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Update1 – Audi Pulls No Punches With 400HP RS3 Sedan

It’s no secret that we love the Audi A3 here at this site, in fact we even had the chance to review the A3 for ourselves recently and loved it. But while the S3 is a tempting treat in its own right, it’s always made us wonder what would happen if Audi took it to the next level? The company has answered this all important question by unveiling the next evolution of the A3, the all new RS3. The headline snatching feature of this tiny track terror is what lies under the hood, with the RS3 packing the same 400 …

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Best of Paris 2016 – Renault TREZOR Concept in 66 Photos + Video

The most breathtaking silhouette of the year? With a one-piece front clamshell door rising proudly to greet you?  Its unique and ultra-flowing fades versus firm, artless lines. The Trezor concept is a car whose beauty makes one sit down, suddenly weak in the knees. Luckily for us, this vehicle will be the guiding light in next-gen Renault designs.  Which are a bit in need of passion these days.     Concept Car Embodies French Design and Easy Life The TREZOR marks the beginning of a new cycle of development that explores design language and technologies for Renault’s upcoming models. The warm styling and …

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2016 Volkswagen ID Concept

This is it! A near-production EV platform that VW will take global in three dozen flavors. Promising tech and ambition for a company still neck-deep in trouble. Some elements of the ID are more production-ready than others.  Details like the shrouded mirror-cams and roof sensor pods are actually farther out than the core architecture. The ID EV runs a flatpack battery and spaceframe chassis, a la tesla, but with a price that is hopefully a bit more Model 3 than Model S. The cabin is now enormously roomy for a Golf-length car.  Slightly formless elements of the design are aero-dynamic …

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2016 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 – Paris Debut GALLERY + Render

I love this car.  I love its viciously post-modern take on a low-drag monstercar. The design is quite spectacular, if overshadowed by its final finishing.  Imagine this machine without red wheels, blasting by you in the fastlane… just a lightbar *flash* and it’s gone from view in front.  2016 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 – Paris Debut GALLERY Study of an ultra-stylish luxury-class coupé: The ultimate in luxury: Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Stuttgart/Pebble Beach. Every August classic car fans from around the world converge on Pebble Beach in California for a very special beauty contest. This gathering of magnificent classic cars is the perfect …

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EQ Concept Mercedes-Benz – Paris Launch Party

Zaps? Zips? Forgive the silly electric-themed headline!  This EV concept is no laughing matter.  A serious, Mercedes-Benz style take on a full EV performance SUV. With sizing around the new GLC, the GLE, if a bit wider, the EQ concept promises big power and big range.  Will big speed be in the mix?  We hope so! The looks are fairly chic and intriguing from all but the nose angle.  A bit hard to look dead in the eyes, this EQ. But the inductive charging capability and its broad, sexy shoulder chisels?  Bring it on!   2016 Mercedes-Benz EQ Concept Paris/Stuttgart. With “Generation …

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2016 BMW X2 Concept – Live Paris Photos/Analysis of Intriguing New Design Language

Interesting new look for the 2016 BMW X2 Concept today in Paris!  The X2 is smoother and softer than the traditional X3/X5 design feel, but is still quite macho and aggressive.  We love the nose detailing, long and low roofline like a fastback, and the pert rump. This concept X2 hopes to broaden the crossover appeal of cars in the VW Golf size class, with minimal tradeoffs when scaling skyward.  As such, it appears about half-way between the normal BMW aesthetic and the latest X-model appearance. This becomes clear with the ultra smooth bodysides and minimal fender flaring, in contrast to …

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2018 Audi Q5 – Paris Debut for Fresh Facelift

A fairly light facelift here for the Q5 upgrades the design outside and in, plus relocates its production to Mexico for the first time.  Neither the new look nor the new factory is exactly promising, if we’re honest. 2018 Audi Q5 – Paris Debut PRESENTING THE ALL-NEW Q5 – THE FIFTH ELEMENT FOR AUDI AT PARIS 29/09/16   New Q5 sets standards in connectivity, ride comfort, handling dynamics, efficiency and driver assistance All-new version of the best-selling Audi SUV worldwide Up to 90kg lighter than its predecessor Luggage capacity increase of 10 litres Increased interior space, headroom and rear kneeroom One …

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2017 LaFerrari APERTA Goes Topless in Paris

First live look at the hottest topless Ferrari in decades! A softtop and carbon hardtop panel are both provided to the very select owners of this new LaFerrari Aperta.  Chassis stiffness and aero upgrades ensure the same performance as the hardtop variant… but now with added aural pleasure included — gratis. The exclusivity of the model will also provide some added value to its buyers.  No production cap is cited yet by Ferrari, but is likely to be less than a tenth of the 500-plus production run of the LaFerrari so far.  A one-model-year offering is a sure thing, just …

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Updated with Live Photos – 2016 Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept

Second look at the Infiniti QX Sport concept — but the first time outside of its debut in Asia! This stylish number is widely thought to preview an upcoming QX70 replacement.  Or perhaps a pair of them! A long-wheelbase, seven-seat variant of the model is likely. We’re unclear on the basis for this vehicle.  It may be an evolution of the Q50 platform, or could share its underpinnings with the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class.  If the latter, this would be the second deep partnership between Infiniti and MB — after the just-launched Q30 and QX30 models. 2016 Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept …

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Land Rover Unveils All-New 2018 Discovery

Following a host of teaser videos and images, Land Rover has formally unveiled the 2017 Land Rover Discovery ahead of its official debut at the Paris Motor Show. Once known for its squarish lines, Land Rover designers decided to take a radical approach with this new Discovery pitching the four corners theme in lieu of a more streamlined look. The front end takes much of its inspiration from the current Range Rover, and even carrys over that model’s headlight design. Meanwhile the rear styling takes inspiration from the smaller Discovery Sport, and features slick LED taillights. The end result is …

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2016 Infiniti Q50 2.0T – Road Test Review – By Tim Esterdahl

After three non-stop hours behind the wheel of a 2016 Infiniti Q50, I’ve never been more mixed on a car. It simply delights, frustrates, pleases and annoys all at the same time. Here’s why. Throughout my week of driving the car, I had taken short trips while saving one long-distance trip for the compact car. My reasoning is simple. This trip was a mix of city, highway and dirt driving through the northern Colorado landscape of fields and rolling hills. There are hair-pin turns, long, straight roads and plenty of deep drops and quick climbs. It is ideal for seeing …

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2016 Audi A3 2.0T Quattro – Road Test Review – By Carl Malek

When gas prices jumped a few years ago, a new breed of luxury car immediately came to the forefront of automotive buyers. Dubbed the “compact luxury car” these vehicles promised to offer their owners a long list of equipment, performance, and luxury in a decidedly smaller package. The 2016 Audi A3 aims to stand out against rivals such as the BMW 2-Series and the Mercedes CLA in this hotly contested segment, but has its push for sales diluted the very traits that have defined recent Audi models?   The exterior styling of our Monsoon Gray Metallic tester is a compelling …

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2016 Bentley BENTAYGA By StarTech Adds Remote Exhaust + 23s

A very nice stage one mod pack for the new Bentayga just arrived!  Brabus’s StarTech division is leading the effort with custom carbon exterior upgrades, giant 23s and a remote-operated sport exhaust that bellows far louder than stock. The engine output appears to stay the same on this first upgrade.  The press release below discusses the V12 at length… but of course, the Bentayga runs a W12!  =] 2016 Bentley BENTAYGA By StarTech The first further refined Bentley Bentayga comes from STARTECH   Sporty-elegant widebody version, 23-inch forged wheels, sport exhaust with sound management, and exclusive interior   The new …

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2017 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe – By CHROMETEC GmbH

A WOWING “CURE” FOR THE MERCEDES GLE COUPE by CHROMETEC Photos: CHROMETEC GmbH CHROMETEC in Kleinrinderfeld, Lower Franconia has achieved a superb reputation in their region and beyond for specializing in high quality tuning of Mercedes Benz automobiles. A performance plus as well as several exterior optimizations are now available for the Mercedes GLE coupe – a crossover-vehicle of SUV and coupe (manufacturing internal designation: C 292). These features make the already stunning coupe even more smart casual, astonishing and individual. An additional control module supplies the performance increase (can be re-installed at any time!) for 300 PS / 296 …

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2016 BMW M2 By Lightweight – 690 Pound-Feet, 185MPH!

„LW M2“ by LIGHTWEIGHT Photos: Jordi Miranda LIGHTWEIGHT in Mittenaar is deeply committed to the slogan „Innovations are generated from passion rather than satisfaction“. The company’s name portrays their program, because weight reduction – for example by a titanium exhaust system in combination with a performance upgrade – provides minimal weight and maximum performance. The LIGHTWEIGHT team led by Managing Director Marc MÜLLER chose a BMW M2 in order to optimize its weight and performance. For starters, the original version of this vehicle already comes with a mighty engine. As of now the dynamic BMW – referred to as LW …

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Car Detailing Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making

It doesn’t matter if you drive a Daihatsu or a Bugatti, making your car presentable is part of being a responsible owner. Unless you’re the type that invites friends and passersby to finger paint nasty messages on your dust-caked windows, there are a few surprising things you should know about washing and detailing a car. Take a little time to understand how to properly wash your car, so you’re proud of its look. Most people think they should wash from the top down, but there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s possible to wash your car incorrectly, and …

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2017 Hyundai ELANTRA Ultimate – Road Test Review + Drive Video

The 2017 Elantra Limited is a knockout. It blew us away with its supremely European handling and best-ever-tested autonomous drive. How do we do this phenomenal car justice in a text-only written review?  Impossible! As such, we have the usual 50 photos of the car plus a very cool HD drive video to come along for the ride. Just try not to be wowed by what this Acura ILX rival can do!   HD DRIVE VIDEO – 2017 Hyundai ELANTRA Ultimate     EXTERIOR First things first, though.  How does it look?  Remarkably mature and sophisticated.  The Elantra Limited is the top …

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McChip-DKR 2017 Porsche 911 Scores Value-Priced Turbo ECU Reflash

Rare to have the same exact thought about tuning a Porsche versus tuning a Ferrari!  But indeed, this new McChip 911 takes a similar path to extra oomph. The intro of turbo power for many previously-atmospheric supercars presents a huge new opportunity for tuning boutiques.  Upgraded sound and boost make a huge dose of adrenaline on throttle for this Porsche. McChip-DKR Porsche 911 MCCHIP-DKR AND ITS INCREDIBLE VERSION OF A PORSCHE 991 CARRERA S 3.0 Photos: mcchip-dkr GmbH & Co. KG Mcchip-dkr is well-known for operating an ultramodern research and development center for chip tuning in Mechernich, located southwest of the …

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Project VOS-9X – FERRARI 488 GTB by VOS PERFORMANCE

Oh, what life must be like for a tuned Ferrari!  All your factory niceness washed away — replaced by rock-hard carbon and scary new speed. The intro of turbo power for the Cavellino line is promising for tuning boutiques.  Upgraded sound and boost make a huge dose of adrenalin outside and in for this VOS-9x. Project VOS-9X – FERRARI 488 GTB by VOS PERFORMANCE The PROJECT VOS-9x The vital vision of a FERRARI 488 GTB by VOS PERFORMANCE. To create a stimulating re-interpretation of an automobile icon and assemble something incredibly unique: This is one of the specialties of the …

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Mountain Drive! 2017 FIAT 124 Spider – By Anthony Fongaro

Colorado is an amazing place to drive! While visiting this great state, I was lucky enough to attend RMDE, or the Rocky Mountain Driving Event. This event had different vehicles from various manufacturers. Part of this event included driving 90 minutes, or 3,000 feet up a mountain. If you couldn’t guess, the car that I drove was a little black Fiat convertible. The car in question was a 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso. Before the drive, I put down the manual convertible top and let the beautiful scenery of Colorado surround me. Then I put the car into gear. And …

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Lux American Trucks Are Going Global – By Charles Partos + 200 Pics!

