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2020 Jeep “JLUR” Wrangler Rubicon EcoDiesel – Off-Road Test Review – By Matt Barnes

After four years off, FCA brought back the 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel. This time they’ve decided to add it to the Jeep Wrangler. Enthusiasts call the newest Wrangler the JL.  If it’s the four-door version they, add a “U,” and for the Rubicon trim they add an R. Our test model was a 2020 JLUR EcoDiesel. Video Intro   Overview Arguably America’s most rugged vehicle, the newest Jeep Wrangler has been modernized without compromise to off-road ability. The Jeep brand is FCA’s top seller in the U.S., and the Wrangler is a big portion of that. In order to please a wider …

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2019 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss – Off-Road Traction Systems Test

Spending time with the 2019 Chevy Trail Boss allowed us to dive deep into how the various traction systems work on all light duty Chevy trucks. We combined the information we gained from speaking with an engineer at Chevy with some real-world testing and here is what we found. All of the systems below work in 2WD, AWD and 4WD Chevy trucks except of course for the 4WD auto, 4WD high and 4WD low for vehicles not equipped with 4WD or 4WD low. Brake Limited Slip There are a variety of manufacturers that use a brake limited slip system as …

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2018 Lexus GX460 – On & Off-Road Test Review – By Matt Barnes

Badged as the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado worldwide, the Lexus GX460 is a luxuriously adorned version for the United States and other upscale markets. The underpinnings are as durable as one would expect from a Toyota product with all the luxury of a Lexus. Interior The GX460 is a very luxurious vehicle with all the features you would expect in a Lexus. The leather is soft and supple, with heated and ventilated seats. The second row has heated seats, but not ventilated. The steering wheel is also heated. The middle row captain’s chairs are comfortable and allow easy access to …

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2018 Land Rover DISCOVERY – Off-Road First Drive

When the truck that gets stuck — metal to rock — in front of you on an offroad course is a 2017 Raptor, you start to wonder if your truck will make it through the same obstacle. Except when it is a Land Rover? We found out just how incredible the 2018 Disco was offroad the other week.  And documented the experience thoroughly! Not totally fair to call this a review of any sort.  Seat time was less than an hour, while we never touched pavement.  So these observations are nearly static impressions. But here goes. WOW! The most ultramodern …

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2016 Dodge VIPER ACR – Bondurant Black Mamba

Updated 1.31.16 Just drove the 2016 Viper GT on track and am still in V10 nirvana. But there is a new king in the Viper range: the road-legal American Club Racer. Seeing the car in person is a jaw-dropping experience — this exterior is the coolest supercar since the TVR Sagaris! Huge new fender vent slashes, a underbody fully shrouded with air channels, and a nose and tail treatment more aggressive than even the wildest tuners can make real. Let alone make for sale as a $20k option! 2016 Dodge VIPER ACR – Bondurant Black 2016 Dodge VIPER ACR PREVIOUS …

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2015 W Motors LYKAN HyperSport Abu Dhabi Patrol Car – Crown Photoshoot

The Lykan HyperSport is the proud (adopted) son of the UAE as a great new business with global appeal.  All run from within a sparkling white palace of a factory.  Where?  Right in the center of Dubai’s skyscrapers.  The firm has made the Emirates its home since just after being founded in Lebanon. Not to be outshone, Abu DHabi’s Ekin Patrol has added a customized 2015 W Motors Lykan HyperSport to the fleet. Not to issue parking tickets, but to revel in the glory of the Emirati royal family! The customization includes a special carbon-fiber mount for the lightbar unit to attach …

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2016 Dodge VIPER ACR – First Real-Life Photos Show Insane Aerokit

Just drove the 2016 Viper GT on track and am still in V10 nirvana. But there is a new king in the Viper range: the road-legal American Club Racer. Seeing the car in person is a jaw-dropping experience — this exterior is the coolest supercar since the TVR Sagaris! Huge new fender vent slashes, a underbody fully shrouded with air channels, and a nose and tail treatment more aggressive than even the wildest tuners can make real. Let alone make for sale as a $20k option!   2016 Dodge VIPER ACR PREVIOUS   Welcome to the fastest road-legal Viper of …

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2016 Honda Pilot Elite AWD – Photo Flyaround Shows Classy LEDs, All-New Look

  Updated 10.18.15 with 37 New Photos The 2016 Pilot is nearly unrecognizable. It is completely new from all sides, with the next-gen Honda face and LEDs brightly glowing front and rear. While the silhouette of the new Pilot’s nose, windshield and glasshouse is extremely rakish now, the dimensions also appear to have grown quite a bit. The second row and rear overhang are particularly jumbo in this new design from the exterior. Inside, of course, you get the benefits of that large and in-charge profile.   The new 2016 Honda Pilot is here! With a striking new design that …

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2016 McLaren 675LT Dynamic Debut – Track Video + 105 New Pics!

