Best of 2013 Awards: Track Driving Genius – Chris Harris in the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Please enjoy some of the best supercar track driving ever filmed, via Chris Harris on Cars. Certainly the best of 2013.
Please enjoy some of the best supercar track driving ever filmed, via Chris Harris on Cars. Certainly the best of 2013.
It has been a few years since my last seat time in a Chevy Malibu, and I was expecting the worst. What I found in the Malibu Turbo is an eager plaything with gobs of power all over the rev range and a firm feel from the ‘Bu’s latest leather-wrapped steering wheel. Pls note: Mis-Adventures in video camera tech continue. The audio of these videos is really, really bad, and makes the Malibu seem much louder than it is. A brief presentation today with Chevy offered some insights into the three areas of dramatic overhaul for the 2014 Malibu, which …
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
These two devils play a wicked trick on the brain at first sight. Their unique blend of original and modern Ford GT cues really sets them apart on the roads – even when that giant V8 is not howling away. Priced from $150,000 each, these are recreations of Ford GT40 LeMans-winners. But these cars have a few aces up their sleeve to make up for their lack of pure vintage credibility: speed, presence, and ease of use. They are also easier to drive on the street, with updated emissions and other helpful concessions to road use. The sense of occasion …
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 …
ItzKirb Photography is a fancy name for one brilliant artist. A man whose camera lenses really bring supercars to life on film. And to do that, he gets to prowl around his favorite locations driving multi-million-dollar exotics – which is a great reason to wake up for work! ItzKirb also has a fine eye for beauty in women, boats, and other fast-moving objects. He brings his best lighting and magic eye to all topics. The 2011 Lexus LFA is quite beautiful from where he stands, I think you will agree. Please cruise over to Like ItzKirb’s Facebook page, which …
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 …
Classic car shopping is often like staring over a city from high atop a mountain. Once your eye sees one thing it likes, there are ten more within the same focal point. Such is Hemming’s Classifieds section. This site allows is a much broader type of browsing and car shopping, with long distance delivery of anything bought online. Generally, private sellers online come in two flavors: – extreme obsessives who are forced to part with a car they have cherished – extremely careless people charged with liquidating an asset You can guess which one you want to buy from to …
Let’s start at the beginning, my personal vantage on the Buick GNX – before and after watching Black Air: The Buick Grand National Story. Here are three things you may not know about the 1987 Buick Grand National: Engine came first, car second. What sporty body could fit this 500HP boost-monster? Housing the huge McLaren turbocharger and intercooler hardware of the 3.8-liter V6 was the hardest part. It was a very sentimental project for the company, allowing unbridled execution of the super-car engine and total styling black-out. That high-gloss, rich paint was pure fantasy at the time. The GNX was the …
W Motors is such an exciting success story – it must win the Best of 2013 Award for these achievements. From the outside world, a new hypercar from a country without automotive expertise is laughable. Even coming close to the levels set by Pagani, Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren is virtually impossible for any new company. At the very least: most of the promises from any new exotic car brand are (very) exaggerated. This spirals development costs out of control, leading to: – insolvency from lack of capital to invest – at the very least, huge delays and unhappy deposit-makers …
Some big changes at Volkswagen of America this week, with executive leadership heads rolling to account for the current VW sales slump and steep down-trend. This is unfortunate, but just a cost of doing business. The previous acting chief doubled sales in 24 months, which is pretty astounding until you realize how low VW of America’s sales actually were. But what is the root cause? They are many and varied – but it comes down to the dated, extremely boring and overpriced US product portfolio. As many of you may know, I like to play with car configurators online. …
Can you guess who hates Camaro and Mustang news? Dodge. This one-off concept’s HEMI engine gurgles and rocks the car as it revs with indignity at the 2.3-liter turbo four heading to the 2015 Mustang. No cubes = no pubes, the Hemi Charger growls to itself. Packing a 7.0-liter V8 engine with a quoted 600 horsepower, the Hemi Charger concept is part Batmobile part race-car and part street fantasy The proportions of this machine are hilariously retro. Clearly converted from a much longer sedan platform, the back deck of the Hemi Charger is a few feet longer than even the …
If there is one Yankee hypercar that can really run with the bulls from Europe, it is the Hennessey Venom GT. WHat the Texas-based crew from Hennssey has proven since 2010 is nothing short of remarkable. In fact, this is the ultimate American exotic. The real thing. Refined and fine-tuned over the last seven years, the Venom GT is nothing short of: The Fastest Car in the World. Forget the NARDO for ultimate Vmax runs in the next generation of hypercars. Too bumpy. (Porsche may be working on this issue, but a resurfacing project visible from space should give advance …
Buckle up. Tighten belts. Hang on! It looks like the day has finally come: one of Ferrari’s ultra-exclusive Corse Clienti XX models is set for public sale by RM Auctions this February in Paris. Widely believed to be pushing out nearly 800 horsepower through its Enzo-plus V12 engine, all of the typical street weight is stripped out. A full carbon-fiber aero redesign nearly doubles downforce (and grip) versus the 599 road cars, and weight is a very private figure – assumed to be at least 800 pounds lighter than anything with a license plate. Type approvals and imports will be …
