2016 LOTUS ELISE 220 and ELISE SPORT 13

4.2s 2016 Lotus ELISE 220 Is Quickest Ever! USA Arrivals in March; No Fatties T-Shirt Optional

  Shocking speed from this new Elise 220 from Lotus!  Just 4.2-seconds to 60-mph for its estimated $60k US price makes it one of the most rapid machines for the money. And that is just in a straight line! Put some curves in the road course, and the Elise will walk away from most American metal — regardless of price or power ratings. The new Elise Sport is the base model below the 220, but is down about 80 ponies from the 217 of the top road-legal Elise in 2016.  Even so, the Elise Sport’s 6-second blast to 60-mph will …

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2016 Scion iA Review – Best Compact Sedan… Ever? 55 Pics + HD Drive Video

Quick: what are the biggest issues with compact cars? — They are typically a total snooze outside — And alarmingly depressing to drive Is that just an unbreakable curse, or can Scion engineer and design its way to greatness on its first attempt? INTRO Scion has a double threat of new compacts for 2016: the all-new iA sedan and iM hatchback take over for the discontinued iQ, xD and xB. After years of wild niche models, Scion is refocusing its mission to speak to 2015 buyer wants and needs via far more traditional body styles. The iM is a tC-based …

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230MPH BRABUS Rocket 900 Is FASTEST 4-Door EVER!

When you have a supercar-fast S65 overhauled by Brabus, the overall Vmax leaps from its factory limiter from 186-mph into the stratosphere. 900 horsepower from the V12TT is thanks to an aggressive new intake, boost and exhaust management system and a jump in displacement from 5.5-liters to 6.3-liters. Standard rear-drive makes the Brabus Rocket 900 actually faster above 200-mph than the standard 4Matic in other S-Class Mercedes-AMG limos for 2015, but it will take a brave driver indeed to test this car’s outright potential. The Rocket 900 is generally tire-limited to 217-mph, but can reach a theoretical 230-mph based on …

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3.8s 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Is Quickest SUV EVER!

  Here is the scenario: two amazing Porsches. Which to do first? Our first article definitely led with the new Targa GTS — until we looked at the spec sheets. The PDK Targa GTS sprints to 60-mph in a very-respectable 4.1-seconds with the PDK pack. But brace yourself for some real heat with the new Cayenne Turbo S. This $160,000 super-truck is now the quickest SUV of all time: 3.8-seconds to 60-mph. Apologies for the lack of formatting in the specs below. Screenshots of the full specs PDF included, however, as proof of this unbelievably quick new Cayenne Turbo S. …

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2016 SHELBY GT350R Is Quickest Factory Mustang Ever Made

If there are two priorities for an all-star track racer, one column would be labelled ‘Power’ and the other ‘Control.’ This new GT350R majors on control, with huge changes to the aero setup, the suspension and grip package, and the overall handling characteristics. The GT350R is an always-on, flypaper-grippy supercar that hopes to best the Camaro Z/28 in the quickest-lap stakes. This will be the Mustang for laying down the headline Laguna Seca laptimes, with much equipment and luxury tossed aside to slice those last few 10ths from the ultimate speed the GT350R can achieve. This means it will be …

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f-150 review

First Drive Review – 2015 Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew 3.5L EcoBoost Is Best. Pickup. Ever.

INTRO One-word takeway from a drive of the new 2015 F-150 Lariat 3.5-liter EcoBoost? Outstanding. The new F-150 is perhaps the most-anticipated new pickup truck of all time, and as such it is hyped almost beyond belief at the moment. Trucks are arriving now to Ford stores nationwide after shipments started in early December, but before driving it — we had a hefty, hardy amount of skepticism. Would its all-new alloy bodywork over a steel frame be that much of a revolution? Are its LED lights just icing for the top $50,000-plus models? Let’s dive into this review drive with …

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2010 GEMBALLA MIG-U1 Is Easily Most-Outrageous Enzo Ferrari Custom EVER!

A blast from the past on this one – the 2010 Gemballa MIG U1. Even with the latest LaFerrari hogging the Enzo’s limelight, the MIG U1 is a terrifying level of customization and deeply enchanting levels of race-ready aerodynamics. This is still a very special car – and its Dubai plates show that Gemballa is still starring in these ultra-hot hypercar enclaves like Dubai, Singapore, Miami and Hong Kong.   2010 GEMBALLA MIG-U1     PRESS RELEASE      January 2010   GEMBALLA MIG-U1 – The super sports car in a unique overall concept   In the last 27 years, Uwe Gemballa …

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exige s auto

2015 Exige S Automatic Is Quickest LOTUS Streetcar EVER! 3.8s 60mph Sprint, Race Modes and Coming to USA

Lotus has just announced details on the quickest production car ever — the new Exige S Automatic. We cannot think of another street-ready and USA-legal Lotus that has ever been so quick — with nearly all of Lotus’s hottest technology, biggest powerplant and raciest equipment, all on the most-hardcore and lightest model. The latest Exige S is really a king-maker on any racetrack, but also a delight on the roads there and back. It is 50-state legal and priced from about $75,000. In terms of thrills per buck, the Exige S will make a Porsche 911 look like a giant …

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

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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NOVITEC TRIDENTE Maserati Quattroporte Is Quicker and Far Sexier Than Ever!