Updated 8.3.15 The more you see (and hear) of the 675LT, the better it gets!  Stunning new 100-plus-image photo set plus a compelling launch video above to share. The hottest McLaren under the P1 is arriving to its first buyers now! Very rapid introduction from McLaren since first showing this Huracan-killer at Geneva in March, 2015. Keeping the McLaren buzz and buyer energy up is critical for the brand — so think of this as the counterpunch to the softer, cheaper and slower 570S. Where that car will be a serious threat to base R8, AMG GT and Porsche 911 …

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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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2016 Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4-Squared Priced from $265k, Arriving In December

  The incredibly cool and macho new G500 4×4-Squared is officially available! Orders are open now for this new flagship, with pricing from $230k Euros and 422 horsepower via a new twin-turbo powertrain. The 4.0TT is shared with the AMG GT and delivers better power, efficiency and torque profiles than ever before. This engine is standard on the 4×4-squared as well as the standard G500 for this year, hitting 60-mph in just 5.9-seconds for the normal truck and up to 7.4-seconds as the 4×4-squared. The Squared’s biggest change mechanically is the addition of portal axles. Shared with the AMG 6×6, …

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Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015 – DAY TWO Gallery + Action GIFS

Updated 6.28.15 — Now With More Action GIFS! Weekend complete for Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015! A huge swath of OEM, race team and collector passion for the moving motor show icon this year — with stunning cars bellowing skyward as they race up Lord March’s driveway at Goodwood House. And even if you missed it… we have a delicious treat to share!  600 all-new, high-res photos of the latest exotic and sports cars, modern racers, vintage racecars and classic icons. Splitting the photo megaload into three posts so we do not destroy web-manity with a single obese web page. …

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Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015 – New Cars Mega Gallery in 188 Pics

Day one complete at a glorious and very sunny 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed! A huge swath of OEM, race team and collector passion for the moving motor show icon this year — with stunning cars bellowing skyward as they race up Lord March’s driveway at Goodwood House. And even if you missed it… we have a delicious treat to share!  600 all-new, high-res photos of the latest exotic and sports cars, modern racers, vintage racecars and classic icons. Splitting the photo megaload into three posts so we do not destroy web-manity with a single obese web page. Leading off? …

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2015 Lexus RC Playdate Includes Vossen SEMA Showcar and APEX Radio-Controlled Drifters!

  Two things you must drive ASAP to push the limits of your smile muscles? The 2015 Lexus RC Coupe and the matching Team Associated RCF radio-controlled car! A quick meeting with the rockstar team of the Lexus Southern region this week offers definitive proof that the RC marks a seachange for Lexus overall. The playful new mood of the Japanese luxury juggernaut is clear from first approach: five RC coupes to test drive, joined by a handful of the ultra-rapid RCF radio-controlled cars. The ‘RC-RCF’ is another stark reminder that your drive memory for Lexus (and all radio-controlled cars) …

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Shock M6 Concept! 2015 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage – Design Analysis + Rendered Colorizer

  Brace yourself! BMW’s new concept is going to knock you off your feet. This 2015 BMW CSL Hommage takes the incredible aggression and aero add-on feel of the classic BMW racecars, then integrates much of the layered and detailed look via its swirling CFRP panels. The Hommage is a simply stunning look at the future of BMW’s large coupe — with the track embellishments and GT-R-style machoness almost dripping off the Golf Yellow paintwork. No powertrain details are given, as the focus is really on design for the Concours.   Design Analysis NOSE The nose will dominate many conversations …

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2015 VW Golf GTE Sport Concept + 2016 GTI Clubsport Production Reveal at Worthersee

Volkswagen has delivered a half-dozen Golf and GTI concepts in the last 12 months — so you are forgiven for thinking that the GTE looks too familiar to be all-new. With the Design Vision GTI, the GTI SuperSport and GTI speedster (both for Gran Turismo), the GTI thinktank is in full swing in Wolfsburg. This new GTE concept takes much of the intensely aggressive and dominating style of the SuperSport and adds a production-feasible e-AWD system. This li-ion PHEV setup adds a giant wallop of on-demand torque to the rear axle for nearly 400-hp in total. We have an all-new …

