NEW CARS

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2015 Maserati Ghibli S Q4 ZEGNA EDITION In Exclusive Blue with Silk-Lined Cabin

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Talk about a meeting of the unpronounce-ables! The new Ghibli (ghee-blee) Zegna (Xen-yaa) Edition is the second partnership between Maserati and the famed Italian fashion house. Outside, the Ghibli Zegna wears exclusive shades for its rich light-blue paint and liquid-silver wheels, but the real action is inside. The leather-edged seats and dash and doors now have a silk seating area with hand-woven chevron patterns.Even the headliner is now wrapped in gorgeous and touchable Zegna fabrics. The Ghibli Zegna’s swanky cabin promises to be as soft as the exact yarns in Zegna’s suits and sweaters — of which a certain Fiat …

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Road Test Review – 2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5-Door Drives Like BMW!

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By Special Contributor Ken Glassman Mazda has been making some great cars for a long time. And Mazda has been setting themselves apart from the crowd by dialing in more driving excitement. You can always count on a Mazda to offer outstanding handling and excellent performance into all their models. And the 3 series Grand Touring is no exception.  EXTERIOR The styling of this 5-door hatchback is slick and unique. Hatchbacks are not nearly as popular in the US as they are everywhere else in the world, but this one may change how Americans look at a hatchback, and see …

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Road Test Review – 2014 Lexus GS350 AWD Is Quick And Balanced with Killer 835W Audio System

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By Special Contributor Ken Glassman Photos Include the 2015 GS350 F Sport Crafted Line EXTERIOR Refreshed in 2013, the Lexus GS350 remains about the same for the 2014 model year. For whatever reason, the mid-size Lexus has never been a great selling model, maybe because it goes up against some stiff competition from the European models like the Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class, BMW’s 5-Series, and even the excellent Cadillac CTS. But the GS350 and its GS hybrid cousin are still very fine automobiles, and should appeal to anyone looking for a mid-size luxury car.     The power comes from …

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Concept Flashback – 2008 GMC Denali XT Is Hybrid V8 Chop-Top!

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How many awesome ideas and cars hit the chopping block during the financial crisis? More than a dozen from each manufacturer, we would estimate. That goes for much of the new engine tech and almost all of the new segment-busting models like this Denali XT. As wide as a full-size truck, but two feet lower — the Denali XT is seriously sexy even as we enter 2015. The ideas shown on this truck are pretty evergreen, and might be up for a revival some day. The Hybrid engine tech shown is paired with a 4.9-liter, direct-injected V8 — the one …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Performance Pack Adds LSD and Dual-Mode Exhaust For Last-Ever Atmo V8

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Turbo world domination is in hyperdrive with the AMG range. Will the SLK55 be the last of the atmospherically-combusted AMG V8s? With the SLS bowing out and the C63 AMG and C63 S new for 2015 with turbocharged 4.0-liter V8s, the list of unboosted AMG models is now down to just a handful. Sure, the CLK63 is technically on the books – but we would be surprised to see this old girl renewed for 2015. On the other hand, a new SLK is still more than a year out. The SL-Class is most likely to benefit from an AMG-GT-style makeover …

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Updated With 50 New Photos – 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 and CLS63 AMG Refreshed With Standard 4Matic

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Updated 10.19.14           Well, would you look what we have here! See, it really does pay to crop photos extra tight (sometimes). You never really know what you will find. Such was my excitement to see the facelifted 2015 CLS63 AMG in the second Mercedes-Benz release about the new 24-LED-per-side MultiBeam headlights. These replace the previous block/bar of lighting in the CLS, which was unique but not exactly welcoming, warm or desirable. The new layout is much like the E63 AMG, but with only a single LED band up the top of the lamp shape. Of …

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Concept Flashback – 2006 Toyota F3R Directly Previewed Swagger Wagon Sienna

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When it comes to making a seriously sexy minivan, you have to bring every design vision in the book to life. In many ways, the proportions of a giant van make the goal of stylish and sporty themes harder to deliver than any other type of car or truck. So many ideas have been tried over the years – from the Pontiac TransPort Montana to the Ford Aerostar and then Windstar — the cool minivan can be a time-suck extrordiaire. It is just a black hole for resources, in many ways. This is partially why the unique and egg-shaped Nissan …

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Audi LA Concept Teaser May Be Upcoming Q4 Crossover

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Audi’s cryptic teaser image of its upcoming Los Angeles showcar creates many more questions than it answers. On the one hand, the overhead view is enticing and definitely exciting. The flowing surfaces and glasshouse bulge out into the fenders and overall nose and tail shape enticingly. But what the heck is it? Audi has already shown two coupe-style concepts this year in the form of the TT OffRoad concept in Beijing (yellow) and the TT sedan in red below. Audi also has a variety of models that are overdue for the next model to come out, including the Q7 and …

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Concept Flashback – 2004 Toyota MTRC – Off-Road EV Racer With Adjustable Ground Clearance

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Any huge fans of radio-controlled cars out there? Yep, that is what we thought. Almost all of us! The baja racer design of many off-road cars and trucks makes them fast over almost any surface, indestructible and, above all, fun! How to bring that joyful rally racing function to a life-sized prototype? One that can have a wild body shape, self-lifting suspension and a smooth underbody (and big splitters) to maximize downforce? The Toyota MTRC stands for Motor Triathlon Race Car — and employs a variety of very smart techniques for making a life-size RC car. Tandem seating and in-wheel …

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Update3 With 70 New Photos – 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 Coupe Priced from $116k

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Update3 10.17.14 Three updates?!  This article is becoming a beast and a half – with about 150 photos of the new S550 in Pebble Beach and elsewhere included below. But who can deny how gorgeous the new S-Class Coupe is in every latest photo! Not us, that is for sure. The options shown on this S550 Coupe make it every bit as sexy and slinky as the S63 and S63 AMG Coupes — not to mention the Bentley Continental GT. In terms of differentiating among the powertrains, the big key is in the front bumpers — where the S550 is …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition 35 Celebrates Otto’s 500K Mile World Tour

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  One of the best parts of any trip is the momentous return home. A place you never knew you missed until seeing and feeling all those familiar sights through a dusty windshield up ahead. In the case of ‘Otto’ the 300GD Mercedes-Benz, the journey has been 26 years, 216 countries and 900,000 kilometers in the making. The photos of Gunther and Christine Holtorf’s long, long journey home to Swabia from Germany are absolutely miraculous. The map of their travels is completely unbelievable! The red lines below are not borders — those are their routes! Along the way, Otto and …

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Update1 – Road Test Review – 2015 Ford Fiesta ST Is Freaky Fast, Freaky Good

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 Updated 10.18.14 With New Videos Performance Specials. They are the cream of the crop. They are the CTS-V’s of the world, the M5s and the Lancer Evo’s. They are freaky specials that are the product of pure driving joy, allowed to slip into showrooms every now and then. For car guys, they are the holy grail. Rare. Special. Excellent. From the moment you sit in the Ford Fiesta ST, you know that it is going to be a hugely fun drive. The seats are packed with support bolsters and the engine start button kicks the Fiesta into life with a …

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BMW X Model SUVs Celebrate 15-Year Anniversary Ahead of X7 Launch

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What a kerfuffle the BMW X5 created! Between when the X5 was revealed in 1999 and began arriving in the US as a 2000 model-year, people were seriously up-in-arms. They were angry and skeptical and vocal critics. Why would any BMW SUV ever seem logical, they said. How could an SUV maintain the BMW driving style epitomized by the well-liked 3, 5 and 7 series luxury cars? But all that came to a sharp stop the moment you sat in the X5’s driver seat — or any of its five seats, frankly. Led by the 4.4-liter V8 engine and its …