While writing the big 2014 Quattroporte buyers guide the other day, we regretted how few cool wheel and performance options are available on the Maserati flagship lately.   Novitec Tridente, the trident branch of Novitec Rosso and Torado, has come to the rescue with sets of gorgeous wheels in four finishes, ECU upgrades to the twin-turbocharged engines, and a delicious exterior upgrades menu. The matte-effect paint protection wrap and black-tinted elements for all the factory brightwork are amazing, but even the subtle trunk spoiler and lower aero kit work wonders. A fantastic machine made even more exciting with these brand-new …

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FIRST-EVER FERRARI DRIVE. In HD. On RACETRACK – Ferrari F430 Scuderia at Velocity Motorsports Atlanta Track Drive

Absolute heaven for any car guy. First-ever drive in a Ferrari is… where? An all-new, high-speed road course that is known for its huge and very exciting elevation changes: Atlanta Motorsports Park. With only a few short laps, it was hard to press the F430 Scuderia hard – which is obviously the speed the car prefers. Sensory overload – sold daily at Velocity Motorsports in Atlanta! The pricing starts from about $250 with a choice of cars ahead of your visit, and the chance to upgrade to extra laps in the rest of the Velocity Motorsports fleet. First deep throttle …

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NOVITEC ROSSO Ferrari FF is First-Ever 2+2 with AWD, Launch Control, Novitech 685HP Tuning

NOVITEC ROSSO is definitely a new favorite tuner – their cars are incredible! This program for the FF brings a few world-first elements together for the first time: a 2+2, AWD Ferrari with the full upgrade package from NOVITEC ROSSO. Why is this relevant? The cars are so violent and scary-fast — that the idea of such speed in a relatively practical shape is astounding. Don’t believe it? Check out this video… from about the half-way mark. Full catalog details and configurator below from NOVITEC ROSSO.   FF PRODUCTS The NOVITEC program for the FF has been developed for maximum …

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LaMASERATI by Mark Hostler – The Wildest Hypercar Concept Ever

Meet LaMASERATI by Mark Hostler – The Wildest Hypercar Concept Ever   Wow. This one really stopped me in my tracks today. Dubbed the LaMaserati concept by professionally-trained industrial designer Mark Hostler, the car is simply miraculous. Free-floating surfaces intersect, overlap and interplay in ways that beg to be touched. The floating wings and side buttress are perhaps the most breathtaking elements – unlike anything that any concept hypercar has ever attempted in real-life. The ultra-low nose is shaped for ground-effect aerodynamics at high speed, while the long-tail LED brake light slash will also reduce any turbulence or backpressure as …

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Iconic Classic Supercars: 1965 Bizzarrini Strada Alloy 5300GT One of Most Influential Cars, Ever

Ever the tornado of creativity and speed, Ferrari was quite volatile in the early 1960s. For every race they won, it seems like a failed buyout from Ford and the epic ‘palace revolution’resulted in a big brain drain for Maranello. Competing hot-shot engineers would form nearly a dozen competing supercar marques, including Lamborghini, De Tomaso, Iso, ATS, ASA and Bizzarrini. Each led by a mastermind engineer, stylist, machinist or visionary, only Lamborghini’s brand was strong enough to make it to the 1970s and beyond. The Ferrari exodus left all these talented men with huge ideas, but less of a real …

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Hot Track Lap Review - 2014 BMW M235i Is Most Fun and Best-Sounding Junior Supercar EVER GIF6

Track Drive Review – 2014 BMW M235i Is Best Junior Supercar… EVER!

INTRO Favorite car? Best sports-car? I am running out of superlative awards here – but the points made in the above video are all certainly still felt by me today. The above film is actually pretty watch-able, with some great insights after hopping right in the M235i and doing a lap of Road America right after doing the same in the 2014 M5. Truth be told, for a relative new-comer to the huge-power BMW and sportscar arena, the M235i felt a little more my speed. It was more forgiving on the track, and at the same time friskier and more …

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2014 BMW 435i Cabrio Track Tested at Road America – Best All-Around Drop-Top Ever?