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2016 Dodge Viper ACR Brings Extreme Aero, 3-inch Ride Height Adjustment + New Carbon Brakes

Welcome to the fastest road-legal Viper of all time!  The  2016 Viper ACR debuts a major chassis upfit with new adjustable Bilstein dampers, Carbon brakes, a new Extreme Aero kit, lightweight cabin and specially formulated Kumho rubber. The combination creates a potent machine with flypaper grip around corners and nearly 1-ton of downforce near its top speed. The available Extreme Aero kit wears a huge and dramatic adjustable splitter, multi-wing spats and a giant lightweight wing. Integral brake ducts and vents are also beefed up for the ACR, with the visible fender slices a seriously cool detail. The shocks are …

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2015 Ferrari California T by Tailor Made Evokes Hollywood Royalty of ‘Grigio Ingrid’ 375MM

There is a timeless elegance associated with Hollywood and the global jetset enjoying 1950s Italy. Thanks to commercial aviation — the world’s elite could now, for the first time in history, vacation in far more exotic locales efficiently and without any month-long boatrides there and back. This magical era of big-budget Hollywood movies also was the first time films would be distributed globally as well, thanks to advances in projector and film reel affordability. Upon arrival in Capri or St. Tropez, the stars of the day fell hard for all the accoutrements of the Italian luxury lifestyle — including Ferrari’s. …

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2015 INFINITI Q70L Bespoke Edition Is Ultra-Posh Flagship Limo – Bested By Taurus on Tech?

  LIMOUSINES FOR ALL? The chase for Chinese limo buyers is almost becoming a caricature. Based on all the attention lavished on this tiny segment of China’s 10-million-unit auto market, you might think that everyone’s first car there is a LWB limo with individual thrones in back and a chauffeur up front. That is emphatically not the case. Most Chinese car sales are humdrum little sedans made of sawdust and hope, powered by smog and costing a pretty penny for the privilege. LIMOUSINES FOR SOME! But there is a logic in snagging limo buyers. First off, the profit margins are …

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2015 Citroen AirCross Concept Is Production-Intent 5-Seat SUV

  We’ve been eager to see this car for days now! A low-res leak earlier in the week showed a huge amount of potential for this latest Citroen concept car — and luckily the full reveal confirms how cool this concept design is. Citroen, as we know, has little trouble creating absolutely stunning prototypes and concept cars. These are far different from the norm of concept cars lately in the US market. Heavy expectation management strategies mean that US show-goers rarely see pure dream cars, with manufacturers preferring the Honda, Ford and Infiniti route: a decorated version of the actual …

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Road Test Review – 2015 Subaru Outback Limited By Ken Glassman

  2015 Subaru Outback Limited By Ken Glassman Since nearly 25% of Subaru’s total vehicle sales, or around 120,000 copies, comes from the Outback model, Subaru understood that radical changes would be a risky proposition. Outback buyers are a fiercely loyal group, and that’s because they have been happy with the package that Subaru has been offering for many years. So while the 2015 model is based off the new Legacy sedan, the Outback changes have been evolutionary, not revolutionary. The result is a better vehicle, with mild styling changes, and improvements. PERFORMANCE Two engine options are available, and while …

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Gooding Amelia 2015 – 1965 Maserati Sebring in Red Brings $300k

Can’t get enough of the very-rare and very chic Maserati Sebring? How about another in bright red? This Gooding & Co. auction car brought upwards of $300,000 – making it a well-priced entry into the club of 1960s Italian exotica.   ORIGINAL Tastemaker? With headlamps that look straight off of the Chevrolet Corvette C1 facelift in 1960? Not so much, guy! But look past the twin chrome-rimmed circles on light on this Maserati Sebring and you have the basis for some seriously futuristic sports coupes. The long hood and sunken grille and delicious, while the flat surfacing and boxy glasshouse …

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Amelia Island 2015 – 1965 Maserati Sebring 3500 GTi Was Avant-Garde Luxury Tastemaker

Tastemaker!? With headlamps that look straight off of the Chevrolet Corvette C1 facelift in 1960? Not so much, guy! But look past the twin chrome-rimmed circles on light on this Maserati Sebring and you have the basis for some seriously futuristic sports coupes. The long hood and sunken grille and delicious, while the flat surfacing and boxy glasshouse would become mainstream and popular a full 20 years later in the 1980s. Beating a trend by two decades definitely counts as innovative, taste-making design in our book! 1965 Maserati Sebring 3500 GTi Series I      

Amelia Island – 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Roof Off, LEDs On!