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Update1 No Crash, But No Speed Either – 2014 Audi RS7 Piloted Concept at Hockenheim

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Updated 10.19.14 No driver, no drama and no crashes from the Audi RS7 around Hockenheim! But also… not as much speed as one might expect. The car was driving at about five tenths, which is disappointing due to the outlined info below. It knew the track and was still pretty wimpy. No doubt Audi being cautious, but still … kindof lame versus seeing a car really driven on its ragged edge. After all, driverless tech will be very helpful in running 24-hour durability tests in the future — once it gets warmed up and will start flooring the throttles!   …

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Updated with 55 New Photos – 2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed in Paris + Colorizer

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Updated 10.16.14 The Mulsanne Speed is clearly the best-looking flagship in the Bentley sedans range. Surprising how nicely the dark trims and giant five-spoke wheels clean up the appearance so dramatically. Bentley even suggests a few very bright colors in the visualizer — things like Apple Green are just one of the hundreds of standard and custom shades available.   Check out the visualizer here. http://visualiser.bentleymotors.com/bm/en/831-speed    PREVIOUS Holy flagship, Batman! The Bentley Mulsanne Speed tops the Bentley line for 2015, with sexy exterior trim tweaks and a huge jump in power from the gutsy 6.75-liter V8 engine up front. …

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Spec Rendering – 2016 Subaru WRX STi RS500 Coupe

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Just a bit of fun for this Friday afternoon – a potential WRX STi Coupe. We have called it the RS500 in a nod to the previous Impreza RS Coupe of the 1990s, with the 500 a power ooutput of this rally-prepped turbo engine. The exterior changes are extensive, but we aimed for production feasibility over other-worldly style. To this end, the windshield rake stays almost exactly the same, as do the front doors and other hard points up front. Obviously cut out the rear doors, and shortened the wheelbase by five inches to make the RS500 Coupe pivot a …

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2015 Audi Sport TT Cup Is Customer Racing Series Alongside DTM – Now Taking 18 Driver Applications!

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12 races over the 2015 DTM season will see dozens of normal guys train with Audi Sport and head out for intense 30-minute TT Cup races with a truly world-class engineering and racing support team at their disposal. The Audi Sport TT Cup is a customer racing program that will run these 30-minute races of 24 cars each before six major DTM races in the 2015 season. The price is sure to be high for those who want to join, but the rewards will be high too. This is a fully race-prepped TT with 310-horsepower, roll cage, lightweighting and flypaper …

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1250HP, 2.6s MANSORY Carbonado GT and Apertos Roadster Are Eye-Popping Lamborghini Aventador Makeovers

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You think the Novitec Torado Aventador Roadster is lavish and unbelievable? Check out these three from Mansory – the King tuner of the automotive world. Not just for the comprehensive overhauls and the princely pricing. Mansory literally has around a dozen monarchs on its (very private) client list. Real-life Kings. For these types of shoppers, nothing standard or factory-made will suffice. Step in, the Carbonado GT and Roadster – of which only three will be made. They build on the first-gen Carbonado ‘Black Diamond’ ideas, but now with more power and more lavish design upgrades. The Carbonado name is the …

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Update1 – Superlux Style VOTE! Mansory Bentley Flying Spur vs. Mansory Rolls-Royce Wraith

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These two are both pretty outrageous expressions of UHNWI style and personalization. The colors and trims shown here are not the ‘limit’ of Mansory’s abilities. Moreover, they are the opening salvo. You can have anything your mind can dream up on a Mansory custom. The refinements are pretty extensive outside, inside and under the skins of this Wraith and Flying Spur. The Wraith with a matte-effect silver on the grille and upper body is actually pretty interesting in contrast to the super-metallic sheen of the painted surfaces. The interior of the Flying Spur is remarkably glamorous – and shows the …

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Update1 With 50 New Photos – 2014 Renault Eolab Concept PHEV Is Not Ebola-Proof

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  The Renault Ebola Eolab concept PHEV is back with 50 new photos! Renault reads the newspaper, right? How could they let a name so close to the deadliest disease known to man be attached to the back of a damn-sexy concept car previewing a PHEV Megane? We especially like the orange-red accent color that appears to be bleeding out the Eolab’s grille and under its floating A-pillars. Classy. Eolab. Ebola. Pretty close. We are excited for the upcoming Chevrolet Cancer and Vauxhall SIDS. Or how about the new Volkswagen HIV? Mazda Malaria? Opel Polio?     PREVIOUS Ahh! What …

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2015 Land Rover Discover Sport Enters Production With Uniquely British Launch Art and Events

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Giant flowing art installations in red and blue outside a brutal banking building in London? Check. Off-road course made in astroturf on a river barge up and down the Seine in Paris? Check. Collaboration with Virgin Galactic to shuttle passengers from Spaceport America out to their intergalactic spacecraft idling on the runways? Check. All good stuff to launch the Discovery Sport in style and with memorable flair. This seven-seat Discovery Sport is now in production for first UK customers before arriving in the US market in Spring 2015 as a 2016 model. Check out the details on the Nino Mustica …

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Track Drive Review – 2014 Nissan Juke NISMO RS Manual Is Hard Work, But Good Fun Chasing Supercars

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The Nissan Juke NISMO is one of our favorite small performance cars. It even won the 2013 Best of Award for Turbo Sportscars Under $25,000 here, so we are clearly big fans of its ninja crossover style. After discovering V-spec in the Drive Mode selector, the Juke NISMO opens up its bag of tricks with huge boost and playful AWD handling. And all this praise was heaped on the CVT AWD NISMO Juke, not the more powerful front-drive Juke NISMO RS shown here. To say that it delivers more of a good thing is an understatement. The manual-transmission Juke NISMO …

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INFINITI Q50 Parachutes into 2015 BTCC BAttle! OEM Racing Program To Benefit British Army Paratroopers

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Proof that the Infiniti Q50 is ripe for more performance than even the Eau Rouge concept? The new BTCC Q50! Wearing an awesome widebody with menacing aero vents and scoops, the Infiniti Q50 BTCC entry is low and lean and mean. The program’s headline sponsor is Infiniti itself – with the car wearing a satin grey finish and giant Infiniti logos on both sides. In addition to building brand awareness in the UK, the team will raise money for a newly-formed Paratrooper Regiment charity for the British Army. The new “Support Our Paras” foundation is a combined entity for the …

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Chevrolet SEMA Cars Lineup Includes Blacked-Out Impala, SS, Cruze and Sonic Sedans

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Okay now! After being seriously unimpressed by the SEMA Colorado and Silverado concepts from Chevy, we are pleased to share a better sedans lineup. Everything from the SS to the Impala to the Cruze and Sonic benefits from a cool personalization. The performance of the cars will stay the same, but the desirability and ‘want’ factor is clearly increased dramatically on all four cars. The lack of a Malibu here hints that a Malibu performance concept may still be forthcoming from Chevy before SEMA next month. Our favorite among this group is the Impala Blackout — which is likely to …

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Chinese-Market SUV and Crossover Concepts – Acura vs. MG vs. Chery vs. Haval vs. Changan