You remember Caparo. Their breakout T1 model from 2008 was huge news for any car lover. It takes the track-attack ethos of similar English charms like the Lotus 2-Eleven, Ariel Atom and others, then fast-forwards the technology by 100 years. While the legendary 1950s-designed Lotus Seven continues forward with even more new Caterham models for 2014, it seems that the actual future of these race cars is in a rut. A deep rut, followed by a speedbump in the road. Too low to pass over it, the Caparo T1 now appears to be stuck. Here is a mini timeline of …
The Porsche Panamera is a revelation. This is a car that draws in comments from strangers on a daily basis. And when the strangers are not approaching you to fawn over the Porsche, they are watching the car’s every detail as it rockets down the roads and highways of the world. The Panamera is, perhaps, the coolest sedan every made. Yes, yes – I am a big Porsche fan and have been for most of my life. But even so, Porsche’s brilliant execution of the Panamera really makes this a 928S — updated for 2020 and beyond. Among the eleven …
Think you know hybrids? Wait until you get a brainfull of the infographics accompanying the 2015 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron. This is a plug-in hybrid that primarily runs on gasoline via the handy 1.4-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine. Combined power is quoted at 201 horsepower, but the battery size and efficiency for the plug-in components is not yet available. What is clear is this: the e-tron configuration will come initially in the Sportback body style only. This is news versus the executive compact sedan A3/S3 twins, as well as the two-door cabrio. Full LED lighting will be a feature on the …
Think you know hybrids? Wait until you get a brainfull of the infographics accompanying the 2015 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron. This is a plug-in hybrid that primarily runs on gasoline via the handy 1.4-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine. Combined power is quoted at 201 horsepower, but the battery size and efficiency for the plug-in components is not yet available. What is clear is this: the e-tron configuration will come initially in the Sportback body style only. This is news versus the executive compact sedan A3/S3 twins, as well as the two-door cabrio. Full LED lighting will be a feature on the …
This design is still really stunning. Much of the purity from this nose, in particular, seems long gone from the latest 6-series and 7-series. Then again, many great ideas were instantly frozen between 2007 and the present, so these themes may crop up again in the future. At least one aspect of this design seems to have been embraced by many non-BMW brands: the rear arch strike line. In various forms, it populates many other cars after six years since this concept’s debut. None bring quite the elegance and relaxed attitude of this show car, however, to these eyes.
Has the upcoming 2015 Toyota Supra Turbo been hiding in plain sight this whole time? In the decade since the last Supra, the speculation has never stopped. The latest buzz indicates Toyota may be bringing a near-production example of the Supra to the Detroit show next month. This is exciting – even if the name starts with FT — Toyota-speak for wild concepts. Over the past few years, dozens of speculative renderings have appeared all across the car guys universe. All of these are hopelessly dated, however, and do not seem like a Future Toyota – to us at least. …
What to do in a time like this? One of the most exciting cars of 2014 sneaks onto the web, without BMW’s official blessings. The best thing we know is to add value to the news, and cite the source. BimmerBoost.com is sure to have its biggest traffic, ever, this week! WHile the images in all their glory are astounding, there is far more to the M4’s turbocharged howl than just this new yellow paint color. Yellow? It is called Austin Yellow Metallic, in case you wondered, and is a dead ringer for the prismatic paint used on the recent …
BimmerBoost has uncovered some very exciting news today. The BMW owners site just posted the official 2014 M3 launch images and ordering guide. The early release also includes details on the two-door M4; stay tuned for an upcoming article. For the sedan, BMW chose its most lively blue paint and dark wheels for the press shots. As always, something about a track-honed car with four doors — this M3 looks better than the M4, in my opinion. Enjoy these high-resolution images ahead of the 2014 BMW M3 ahead of its official debut in Detroit next month. Also included below …
It is just a Volvo kind of morning here in Chicago. Snow has been falling for two days, and the temps are extremely frigid. My Subaru had major struggles getting up and out of the steep driveway, thanks to my amazing decision not to shovel. My poor Subaru Legacy GT. What a hard, battered life it leads. Most of the damage sustained by the car has been off the pavement. Something about huge, huge turbo power and AWD has led me — time and time again — to take the low-slung LGT off-roading. Much as I love the Q-car appeal …
Volvo is heating up! Literally – warming themselves in the cold winters up north with visions of how pretty the 2015 XC90 needs to be. The Swedish team has developed some scientific assessments of car styling that use heat maps to identify viewer emotions. As the viewer’s eye circles the car, tracking software is able to learn and highlight the areas of the car design they like best. Sounds completely absurd, like something from science fiction? Nope. The Swedes know many things about cold versus hot temperatures. As shown in the below graphics, the Best of 2013 Award-winning Concept Coupe’s …