The BMW 435i Convertible is just about the sweetest companion you could imagine: all the power and poise of the best BMW’s ever made: plus a bit of extra wind in your hair. What is not to like? The 435i and cheaper 428i compete most directly with the Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabrio’s these days, so BMW does not really have the segment of four-seat convertibles all to itself these days. But it does command the most market share — largely thanks to the legacy this car has since defining the 90210-chic as far back as the 1989 325i …

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2015 JAGUAR F-TYPE R Coupe -- Lifts Its Bonnet to Show 550HP 5

2015 JAGUAR F-TYPE R Coupe — Lifts Its Bonnet to Show 550HP 5.0-liter V8 — And Even A Deep and Large-Seeming Trunk!

Forget Pippa!  This is 2014’s AotY! (Ass of the Year..) Pippa in an F-TYPE R Coupe? That could be quite the pair of yummy buns! Ever the diplomat who never voices his concerns too bluntly, I am trying to bite my tongue here really hard. But here is the skinny: the F-Type cabrio, at least on first sitting the other month, had a highly compromised driving position and barely any trunk. Those are big issues. Thrilled to see the all-new F-TYPE coupe does not suffer from both these maladies: the trunk is huge! Okay, it is not huge. But we …

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Update1 Meet the Nissan Frontier Baja 1000 Upgrade from Fiberwerx – Best $1400 Nose and Fender Mods Ever?

Update from Josh Campbell, owner of this beast! Shipping and painting were both about $500 each, and the install was done by him in about one day. This requires some heavy/huge wrenches, as well as knowledge about bodywork repair — but can theoretically be done on a DIY basis for most guys. He said the most time was spent fabricating mounts for the new Titan headlamps as well as the hood mounting pins. Great results overall! A new high in lifted trucks? A new low in my automotive writing career? We saw this amazing Nissan Frontier on the way home …

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Nissan GT-R Dakar Rally Prototype…! Most Absurd Renderings Ever?

I was just going to share these with the Faceplace, but here goes nothing! No, I do not know why I spent so long doing this. But then again, the Porsche 959 won Paris-Dakar outright in 1984. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has won it numerous times as well. So perhaps not too insane? No. Completely insane. But fun to observe, hopefully =]

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Porsche Brand Showcase — 1000-Photo Gallery of 918 Spyder, 919, Macan, Panamera, 911, 718, Boxster and Cayman

Ever wanted just a huge lump of images? Well, your wish is my command! Something is wrong with the lightbox function, so please simple control+click to open these gallery photos to full-size in a new window.   918 Spyder 919 LeMans Macan Panamera 911 Cayman/Boxster 907 718 RSK      

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2015 Ford Mustang GT Convertible in 50 Fresh Photos (Plus: State of the Oval for CGI Imagery)

We have been Dr. Honesty lately! Trying to keep it constructive, generally, but it is a slippery slope once you open the taps. So what does this have to do with the Mustang GT convertible? We recently noted in this Mustang Triple Yellow article that Ford’s photography department seems to be less-adept than the best competitors lately. Video stills below. Aston-Martin DB9 Carbon White — Car-Revs-Daily.com exclusive spinner — Made at my desk from **at least 180 raw image files** =] Oh, this is actually draft below. It has an error. Try to spot it… These auto-play moving pictures leverage …

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1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Six-Door Landaulet - RM Auctions Paris 2014 - 7

1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Six-Door’ Pullman Landaulet — *Just* $731,000 at RM Auctions Paris 2014

Just $731,000? That is still a huge sum of money, right? In today’s world, for a six-door Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet, this is an absolute bargain. First off: most of these cars have never left the banana republics they originally called home. Many are still in active service all over the world. Secondly, this car might look rough cosmetically, but let me assure you: the Mercedes-Benz 600 (and all their pre-1989 cars, for that matter) are unbelievably strong automobiles.     I know this for a fact because I spent three weeks a few years ago dis-assembling the interior of …

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Best Day Ever -  BMW X1 M Sport - 77 Action Photos 29

With Deepest Apologies to BMW – My Best Day Ever – 2013 X1 M Sport Video + 77 Action Photos

While I am on the naughty list in general – I cannot help but share this amazing video. Previously unpublished due to stern language – read too late – on the pressie loan. As many readers will know, the videos of me so far are only “okay.”  They desperately need editing and better production values — but I am only one man. My best video so far was from the 2013 BMW X1 sDrive28i M Sport loaner from July 2013. I was in such a panic after spending perhaps 100 hours editing this video. Videos are hard to shoot, let …

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strada alloy 5300GT header gifw

Iconic Classic Supercars: 1965 Bizzarrini Strada Alloy 5300GT One of Most Influential Cars, Ever

Ever the tornado of creativity and speed, Ferrari was quite volatile in the early 1960s. For every race they won, it seems like a failed buyout from Ford and the epic ‘palace revolution’resulted in a big brain drain for Maranello. Competing hot-shot engineers would form nearly a dozen competing supercar marques, including Lamborghini, De Tomaso, Iso, ATS, ASA and Bizzarrini. Each led by a mastermind engineer, stylist, machinist or visionary, only Lamborghini’s brand was strong enough to make it to the 1970s and beyond. The Ferrari exodus left all these talented men with huge ideas, but less of a real …

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