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Concept cars are a helpful thermometer for showing the Chinese car market’s rapid progress recently. Sure, Chinese joint-ventures and domestic car brands can contract with the same European or American dream fabricators to make a stunning concept — and they have many times in the past. But as the home-grown industry evolves and matures, we are seeing much fresher local ideas than ever before. Local designs and local execution has been shown at the most recent Beijing and Guangzhou auto shows — with a heavy focus on SUVs and crossovers since 2013. That is the year when Chinese law changes …

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2015 BMW M4 – HD Track Drive Video Shows Huge Exhaust Rumble and Serious Hot-Lap Pace

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 Updated 10.15.14    It takes more time than we had to fall in love with the BMW M4. Too perfect? That seemed to be my impression after hopping from the GT-R to the RC-F to the M4 and others within minutes of one another. Time was so tight at Autobahn Country Club that we came home without a single snap of this stunning new BMW. Why? The car was swamped with people trying to drive it. Perhaps only the Challenger Hellcat or the BMW i8 were more in-demand that day. And as these reviews show — there were some stunning …

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Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid

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Like any project, the ones you are passionate about are far easier to do quickly and with great results. Alternatively, the ones where there is tough news to deliver can sit on the back burner for far longer than is ideal. And so it is with car reviews – even week-long press loaner reviews that are usually top-priority. There are great updates to the latest Avalon and Avalon Hybrid, including the exterior style, interior tech and great efficiency. But there are also serious areas where the new Avalon Hybrid neither delivers the cushy ride of the old model — nor …

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Novitec Torado Reveals 728HP LP700-4 Aventador Roadster Upgrades

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  Novitec Torado’s upgrades to the Aventador Roadster increase its sensory impact dramatically – none more so than sight and sound. This upgraded Aventador is now louder both visually and aurally via its 728-horsepower V12, huge ground-effects bodywork pieces and a sinful rear wing. That wing itself is perhaps one of the most impressive pieces in the new Aventador Roadster upgrade catalog from Germany’s Novitec — its creases and form are a perfect amplifier to to the roadster’s long rear deck. The wheels and lowering springs are nice too — but the wing is a real must-have for this guy! …

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Zero to Hero in the 2015 Chevrolet Impala CNG SuperCruise

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The Chevrolet Impala is a critical test-bed for two future GM technologies in 2015: a bi-fuel CNG option and the forthcoming SuperCruise automated highway driving system. We caught up with a 2015 Impala LTZ featuring the shield grille that comes on LTZ cars with the Safety tech option package – and this is still the best-looking full-size sedan from Chevy in decades. The current setup does not yet incorporate lane-keeping and automatic steering, but that is certainly in the pipeline. The Cadillac CT6 is tipped to debut a true SuperCruise functionality next year — with on-ramp to off-ramp highway driving …

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2015 Honda Pilot – Colors Guide in 8 Animated Turntables

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Just a graphics post here, none of the usual write-up and specs detailing. No nonsense – a bit like the 2015 Pilot itself! Below all the color spinners is a guide to which cabin colors pair with which exterior colors. 2015 Honda Pilot COLORS Alabaster Silver Metallic   Crystal Black Pearl   Dark Cherry Red   Dark Amber Metallic Modern Steel Metallic   Obsidian Blue Pearl   Taffeta White   White Diamond Metallic     2015 Honda Pilot COLOR CHART   LX EX SE EX-L Touring Alabaster Silver Metallic Gray Fabric Gray Fabric Gray Fabric Black Leather Gray Leather Black …

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2014 Alfieri Maserati Underwhelms In Person With Bloated Surfaces and Mildewing Cabin

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  Updated 10.11.14 Forgot we have photos of the Alfieri Maserati from the Pebble Beach concepts lawn! The car is not that great in real life. Its nose is by far the best feature. Overall, it looks too stubby and odd around the mid-section, where its wheelbase appears too short to balance its giant bulging real end. Another oddity? The jackasses who were minding the car would not shut its doors and windows. When asked for third time, he slowly dipped down the back glass but wouldn’t latch it for photos. I mean, seriously? I thought he was just a …

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4K Road Test Review – 2015 Ford Transit 3.5L EcoBoost LWB, Low-Roof Cargo Van

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Breaking News: NASCAR developing 2018 commercial van racing series. The NASVAN Home Depot Cup will feature the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Chevy Express, Nissan NV and the Ram ProMaster. Each van will hit top speeds of more than 199-mph while they trade paint around circuits like the legendary Charlotte and Atlanta Motor Speedways….””” The news above is pretend. There are no current plans for a NASVAN series. But if there were, we could sign up for the new Ford Transit as our ride first time, every time. This rear-drive big van is shockingly good on the road and at the …

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2014 Nissan Sentra NISMO Concept + Altima NISMO Rendering with V6, Six-Speed Manual, LSD and Nismo Tuning

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Updated 10.11.14 With 35 Photos and Altima NISMO Renderings We love the NISMO strategy at Nissan. The sporty overhaul of conventional models has always been a secret weapon of the German premium brands, and Nissan appears to be taking this niche strategy to the broader market via the $21,000 Juke NISMO and hopefully this Sentra NISMO in the future. A 2016 Maxima NISMO has been teased and is virtually a sure thing when the hot future Maxima debuts this winter at one of the big auto shows.   But let’s step back a moment and think closely about the potential …

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Best of Awards – 2015 Nissan GT-R Premium in 4K Track Drive Reviews

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 TRACK DRIVE VIDEO – 4K Quality The Midwest Auto Media Association’s Fall Rally in 2013 was my first-ever taste of the mighty Nissan GT-R. Last year, the Nissan USA guys brought a seriously menacing Track Edition model for quick laps around the Autobahn Country Club racetrack. We arrived on the scene in a press loan Nissan JUKE Nismo so it was a love-fest overall for the Nissan performance lineup. But a late arrival meant we skipped the track in 2013 in favor of mild street drives instead. Or so we thought. In Race/Race/Race settings, the GT-R threw my iPhone camera …

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Gen-6 Toyota Camry NASCAR Revealed Ahead of 2015 Season

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The NASCAR ‘Car of Tomorrow’ is now in its sixth generation after barely as many years roaring round the nation’s speedways. Luckily, this latest design rulebook allows the cars to look much less generic, and more like their actual namesake road car models. The first out of the gates for the 2015 season of the Sprint Cup and 2015 Xfinity (formerly Nationwide) racing series is the new Camry. It really does look like the production car! ANIMATED OVERLAY ANALYSIS: Camry v ‘NASCamry’ In this transparency of the production Camry XSE versus the NASCAR Camry, we can see how similar these …

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MANSORY Customs for McLaren 12C Up the Bling Quotient of First-Gen Supercar Dramatically

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Bling? Does anyone say that anymore?  Probably not – but the sentiment definitely holds for anything that comes out of the Mansory dream factory. Three years since the release of the MP4-12C — pre-name-change, and before McLaren Special Operations started doing factory customs — there are a large amount of second-hand supercars on the market. All they truly need to have the presence and curb appeal of the latest 650S is a little pizzazz outside and in! For cities like Miami, Monte Carlo or Macau – a factory supercar is a dime a dozen. Being unique is all about expressing …

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2015 MINI Cooper 5-Door in Postcard-Worthy Trip Around The City of Light

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A moveable feast with a big back seat? Yep! Table for five, please. Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Metro, the Seine and the Arc de Triumph — all in an afternoon with this big new MINI! Any of these charming photos would look nice on an old-fashion paper postcard, or even an Instagram to your friends back home. The 5-door SD shown here is the hot Diesel engine for Europe, but the looks are identical to the Cooper and Cooper S engines we will see in the US. This means a base turbo triple and a turbo …

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Track Test Drive – 2015 Ford Interceptor Utility at Atlanta Motor Speedway

