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2016 Porsche CAYMAN GT4 – Latest 30 Action Shots from Algarve Impress, But Car Is Poor Value

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Reviewing the latest photos and video of the Cayman GT4 is quite perplexing. Who is this $84k machine aimed at?> Perhaps 911 GT3 aspirers, but for half the cash? The 4.2-second sprint to 60, intensely upgraded aero all around, sport exhaust and slammed ride height all point firmly toward the racetrack. But even Porsche knows it has a problem: there is no Cayman badge on the back of the car.  Just Porsche and GT4 letters to mark out the model. And that is the crux of it: this is a halo Cayman that hopes to ramp up excitement around the …

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Concept Flashback – 1988 ITALDESIGN Aspid – Tinted Bubble Canopy

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PART TWO: The Aspid bubble hardtop. This Aztec is the first of two from the design studio’s 1988 releases — and is a huge piece of automotive coolness that might otherwise be lost to the ages. It is hard to get psyched about 80s concepts sometimes, but this Aztec’s influence on SO MANY CARS of the 1990s is clear as day. Camaro, Corvette, Probe, RX-7, MX-5, 300ZX… the list goes on and on. The mid-engine concept car runs a 250-horsepower Audi-sourced engine, but its most memorable part is the glasshouse. Twin mini windshields wrap around both passenger compartments, and open …

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Concept Flashback – 1988 ITALDESIGN Aztec – Twin-Cowl Design Full of Ideas and Impact

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  This Aztec is the first of two from the design studio’s 1988 releases — and is a huge piece of automotive coolness that might otherwise be lost to the ages. It is hard to get psyched about 80s concepts sometimes, but this Aztec’s influence on SO MANY CARS of the 1990s is clear as day. Camaro, Corvette, Probe, RX-7, MX-5… the list goes on and on. The mid-engine concept car runs a 250-horsepower Audi-sourced engine, but its most memorable part is the glasshouse. Twin mini windshields wrap around both passenger compartments, and open upward in butterfly arcs as the …

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Hottest LA Debuts - 2016 Alfa Romeo GIULIA Quadrifoglio 3

2016 Alfa Romeo GIULIA – LA Debut + Realistic Analysis: Model May Fail at US Relaunch Mission

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The new Alfa Romeo Giulia debuted in North America this week — wowing LA showgoers with its extreme, high-performance exterior and interior. Still a bit light on actual details in terms of USA arrivals, or whether sales will be handled via Maserati showrooms, as on the exotic 8C Competizione from a few years ago. Below we discuss the new model’s stout performance in the original Euro debut article. But even all these months later, the GIULIA still faces an uphill climb in the US market. Reasons for this: — huge expectations for base Giulia models based on this ultra-high-performance Quadrifoglio …

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2016 Chevrolet Camaro – SEMA Concepts Recap + Colors Visualizer

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CamaroSix fever is heating up these chilly Fall days! The car is in full production and first customers may have their new wheels by Thanksgiving, and definitely by Christmas. Quite a special present for one’s self. Here is a look at the four extra concept cars Chevy slid in the back door of the SEMA 2015 show: the Camaro Performance Concept, Camaro Black, Camaro Hyper and Camaro Krypton. These offer a cool look at the potential mods and factory accessories available for the new ponycar, including an LED-edged bowtie emblem for the first time. Other Camaro accessories showcased on these …

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2015 Porsche Mission E – See Under Its Pajun-Previewing Panels Via 88 New Images and Animations

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Updated 9.16.15 We absolutely crave this machine. Ultra low, wide and expressive — the design is absolutely breathtaking. The engineering and tech down below is arguably even more impressive, however. The flat battery pack below the entire floorplan offers a suite of challenges versus a normal monocoque, but also presents some fascinating new opportunities. And Porsche is clearly relishing the new-found freedom of not finding room for an big engine at either end, or in the middle. The compact drive system allows most of the rulebook on safety, production feasibility and passenger comfort to be torn up. Rewritten for a …

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3.5s 2015 Porsche Mission E – 600HP Concept Is 4-Door Battery Boxster!?

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  A fascinating look inside the future Porsche lineup today via Frankfurt’s IAA. The just-revealed Mission E is absolutely breathtaking. Reviewing the images, my mouth was wide open in giddy shock and delight. Imagine the smooth and flowing bathtub Porsche silhouette, with curves like a 550 Spyder and stance like a super Cayman. The put in a beautifully minimal overhang at either end and four doors under an ultra low and lean roof. The look has every bit of the original Boxster concept’s star power. Running an all-new battery electric powertrain, the vehicle promises great things for future supercoupe buyers. …

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2017 Rolls-Royce DAWN Is Sleek New Wraith Cabrio – Updated With Configurator Details

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Updated 9.8.15 With 55 New Images, Inspired Collection and Configurator Link Huge news at Rolls-Royce today: the all-new Dawn cabriolet debuted at a star-studded Goodwood reveal. This new Roller is quite a special development for the world’s finest carmaker: a Wraith convertible positions Rolls to capture a far younger and far hipper buyer than the traditional owner base. Elegant and subtle in design while being a grand event of a machine, the Dawn will compete with the Bentley Mulsanne and GTC ragtops, the new S-Class Cabriolet and super-exotics like Ferrari’s and McLarens. Of course, its half-million estimated price also competes …

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2016 BMW 750Li Stars in Massive New Photoshoot

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Updated 9.7.15 The new 7 Series is here! This is a major update — firmly on the ‘revolution’ side of the typical BMW model evolution. Not a piece of exterior shared with the current range, this new 750 headlines with 250-pounds of weight loss via the new carbon/steel/aluminum platform. Is this new ‘carbonium’ a woven mix of aluminum and carbon-fiber? Something out of CyberDyne Systems? Almost. This new carbon-fiber is industrially-produced using large-scale methods of the BMW i3 and i8, Boeing tech partnership and Toray Industries materials expertise. The passenger cell sides and doorframes appear to be the primary recipients …

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2016 Chevrolet Camaro Pricing + Animated Colors and Wheels Visualizer

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Chevy just rolled out the 2016 Camaro colorizer, and the car is looking sharp! 10 colors and eight wheels for the SS Convertible and Coupe are damn sexy. Black or LED-lit bowtie and dark-tinted LED taillamps are just a few of the fun accessories. The full price list is not available yet but, we know the SS V8 base price will be $37,295 — up from the Coupe base price of $26,695 for the 1LT turbo. Budget an extra $3k above both coupes for the ragtop variant, by the way. So a bit pricey at first type here… but faster …

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2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe Revealed – Arrives Stateside in March 2016 With High-Fashion Style

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It is an exciting time to be a two-door in the Mercedes range. After years of CLK and CL doldrums, the new S-Class Coupe now has an equally stylish kid brother. The new C300 and C300 4Matic are just the start for this C-Class Coupe: a C450 AMG and C63 AMG are also virtually guaranteed shortly after the main models roll out next Spring. A cabrio variant is also en route for 2018. The design is actually remarkably appealing, considering it is almost a direct mashup of the new C-Class and the S-Class Coupe. The proportions really work — even …

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Update1 – 3.9s, 510HP 2016 Alfa Romeo GIULIA Quadrifoglio Sounds Sublime On Track!

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Update1 – Rendered Color TestWOW! First look at the new Alfa Giulia today leaves us floored! On-Stage Debut Romeo & Juliet appear to be in fine form these days — running sideways around 90-mph corners at the fantasy Verona racetrack! The numbers and initial details for this production-spec GIULIA (proniunced ‘Julia’) Qaudrifoglio are mouth-watering. 510 horsepower via a twin-turbocharged V6. Rear or AWD. Torque vectoring and active aero. Style to make you weak in the knees from up front. Fresh LED designs and a wide V have a sporty feel that vaguely recalls the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept, but …

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2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC 90

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC Revealed as $50k Macan-Fighter With Air Suspension and Fab Cabin

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  The Mercedes-Benz SUV blitz is in full swing — after the GLE and GLE Coupe twins, the latest family member has finally broken cover: the 2016 GLC. Renamed to align with the E-Class and C-Class in overall size and tech, the latest Merc SUV range is now far broader and able to scoop up sales that might have been lost to the BMW X3, Porsche Macan and Land Rover Discovery Sport. The GLC is a drastic departure from the boxy and off-road-oriented design of the GLK. This new truck focuses on practical and aesthetic improvements across the board. Added …

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2016 BMW 7 Series – Limo Revolution With Carbonium Chassis And FutureTech Galore

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Updated 6.11.15 The new 7 Series is here! This is a major update — firmly on the ‘revolution’ side of the typical BMW model evolution. Not a piece of exterior shared with the current range, this new 750 headlines with 250-pounds of weight loss via the new carbon/steel/aluminum platform. Is this new ‘carbonium’ a woven mix of aluminum and carbon-fiber? Something out of CyberDyne Systems? Almost. This new carbon-fiber is industrially-produced using large-scale methods of the BMW i3 and i8, Boeing tech partnership and Toray Industries materials expertise. The passenger cell sides and doorframes appear to be the primary recipients …

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2015 VW Golf GTE Sport Concept 2

2015 VW Golf GTE Sport Concept + 2016 GTI Clubsport Production Reveal at Worthersee

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Volkswagen has delivered a half-dozen Golf and GTI concepts in the last 12 months — so you are forgiven for thinking that the GTE looks too familiar to be all-new. With the Design Vision GTI, the GTI SuperSport and GTI speedster (both for Gran Turismo), the GTI thinktank is in full swing in Wolfsburg. This new GTE concept takes much of the intensely aggressive and dominating style of the SuperSport and adds a production-feasible e-AWD system. This li-ion PHEV setup adds a giant wallop of on-demand torque to the rear axle for nearly 400-hp in total. We have an all-new …

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2015 QOROS 2 PHEV Concept 4

Update1 – 2015 QOROS 2 SUV PHEV Concept Previews Upcoming Juke-Fighter

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Updated 4.21.15 with 10 Real-Life Photos Qoros is by far our favorite Chinese car brand — plucking exceptional talent from the UK car scene like Gerte Hildebrand of MINI fame and Jamie Barrett from the RCA design program. The goal is to bring global car safety, design and equipment standards to China-made vehicles. This is more than lip-service: QOROS has the only Chinese vehicles to pass the tough EuroNCAP crash tests and on sale across the highly competitive European car market. Qoros recognizes the opportunity for new brands in the crossover and SUV space — with this latest Qoros 2 SUV …

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2016 Mercedes-Benz METRIS Vans – Arrival in USA This September Priced From $29k

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Article three of the mid-size Mercedes van deep-dive! We’ve looked at this model range with awe — Mercedes has three dozen cars on this general platform, a dozen engines and three drive configurations. Bonkers! The USA is getting a customized and simplified choice of commercial vans from this large pool. We are not getting the lux V-Class, as the Metris is considered a commercial vehicle and will be sold alongside the Sprinter. The USA models will all be rear-drive with a standard turbo four mated to a seven-speed automatic. The engine makes 208 ponies and 258 pound-feet of torque for …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz MARCO POLO Glampers Primed For Lux Travel Adventures

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  Mercedes-Benz globally has three core businesses: trucks/buses, vans and cars. The US market has been almost exclusively focused on just one of these divisions, with the launch of the M-B Sprinter lineup 12 years ago one of the first times Americans have seen the three-pointed star on a truck of any kind. Everywhere else in the world, Mercedes logos bigger than your head are everywhere in cities, construction sites, farm tracts and anywhere in between. Part of the Mercedes-Benz USA focus on cars is now eroding — to the great benefit of shoppers able to buy some of the best …

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2015 Citroen AirCross Concept 14

2015 Citroen AirCross Concept Is Production-Intent 5-Seat SUV

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  We’ve been eager to see this car for days now! A low-res leak earlier in the week showed a huge amount of potential for this latest Citroen concept car — and luckily the full reveal confirms how cool this concept design is. Citroen, as we know, has little trouble creating absolutely stunning prototypes and concept cars. These are far different from the norm of concept cars lately in the US market. Heavy expectation management strategies mean that US show-goers rarely see pure dream cars, with manufacturers preferring the Honda, Ford and Infiniti route: a decorated version of the actual …

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Concept Flashback – 2008 Citroen HYPNOS Was X6-Sized Missed Opportunity

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  This 2008 Citroen concept is best known for its melted candy interior – with a swirl of wild colors looking a bit like a bag of Skittles left of the dashboard of a car in direct sunlight. But in fact, this crossover was one of Citroen’s first attempts at a soft-roader. Powered by a 2.0-liter HDi turbodiesel making 200-horsepower to the front wheels, plus a hybrid electric setup with 50HP for the back axle. The crossover and SUV space presented and still does present a fantastic opportunity for mass-market brands to achieve premium sales they all crave. Evidence? How …

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2016 Kia Optima Brings New, Wider Style With Dramatically Better Handling and Refinement

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  The 2016 Kia Optima refresh has a very familiar feel to it, does it not! We were surprised with how much sheetmetal appears to be carry-over on first glance. In fact, the car has a half-inch longer wheelbase and is an inch wider overall. Only the doors appear to be carry-over from the existing car, with a new shape to the front and rear fenders, nose, tail and rear glasshouse. The design is similar to the SportSpace concept from Geneva, but highly toned down for production. A new shape to the hood leads into a painted top part of …

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2007 Mazda TAIKI Concept 32

Concept Flashback – 2007 Mazda TAIKI Explores HyperLight Supercar Back-Channels

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Let’s imagine you want to make a supercar. The normal way to achieve massive performance is a giant engine. But is there an alternative route to supercar speed? The TAIKI concept believes there is. The little ticks down the aerodynamics chart are actually really giant leaps forward in aero slipperiness. Dropping a coefficient of drag from 0.30 cD to a 0.29 cD is actually a 10X improvement in how smoothly the car can pass through the air. This change continues its exponential level of change as you approach 0.01 — so the benefits of drag reduction are quite powerful. More …

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2016 Porsche CAYMAN GT4 37

Updated With 25 New Photos – 2015 Porsche Cayman GT4 Is Rock-Hard Cockster!

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Reviewing the latest photos and video of the Cayman GT4 is quite perplexing. Who is this $84k machine aimed at?> Perhaps 911 GT3 aspirers, but for half the cash? The 4.2-second sprint to 60, intensely upgraded aero all around, sport exhaust and slammed ride height all point firmly toward the racetrack. But even Porsche knows it has a problem: there is no Cayman badge on the back of the car.  Just Porsche and GT4 letters to mark out the model. And that is the crux of it: this is a halo Cayman that hopes to ramp up excitement around the …

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2015 Aston Martin DBX Concept Is Surprise Geneva Crossover

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Prepare to be stunned and perhaps aroused! This all-new Aston Martin DBX takes a second swing at an SUV from the Gaydon HQ of James Bond. But is Bond running the show at AML? Not at all. The new lead is Andy Palmer, poached from Nissan a few months ago and bringing his smart and hyper-productive product plans to the Aston range. At Geneva, Aston rolled out the Vantage GT3, the new Vulcan hypercar, a production announcement for the Rapide Taraf (now selling up to 200 copies worldwide), and this interesting DBX SUV. A high-riding GT car with two doors …

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2015 Lexus LF-SA Concept 14

2015 Lexus LF-SA Concept Explores Mini Crossover Coupe of the Future

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  Exciting day in Geneva today! Just around the corner from Lexus’s ED2 design studio, the Geneva show is hosting an exciting Lexus concept car this week. Dubbed the LF-SA, this two-door crossover combines ultra-compact and city-friendly dimensions with go-anywhere ride height, cutting-edge tech and highly advanced design. Sharing rough dimensions with the iQ from Toyota, the LF-SA is most notable for its fascinating design ideas throughout. An all-new take on the Lexus spindle grille is now much deeper, with a double layer of surfacing around the lower edges. In profile, the LF-SA wears giant fender flares and contrast-color and …

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2016 Skoda Superb 6 copy

2016 Skoda Superb Revealed in Prague With Audi A8-Rivaling Roominess and Superior Design?!

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Skoda is very proud of the Superb, their flagship of the line and packing a gigantic back seat that is in the same league as the standard-wheelbase A8 limousine. How and why is this possible in a car that is priced under the VW Passat? How comes down to the mass-market MQB chassis componentry and lack of an aluminum-spaceframe chassis or alloy bodywork. Front-drive is the name of the game, but this is also a side benefit. The trunk is bigger than any Audi sedan. Why? That is a bit more complicated. Think of the Superb as the Phaeton of …

