2013
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Ford’s list of tuned vehicles for this year’s SEMA show just keeps on growing, and now the automaker has announced a pair of unlikely show cars based on its new Escape compact crossover. Both variants are based on a 2.0-liter EcoBoost-powered SE model, though only one gets all-wheel drive while the other makes do with front-wheel drive. VACCAR handled the build of the front-drive Escape, while Heide Performance Products (HPP) tackled the all-wheel-drive crossover. VACCAR is calling its build the Urban Escape Adventurer, and the tuner says the crossover “represents the ideal...
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Live Photos Of Usain Bolt’s One-Off Gold Nissan GT-R
Last week, the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, paid a visit to Nissan HQ and sampled some of the Japanese automaker’s latest cars. Bolt, who was already signed by Nissan to help promote the GT-R supercar, was also in Japan to sign a new deal to extend his role as brand ambassador for...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition Makes Debut
Anyone looking for a Panamera with just that extra touch of luxury will be interested in knowing that Porsche is launching a pair of new special editions based on its Panamera and all-wheel drive Panamera 4. Set to go on sale in January, 2013, the new special editions add a host of extras typically...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lamborghini Reveals 2013 Super Trofeo Race Car, Hints At U.S. Series
This past week Lamborghini revealed its updated 2013 Gallardo range, which for the latest model year gets revised styling and a host of new personalization options. However, an update to the road car means the racing version, the Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo, is also due for renewal, and today we...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Jeff Dunham Building Challenger SRT For SEMA: Video
Codenamed Project Ultraviolet, one of Chrysler's next SEMA specials is a Challenger SRT8 built in cooperation with Mopar, SRT, and ... Jeff Dunham. If you're wondering what a ventriloquist/comedian has to do with muscle cars, you're certainly not alone. The question may or may not be answered after...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford Bringing Five Tuned Focus ST Hatchbacks To SEMA 2012
When Ford announced it was showing four tuner versions of its new Fusion sedan at SEMA, we were a bit concerned that the automaker had forgotten about its other products of interest to enthusiasts, likes its new Focus ST hot hatch. It turns out that wasn’t the case, since Ford has announced...
Kurt Ernst -
Whether you’re fan of its styling or not, the people behind the 2013 Lincoln MKZ deserve a lot of credit. The sedan, in its hybrid form, has just had its gas mileage rated by the EPA at 45 mpg across the board--city, highway and combined. This puts it ahead of most rivals in the mid-size luxury sedan segment, including the Lexus ES 300h (40/39 mpg city/highway), as well as the Infiniti M35h (27/32 mpg) and BMW ActiveHybrid 3 (25/33 mpg), though it should be noted the latter two offer significantly more performance. But hybrids aren’t the only alternative-powered vehicles the...
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2013 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Preview
Following the debut of the facelifted 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo coupe range at last month’s 2012 Paris Auto Show, the first images and details for the 2013 Gallardo Spyder have now hit the Web. They reveal the same aggressive look that we saw on the coupe, plus a few unique elements. The car...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hyundai Veloster "Velocity" Concept: SEMA 2012
The SEMA show is the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association's yearly bash celebrating all that's new and ostensibly cool in tuner and aftermarket culture. Hyundai has embraced the show with a bearhug again this year, adding a new Veloster "Velocity" concept to the mix in addition to its...
Nelson Ireson -
Volvo Kills Off Its C30 Compact Hatchback
If you want to get your hands on a Volvo C30 hatchback, we’d advise you not to wait much longer. In order to “better position Volvo for the future,” the automaker will discontinue C30 production in December, ending the compact hatch with the 2013 model year. Volvo’s official...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Audi S8 first drive review
The previous generation of the Audi S8 was a bit odd among the full-size performance sedan crowd, though it was odd in a way we liked. Power came from a high-revving 5.2-liter V-10 whose design was derived from the unit in the Lamborghini Gallardo supercar, and its rating was an...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford Showing Off Four Tuned Fusion Sedans At SEMA
When Ford showed us its Evos concept in the summer of 2011, we immediately said “build it.” J Mays, Ford’s head of design said, “sorry, not going to happen - but don’t be surprised when a new model comes to market with many of the Evos’ design cues.” That...
