you prefer? Worth noting is that the Subaru is currently in the shop at the moment for a 115,000-mile service. A “Custom Tune” …

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