    Over the years, the face of luxury was normally tied to many different types of expensive cars. In fact, if someone wanted to drive in style to a prom, a wedding, a reception or other popular occasions, they may even rent a car from a luxury car dealer in their local area. Today, as many things are changing industries all over the glove, the definition of luxury has changed dramatically. Specifically, because of the new style of luxury that has entered the market, which are the American Pickup Trucks.   That being said, it is important to know …

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2016 BMW M5 GTS by Carbonfiber Dynamics

A multi-stage upgrade here from Carbonfiber Dynamics.  OEM-like quality execution for this M5 is the result of fresh Vossen alloys, GTS Fire Orange paintwork and a 3DDesign carbon bodykit all around.  Power is way up, naturally, but the machine itself appears quite aged.  If even an estimated $50k in mods fail to revive the tired design…. then it is probably time to get pumped for the next-gen M5? Among fanboys, sure.  But for owners, the F10 M5 has much left to give!  We’ve dubbed the overall package the M5 GTS — a name that has a great ring to it!   2016 BMW …

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3-Second VW? OCT Tuning Liberates 450HP from GOLF 7 R

The new Golf R is so fast and hilarious in Race mode that we noted many times how strong its engine felt in the first-drive video below. If it “felt like 400HP” with just its stock 300 ponies, imagine how it must feel with a full 150 extra??!     450HP and 405-pound-feet of torque are confirmed from the dyno-honed outputs secured by German tuning boss OCT. 2016 OCT Tuning GOLF R   A MUSCLED BEAST powered by O.CT TUNING – THE GOLF VII R Photos: O.CT Oberscheider Tuning GmbH Since 1994 O.CT Tuning operates as its own department within …

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FOSTLA.de 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus – Sunflower Matte Metallic + Self-Healing XPEL

The new R8 is available in a comically small palette of factory colors.  About the hottest one is a dark army green… and that is saying something.  Yes, the blue and red and yellow shades are on the R8 builder, but they definitely lack that last bit of supercar punch. Enter the wrapping boutique Fostla.de — forever experimenting with the latest mirrored and color films for their chic clientelle. This new look is a stunner: sunflower matte metallic vinyl wrap, protected by a layer of XPEL film all around.  This keeps the finish perfect and also adds a bit of …

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The Worst Things to Happen to Our Parked Cars – By Scott Huntington

  Is there anything worse than coming out to your car to find it has been damaged? You could have innocently parked it at a mall while shopping. You could have been out with friends and left your car with a valet. You could have even simply parked your car on the street where you live thinking it would be safe. I asked reddit for their “parked car horror stories” and got some real gems: Hold the Relish “Once early in college, I had left my Infiniti I30 in a Walmart parking lot while riding around with a few friends. …

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2017 Audi A4 Quattro – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

  We recently read a comment that the Audi A4 has become so refined and smooth – perhaps overly so – that why not just pocket the cash and get a Toyota Camry? This is a shopping decision that faces us in many places in modern life. Is that fancy artisanal sprouted bread really worth three times the price of the generic loaf at the local grocery? The freshly barista-poured Peaberry better than smudgy carafe of regular at the neighborhood donut house? And now we have an all-new Audi A4. Are we buying? Well, this may not be as easy …

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How Staying Organized Keeps You in Control of Your Life

Everyone is going to have that situation in their life when they feel like everything is completely out of control. Unfortunately, it seems like everything seems to go wrong at the same moment. You are running late for work, you hear some bad news from a family member or friend, your car is making a loud noise, and then when you finally get to work, there’s no close parking. So in all your frustration, you decide to park in a spot that you aren’t sure about. When you finish work that day, you see a paper on your vehicle indicating …

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2016 Nissan TITAN XD Platinum Reserve 5.6L V8 – HD Road Test Review

The Titan XD is making trouble in the full-size truck business! Like many disruptive troublemakers, though, they are doing a great service to the rest of the class.  Think of the rigid 1500 vs 2500 hierarchy of Fords and Chevys as the annoyed teacher, and buyers as the giggling classmates – in this broad metaphor. The established players in the segment are deeply invested in the half-ton, full-ton distinctions.  Beefier springs and a heavy-gauge chassis equals massive profits for the established truckmakers. Nissan has shaken things up with its all-new, ground-up redesign of the 2016 Titan XD – or Every …

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Paris Preview – 2018 Porsche PANAMERA 4 E-Hybrid

Official details today on the all-new Porsche plugin: the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid.  Quite striking how much the style of this new Panamera reflects the long-term vision shown in the firm’s latest concept Mission E. Still firmly room for a gasoline motor in this production iteration, but the cab-backward — yet forward-looking — style of all Porsches since day one appears more than intact for 2018. NEW HYBRID PANAMERA MODEL UNVEILED 08/09/16 Sustainability and performance – no contradiction for Porsche ATLANTA, Sept. 8, 2016 — The Paris Motor Show will see Porsche unveil the next model in the all-new Panamera line: the Panamera …

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2017 Toyota PRIUS – Road Test Review – By Ken “Hawkeye” Glassman

  When Toyota brought the first Prius to the US back in 2000, you knew it was a hybrid by driving it, and even just looking at it.  It was an awkward looking thing that seemed to scream cheap sub-compact.  Inside, it wasn’t much better, with cheap looking and feeling materials, and it didn’t offer many amenities.  It was a purpose-built machine incorporating as many weight saving ideas built into it so that it could deliver outstanding gas mileage.  If that meant Spartan interiors and few features, so be it.  If it meant that the car wasn’t fun to drive, …

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2016 Audi TT Coupe 2.0T Quattro S-Tronic – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

The Audi TT has always been a bit of a head scratcher for us enthusiasts. When it first launched in the mid 1990’s, it was a visual stunner. And in many ways, it was the birth of the Audi cool that we have today. But there was a problem. As stylish and trendsetting as the TT was, it was not a sports car. And in the world of Porsche Boxsters and BMW Z4s, the TT was odd man out. When the second-gen TT bowed in 2006, it lost some of the groundbreaking style, but was well on the way to …

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2017 Honda Ridgeline AWD RTL-E – Road Test Review – By Carl Malek

Mid-size trucks are gaining sales a wild rate in 2016. With the revitalization of the mid-size truck segment over the past two years, this is now a hotly-contested battlefield. Once defined by wheezy entries such as the Ford Ranger, as well as older iterations of the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma, the second generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon have set the current benchmark for the segment, and pushed their Asian rivals out of the mix in the process. Honda looks to reverse this trend with the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, but can this revamped entry standout in a crowded segment while …

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2016 Volkswagen PASSAT 1.8T SEL Premium – HD First Drive

    Watch us put the new VW Passat through some autocross corners around Georgia’s Lake Lanier Islands Resort. Thrilled with the 1.8T engine’s thrust and the car’s handling balance — as well as the six-speed automatic, which fooled us into thinking it was a DSG!  But actually just a terrific Tiptronic with Sport mode.  Impressive.   2016 Volkswagen PASSAT 1.8T SEL Premium 2016 Volkswagen PASSAT 1.8T SEL Premium – Interior

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2016 VW Beetle DUNE – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

You might not be a big fan of VW right now. Diesel has once again become a dirty word, and while the automaker struggles to make things right with the government and the buying public, the brand has been getting the stink eye in a lot of ways. We’re going to look past the diesel models, because there’s also a lot of goodness in the VW lineup, and we think there are an awful lot of folks who design, make, and sell the brand that had nothing to do with the problems going on. Right now, VW needs a new …

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