Kurt Ernst -
When Volvo announced it was signing NBA star Jeremy Lin as a pitchman for its cars last March, “Linsanity” was everywhere. It seemed impossible to turn on televised news without hearing the latest exploits of the New York Knicks’ unlikely superstar point guard. In the seven months since, Lin has largely fallen from public view, a reminder of how fickle celebrity status can be. At the end of last year’s NBA season, Lin signed a three-year deal that moved him from New York to Houston, where he’s expected to start at point guard during the 2012-13 season. While Lin...
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Subaru BRZ To Star In 'The Fast And The Furious 6'
Just in case you can’t get enough of Subaru’s new rear-drive sport coupe, the BRZ, here’s some good news for you: the car will get a featured role in the upcoming The Fast And The Furious 6, tentatively set for release in May of 2013. Motor Trend reports that Subaru has delivered...
Kurt Ernst -
Jay Leno Drives The 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Video
The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears applies equally well to the Ford Mustang. To those of us who use our cars for track days, the Mustang GT is a bit too soft (although it’s still very good with the optional Track Package), while the 662-horsepower Shelby GT500 is a bit too hard for...
Kurt Ernst -
Lincoln Hoping To Lure 'Cultural Progressives' With The 2013 MKZ
At a time when most automakers are going to extraordinary lengths to target Millennial buyers, luxury brand Lincoln is betting its fortunes on an entirely different demographic, one it’s calling “cultural progressives.” Per Lincoln’s own research, cultural progressives are...
Kurt Ernst -
Testing The Porsche 918 Spyder At The Nürburgring: Video
If the Porsche 918 Spyder were a celebrity, it would likely be Lindsay Lohan or Lady Gaga. That’s not commentary on the Porsche’s behavior, dress or after-hours habits, but instead recognition that few others spend as much time in the glow of the spotlights (and in follow-up media...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Class Recalled Due To Flammable Refrigerant
Following a recent investigation into the harmful effects of a new type of refrigerant used in the air conditioner in the latest 2013 SL Class, Mercedes-Benz has decided to issue a recall on the luxury convertible to replace the substance with a safer version. The refrigerant in question is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Common wisdom tells us to never buy the first production year of any automobile, since that’s when all the bugs not found in pre-production testing tend to surface. In the case of a car as anticipated as the Scion FR-S (or Subaru BRZ), sometimes emotion wins out over common sense. As early buyers of the FR-S and BRZ are finding out, some cars aren’t quite flawless in execution. Autoweek reports that owners of early production models from both manufacturers are reporting intermittent rough idle and engine stalling issues related to ECU programming. The good news, then, is that the...
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John Hennessey Tests A 700 Horsepower Camaro ZL1: Video
If you’re looking for a seriously fast muscle car, the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is one of two outstanding options you have these days (the other, of course, is the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500). From the showroom floor, the ZL1 makes some 580 horsepower at the crank, which is good enough to get...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Pure: New Entry-Level Model
So you've been looking at a 2013 Range Rover Evoque five-door, but you're also trying to keep your budget as trim as possible? Enter the Evoque Pure, a new entry-level model for the Evoque range this year, starting at $41,995. If you're after the Evoque Coupe, you're still working with the $44,995...
Nelson Ireson -
Ride Along In The Porsche 918 Spyder With Chris Harris: Video
Ride-alongs, without the opportunity to drive, as Chris Harris notes in this video, are one of the main gripes of the canapés-and-cocktail-shrimp lifestyle of the automotive journalist. It's just kind of lame not to be allowed to drive the car yourself. It's also a lot less valuable in terms...
Nelson Ireson -
Cosworth Hyundai Genesis Racing Series Coupe Preview: SEMA 2012
This year's SEMA show will feature a special track-ready but street-friendly Cosworth-tuned Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
Nelson Ireson -
Hennessey Revives 'Venom 1000' Package For 2013 SRT Viper
John Hennessey is returning to the performance package and car that helped put his name on the map, albeit some of that fame came for not entirely positive reasons. The car, of course, is the Viper, which is now branded an SRT, while the performance package is Hennessey’s Venom 1000 upgrade...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran