2017 Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

Thinking that if you want a European Sport Sedan, It’s got to be a Bimmer, Benz, Audi or Jag? Maybe taking a chance with an Alfa? You might be missing out on something very cool.  The Volvo S90 T6. Yes, Volvo. Most people think they’re mostly a maker of SUV’s (they make a couple of excellent ones) or don’t even know they’re still in business. So sure, they look great loaded up outside IKEA with your latest FINNBY Bookcase (who comes up with these names?), but does it have the credibility on the streets with the big boys from Bavaria? …

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2017 NOVITEC N-Largo Ferrari 488 Widebody

If you ever email us here at CRD and really want your message read… here is a shortcut and sure-fire way to make it happen. Include the phrase N-LARGO somewhere in the subject header!  I would spit out my coffee and run to a desktop to see the latest Novitec widebody in highres detail. This latest example based on the Ferrari 488 and 488 Spider is certainly no exception.  This new 488 N Largo is a full 5.5 inches wider than the stock 488 at the back fenders. Slightly less extreme up front — but still shockingly different in appearance …

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2017 Toyota LAND CRUISER – HD Road Test Review + 3 Videos

Driving the incredible Land Cruiser for a week is a major dream-come-true for any car reviewer. So legendary!  So rare! Practically speaking, Land Cruiser is also a test of skills to describe – and do this unique machine justice.  But all the while?  A huge grin on my face and a major thrill to accept this challenge. What makes Land Cruiser so special?  For one, it sits proudly atop the Toyota hierarchy in terms of pricing.  This is the most expensive Big T by far. Continuous production since 1951 is evidence of enduring appeal. And sure, Land Cruiser’s worldwide acclaim …

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2017 Polaris Slingshot SL – First Drive Review – By Ken “Hawkeye” Glassman  

Taking a ride out to Nielsen Enterprises, in Lake Villa, IL is always a treat. They’re the ultimate big boy toy store.  You can buy anything from ATV’s, UTV’s personal watercraft, snowmobiles, all four Japanese motorcycle brands, Can-AM Spyders, and Polaris products. If it’s fun, and it goes fast, Nielsen’s got it. Today’s mission is to take a Polaris Slingshot out for a test and find out why they can’t make them fast enough. The Slingshot is a three-wheel vehicle, with two wheels in front, and a single wheel in back.  It is 150” long, which is 4” shorter than …

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Road Test Review: 2017 Lincoln MKZ 3.0T Black Label – By Carl Malek

Lincoln has recently seen an upswing in fortunes over the past several years. With slick TV commercials starring celebrity Matthew McConaughey as well as a string of new vehicles, it’s clear that Ford’s once flat lining luxury brand is pulling out all the stops in its quest to lure new customers into its showrooms. But can Lincoln’s new lineup of vehicle’s reflect the new-found pulse that is circulating through the brand? Or do they come up a bit short? Even though the 2017 Lincoln Continental is currently the vehicle at the forefront of Lincoln’s recent string of TV ads due to …

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2018 KIA Stinger GT AWD 8

2018 KIA Stinger GT AWD – 4.8s, 167MPH Stats Confirmed – 31 Photos

The Stinger GT from KIA is the dream on wheels.  Four-door fastback with a rear-drive chassis and huge twin-turbo power.  So many dreams, in fact, that the car’s giant trunk will actually come in handy right away.  In what is a clear confirmation of the car’s production-ready status, the power operation of the liftgate up or down is Panamera-esque.  Audi A7 and the A5 Sportback also form strong core templates for the Stinger.  This German-designed and German-engineered machine headed to KIA showrooms for under $50k in the next six months. Black chrome laces the bottle-nose front fenders and the extremely …

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2018 Dodge DEMON and SRT Durango – Startup, Revs and Exhaust Note VIDEOS