Still captivating and quite special: the Porsche 918 Spyder. Roof off, lights on. Enjoy. The most interesting part of the shoot was seeing the low-beam LEDs of the 918. They are just an explosion of light from within the rather-larger quad-LED elements. It is balanced and menacing and best-in-class for hypercar light signatures. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder  

Updated With 55 New Photos! 2015 McLaren 675LT Confirmed For 500-Unit Production Run

Updated 3.4.15 With 50 New Photos You really have to admire McLaren Automotive’s brand and product savvy. On either side of the 650S, we now have two tweaked variants to suit individual buyer tastes. Complementing the Asia-only 625C and its softer suspension setup is this new 675LT, a thoroughly revamped 650S with an all-new tail, advanced GT3-style aero pieces for the sills and nose, and a cabin with racing seats and details. The biggest change is in back for this new LongTail model. You instantly see how different the design is versus the 650S, with a longer rear spoiler and …

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2015 Infiniti QX30 Concept Revealed For Geneva – Coming Next Year Priced From $35k

Geneva 2015 is about to kick off in full swing — starting what is arguably the largest and most important auto show on Earth in terms of product reveals. The 2015 Infiniti QX30 is the first in a new range of compact, front and AWD premium models, built with shared engines and platforms with the Mercedes-Benz CLA and GLA-Class. This new QX30 Concept is a lightly-upgraded version of the production model expected as soon as this Fall at US Infiniti showrooms. What is real? We believe that all the bodywork and metal elements are the final production-specification. (Aside from adding …

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2015 Jaguar F-Type by STARTECH Packs Deeper Front Bumper, Carbon-Fiber Aero and Rifled Exhaust Pipes

These cool new F-Type upgrades from Brabus’s JLR line, StarTech, really do enhance many sides of this gorgeous coupe. And best of all, the mods fit the cabrio’s just as nicely. The key pieces of the package are the deeper and completely-new front bumper, CF chin splitter, and winged CF side sills. The rear end trades its factory diffuser for this new carbon-fiber shroud, and the exhausts are made significantkly cooler than stock. Inside is a feast of new surfaces and leather-quilting on all sides. Definitely a sexy and touchable upgrade to the Jag’s cabin. 2015 Jaguar F-Type by STARTECH …

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2.9s 2015 McLaren 675LT Brings LongTail Aero, Track-Attack Chassis and 666HP!

You really have to admire McLaren Automotive’s brand and product savvy. On either side of the 650S, we now have two tweaked variants to suit individual buyer tastes. Complementing the Asia-only 625C and its softer suspension setup is this new 675LT, a thoroughly revamped 650S with an all-new tail, advanced GT3-style aero pieces for the sills and nose, and a cabin with racing seats and details. The biggest change is in back for this new LongTail model. You instantly see how different the design is versus the 650S, with a longer rear spoiler, unique fender vents behind the wheels, and …

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2015 Audi Prologue Avant Concept Shows 4-Door, Fast-Wagon Style Ahead of Geneva Show

We have seen two iterations of the Prologue concept so far from Audi: both coupes with the scale and presence to compete between the BMW 6 series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupes. With a design that harks back to the low and lean appearance of the Audi 5000 from the late 1980s, the Prologue design does feel much better as a deeply-sloping wagon silhouette. More naturally Audi, but still a bit blah for our tastes. It engenders little to no visual passion or excitement, despite being a clean and pure design. This latest Prologue Avant dramatically decorates the exterior details …

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2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Updated With Nav Touchscreen From Just $18k Net Price

  The Chevy Bolt concept from Detroit last month made a bit of a splash for promising to be a full-EV five-seater with great utility and a 200-mile battery range for a pre-tax-credit price of around $38,000. Mooted as a Tesla-fighter, the Bolt’s competitive benchmark should actually the innovative Mitsubishi i-MiEV. This funky city car redefines easy, smooth and pure-electric driving for the masses — with an out-the-door price of just $16,000 after considering the US EPA’s federal tax credit of $7500. That is seriously affordable, and makes the i-MiEV a realistic second-car for city-dwellers. Unlike the $35,000 Nissan Leaf …

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2015 Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Debuts Hardcore Off-Road Kit, New 4.0L V8TT and LWB Options

