Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Heralded in its heyday as the “$40,000 Ferrari,” the Acura NSX carved new ground for Honda in the performance enthusiast world, winning praise everywhere it went, and remaining highly...
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2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4Matic: 2015 Detroit Auto Show Preview, Live Photos
There’s a sexy new four-door coupe-SUV wearing a tristar badge this year, and it has a super-hot AMG variant, too: the all-new Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4Matic. Yes, that’s quite a mouthful. Fortunately, it’s an eyeful too. MUST WATCH: LaFerrari Demolishes Bugatti Veyron In Drag...
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Corvette Engine Build Experience Is Back, But Only For Z06 Buyers
For several years, Chevrolet allowed buyers of high-end Corvette models like the Z06 and ZR1 to help assemble the engine powering their car as part of a special engine build experience. The program took place at General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] Performance Build Center, located at Wixom...
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First 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 Engine Destroyed With Just 891 Miles On The Clock
All of those reports about power being down on early examples of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 due to the ongoing break-in process (with full power to come just a few hundred miles down the road) aside, there are worse things that can happen with a new supercar engine. For example, they can lunch...
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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Driven Flat-Out On Mountain Hillclimb Is Pure White-Knuckled Amazing: Video
Take a few million dollars and then proceed to attempt to throw it off a mountain at 100-plus-miles-per-hour, and then see how many people call you crazy. Do exactly that in a car worth a few million, and see how many people call you a hero (and mumble about your insanity under their breath). ALSO...
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Porsche 911 Engine Plant Is A Mechanical Meditation Zone: Video
If the Porsche 918 Spyder’s assembly line wowed us with its precision and high-tech materials, the Porsche 911’s engine assembly line at Zuffenhausen soothes us with its tranquil, millimeter-perfect, human-assisted robotic ballet. ALSO SEE: DeLorean Hovercraft Hoons San Francisco Bay...
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This isn’t a new project, and it’s not something that has blown up all over the Internet. We can’t figure out why. Because it’s awesome.
Sure, it only has a 16-hp engine,... -
Walter Röhrl, Mattias Ekstrom Thrash Rallycross Audi S1, Ur-Quattro: Video
If you need any more reason to watch the video above than Walter Röhrl and a pair of 600-hp Audi rally cars, you might want to reassess your life. DON'T MISS: 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 Runs 1/4-Mile On Performance Data Recorder: Video Also joining the fun, piloting the Audi S1 EKS RX, rallycross...
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2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 Runs 1/4-Mile On Performance Data Recorder: Video
The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is still arriving at its first batch of customers, but already we’re seeing the fruits of GM’s monster performance efforts—as well as of the high-tech Performance Data Recorder system that comes with it (and is available in other Corvettes, too)...
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50th Anniversary Shelby Cobra 427 Announced, 50 Examples To Be Sold
The Shelby Cobra has already had a 50th anniversary or two, depending on the model being celebrated. This time, the half-century mark comes for the 427, and it bears some special equipment to mark the occasion—and the car’s legendary performance. MUST SEE: Tesla Model S P85D Cranks Out...
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Historic Corvette SR-2 Race Car Up For Auction: Batmobile Meets Real Life
This piece of history may look like a mashup of the Batmobile and a first-generation Corvette, but it’s more significant than that. It’s the first factory-built and sponsored Corvette-based race car to come out of General Motors, with design and performance work done by the Fathers of...
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Final Lancer Evo X, Alfa Romeo Spider, Tesla P85D Performance: Today’s Car News
The New Year is fast approaching, but the car news keeps coming at breakneck pace, including some interesting news about a 473-hp final-edition Lancer Evolution X, spy video of the Alfa Romeo Spider in testing around Spain, and dyno video of the Tesla Model S P85D showing its might—plus more...
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The street isn’t an appropriate place to race for a hundred different reasons, not least of which is the stupidity of doing 150-plus-mph in an open environment, without proper emergency support...
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The Stig Goes On Vacation In Top Gear’s New Season Trailer: Video
A rented yellow Aventador, some white sand, a polaroid camera. What more does a Stig need for vacation? Not much, apparently. ALSO SEE: Tesla Model S P85D Cranks Out Massive 864 LB-FT On The Dyno: Video This is the teaser trailer for the upcoming Series 22 (season 22 for us American speakers) run...
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Tesla Model S P85D Cranks Out Massive 864 LB-FT On The Dyno: Video
This dyno video, showing the new super-performance Tesla Model S P85D at full tilt, also shows something Tesla hadn’t told us about: a whole boatload of torque. Okay, so Tesla rated the P85D at a very stout 691 horsepower without any mention of torque. But here, in a dyno from DragTimes via...
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Behold The Glory Of The Porsche 918 Spyder Assembly Line: Video
We’ve been lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the Porsche 918 Spyder—at the Circuit of the Americas, no less—so we know just how truly special the superest supercar from Porsche really is. But it’s still amazing to see all of the hand-crafting that goes into its...
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Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Spied Completely Undisguised: Video
The Alfa Romeo 4C is Motor Authority’s Best Car To Buy 2015 not just because of its sexy style or carbon chassis, but because of the unique experience of driving the sporty Italian coupe. Soon, the 4C will be joined by the 4C Spider, seen here undisguised on the streets of Andalucia in video...
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Tesla Model S P85D Drag Races Lamborghini Aventador In 691-HP Duel: Video
If you’ve ever spent the afternoon wondering which would win in a drag race between the 691-hp Tesla Model S P85D and the 691-hp Lamborghini Aventador, you’ve got too much time on your hands—but you’re also just like us. Here, we see the result of exactly that fantasy...
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So, you've got an Austin Mini, a Toyota Celica GT-Four, and a few screws loose. What do you do? You put the all-wheel-drive turbocharged powertrain from the Celica into the Mini. That's exactly what...
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2015 Volkswagen Golf R Available For Pre-Order January 8
Back at November’s Los Angeles Auto Show we told you that the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R will be priced from $37,415 with shipping, and that the first 500 examples will be made available for pre-order prior to the official start of sales early next year. DON'T MISS: 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT...
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Mysterious BMW 2-Series-Based Mule Spy Shots
It’s completely unclear what is going on in these pictures, but the lizard portion of our brains likes it. A lot. Here’s our best analysis of the situation: In these photos a car appearing to be very similar to a BMW 2-Series wears a black hood; that hood might be composite. The...
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2015 Corvette Stingray PDR Camera Captures Valet Hitting 50 MPH In Parking Garage: Video
The Valet Mode of the Stingray’s Performance Data Recorder system is a cool feature—even if it has drawn some heat for its potential illegal recording of audio. But you don’t need audio to see what’s wrong with this valet’s treatment of a new 2015 Corvette. MUST SEE...
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Ronin RS 211 Lands In Jay Leno’s Garage: The Ultimate Lotus?
While this Lotus is barely even a Lotus anymore, it’s quite possibly the most impressive, insane, incredible Lotus ever. It’s called the Ronin RS 211, and it’s the brainchild of Frank Profera. MUST SEE: Car Crashes Into Bedroom Of 71-Year-Old Car Enthusiast: Video Built as a...
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2015 BMW M6 Unveiled, DeLorean Delusions, 2015 NACOTY Finalists: The Week In Reverse
This week has been a busy one as the automotive world continues to gear up for the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. BMW took the wraps off the 2015 M6, Luke Aker’s classic Maxima got restored, one man showed off his insane collection of DeLoreans, the Bloodhound SSC’s engine was tested, and the...
Nelson Ireson