Dodge brought out the big guns for the recent Midwest Auto Media event at Road America racetrack. Their two new sluggers left the crowd in awe!  The SRT Durango was a surprising arrival — considering it has never been seen in real life to date.  The huge news with this monster-V8 SUV is that its tires are simply massive.  Taller than you might expect and wider than most true performance cars — these Pirellis are critical for putting so much power to the ground.  Dodge promises performance to wallop the Yukon Denali and even out-handle the SRT Grand Cherokee. But the …

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2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe6 copy

2017 Mercedes-AMG C63-S Coupe – Edition One – USA Photoset

What supercoupe has the curb appeal of a true racecar?  That would have to be this new C63 S in its Edition One livery.  These launch specials all share their frozen grey over bright yellow paintwork.  The effect in person is polarizing, sure.  And will this be a gracefully maturing look in ten years? Who cares! For now, this is the best — and only?  — way to enjoy the hottest AMG V8TT in a rear-drive layout.  Well, aside from the C-Class sedan and SLC.  And SL proper, actually. As great and still-awesome as the 4Matic cars are… nothing can …

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2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock – Review By Tim Esterdahl

Rubicon Hard Rock – Tough As Nails As one of the most recognized nameplates in the off-road community, the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock is just about the most purpose built vehicle you can buy. It is a rugged, off-road machine meant for those “hey watch this” moments in the outdoors. Virtually unchanged for the past several years, the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon offers the same powertrain, style and off-road equipment its fans have come to enjoy and rely on. About the only thing new this year is the shocking Hypergreen exterior paint color on our $43,325 test model. That …

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2017 Toyota Corolla iM – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

Would a Scion by any other name smell as sweet? In case you missed the press release, Toyota folded up the hip- and hip-hop Scion brand recently, and moved everything over to the Toyota brand. Scion-ara!  In 2003, it was a bold experiment, Scion creating a brand that spoke to youth, attracting new buyers to the Toyota family. And it worked for a while. The problem was, not only the young wanted a less-expensive, but hip Toyota. Case in point; the super-funky xB box was a big hit with the kids, but also found a surprising home with seniors – …

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Novitec ESTESO is Designer Widebody Maserati LEVANTE

What to do when the latest Cayenne tunes no longer give you a tingle in your loins? When the widest widebody Macan no longer makes your pulse race? How about trying on this stunning new Novitec custom based on the Maserati Levante S.  Novitec is calling this the Esteso and it includes the full gamut of their tuning expertise.  Engine, suspension, exhaust, cabin and exterior all get a heavy makeover. The results are so badass they are sure to make your pants tent once again. Check out the stunning machine in its full detail below — and order the finished …

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Are Automatic Car Washes Safe for your Paint?

Automatic car washes were created for convenience, and there’s no question they get the job done quicker than a team of people with sponges and towels. There is some question about the effects that automatic car washes have on your car’s paint job. When the first automated car washes came out, as you can imagine, they were a hit. Popularity with those particular about their paint soon waned. No one wants to find out they’ve been paying to send their car through a machine that dulls its finish and could possibly even scratch it. This may have been true in …

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2017 Lexus RX450h F Sport – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

The world is clamoring for hybrids. Especially since VW has probably signed the death warrant on Diesel, at least in the U.S. Luckily for Lexus and Toyota, their brands have been THE place to go for Hybrids selling the funky and agrarian Prius sedan here since 2000. And hybrids have come a long way, in performance, livability, and technology. So if you’re looking for a luxury SUV, but still want to feel good about yourself among your eco-conscious friends, where to go? Ahem… right here. The 2017 Lexus RX450h. Feel good is what the RX450h is all about. Partly, because Lexus …

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Road Test Review – 2017 Volkswagen GTI Sport (6MT) – By Carl Malek

Volkswagen’s venerable GTI hatchback has always been an iconic and almost quintessential part of the greater hot hatch segment. From its handsome styling, to its punchy lineup of engines, the GTI certainly has the blueprints to be the perfect performance value. But, could it also serve as a glimpse into an alternate future? That was the very question that this author faced when our Tornado Red GTI Sport tester arrived to spend some time at our humble Michigan outpost. You see, I almost purchased a GTI several years ago when the current generation Mk7 model was first unveiled to the …