A concept only in name, the new G500 4×4² does what it says on the tin: four-by-four — squared. A giant wide-track design and 37-inch tires run much of the hardcore offroad tech from the AMG G63 6×6, but under the skin of the standard G-Class. This G500 runs the latest 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 from the AMG GT, but retuned to have rock-crushing torque at all times versus peaky high-rev horsepower. Even so, 422 ponies is plenty when riding this high off the earth below! Mercedes calls this a concept, but the G500 4×4-squared is almost a sure-thing for limited-production …

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2015 Toyota Camry Retraces NASCAR Roots with a Drive on Daytona Beach

No NASCAR crash course would be truly immersive at Daytona without a drive on the original NASCAR track – this pristine stretch of flawless Atlantic beach. First off, an intro. Why would driving on sand at speeds topping 140-mph have ever seemed like a good idea? When you put yourself in the driver’s seat 65 years ago, running high-powered and highly dangerous racecars on Daytona Beach actually seems really reasonable. Daytona Beach has three qualities that make it extremely desirable for high-speed runs: it is smooth, flat and nearly endless. Those same criteria are exactly what the  Bugatti Veyron La …

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Road Test Review – 2015 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD

2015 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD Review INTRO The funny thing about most crossovers and SUVs these days is that comfort is generally a very relative term. Sure, you might have every bell and whistle imaginable in the new Escalade, and searing performance in the new BMW X5 M. And while those crossovers might be extreme examples, others in the price bracket also qualify. Vehicles like the Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango, for example, are prime competition for the massive, three-row Nissan Pathfinder. What is one thing that none of the above machines can actually deliver in a luxurious way? Road …

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Update2 – 2016 Honda Pilot Is All-New With 9-Speed Automatic, New AWD and Vastly Superior Cabin

The new 2016 Honda Pilot is here! With a striking new design that moves away from the blocky look of the current model, this eight-seater promises improvements in almost every single way. The biggest news for drivers is an all-new nine-speed automatic transmission for top trims, plus a redesigned AWD system that can move more torque to either axle than before. Inside, a total redesign makes things far smoother, quiter and safer than before. Upgraded entertainment and touch-screen nav and climate controls are welcome, as are the advanced safety systems to be offered on the 2016. In this family-dominated segment, …

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Houston Auto Show – Camp JEEP – Animated Action Sequences!

The Houston Auto Show brought some really cool drive experiences inside the convention center this year: with Camp Jeep a real highlight and crowd-pleaser. It might not seem realistic to simulate off-roading with ultra-steep ramps, buck-board surfaces and steeply tilted later angles. But based on the screams and smiles of drivers sampling Jeep hill-descent-controls and off-road prowess, we’d say the internal thrills and G-forces are authentic! Enjoy these two brief sequences of the Grand Cherokee and Cherokee making their ways down a 45-degree ridge. Smooth and under control, like true off-road pros. Houston Auto Show – Camp JEEP – Animated …

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Infiniti QX70 by AHG-Sports Shows Great Style and Stance

One of the big advantages of going to a big tuner for your car upgrades is that — no matter how eye-watering;y expensive they are, a big tuner’s parts will be far less than commissioning the work piece by piece. In Germany, driving one of the big local brands really helps broaden the availability, and affordability, of tuner parts and car mods. The Infiniti here by AHG-Sports lacks both of these benefits: it is nearly a one-off upgrade and each change is deeply pricey. Secondly, Infiniti’s in Europe are so rare that limited options exist to go wild on power …

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2017 Ford Raptor Is EcoBEAST! Cool New Style, Much Quicker and Even More Bad-Ass

It is very rare to have a truck’s front suspension A-arms be a styling detail that lights up your eyes from the front, but the 2017 Raptor proves the exception. The truck shows off its tough and rough off-road equipment and suspension from all sides, especially dead-on from the nose. Here we see the Raptor’s trademark honeycomb grille and giant FORD letters writ large, paired with the super-cool new LED lighting from the top F-150 Platinum trims. Here the lamps are exposed and free of a clear shell — the better to show off the box-LED style and also to …

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2015 ARIEL Nomad – Exclusive Digital COLORIZER

This Ariel Nomad is a very cool piece of news – even as CES is in full swing and Detroit is starting to build momentum ahead of press parties starting on Sunday. We’ve spent a bit of time in photoshop to create an exclusive color visualizer for the new Nomad — with our skills obviously best able to create bright, Skittles-style shades. We’ve also lightened and darkened the wheels for a few ideas of what the gloss-black optional rims might look like. This car seems like it is *perfect* for the X-raid class of rallying, and as such there are …

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3.3s 2015 ARIEL Nomad – Tech Specs, Options and Full-Throttle Testing Video!