The Audi A7 has always made a compelling case for itself: from just $70,000, the A7 now brings five-plus trim levels and a variety of new engines. The S7 and RS7 are absolutely mind-bendingly-fast: twin turbo’s blow full boost launches away in less than 4.0 seconds, and still pulling like a fighter jet well past 100 mph. Air suspensions keeps things calm and flat – even when pulling 1.5G in all directions. The one thing all A7 variants share is their low-slung, slinky appearance on the roads. This is a stunning silhouette, and still far more lean and lithe than …
I love buying ridiculous things for my car. As long as it can theoretically be removed *when* it breaks, and costs less than $20: I am usually ready with a Visa in hand. What do I mean? I buy really trashy stuff. In upcoming articles, I am trying to think of a way to write about fake Brembo caliper covers ($4.00/set), and also this trippy LED stick-on banner equalizer that dances to music. Yes, it sticks on your back windshield, and matches the rythym of whatever is on your stereo. This is not some “Ha ha look at them” article. …
The Bentley Mulsanne lives a charmed life. It its glamour photos, the Mulsanne whooshes around between palaces, castles and state capitols. This is a car that lives the globe-trotting life we all dream about. It will hit 180-plus-mph between the safety chicanes that break up its namesake straight-away at LeMans. Everything is supremely luxurious, well-executed, and most of all: memorably fun to drive. This big bruiser has 10 VW’s worth of power under that massive hood, and rear-drive dynamics ensure old-school Bentley Boys thrills around any damp corner. But there is a wide-eyed elephant in the room. The Mulsanne is …
Ford’s debut of the 2015 Mustang GT is still picking up steam. After some personal confusion about Ford’s decision to release only 10 barely-real-life images of the new Mustang in red last week, the good stuff is starting to trickle out from Dearborn about this exciting new pony car. Enjoy these all-new images of the 2015 Mustang GT in Silver. The car is expected to be in dealers nationwide by April. New Silver Images – 2015 Ford Mustang GT 2015 Ford Mustang GT – New Interior Images 2015 Mustang GT in Red
With all this love and attention lavished upon the GMC Sierra at Spaceport America, the seven available styles of 22-inch rims for the Silverado High Country, and some Super Duty love — it is time for the Toyota Tundra in all its glory. This is only a truck that can be jabbed at from afar. Up close, the width and height of this machine immediately shuts your mouth. Enjoy these mega galleries, with particular attention to my favorite: the Tundra Limited with the dark wheels! 2014 Toyota Tundra – Exterior Galleries 2014 Toyota Tundra – Interior Galleries
BMW’s mighty V-12 turns 25 this year, and the red carpets are being unfurled worldwide. Such a limousine was a flight of fancy for any non-Mercedes-Benz company before the 1980s, but BMW led the assault on the S-Class stronghold. With the V12’s launch in the late 1980s, BMW cemented its rightful place in the luxury sports limo category. This is, after all, the V12 whose 627 horsepower propelled the McLaren F1 to such great heights. This is the engine below in testing, with image credit to BMWblog.com McLaren F1 Engine Testing Image Credit: http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/06/28/bugatti-veyron-and-mclaren-f1-comparing-the-incomparable/ The rest, as they say, is …
The Juke NISMO as the turbo sports car of the year? In this budget range: you bet your alcantara headlining and carbon-fiber diffusers! The NISMO Juke makes no apologies for being different from the norm. After spending a week with the Juke NISMO earlier this fall, I discovered a fun-to-drive car that is nimble and toss-able in all situations. It also turned heads like a GT-R on roads filled with boring tan sedans. The unusual headlamp setup of the Juke is brought to life with the GT-R’s white LED accents in the lower bumper area. With the LEDs blazing white, …
The Volvo V60 is an exciting new entrant for the Swedish luxury brand. This core Volvo model was initially left off the American price sheets in favor of the much larger V70 and XC70 Cross Country, but Volvo has now come to its senses! What the V60 offers is the mid-size package from the S60 sedan, including all the latest styling updates and tech enhancements inside. The R-Design’s new T6 engine promises about 304 horsepower and a ~5.7-second sprint to 60 mph, while the Polestar could bring up to 375 horsepower for a sub-5-second sprint time. Polestars come with AWD …
The new Aston Martin Vanquish is looking mighty tempting these days. Fresh styling outside, fresh tech inside, and sprint performance finally worthy of its pricing. That pace is 4.1-seconds to 60mph, officially, in case you were wondering. This low-rev quickness is a huge improvement versus the previous drag times for the DBS thanks to a host of changes to the V12 engine to liberate more ferocity. The new paddle shifters for the automatic add versatility, letting drivers instantly blip down a gear or three or max exhaust bellow. The new styling is actually quite memorable and distinctive, particularly in one …
The Chevrolet SS serves a critical purpose for buyers with very specific, big-V8-rear-drive-sedan needs. 2014 Chevrolet SS – Exterior Gallery The SS is brilliantly tailored to this dual purpose of track-ready pace and performance, plus a lounge-like back seat and giant trunk. 2014 Chevrolet SS – Interior Gallery The car is arriving now to Chevrolet dealers in more volume, and is very worth a stop to check it out for yourself! SaabKyle04 did just that, and gives a great, concise and informative video review below. Thanks Kyle! Not a bad E63 on a budget, with the paddle automatic being …
Look at all these stunning paints and wheels! In addition to all the other improvements to the 1500 Silverado, it looks like 22-inch wheels are the major option to select – right after the $2,000 6.2-liter engine upgrade box. The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado is now one of the cleanest and sharpest-styled trucks on the roads. The new grille and lighting setup is only the start of the design changes for the Silverado 1500 lineup, which is available now with a variety of tempting Christmas promotions. (Stay tuned for Silverado V6 All-Star Edition details in an upcoming article). We sampled a …