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 2015 Ford Interceptor Utility Review The irony of driving a 2015 Ford Interceptor Utility hard on an autocross track near Atlanta? Someone we know… recently paid a ridiculously high-priced speeding ticket to the City of Atlanta. But was it an Explorer police truck that pulled that person over? Nope. A motorcycle cop. Which is rare in 2014. Ford notes that more than 60-percent of new police vehicles solid this year were Interceptor Utilities. The Explorer Police upfit is simply the most popular cop car around — and this includes the Dodge Charger and even the Charger V8 AWD. The Interceptor …

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Best of Awards – 2015 Ford Transit Connect Cargo 1.6L EcoBoost – 4K Track Test Drive Video

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Proof that a turbo engine can make any car or van a hoot? The Ford Transit Connect Cargo with the optional 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine! Check out the brief autocross video to see a preview of every busy delivery driver near the end of his shift. The TCC (Transit Connect Cargo) is comfortable and sporty with a low center-of-gravity but an elevated view forward. It is a bit like a tall Focus or a slammed Escape — but hooning a cargo van makes it all the more enjoyable. With the MyFord Touch and Navigation, the TCC makes almost no sacrifices for …

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$23k 2015 Chevrolet City Express Small Cargo Van In The Flesh! Plus Pricing and Specs

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  The new Chevy City Express has been something of a myth since being announced last year about this time. A rebadged version of the Nissan NV200, the City Express plugs the low-price gap in the Chevy commercial lineup at a critical time. The Ram ProMaster City and the new Ford Transit Connect are both strong competitors in this small-van segment, so the City Express is a stopgap measure for Chevy. Pricing seems ambitious, with a base of $23,000 for the LS and about $25,000 for the LT model. The van is identical to the Nissan, but actually looks much, …

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2015 Mercedes-AMG GT Edition 1 Packs Dark Style and Huge Rear Wing + 60 New Photos

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Updated 10.10.14   The wraps have come off the AMG GT’s Edition 1 package! 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT Edition 1     PREVIOUS The relationship between PlayStation and Mercedes-Benz has been very strong since the AMG SLS was the cover car for GranTurismo 5. That relationship is a three-way affair: among AMG, Polyphony Digital as the GT game developers, and Sony itself in extending the reach of PS4. The new DRIVECLUB game seeks to be a new type of social racing experience — where friends battle one another for track glory both in real-time and as part of championship leagues. Sony …

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510HP, 3.9s 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Makes Paris Debut With Red-Lipped Styling Accents

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The new C63 is here! In UK  trim at first, but with key details now clear ahead of the US announcement. In an unusual move, Mercedes-Benz is now Mercedes-AMG for the hottest models in its range. This slight name change drops the Benz and moves the AMG portion ahead of the model nomenclature. Aside from the detail OEM change, the rest of the car is far more exciting. Huge power from the 476-horsepower engine is also available in an XXL power guise: the S Model simply becomes the C63 S. One distinct piece for the C63 versus the E63 and …

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Update2 – 2016 Mazda MX-5 Roadster in Paris Debut + Cabin Photos

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UPDATE2       Great to see this car outside the world of digital renderings. In the 4D Paris debut, the nose and low new beltline design really comes to life and is fantastic. This is great news — it looked a little pinched in the preview renderings. Overall, the new aesthetic appears to chop the surfaces anywhere that the previous-gen Miata was rounded. This is especially visible in the new drop-nose design and the hood’s strong leading edge – both new MX-5 design features. 2016 Mazda MX-5 Roadster Paris Debut Autoblog.com snapped some of these fantastic photos at the …

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First Drive Review – 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe 3.6 AWD Drives Well, But Lacks Sex Appeal at $55,000 Price

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            The new ATS Coupe from Cadillac would appear to have all the right stuff – on paper. But as we griped in an Op-Ed article this summer, the results in the real world are less than thrilling. http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/07/03/op_ed-2015-cadillac-ats-coupe-is-boring/ How can a new executive coupe be so terminally dull? Ultimately, we struggle greatly about what benefits the Coupe has over the better-looking sedan. As noted in the video above, the ATS Coupe is theoretically stiffer in the chassis department — and perhaps a bit sportier in its handling tune. 2014 Cadillac ATS Sedan But it …

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3.2s 2015 Tesla Model D Arriving in February With AWD and AutoPilot in 60D, 85D and 85D Performance Trims

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Pretty exciting news last night from Tesla! The Model S is now available with a dual-mode AWD system that boosts mileage by 10-percent and is a $4,500 option on all three battery sizes of the Model S. Few changes outside except a small radar box in the lower nose of the Model D, along with new badges out back. Inside, updated systems integrate a new AutoPilot automated drive mode — but we are still awaiting official details from Tesla on the functionality of the system. Overall, we expect lane-keeping assist, full-speed cruise control with city braking as new convenience and …

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3.1s 2015 Ferrari F60 America Is 10-Copy F12 Spyder Celebrating 60 Years of Ferrari in USA

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    Welcome to the soft-top F12 Ferrari! We called this pretty convincingly a month ago with the below article… but it is still magnificent to see the car’s details up close. There is a bikini top for the roof of the new F60 America – but it is limited to about 70-mph — far slower than the 202-mph-plus top speed of the amazing F12 Coupe. But for the brave or helmeted, the F60 America’s huge V12 engine will hit the double ton with ease. Only ten of the F60 America Ferrari’s will be made — and all ten are …

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Speculative Renderings – 2016 Volvo S80 and 2017 Volvo S60

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The new Volvo XC90’s style is being very warmly received across almost all of the seven-seat SUVs major markets. This all-new platform brings a stunningly-luxurious cabin and a high-tech PHEV hybrid drivetrain with T6 and T8 engine choices. But the secret behind those badges and the T8 moniker? They are both turbocharged four-cylinder engines, with varying levels of electric assistance. So how will the new XC90 influence the rest of the Volvo lineup, both under the skin and in the exterior designs? The answer to both, we predict, is heavily. The tech of this new chassis is set to roll …

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2014 Peugeot Quartz and DKR Prototype Top Paris Concept Reveals

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  Updated 10.9.14 With Debut Video and 20 New Photos! Well here is an interesting surprise! This PHEV crossover concept leverages some of the sexy looks of the 2008 DKR race truck into a production-friendly shape. A 270-horsepower engine powers the front wheels, while the back wheels are driven by a powerful electric motor. The new plug-in setup even allows the Quartz crossover to have a 31-mile EV range when the batteries are fully charged. 2014 Peugeot 2008 DKR Prototype In terms of style, the defining elements of this cab-backward crossover are the long hood and ultra-low roofline. While not …

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European-Market 2015 Volkswagen Passat Is Luxury Sedan For Contract Killers on a Budget

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Updated 10.9.14 We had some seriously scathing things to say about this new 2015 Passat for European markets when it debuted the other month online. Overall, the new Passat is not nearly as dull and lifeless as it seemed in VW’s initial renderings. In real life, the detail in the new design is pretty fresh up front and in back. A new-to-VW LED style is seen in both the head and taillamps, and is the most successful part of the design. Overall, the wagon is far more appealing in its quest to bring some of the low-roof / long-hood look …

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Updated with 80 New Photos – 585HP, 3.9s 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 and S65 AMG Coupe