Updated 1.6.2015 If anything, the real-life Ariel Nomad is even cooler than last week’s teaser renders indicated. Power is a stout 235-ponies, the Yokohama 35-inch mud tires are insane, and the options list will make you start drooling onto your touchscreen. Is there any downside to the ultra-light yet super-strong Ariel Atom chassis concept being applied to an off-roader? Not that we can think of. A heated windshield is even offered. The rear-engine playfulness and handling joy seem to apply themselves perfectly to the Nomad’s off-road mission — as well as guaranteeing traction for sprints and heavy braking. The 100-kph …

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Porsche Carrera GTZ by Zagato Wears Much-Sexier Double Bubble Roof

  Along with recreating this long-lost 356 Carrera Zagato Speedster for the modern era, Zagato highlights their subtle Carrera GTZ mod as well. You will really need a sharp eye to note the difference between the Carrera GTZ and its factory base, the stupendous Carrera GT. But once you note the differences — you will almost-definitely like the Zagato better. It is all about the roof and rear canopy. Where the targa-roofed stock Carrera GT has a sharp drop-off behind the rear glass, the GTZ has smooth double bubbles flowing back in a very artful fashion. The GTZ is much, …

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1958 Porsche 356 Carrera Zagato Speedster Is Worlds Only Aluminum-Bodied Example

Zagato Classic has recreated their first-ever Porsche project here: a 356 Speedster that was lightened and made quicker for a racing customer in Paris. The tailfins are particularly delightful as functional and style-enhancing elements, as is the lower and lighter windshield. If you are thinking: hey, this Zagato 356 Speedster actually looks much more like the 550 Spyder — you are correct. The commission of a new aluminum body for the steel-skinned 356 meant Zagato could make the car as streamlined as Porsche’s most-successful racer ever (at the time): the 550. Shown below on the grass, you can see the …

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Rendering a DIY Black Pack for the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe

We mentioned a few times that customizing the excellent 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe would be a quick and simple job as an owner. We’ve digitally envisioned this $500 upgrade from a few angles — and are stunned with the coolness of the results. The rules are simple: no aftermarket parts of upgrades. Just trim tweaks: dipping the wheels in anthracite grey, tinting the windows to 20-percent, and changing the brushed-alloy brightwork into a black chrome or gloss black. The hardest part of this upgrade, and perhaps the only one that would require a body-shop’s assistance for OEM results, is the …

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Concept Flashback – 1989 Mitsubishi HSR II Innovates With Six Active Aero Wings

We’ve been pouring through the Mitsubishi back catalog today for a few Concept Flashback articles. The real all-star of the Mitsu lineup of show cars in the last three decades? It is this – the 1989 HSR II. HSR stands for Highly Sophisticated-transport Research and was a follow-up to a 1987 concept of the same name. The HSR II is far more beautiful, however, and also more innovative. Sure, as a 1989 Japanese exotic, the HSR II is packing a twin-turbo V6 along with 4-wheel-steering and 4-wheel-drive. This goes well with its ABS brakes, independent suspension and electronically-adjustable dampers all …

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2015 ARIEL Nomad is Off-Roader With ATOMic Lightness and Speed!

Thrilled to see the latest move from Ariel Motors in the UK: an off-road version of its legendary Atom sports car! This new variant is called the Nomad and is based on the latest Atom 3 running gear — but with a totally new roll-cage/chassis combination, a huge suspension upfit and giant dune-munching tires. A windshield is also in the mix on the teaser shots. This will be helpful for keeping the mud and sand out of your face! 200-horsepower is the output from the rear-engine Nomad, with rear-drive keeping things just a few hundred pounds up on the flyweight …

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575HP SHELBY RAPTOR – Animated Colors and Options Guide

The Ford  RAPTOR off-road special is the biggest hit among shoppers since the F-150 Lightning of the 1990s. Performance street trucks like the Ram SRT10, Silverado SS and GMC Cyclone appear to be taking a backseat to baja-ready machines like the Tundra TRD Pro and the stock Raptor. But with the huge popularity of the Ford dune-blaster comes a bit less excitement and exclusivity for owners. Enter, Shelby American. You can equip and buy a custom Shelby Raptor as new or retro-fit these cool parts to an existing truck. Highlights in the full $17,000 Shelby upgrade are the Whipple supercharger …

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