Spotted my first white 2014 Honda Civic Si Coupe on the road tonight near Chicago, and it looked really confident and sporty. While we sliced and diced in traffic, it was almost as if the Civic knew the horrible things I have written (and printed) about the Honda Civic … in the past. Ahh! While Honda and I do not always agree, we have a few important things in common. Honda also loves my fair Sweet Home Chicago, with the night-time visualizer on Honda.com showing the world-famous Wacker Drive on that rare, blissfully-traffic-free time of night. The 360-degree visualizer …
GT6 came out today for PlayStation 4, which just launched two weeks ago. Confirmed sales of the console in its first 14 days on the market: More than 2.1 Million Units Sold. By some rough number crunching, without any currency checks or actual retail pricing, Sony just got the ultimate Christmas present: More than One Trillion Dollars in Revenue. IN 14 DAYS! What business are *we* in!? Just kidding… Acura NSX Concept Gives First Track Thrills in GT6 After some well-intentioned, but “strange-looking” renderings of the future production Acura NSX earlier this week here on CarRevsDaily, some exciting official news …
Update1: This article now includes the latest official images from Nissan. Intro The Nissan 370Z was the first model to get the comprehensive Nismo upgrade from the revered tuning arm of the Japanese auto giant. Long housed in an anonymous mid-rise factory with only a bright red door to signal something special inside, the Nismo team is spreading its wings with further upgrades to normal Nissan models. The best-known work from these honorable speed demons is, of course, the GT-R . As we will see, this is not a team who adds some stickers and a lightly revised ECU to …
EuroChevy Runs Out of Gas In what seems like a curious move from General Motors, Chevrolet today reports it will no longer promote or sell Chevy-branded cars in Europe by the end of 2015. This is a very complex decision, but one that has sound business principles at its core. Europeans do not want to buy Chevrolet cars. Period. Most new brands, like Infiniti, face an uphill battle to sway these entrenched buyers with very specific brand loyalties to local marques. But let us say Infiniti started at a brand index of 0, and is working to move that …
Headlight Detail 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Interior 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Engine Compartment Record Run – Official Video HD Video: 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder High Speed on Track 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Technical Data Drive Combined system Maximum system power over 887 hp at 8500 rpm Maximum system torque of 944 lb.-ft. (utilizing 7th gear) Maximum system torque over 590 lb.-ft. from 800 rpm to 5,000 rpm Combustion engine V8 high-revving engine with a displacement of 4.6 L Maximum power output of 608 hp at 8700 rpm Maximum torque over 398 lb.-ft. at 6500 rpm Maximum …
Until the new M4 arrives, the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe is by far my favorite current BMW. While all brands like to tout their new cars as longer, lower and wider than before: usually the changes are fractions of an inch (or some other meaningless millimeter measurements!). The 640i GC is a full three inches lower than the 5-series, rocks almost a 117-inch wheelbase, and looks wider than a Hummer H1 on the highway. The whole car is designed to emphasize width, power and stance from all angles. The glasshouse is far more inward of the car’s shoulder-line than any …
Welcome to the first in a playful series of ‘2013 Awards’ articles about the most significant and influential cars of the past year. What a year for concept cars! After serious austerity at the major European shows in recent years, our favorite luxury brands embraced exotic prototypes once again in 2013. After all, show cars can – and do – work wonders for the best car brands. The list is long, but two of great American icons come to mind. The 1953 Corvette concept led to hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue in the 60 years since then, while …
2014 GMC Sierra – Exterior Gallery 2014 GMC Sierra – Interior Gallery 2013 vs 2014 Models
OFFICIAL! The All-New Ford Mustang Came (Comes?) At Midnight A midnight homecoming for the Ford Mustang. Ahhhh, like the best of all arrivals – on time and on budget. Official Ford Mustang Launch – Colors and Style VIDEO The 2015 Ford Mustang is officially revealed today, with all-new tech for everything from the tire stem caps to the back-seat “Oh Shit” handles. Lady feet prints on on the interior windows are – sadly – a DIY add-on to this hung pony car. Official Ford Mustang Launch – Exterior Design VIDEO No mås sneaky peaky, @AutoWeaky ! However, per usual, …
Honda Design. Not two words that make sense together, but that seems to be changing. The latest concepts show great direction, and movement to a new brand style. This is great news for the new, production-ready Honda Vezel crossover, which carries much of the panache of the Urban SUV Concept. But it is even better news for the forthcoming NSX. Whether an Acura or Honda, the bold vision is a relief versus some – private – concerns about the prototype’s appearance. 2013 Honda FCEV Concept 2013 Honda Urban SUV Concept Honda Vezel Hybrid Honda Vezel Hybrid Official FCEV Release …
My next car? I write about cars all day, every day. But rarely am I so overcome with desire. I want to own, drive, bash, coddle, wash, wax and detail the Macan. I want this Porsche in my garage. So, I ask myself… Is my next car? Is this Your next car? Perhaps in 2020 the Macan will be within reach, financially, for thisguy. Sigh. If your fortunes are better, be careful with this next part. WARNING: These Huge Macan S and Macan Turbo Porsche Wallpapers Are Gorgeous ****May Cause Customizations and Involuntary Pre-Orders**** 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo – Exterior …
BMW’s long, low and wide new 4-series is hitting its stride. Of course, the 4 drop-top replaces the previous 3-series convertible line as BMW links its sportiest models with even number badges. Overall convertible sales have fallen off a cliff in the American market in the last few years. Even so, it is not immediately clear if this is a structural change in buyer preferences, a short-term economic side-effect, or if there simply were not the same volume of cheap and dreadful Chrysler Sebrings to prop up the sales numbers. Even “the hot girls” like Jillayne from my high school …
If any supercar would be perfect for one of my “Fun” Car GIFs, it is the 2014 Audi R8! Some blue-sky thinking earlier: what supercar would I buy with my own money, or feel so strongly about to recommend it to a close family friend? Supercar is a broad term. Let us say: super $150,000 and available from a relatively mainstream manufacturer (with a broad dealer network), for ease of servicing. Not a 911 Turbo or GT-R, for the sake of argument. Today’s dream-car answer? The 2014 Audi R8 V8. Not the V10 or the V10 Plus. Just the humble …
The Concept X4 just had a glitzy dinner, and is en route to a velvet-roped club entrance… BMW recently released a night-time city teaser of the Concept X4, which is a high-gloss way of imagining what this blue-raspberry performance car will look like ‘out on the town.’ The concept seems dripping with light and far more purity and flow to the surfaces than the X3, and also, far more roof chop than the bigger X6. 2013 BMW X4 Concept – Animated GIF 2013 BMW X4 Concept – Nighttime Teaser Screenshots 2013 BMW X4 Concept Gallery
A hard reboot? The “Microsoft recommended solution” – aka ripping the plug from the wall? Factory settings reset? The new E-Class is so hot. It is as if a paper-clip poked the Mercedes design reset brain for ten seconds consecutively, triggering a full reboot from core system files. Of course, the most noticeable and memorable part of a pretty car is the nose. This new soft graphic is now looking beautiful from its thrummy E250 base configurations, through the rich E350 sedans, wagons and coupes, on to the E400 Hybrid and E550 4MATIC. All the way up to the …
Phantom Series II First Photos WRAITH – Carrara White
Video is so great. Long gone are the days of shoulder-mounted VHS Handi-Cams. Simply snapping a 60-second clip of something on your iPhone seems silly in the moment, but the results can be really special afterwards – for remembering the details in 1080p detail. iPhones actually take video in 4K resolution, then down-scale the .MOV files to 1080p for export. What this means is that the iPhone is now one of the best video-cameras ever made – and fits right in your pocket. What do I mean? Well, the 2014 E63 AMG is easily one of the best cars I …
The AMG SLS has been a huge hit for a number of reasons. Primarily, it created a halo supercar for the Mercedes-Benz line-up just as the messy McLaren partnership was coming to a close. Even better? The car cost a fraction of the SLR’s price – both to build and in terms of engineering pride. By engineering the SLS in-house, nearly from scratch: AMG proved itself worthy of additional product development responsibilities and able to handle a car’s creation from almost start to finish. But the SLS has always burned very, very hot. Since its arrival in 2009 as a …
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 coupes. But in the Nissan back catalog, there is a …
Shocking absolutely no one: the new BMW 4-series coupe looks outstanding in motion! The latest track images from BMW show the 435i in silver, with dozens of images of the coupes racing around a compact track. The beauty and stance of the BMW coupe has never been in question. It is simply a hot, hot car. If any friend of yours has one, you know that it draws in envious stares at every stop light. Even other BMW drivers wish their car were a 435i coupe. But when launched, the 428i and 435i Coupes did not receive the rapturous reception …
Past, Present and Future Super Duty Fords The truck business is becoming cut-throat competitive. Even after decades of loyalty battles, mud-slinging with the Calvin peeing on _____ stickers, and the constant one-ups-man-ship in tow ratings: things are getting seriously rough out there. Following huge, huge investments from Toyota and Nissan earlier in the 2000s: executive management is getting impatient with sub-100,000-units annual sales totals for the Tundra and Titan. But what to do? The Ram, Chevrolet and Ford trucks are continually improving, and seem forever a step ahead of the somewhat boring second-tier trucks on the market. No where is …
We all know the new Jeep Grand Cherokee is the best truck ever to don the seven-slat grille. Watching the SRT GC’s launch control starts are intoxicating, and the latest LED style of a pinched horseshoe in the headlight graphic is very appealing. The top-spec Summit trim even brings some heavenly new open-pore woods and fine leathers to the cabin – but at a price. The top Grand Cherokee’s become quite expensive in the higher trim levels – even kissing $50,000 for the diesel engine in some trims. What about a GC for the rest of us? The 2014 Laredo …
The Viper brings a series of updates for 2014, headlined by the new GTS Anodized Carbon at the top of the podium – and price sheets. With only 50 copies made, each ‘xanodized’ edition comes with its own numbered plaque and a custom interior, as well as the tasty matte paint finish. These options are a shortcut to buying the most exclusive, loaded Viper available. This is handy – because the SRT team will make your Viper in any of seven million different custom styles! By volume, the Viper must be the most customizable model in the whole company. The …
Lexus Rocks SEMA – Wild IS350 Widebodies Showcase Lexus is also getting very clever. Showroom experiences have broadened from just a warm dealer with leather chairs and dough-nuts. The brand is fully immersed in the art, media, fashion and culture segments. One stunning piece of this Lexus culture mission is the below “Swarm” Video links from Lexus International. Lexus – ‘Swarm – Coding Motion’ from Rogue Films on Vimeo. Director: Mark Jenkinson Lexus Design Award-Winners Showcase 2014 IS350 AWD F Sport