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Updated 10.9.14 with 80 New Photos A handful of photos of the forthcoming S65 AMG Coupe from Pebble Beach, along with a big set of new photos showing the UK model of the S63 two-door. The design is wholly transformative versus any CL-Class that has come before it. But is it unique enough versus the S550 Coupe? But first, a charmer of a 300SL. 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe   PREVIOUS The S63 AMG Coupe builds on the hottest new Mercedes-Benz strategies of supercar pace/luxury-car comfort — and keeps building, and building, and building!   A true skyscraper of a …

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Road Test Review – 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Sport is Smooth, Sexy and Classy

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The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is moving up in both desirability and style for 2015. The 2015 C300 and C400 models both pack turbocharged engines and 4Matic AWD as standard for the US market, and the pricing moves up the scale noticeably as well. But as a quick spin in the C300 4Matic Sport with the LED Lighting and Airmatic suspension packages shows, this is a Benz that is the best of all worlds. In many ways, the new C-Class goes back to the roots of Mercedes brand strengths. It is fast but ultra-luxurious. It ride like a dream but can hold …

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Meet BharatBenz – India’s Locally-Made Trucks Seeing Huge Growth Via Combo of Low-Cost + High-Quality

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  Familiar with the American FUBU apparel line? The name stands for ‘For Us, By Us.’ Think of BharatBenz as the ‘FIBI’ of big trucks. For India, By India. Heavy trucks may not be huge business by volume, but for Daimler, they are some of the most profitable. Among the truck lines owned by Mercedes’ parent company are big names like Mitsubishi Fuso, Wester Star, Thomas Bus Lines, Freightliner and Setra. The newest kid on the block? BharatBenz — a locally-made and locally-tailored line of trucks both from and for India. Mercedes engineering and safety foundations are a great shared …

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2015 Porsche 911 GTS Is Quickest Route to Big Speed on Atmospheric 911 Models

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  The Porsche 911 GTS is back for 2015 in the coupe and Cabriolet body styles! It is a pretty light upgrade and equipment package – comprised of standard PASM, Sport Exhaust, Powerkit and Sport Chrono packs. Even so, the performance is mighty impressive: as quick as 3.8-seconds to 60-mph with the PDK and a Vmax of 190-mph.  Both are slightly better than the Carrera S, and far easier to order! Aesthetically, the GTS models ride lower and pack a black rear intake accent versus body-color on the standard 911 models.   2015 Porsche 911 GTS   ENHANCED POWER AND …

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4.3s, 400HP 2015 VENTURI America EV SUV Reaches Limited-Production!

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Exciting news from Venturi in Paris this week! The well-resolved America dune-buggy has a redesigned powertrain and will now grow past concept and prototype stages. Limited-production of the EV off-roader begins in early 2015 — but there is a catch. Only 25 initial copies of this innovative and stylish crossover will be made. Performance stats are looking very impressive, however, and the carbon-kevlar tub will make this thing unstoppable on the rough stuff. And likely a fun canyon-carver on hard surfaces or, gasp, tarmac! TECHNICAL MASTERPIECE   (Sorry for the watermark.) SPECIFICATIONS Like the Local Motors Rally Fighter and many …

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Update2 – Road Test Review – 2015 Lincoln Navigator Driven Back-to-Back with Escalade ESV = Surprise Winner!

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UPDATED 10.9.14 Corrections to the suspension specs of the Navigator Select trim, as well as the name of the LWB Escalade from EXT to its actual name, the ESV. It has been hard to take the new Navigator and Expedition seriously in the face of the newer-seeming Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade. The Navigator seemed to be the slightest of light refreshes versus those all-new models from across town. But after time at the wheel of both the Navigator and the new Escalade ESV — we were strongly leaning toward the Navigator. This surprised no one more than your humble scribe. …

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Update1 – Wow! 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S

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Update1 – Wow! 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S   Photos from Paris confirm it: the new Mitsubishi Outlander looks absolutely fantastic. Hard the believe how much more desirable the new car is than the current Outlander, which is lost in a sea of rounded corners. 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S       PREVIOUS Are you getting pumped for Paris? Kicking off the 2014/2015 auto show season in high-fashion style, the debuts are set to come fast and furious… ahem. Pre-empting the big debuts of the new Infiniti Q80 flagship, Lamborghini SUV and many, many more is the new Mitsubishi …

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Update2 – 2015 Aston Martin Lagonda Production Debut – Exclusively Available in Middle East

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Updated 10.5.14 New photos and production details of the new Lagonda limo — including a cabin that is breathtakingly posh. Regretfully for some, the Lagonda will only be available to buyers in the Middle East. As a low-volume model like the One-77, the Lagonda is sure to be one of the rarest of all luxury four-doors. 2015 Aston Martin Lagonda             PREVIOUS Lagonda lives! Breaking news with a confirmation from Aston-Martin on the 2015 Bespoke Super Saloon project – which is officially the new Lagonda saloon car. 2015 Aston Martin Lagonda     Inspiration for …

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#NameThatCamaro! 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS Emerald Green SEMA Special Needs A Name

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  Well here is something interestin: A Chevy #NameThatCamaro challenge ahead of the SEMA show! We can’t help but feel slightly honored, as this crowd-sourced contest shares some similarities with out long-running #NameThatCar and #NameThatConcept postings on  the Car Revs Daily  Facebook page. But hey, Camaro fans might all think alike =] The special edition SS will be on sale soon after the SEMA show under the working name of Spring Special Edition (new name is TBD of course), so get those name ideas tagged and tweeted before November! NameThatCamaro 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS         Make History …

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2016 JAGUAR XE Configurator Is Live! Buyers Guide To Colors, Wheels, Options and Trims

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Updated 10.5.14   We’ve spent a few hours with the all-new Jaguar XE configurator today, and are blown away by the amount of customization available on this hot new executive sedan. Far below are are prices for the various trim levels, and included here are the major configurations for Colors, Wheels, Exterior Options, Interior Options and cool accessories. Most of the features are organized into tiled Tallpapers or animations, but the base images are included mid-way down. My final XE R Sport with the 240-horsepower turbo four is viewable at this link – where you can work backwords and change …

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2015 KTM X-Bow RR Is 400HP of Race-Ready Track Speed

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The HTM X-Bow RR is a custom-created version of the X-Bow GT and X-Bow R designed to beat all others in the one-make ‘Crossbow’ Battle. The one-make racing series puts the KTM dash-board mantra into action — you must be Ready To Race! Sure, the RR is not the best-looking of the X-Bow line. Its extra aero kit and crash structures like roll bars and crash protection is purely functional. This makes sense when you see the list of huge track-attack upgrades that are fitted to this racing special. For buyers outside of Europe, where the X-Bow will be a …

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2015 BMW LW M4 by LightWeight Performance Packs 520HP and GTS-Previewing Chassis and Aero

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The 2015 BMW M4 is stunning and packs 425-horsepower from the factory. But is there room for a more track-focused version? BMW M certainly thinks so — the upcoming M4 GTS model is nearly complete after running extensive testing around the Nurburgring. Lightweight Performance of Germany has beat them to the punch, however, with its new LW M4 upgrade. This includes nearly the whole catalog of LW upgrades, including engine tuning, wheels/tires, suspension mods and exhaust changes. The combination results in 520-horsepower and a far more focused look on the outside. Aero upgrades are comprehsive and include a racing-spec rear …

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Paris Debuts – 2014 Nissan Pulsar NISMO Concept