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2015 KIA Trail’Ster Concept Previews Upcoming Soul Refresh + All-New Interior

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The Kia Soul is easily our favorite model in the Kia range – with actual sportiness in the handling and impressive power, there is no other car on the market with such a flexible crossover package. Best of all? The Soul is priced like an economy car, and has almost double the power of the Scion xD and xB. But how to make it a real SUV instead of just a fun and light-hearted crossover? For that, you need all-wheel-drive. KIA has gone theRX450h route here — powering the rear axle with hybrid electric motors. Efficient, compact, and lacking any …

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2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat – Side Exhaust Mystery + 150 New Photos

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The 2015 Challenger Hellcat is currently on track to be one of the most popular SRT upgrades ever. And little wonder. What other musclecar has ever achieved 707-horsepower!? Two in-person sightings of the Hellcat since its static debut at Elkhart Lake last summer: first at the Houston Auto Show, where we find an unusual side-exhaust ahead of the passenger wheel….. and next at the Mecum Auction in Kissimmee, Florida last week. Based on the anoraks at Hellcat.org forums, we believe the side exhaust is just a prototype testing detail, and not on the production cars. We have a few zoomed …

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380HP 2015 Porsche Cayman GT4 Is Hardcore, Track-Attack Cockster!

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The new Cayman GT4 is a huge bit of news! An ultra-hardcore model with 380-horsepower and a chassis overhaul complete with 911 GT3 tech bits throughout, this sweet new Cayman flagship will make many Porsche Club members thrilled. The GT4 is not just the huge wing and aerokit all around. It also crosses a threshold Porsche has so far been reluctant about: a pricing overlap with the base 911. The base 911 Carrera 2 is a cruiser at heart, though, and will not really compete directly with this new $85,000 Cayman GT4. Overlap is good. Let the Cayman GT4 have …

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2015 Honda FCV Concept + Year of Honda Turbo VTEC and Turbofan HondaJet Arrival

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Honda is very re-energized lately. It will take time for the actual products to catch up with the mood inside the halls of America Honda these days, but when they arrive, they should be terrific. After years of a relatively glum and forlorn outlook, there is a palpable sense of future potential in Honda today. The FCV concept is still in its production-engineering mode, as Honda is keen to perfect every detail before the global rollout. This sense slightly delayed the new Acura NSX as well, but we now see it was worth the wait. Honda is diving head-first into …

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2003 ItalDesign Moray Corvette By Giugiaro

Concept Flashback – 2003 ItalDesign Moray Corvette By Giugiaro

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  The Corvette Moray is a slippery one — in many senses of the word! Named after the shimmery Moray eel and styled to glide through this world without disturbing the air, the Moray Corvette from ItalDesign in 2003 is interesting for a few reasons. First off, though, let’s discuss what it is under these sleek new panels and triple glass bubble canopy. It is a C5 underneath — so the guys had their work cut out for them in making it special and respected at Pebble Beach and in Geneva. It is a full reskin from tip to tail, …

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HD First Drive Review – 2015 Ford Transit PowerStroke Diesel

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  In the broad and deep Ford Transit line for 2015, there are more than 50 variations in cab setup, overall length, wheelbase, roof height, engine and rear axle setup. The dually rear-end in LWB, high-roof cargo configuration is surely one of the hardest-working in the bunch. This extends to its payload and tow ratings as well as its overall cost-of-ownership. For cargo and passenger Transits that will cover huge miles with a full pack of cargo in back or on tow, the PowerStroke diesel is a welcome option to consider. This cutting-edge 3.2-liter inline-5 diesel is one of the …

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2015 Ford Transit Upfits Bring 30+ Factory-Adjacent Suppliers For Streamlined Procurement

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One of the most impactful changes in the 2015 Transit vs Econoline is that a huge variety of custom cargo upfits can now be ordered right at a local Ford dealer or through any fleet manager. This means the trucks arrive ready-to-work with exactly the right set of interior cargo solutions, exterior racks or even full chassis conversions. We saw a great selection of the Transit Upfits available on Ford’s recent roadshow — and were very, very impressed. Ford’s suppliers all now have factories within 20-miles or so of the giant Transit hub in Kansas City. This means the trucks …

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