The Nissan GT-R was the stand-out hero in a parking lot that also included the hottest and latest machinery from BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, Audi… and many more. Autobahn Country Club is exactly what it sounds like. A private membership gives you access to the track seven days a week, with special events throughout the summers. This is the Autobahn Country Club performance fleet, continually updated with all the hottest cars. It is a dream come true for car guys, and was where I met the GT-R for a brief spin around the block. This is the GT-R 2013 …
The Pathfinder is a real charmer. With lockable four-wheel-drive and seven seats, it checks many boxes right in the first block. The vastly improved CVT automatic is no longer a sore point, with polite but perceptible downshifts and great cruising refinement and economy. Powertrain and Towing Highlights A Hybrid model joins the ranks for 2014, but this press loaner was the loaded Platinum model, which focuses dollars more on luxury and technology in the cabin. Interior Amenities Highlights 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum – Exterior Sunny Day Animation 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum – Exterior Gallery 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum …
Formula E is really shaping up to be a remarkable series! TV rights are being finalized all over the world for the first race in 2015, and the teams count is now up to ~nine with the latest Mahindra and ABT AudiSport on-boarding. But the real highlight of a visit to Formula E’s website is the video intro. Listen to these cars! No Audi e-tron or R18 I’ve heard sounds anything like this. My reference point is Petit Le Mans 2012, I believe, with the big Audi’s and even bigger HDI FAP cars terrorizing the senses as they raced …
Published on: Nov 30, 2013 @ 12:36 Here are some quick videos I took outside Autobahn Country Club in Illinois earlier this fall. Please disregard my employer’s name at the time and enjoy this twin-turbocharged luxury drop-top. Part One: Leaving the Gates Part Two: Spotting a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. Look Closely Near Middle of Video…! Part Three: Quick Sprint Demonstration Optional LED Star 2014 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet – Exterior Gallery 2014 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet – Interior Gallery 2014 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet – Details from MBusa.com
Worth recalling is that Wraith is *scary* fast, with only a soft woof and gurgle from up front to warn you that warp drive is engaged. Hang on. The music in this first one is via YouTube licensing, and hopefully shows the beauty of Wraith in motion. Full screen and 1080p High-Definition should enhance the experience. These photos are amazing, and are meta-tagged with Vienna and James Lipman, who we can only assume is a famous photographer. Hat tip to brilliant snapper Mr. Lipman! GIF City, USA … is no Vienna, Austria This next one is a silent old GIF. …
A quite subtle nip and tuck keeps the posh and economical Lexus CT200h moving into 2014.
The LWB Range Rover is a legend in America. For many, it was the breakout car for the brand in the early 1990s. Adding serious lounge space in the back of the County models really made this a cultured Suburban or Tahoe substitute in posh cities. The all-new Range Rover is quite exceptional in many, many ways. In addition to a forthcoming Hybrid model, this new Long Wheelbase version seems like a good choice for shoppers. The change on the exterior from this added length is very subtle, with the LWB Range Rover looking just as posh as ever in …
Freshly home from a fascinating day today with the brilliant and charming minds behind the best luxury car brand in the world. Invitations to drive a variety of $300,000-plus super-luxury cars would be enough to make me fall down jealous if it were not happening to me. The Wraith North American launch was held in the glimmering mountain ranges of Scottsdale, Arizona today. But not just one Roller in residence: more than $5 million dollars worth of RR spent the week living at the posh Phoenician Resort. When Rolls-Royce Invites You To Something, SAY YES! Arizona is… not the most …
This summer’s 2013 BMW X1 sDrive28i press loaner still makes me smile when looking at the photos. As my first week-long loan from BMW, the pressure was on to a) write a brilliant review and b) not hurt the car in any way! The X1 is a hilarious riot to drive in 28i sDrive configuration, which denotes rear-wheel-drive versus the optional xDrive. The turbo-charged engine is zingy and potent, with a broad and low torque plateau and the exceptional ZF eight-speed automatic handling changes. The test car included EcoPro mode and automatic stop/start for stoplights and traffic. EcoPro mode really …
BMW’s MINI is absolutely a future textbook example of how to revive and relaunch a silent brand into a loud, crowded age. While the original 1960s Mini was much more of a phenom inside England, BMW’s ambitions have always been far more global. Spending ten years with the nightmare of Rover Cars Limited taught BMW many lessons in the 1990s about what *not* to do with a classic brand. Divesting Rover and Land Rover helped BMW pivot to a far more logical and promising ownership of Rolls-Royce, Mini, and a few other moribund sports car brands in the early 2000s. …
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 The Escalade is not quite as exciting as …
The 2014 Stingray is an incredible sports car with the interactive handling and playful engine harmonics of the best supercars. This is coming from an import-driving, turbo-loving guy who has never even liked the Corvette before this year, let alone wanted to own one. The Stingray just proves it case on the roads. It drives so well, is so fast, and also versatile with a removable targa panel that fits inside that big trunk. The all-new cockpit with has premium tech and materials. (Seriously!) So, if the Corvette Stingray is so good: what about its old-man designs for the …