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2017 RenaultSport RS2027 Concept – Photo Comparo with F1 and e.dams

Updated 5.13.17 RenaultSport had center stage for the mainstream Renault range in Shanghai this year.  The dancers and sense of occassion certainly made the new purple Espace’s debut a bit cooler. No mind.  The star of the show soon rolled on stage.  World debut of the RS2027 Vision concept.  A look at what ultimate racecars will look like in a decade. Who is RenaultSport to make the prediction? THey are the only manufacturer with top billing in F1 and Formula E, as far as we can recall.  The convergence of shouty gas turbos and buzzy electrics seems unavoidable in ten …

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2017 Honda CIVIC Si Now In Showrooms from $24k

UPDATE 5.12.17 The new Si twins from Honda go on sale across the USA tomorrow!  Pretty exciting stuff, even though the new 205HP turbo motor matches the previous Si outputs.  Why?  Because of the new surge in low-end torque that will shave nearly a second off real-world 0-60-mph sprints. The turbo engine also presents an extremely easy tuning roadmap.  Juicing 300 ponies out of here might cost $4k for ECU reflash plus big downpipe/intake/exhaust.  Getting to 300 from the naturally aspirated engine would cost at least double that and be frankly quite challenging without a full race rebuild of the …

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Insider: Four Benefits of Leasing a Car

Will you buy, or will you lease? It’s a question many prospective car owners have asked themselves. If you’re in that situation right now, there are plenty of things for you to look at when making your decision. How long do you plan on using the car? Do you value a lower overall cost, or lower monthly costs? Leasing might not be the right option for everyone, but you could be surprised by how many benefits it actually offers. It might even be enough to gain a bit of an edge over more the more traditional option of buying! Lower …

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Toyota Opens Expanded R&D Facility In Ann Arbor

In a milestone that celebrated just how much Toyota’s North American operations have grown since their humble beginnings in a small garage back in 1972, the Japanese auto giant formally unveiled its all new expanded Research and Development complex in York Township, Michigan. The new facility is the automaker’s largest research complex outside of its home Japanese market, and it aims to be a key pillar in the company’s North American operations, especially in the state of Michigan which is becoming a key region for many automakers including Toyota. More than 400 officials from Toyota as well as state officials …

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2017 Audi A6 Sedan 3

2017 Audi A6 3.0T Competition Quattro – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

There are advantages to flying under the radar. Make no mistake: there is great fun in having a red-hot sports car that gathers the oohs and ahhs of from friends and thumbs-up from those in the know. But there’s little fun having law enforcement following you around, waiting for you to succumb to temptation. Or when your insurance company finds out you have an M3, S4, or AMG E43. Luckily, there’s a nice little niche of strong performing vehicles that don’t call attention to themselves, or raise red flags to those who would spoil Your Good Time. Take for example, …

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2017 FIAT 124 Spider – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

  No spoiler alert needed: The Fiat 124 Spider is built on the all-new Miata. But don’t dismiss it as a Japanese sports car – and an excellent one at that – trying to pull a fast one by donning an Armani suit. It’s surprisingly different from Mazda. Let’s start with style, ok? Per favore! When the new Miata debuted, it was a surprise, the previous generations felt like organic developments of the same design, with a lot of thanks owed to the original Lotus Elan, if you ask us. But when the new model saw daylight, it was noticeably …

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Top 11 Hot Hatchbacks in the USA for 2017

This spring has been a renaissance for hot hatch testing here at Car-Revs-Daily.  We’ve had the great pleasure of flogging the two reigning champs: the Focus RS and Golf R — and realized these pocket rockets are a speedfreak’s dream come true.  So tight and nimble.  So ferocious on throttle.  And so affordable versus a big V8 in Camaro  or Mustang!  Affordable to buy and also to insure and own. They make spouses less furious  than an impractical two-seat coupe.  And they are actually useful at transporting big things via their fold-down back seats. The market for hot hatchbacks has …

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