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Here is a good-looking upgrade to the new Nissan Pulsar hatchback! About the same size as the VW Golf and Ford Focus, the Pulsar complements the smash-hit Qashqai crossover in the Nissan European range. Why go back to the segment? Nissan is following buyer preferences – which in many Euro markets prefer the hatch shape to a small CUV. THe Pulsar adds a DIG-T 190-horsepower engine in its production guise, so this NISMO model is likely to run the 215-horsepower engine from the Juke NISMO RS. The Pulsar NISMO shares much of the Juke NISMO’s cabin, meaning a powertrain sharing …

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2015 Honda Civic Type R Concept Two Makes Paris Debut

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UPDATED 10.4.14 Production concept is more sexy than WTCC car? Oh yes.   2015 Honda Civic Type R Concept Two Paris Debut     PREVIOUS   276 horsepower is now the floor for Honda Type R models – this latest 2.0-liter turbocharged engine shows that Honda is diving in head-first into the world of turbochargers. Which definitely makes sense – Honda is, after all, supplying the McLaren Formula One team with its engines for 2015 and beyond. So you can be sure that the engine lab is glowing red-hot with huge boost! So what will change between now and the …

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Best of Awards – Most Fun SuperCoupe Street Racer – 2015 JAGUAR F-Type R Coupe

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UPDATED 10.4.14 With Two 4K Drive Videos and 30 High-Res Photos   Our solid and bankable reco if you can afford it? The R! 2015 JAGUAR F-Type R Coupe   PREVIOUS The new F-Type Coupe is hot as the summer sun these days – but which is best? And among the standard, S and R — which fits your budget and performance criteria? Here is a quick walk through the JaguarUSA.com online configurator, where I built a $77,000 F-Type S Coupe and racked up a $92,000 total in the process. There are many tempting options, including the poshest 20-inch wheels …

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2016 Fiat 500X Makes Paris Debut With Optional AWD and 9-Speed Automatic

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Fiat has big plans for the 500X, a four-door off-roader sharing a name and styling themes with the popular 500 line of mini cars. This machine is a logical next move for Fiat as the 500 enters its third year on the US market. Under the skin, the 500X shares major platform and chassis pieces with the upcoming Jeep Renegade mini SUV, and benefits from the Jeep’s AWD and automatic transmission requirements. Both features are relatively critical to the 500X achieving sales volume in the US market when it arrives in Spring 2015 as a 2016 model. Perhaps even more …

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Design Talent Showcase – 2020 Lamborghini Minotauro by Andrei Avarvarii

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This Lamborghini Minotauro can really catch your eye in all the right ways. Designed as part of a student portfolio by Andrei Avarvarii of Spain, this is not merely a Photochop like many of the renderings seen online. Avarvarii designed out the electric EV prototype five phases, with detailed planning for the interior and exterior volumes, with a level of mechanical engineering thoroughness built in as well. The prototype is was set to explore a softer, rounder Lamborghini for the 2020 model year.   In-wheel motor/generators allow an unusual amount of freedom in the proportions of the Minotauro,and the car …

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Update1 With 30 New Photos – 2014 Toyota C-HR Concept for Paris Previews Yaris Crossover

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Updated 10.3.14 This crossover concept shows some fascinating ideas for a next generation of small Toyota crossovers. While there are very interesting and sexy ideas in the layered and floating designs of the roof and taillamps, the nose is far less successful. But overall, the detailing in the surface lines makes it all worthwhile. We tinted the color purple just for fun, as shown on the first image below. PREVIOUS It is new Japanese crossover day today! The Toyota C-HR Concept has broken cover ahead of its Paris debut in Paris. This model is thought to be a Yaris-sized crossover, …

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Best of Awards: Track Drive Video – 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Is A Racecar With License Plates

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  Nailing apexes in this Camaro Z/28 was the most fun this driver has ever had on a racetrack. The car is absolutely surreal in its power and performance in all dimensions. Brakes and road-holding via those Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires are unreal, while the power delivery from the 7.0-liter, 505HP V8 is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Skip to minute two of the above video to see the Z28 in track bliss with cars like the Hellcat, 2015 Mustang GT, Nissan GT-R, Lexus RCF and BMW M4….! One thought? We would recommend speccing the optional A/C on the …

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2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Quick Drive Shows Lively and Very Handsome Mid-Size Truck

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Enjoyed a chance to meet the 2015 Colorado Z71 this week, and it is really handsome and macho in real life. Initially, the GMC Canyon seemed like the better-looking of the two, but side by side, the Chevy was my clear preference. A lack of LED lighting in the nose of the Colorado is the only demerit that comes to mind. Otherwise, the wide style and fender flares are rough and ready to get muddy. To be fair, the Colorado Z71 and Canyon All Terrain we compared are the most loaded versions of each – so base models will not …

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2014 Volkswagen XL Sport Concept Makes One Seriously Sexy BMW i8 Competitor

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Here is an interesting machine! The eco-friendly supercar segment established by the BMW i8 could find a competitor in the VW XL Sport concept, which takes all the ideas and tech from the XL1 high-mileage, low-volume special and sends it to the racetrack. Much wider, lower, leaner and meaner: the XL Sport is still wholly unconventional in its style and presence. This makes it not unlike the i8 in many ways. They both certainly have stopping power: heads will turn to catch this wild machine zing past. But the carbon-ceramix brakes of the the XL Sport will surely provide actual …

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2014 Audi TT Sportback Concept Is a Stylish Escape From Current Audi Styling Funk

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Audi design is in a major funk. After a full 15 years of making BMW and Mercedes seem old and tired and boring, Audi lost the plot some time around 2010. We are not sure what exactly happened, but the magic seemed gone. The cars started to look like cheap copies of earlier Audi ideas – with the current A6 and new TT perhaps exemplifying this major design problem best. Sure, its proportions are cleaner than ever in 2015, and its new lighting is very dapper indeed. But what the heck? It looks like a 1999 model. This is a …

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Track Drive Video Review – 2015 Ford Mustang GT

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 Track Drive Video Review – 2015 Ford Mustang GT Awww yeah! Track time with the new Mustang GT! It felt so fantastic to fire up this pony-car for the first time. Could not help but smiling even to find the new GT and EcoBoost Mustangs in the parking lot that morning. They look outstanding in the flesh, with the GT adding some additional cooling functions via grille inserts to direct air where it is needed. Out back, the 5.0-liter V8 is announced by its large GT badge where the turbo cars have another pony logo. A 5.0 badge lives in …

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Updated With Real-Life Photos! 140MPH+ 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV With Optional 4×4 and Track-Ready Suspension

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UPDATED 10.3.14 Got to meet the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV this week – and its presence is undeniable! In fact, when this thing pulled up behind a few cars in the parking lot – we were sure that the real PoPo was investigating something. Only after seeing Chevy PR guys hop out did we realize that this is the demo model. Changes versus the current civilian Tahoe versus the LEO models are pretty significant. For spotters, the front bumper with its taller profile and tow hooks is a give-away, with less aero cladding down below so that the Tahoe can …

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Asterion Returns! Lamborghini LPI 910-4 Asterion Is Back With 30 More Photos

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  Uh-oh. A new set of photos less than 24-hours after the car’s debut at VW night before the Paris show is a bad sign. Perhaps others agreed with its frumpy proportions critique, discussed below. In more detail, the headlamps are still ghastly and the Polizei light accent in blue is odd and eBay-esque. Overall, the nose looks about a foot too tall. The rear haunches are overly bloated and recall the Alfa 4C. This chassis might be a snazzy PHEV, but the Lambo GT curse is alive and well in this pig’s design.   PREVIOUS My my! Dozens of …

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Part Two: First-Ever Production 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 With Tadge Juechter

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PART TWO: The Z06 Coupe! This is the first-ever production Z06 Coupe, which was sent right from Bowling Green to Chief Engineer Tadge Juetcher in Michigan for drag times and road proving. As The Tadge rolled into Autobahn Country Club in the new Z06 Coupe, we were on the car in seconds. In terms of customer deliveries, the record-setting automatic transmission option discussed below will be about a month behind the Z06 Coupe. The order books are loaded – with more than 5000 pre-0rders taking months to clear before a car ordered today will see an owner’s driveway. But for …

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2.9s 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Automatic! Pre-Production Cabrio in 50 All-New Photos With Sir Tadge

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Home from an amazing racetrack drive event in my old home-city of Chicago – and thrilled to report it was a smash hit! We have full 4K video reviews of 10 of the hottest new sports cars on the market in 2015. But first, while 40GB of drive GoPro video files make their way on to YouTube….: the amazing Corvette Z06 Convertible basking in the late summer sun  of Autobahn Country Club. We have been quasi-obsessed with the Z06 and the new Corvette in general over the past year. But with good reason! The car is amazing fun. The Midwest …

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2016 JAGUAR XE – Models, Specs and Prices + 75 New Photos!

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It appears that the Jaguar XE sedan is very, very close to production! So close that the car is available for UK orders from today, October 2. This points to a US arrival around April of 2015 as a 2016 model. We are likely to receive a base 2.0-liter turbo making 240-horsepower with available AWD and a base price of around $40,000. At launch, the XE will also offer a variety of diesels in Europe, but the up-market model will be the supercharged V6 XE S with 380-horsepower and a sprint time of under 4.9-seconds. The XE S is also …

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Updated With 42 New Photos – INFINITI Q80 Inspiration Concept Flagship

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Updated 10.2.14 One popular design cliche is to describe the panel shapes of a model as ‘like flowing silk.’ The idea is to be lighter than air, and always in motion with ripples and elegant movement at all times. Far beyond cliche, the new Q80 Inspiration makes the idea real.A rare achievement, to be sure, and very exciting. Freeze that wind-swept silk in time, and it carries the beauty of motion even as a static piece. That is how we would describe the latest panel shaping theme shown in the new Q80 Inspiration, which is officially set to become a …

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3.0s Lamborghini LPI 910-4 Asterion Is Mid-Engine, V10+PHEV Hyper Cruiser!

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My my! Dozens of exciting launches in Paris today, but few as surprising as this one so far! A PHEV Lamborghini concept called the Asterion is an all-new segment for Lamborghini in the 21st century.We initially thought the car was a front-engine 2+2, but it is actually a mid-engine V10. Since the Estoque in 2008 did not reach production approval, the Lamborghini team has been going wild with one-off models like the Eqoista and Reventon or Sesto Elemento, refining its new Huracan production car, and even exploring a small SUV in the URUS concept. But in many ways, a front-engine …

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Concept Flashback – 1972 Maserati Boomerang Was Production-Ready Wedge Hypercar

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  The wedge. This design mantra took over the minds of the world’s top stylists collectively around 1970 – as the Ferrari 512 S Module and the Lancia Stratos HF Zero concepts swept everyone to accept the shape. The design was the ultimate expression of mid-engine hypercar engineering of the time. In wind tunnels of the day, the goal was to have as little front surface area as possible. Something like a rocket for the road. Ferrari 512 S Modulo at Atlanta Dream Cars exhibit http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/06/10/dream-cars-1970-ferrari-512s-modulo-pininfarina/     Lancia Stratos HF Zero at Atlanta Dream Cars exhibit http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/06/10/dream-cars-1970-lancia-stratos-hf-zero-by-bertone/ Wind tunnels …

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2015 Hyundai Tucson COLORS Guide in 9 Animated Turntables and 295 Photos!

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Below, we established that the Hyundai Tucson is the objective car shopper’s dream. It really has it all, including available AWD and a modern design with LEDs front and back. Inside, try to find a feature this crossover does not have. Very good mini truck. Sure, it is not that speedy or sporty. But neither are most shoppers! So let’s dive into a colors guide, shall we? Sidebar: how do we do this amazing technical wizardry? How do we do any of this website stuff!? The better question is Why: and the answer is… to bring unique value and visuals …

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2015 Hyundai Tucson is Trendy Crossover With Loaded Pricing Under $30,000

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When it comes to model pricing, manufacturers seem to have a few strategies across brands and model lines. We’ve observed two concrete patterns: — at the low end, pricing pushes the limits of profitability to have that headline-grabbing base price — at the top end, things get seriously ambitious. Any chop in the margins of the base car is nearly doubled up top. This makes sense. A low base price can help people to jump a price bracket on the hope that they can afford a larger or better car for their limited cash. But with options and a good …

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Hyundai SEMA Showstopper: ARK Performance AR550 Genesis Is E63-Hunter With Supercharged 5.0L V8!

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What the what! Looking for specs on the 2015 Tucson on Hyundai Media, and what is staring me in the face on the homepage but an extremely tuned Genesis! Have you ever seen a SEMA concept so well-executed and well-timed? The new Genesis is absolutely killing it on the sales charts: the combination of 7 series proportions and 3 series pricing is really a huge, huge hit with shoppers. But how to convince the skeptical? How about a performance upgrade to shade even the M5 and E63? Enter, Ark Performance and the AR550 Genesis. Damn. Sexy. Hyundai?     ARK …

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2015 Honda CR-V Revealed With More Torque, More Tech and New Touring Trim!

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    The new CR-V is here and looks darn sexy, perhaps for the first time ever! The enhanced styling is really quite premium and desirable for an SUV with a base price in the $23,000 range. A new nose brings a slimmer grille and more premium headlights. Those LED accents are standard on EX trim and above, while the EX-L and new Touring trim actually pack projector-beam lamps inside for the low-beams for the first time. All good news, especially as the CR-V’s RAV4 arch-rival and Ford Escape chase car are looking mighty dull and cheap these days. It …

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Ford Advanced Design Sketches Show Direction of 2016 Taurus Redesign

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The 2016 Taurus is rumored to ditch its jumbo Volvo-based platform in favor of an enlarged Fusion chassis. The current Fusion has been a total savior for Ford as rival Chevy Malibu and Chrysler 200 have nose-dived in recent years. Originally designed for the Mazda6, this platform is lighter and has been heavily tweaked to meet all the latest crash and emission standards. These updates continue for 2016, as the Taurus is markedly larger in every dimension than the mid-size models. So what will the new Taurus look like? Today’s reveal of the updated European-market Mondeo also includes a variety …

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2015 Ford Mondeo Brings New LED Headlights + Redesigned Steering and Suspension

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  Ford’s new Mondeo is heading to European dealers by the end of this year! Revised LED lighting, tech and redesigned steering/suspension round out the changes. The Mondeo Hybrid will also be new to the European and UK market. Might these updates show the direction of Ford’s hot-selling Fusion here in the US? Time will tell! Despite lots of moves toward global models, the Mondeo vs Fusion name difference is slightly helpful in making different update cycles by market a bit easier to swallow. This is in sharp contrast to the Euro VW Passat versus the US Passat, for example, …

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Road Test Review – 2014 Lincoln MKZ 3.7 AWD Is Stylish, Sporty and Futuristic!

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The Lincoln MKZ is easily the best Lincoln this author has ever driven. Outstanding design and technology features make the MKZ stand apart from anything else coming out of Detroit this decade, and getting to know the new Lincoln over a week was endlessly surprising. This car handles with a fantastic AWD balance of my personal Subaru Legacy GT, carries a charming and unique design that is cutting-edge and futuristic unlike anything else on the road. Dozens of preconceptions went out the ultra-sleek moonroof as we cruised to Atlanta with the Active Cruise engaged, the massage seats on full blast, …

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70 New Photos! 2016 Kia Sorento Debuts in Paris With Jaguar-Baiting Style at Ford Prices

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Updated 9.29.14 with 70 official (Euro-spec) 2016 Sorento photos!   The updated Sorento is likely to arrive in the US market some time in the spring of calendar 2015 as a 2016 model. The 2015 Sorento is already available at dealers, which is why we speculate about the 2016 model year. Kia calls this the third-gen Sorento, as Europe is less concerned with model years than we are in the USA. Overall, the styling update is a big success. It is paired with a new refinement on the road, an all-new cabin, and a much larger third row of seats …

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PARIS DEBUTS – 2016 Volkswagen Passat GTE Plug-In Hybrid To Arrive in Europe October 2015

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Okay folks, lets brace ourselves for perhaps three dozen amazing new car reveals in Paris! We will try to focus on whether the car is a concept or a production model – and detail production cars’ arrival timeframes and markets in which it will be sold! To that end, the 2015 VW Passat GTE is an all-new production car for the European markets, with first arrivals in October 2015 to showrooms. It is the first plug-in VW hybrid and will be offered as the normal sedan or the practical estate shape. The Passat GTE powertrain is very promising for the …

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2015 Honda Civic Type R Previewed By Crisp and Clean New Paris Concept

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276 horsepower is now the floor for Honda Type R models – this latest 2.0-liter turbocharged engine shows that Honda is diving in head-first into the world of turbochargers. Which definitely makes sense – Honda is, after all, supplying the McLaren Formula One team with its engines for 2015 and beyond. So you can be sure that the engine lab is glowing red-hot with huge boost! So what will change between now and the production model set for Spring 2015 in the UK? Mostly the headlights and the wheels. They will both be slightly more production-feasible. But otherwise, this is …

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2010 BERTONE Pandion for Alfa-Romeo Is Next-Level Brilliance Inside and Out

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  We obviously cover a lot of concepts and dream cars here, but rarely does one captivate the eye and mind more than the 2010 Bertone Pandion. BERTONE: COMPANY SITUATION ANALYSIS First things first: Bertone (pronounced ‘Bear Tony’) is currently restructuring after some lean years in the Italian car business drained its corporate accounts to breaking point. Is this any way indicative of the quality of the firm’s design work? Absolutely, positively not. In fact, it is because of Bertone’s amazing ideas that the firm branched back into actual car factories versus just dreamy, steamy concept cars and prototypes. Full-scale …

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Concept Debrief – 1969 BMW 2800 Spicup Was Bertone Spider-Coupe Prototype

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Named for its dual purpose, the Spicup is a contraction of ‘Spider’ and ‘Coupe’ into one word. This one was a joint effort and actually led with Bertone proposing the idea of a spider coupe with a retractable hardtop to BMW. A 2.8-liter straight six lives up front and the one-off Spicup BMW opened the door to more Bertone-BMW collaboration later in the 1970s. The machine is certainly unique and eye-popping today: imagine it today as some form of BMW Z4 variant: a cabrio two-door built off a traditional sedan platform. More accurately, considering the roof and semi-popup headlamps, was …

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BMW E31 840i, 850i and 850CSi Celebrate 25th-Anniversary Homecoming in Munchen

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The BMW 8 series might not be everyone’s favorite German supercoupe, but it certainly made its mark on owners! They are fanatically enthusiastic about the machine – in a way that is not echoed by owners of many big BMW sedans. As the second slant-nose BMW after the M1, the 8 series had a charmed birth in 1989. It was a slow climb to greatness: many enthusiasts yawned at its relatively pokey sprint pace and over-heavy controls in rapid corners. But versus its rivals from Mercedes-Benz, the 8 series delivered in spades. It made the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class a mandatory part …

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2015 Volvo V40 XC Adds 245HP T5 Powertrain – USA Imports Coming Soon?

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  UPDATE: The fine print of Volvo’s release below actually invalidates much of the below editorializing — it looks like the V40 Cross Country may be coming to the States after all!!! Say a big thankyou to the new XC90’s strong initial sales if this does become the case… watch this space for all the updates.   PREVIOUS The V40 is Volvo’s smallest model range and is no longer imported to the US market. Is this a total letdown? It is a bit of a disappointment, that is sure. Especially because this platform has housed many of the latest Volvo …

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Mercedes-Benz FT2025 Is New Daimler Trucks Flagship

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Why care about the brand-new Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2015 concept shown in Hanover this week for the first time? A few reasons: — The vast majority of S-Class-level active safety and automated driving tech is all-new to the long-haul truck segment — Daimler Trucks is the top-selling medium and heavy truck supplier worldwide, so these ideas will populate everything from future Unimogs to the new Damiler India brand BharatBenz in the coming years — Germans take concepts seriously: these ideas are all totally feasible and likely already headed to full production in the next five years — The active safety …

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Concept Flashback – 2003 Citroen C-Airlounge Is Most Artful and Memorable Van Concept… Ever?

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What does it take to make a minivan form sexy? To make it fresh and trippy and almost psychedelic? That would take the mad hatters at Citroen in France. The look of this C-Airlounge concept actually strongly informed the designs of the current generation of people-movers like the C4 Picasso — but loses much of the surreal sense of hypercurved panel shapes and seamless construction. Part of the fantasy of this C-Airlounge is that imagining a car like this on the road is nearly impossible. Virtually no panel gaps or shutlines get in the way of the features, while the …

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Part Two: 2013 Giugiaro PARCOUR ROADSTER in 50 High-Res Photos

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  PART TWO: The Roadster When off-roading, why not have the wind in your hair and a bit of breeze above your head? All the better to see the amazing terrain this XGT could sail through… This Roadster evolved from one of the best-received concepts of all time from ItalDesign Giugiaro: an off-road Gallardo called the Parcour. Very rarely is the crossover and SUV trend so elegantly bottled into a super-high-performance package like this. With a completely fresh design, the Parcour looks truly ready to bounce off rocks down any rally track tomorrow. In fact, the machine was so thoroughly …

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2013 Giugiaro PARCOUR in 100 Photos: V10 SUV Set Tone For Upcoming Lambo 4×4 and Audi Nanuk

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This beast was one of the best-received concepts of all time from ItalDesign Giugiaro: an off-road Gallardo called the Parcour. Very rarely is the crossover and SUV trend so elegantly bottled into a super-high-performance package like this. With a completely fresh design, the Parcour looks truly ready to bounce off rocks down any rally track tomorrow. In fact, the machine was so thoroughly engineered that the hardtop Parcour was sold at Pebble Beach last year by Giugiaro for about $600,000. Its mechanical package is rock-solid, primarily because it shares the mid-engine chassis, transmission and AWD system of the well-proven Gallardo …

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2015 McLaren 625C Is Asia-Focused Model With Super-Smooth PACC Suspension

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  Here is an interesting bit of news! McLaren has launched the new 625C with features custom-tailored to the exploding Asian market. New tuning and settings for the ProActive Chassis Control lets the hydraulic suspension of the 650S become boulevard-smooth in its comfort setting – far cushier than anything with the McLaren badge to date. This is news because the 650S is already one of the smoothest-riding supercars ever made. That hydaulic suspension lets the car flow and breathe over bumps like a Citroen DS, but is adjustable in two further modes to make it track-hard. Below you can see …

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