My bad jokes aside, the A3 Cabrio will be very popular with all types of sun-seekers. The cute A3 Cabrio joins the U.S.-bound 2015 A3 line-up that also includes an all-new compact sports sedan and plug-in hybrid Sportback body styles. The little A3 Cabriolet has been quite a hit in Europe in its current generation, where it brings (some of) the classy and expensive-looking style of its larger A5 and S5 Cabrio siblings. While the display model wears the full S-line body kit, far more humble A3 Cabrio’s should start with pricing in the low $30,000 range when arriving stateside …
Porsche will fly twin missions under the Volkswagen Group. But only four letters really matter: LMP1 As the production cars division spreads the 911 ethos across a wide variety of new body styles over the next decade, vehicles with a Porsche badge will come in all sorts of new shapes and prices. Along with this proliferation of bad-ass sports cars? Winning the world’s toughest and most-respected race of any kind. Swimming laps? No. Running laps? No. No Olympic athletes are asked to perform for 24 hours in a row. The reason? Ostensibly, it cannot be done. Many have said the …
The 2015 BMW i8 is beautiful. Make no mistake about it: this will instantly be the most-exciting car on the roads from the second half of next year. BMW i Visualizer – see this exact i8 and change the colors, wheels, leathers… It is significantly more challenging to grasp the i8’s performance potential in advance, like we can for most new sports cars and even hypercars from the big names. But while the i3 might be a bit funky, the i8 is stunning. Low roof, scorching pace, style for days: this i8 is hot. It also brings forth never-before-executed concepts …
The $29,000-plus luxury compact market just got very hot under the collar. Audi revealed the 2015 A3 line-up in LA this week, and it is a direct hit for stylish urban executives. Coming in two sedans (the A3 and S3), a PHEV Sportback, and also a cute A3 cabrio —- the A3 is poised to take sales off the books of the WRX, Lexus IS250, Ford Focus ST, and many others. Pricing an arrival time estimates vary, but by summer 2014 seems like a safe bet. 2015 Audi S3 Sedan – Exterior Gallery 2015 Audi S3 Sedan – Interior Gallery …
The Ka is Ford’s smallest nameplate – literally. Just two letters and a quick sound. I like to pronounce it like a Southie from Boston, someone who ‘Pahhks the kaaah in ahhvaad yaaad.’ Alas, we can’t all be Good Will Hunting. Even so, the Ka’s broad appeal seems like a sure thing with this new five-door layout and cutting-edge technology. Even the style of the simple halogen headlights shows that Ford wants to be with the cool kids from MIT, and perhaps not the book-worms from Harvard. This Ka proves how silly the current model is, unfortunately. Based on the …
Mustang mania is building up! The reveal promises to be one of the most exciting from Ford in years, and the anticipation is palpable! One last hurrah for this generation of Mustangs comes in the 2014 Official Pace Car, which led the NASCAR Miami Homestead race earlier in the month before jetting west for SEMA and the LA Show. Quite a stunner, with huge fender flares that are far better integrated than most Mustang wide-body chops.
Five-seat SUV concept is based off the new MQB architecture and features a plug-in V6 gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain Concept features dramatic new interpretation of Volkswagen design DNA 415-horsepower gasoline-hybrid concept is capable of 70 MPGe The vehicle can travel up to 13 miles as an EV Top speed of 147 mph; 0 to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds VW CrossBlue Coupe – Concept – Exterior Gallery VW CrossBlue Coupe – Concept – Tech Gallery VW CrossBlue Coupe – Concept – Interior Gallery Animations
Hooray for Jaguar! If anything, this latest coupe F-type Jaguar is even more beautiful than the white-hot 2014 F-type that is available this month at Jaguar dealers nationwide. The 2015 coupes pack similar trim levels to the drop-top, but a stance and design boldness that is far more intense than expected. 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe – Debut Gallery 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupe – Exterior Gallery 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe – Interior Gallery Animation – downloadable Official Details: U.S. Models and 2015 MSRP1 F-TYPE Coupe $65,000 F-TYPE S Coupe $77,000 F-TYPE R Coupe $99,000 At-A-Glance Originally penned as …
Updated 11.10.14 The new season of GT Academy is online and watchable via the below YouTube embed! To celebrate, we’ve paired the episode with some of the coolest NISMO cars from SEMA 2014. Mostly, relaxing for me is commercial-free online television of some kind. Just stumbled upon the latest for GT Academy, and feel compelled to share this exciting series. Imagine a mix of a few shows like Toughest Soldier Challenge, TopGear, … and … America’s Next Top Model…. and you will get an idea of what GT Academy offers viewers. Instead of shooting or pouting, these guys train to …
The 2015 Colorado looks amazing! These all-new midsize Chevrolet trucks stand tall with their big Silverado brothers. Z71 off-road packages raised the ride height, while the extra-short overhangs will surely be an asset off-road. Capabilities will vary across the Colorado line, with engines topping out with a five-cylinder…. Just kidding! The top engine is the excellent 3.6-liter V-6 best known from the Cadillac portfolio, but this time delivering great torque and even 302 horsepower through a standard six-speed automatic. Even the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder has ‘bulked up’ – producing 193 horsepower and about the same torque level in the …
The landmark collaboration between auto experts RM Auctions and artful Sotheby’s set new heights with November 2013’s “Art of the Automobile.” The week-long extravaganza sounds like it went perfectly, at least in terms of the pricing delivered to sellers and the variety of exceptional cars on display. This might have been one of those weeks in a city like Manhattan. Where millions of people walk by a dark building without a clue how much majesty is just a few feet away through the bricks. The cars were on display for pre-sale viewings, making this a bit of a secret garden …
The landmark collaboration between auto experts RM Auctions and artful Sotheby’s set new heights with November 2013’s “Art of the Automobile.” The week-long extravaganza sounds like it went perfectly, at least in terms of the pricing delivered to sellers and the variety of exceptional cars on display. This might have been one of those weeks in a city like Manhattan. Where millions of people walk by a dark building without a clue how much majesty is just a few feet away through the bricks. The cars were on display for pre-sale viewings, making this a bit of a secret garden …
Some great Camaro driving videos in the vault from my press loaner RS a few weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the Camaro RS – as you can clearly see in these videos, hopefully. Highlights include: 323-horsepower V6 engine’s sonorous exhaust bellow as the active baffles open up incredible JATCO six-speed manual overall improvements to the handing, tech, and refinement Here are some images of this $33,000 plaything, including the latest LED lights front and back. Out back, this RS has strong 1990’s SC400 overtones about its proportions – a very good thing. The original GS and SC were styled by …
Fun Car Gifs – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4MATIC S-Model Fun Car Gifs – 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4MATIC S-Model (Slight Variation) 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC S-Model in 30 High-Res Images
Subaru BRZ Color Fight – World Rally Blue – Downloadable GIF Subaru BRZ Colors Showdown – World Rally Blue – Exterior Gallery Subaru BRZ – Interior Gallery Subaru BRZ Colors Showdown – Light Silver – Downloadable GIF Subaru BRZ Colors Showdown – Light Silver – Exterior Gallery
HD Exhaust Howl These two extremely limited-production racing specials are truly sublime. Every exterior detail is massaged, including the deep carbon-fiber left unpainted in some close-ups ofmthe MC Stradale GranTurismo. The cabrio in white is even more erotic, almost. Updates for 2014 include the rear seat available as an option, which is a fantastic benefit for the Maserati super-coupes. The back seat size is far closer to the Bentley Continental GT’s than the tiny parcel shelves in the Porsche 911 or the Aston Martin Vanquish. Enjoy this exclusive animated video of the twins in action, including the official soundtrack of …
There is a new Cayenne killer on Madison Avenue. U.S. Range Rover fans now have a chance at the lofty life in a 2014 Range Rover Sport via a social media contest requesting four videos or photos of a wild, driven individual. This theme carries across the “Driven” launch themes that will accompany the new RRS’s arrival stateside later this year. The clever and playful #IamDriven social media challenge promises a fun and down-to-earth next step in the globetrotting launch roll-out so far this year. Highlights have included a drag race on an unpaved airstrip vs a Spitfire Supermarine …
Graphene is new on the scene but exploding with promise. It makes carbon-fiber look like a wool sweater from the 1800s. Graphene is two-dimensional sheet of honeycomb lattice molecules just one atom thick, but stronger than any other substance on earth. As a sheet, it’s carbon. As a stack, the material is graphite. The applications are tantalizingly endless, as the material is super-lightweight and even has conductive properties to relay electricity better like a circuitboard. In the car world, the 2D sheets will be layered and stacked to create 3D panels that are customizable in strength as needed. Future applications …
Eagle Low Drag GT Launches New Website Since discovering Eagle’s latest project a few months ago, the anticipation of the finished car has been palpable. After hitting the lawns of Buckingham Palace with the St James’s Concours d’Elegance in early September, it appears that the car is in finished form for the latest photos on http://www.lowdrag-gt.com/ Secrets Secrets While the pricing and the buyer for this first Eagle Low Drag GT are very private, Mr. Brace let us know that the single car has been in progress for more than the last five years. He also hinted that there is …
2014 SRT Viper GTS – Huge Wallpapers Come and get ’em while they are hot! Although we did not have time to meet the Viper’s dark side during a 5-min jaunt around Autobahn Country Club’s parking lot, the deep colors and meticulous finish is visible on SRT’s latest test cars. The carbon-fiber of the trunk felt a bit more like Lexan, but that is not too relevant… The humongo sizes of these images should be linked to each file, just open in a new window for the full glory of this V-10 supercar – at rest. A courteous and polite …
This car is calling out to me from the Cadillac.com configurator! 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport Premium – Exterior Gallery 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport Premium – Interior Gallery 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport Premium – Animations
Subaru is very busy these days. From a usually-quiet and predicable company, years of continued success are finally bringing out some excitement. Here is some juicy dirt on the marketing behind this success: Perhaps the real kudos (definitely in Japan, at least) is shared with the BRZ project. But regardless: Subaru is awesome. #Love really is the greatest ad slogan, c/o Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis. Many may know that name best from their three decades of legendary work for Porsche Cars North America. When Porsche left for greener pastures, Subaru assigned the firm their whole account without a review. That …