Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
-
The Los Angeles Auto Show is rapidly approaching, and with less than two weeks until the press days, the debuts are cropping up. First on the docket is a new version of the Fiesta ST Concept, this... -
Ford Fiesta ST Five-Door Concept: 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show PreviewSorry, folks. If you thought the production Fiesta ST would be unveiled in Los Angeles following its Frankfurt Auto Show concept debut, you were wrong. Instead, we get another look at the concept--with two bonus doors. Aside from the 5-door layout of the new concept, it's almost identical to the...
Nelson Ireson -
2013 Ford Escape Spy ShotsDue for its debut in just two weeks at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2013 Ford Escape has been spied testing in the U.S. We already know it'll come with a trick hands-free liftgate that uses motion-sensing technology lifted from the video gaming world, and the concept shows us what it'll very...
Nelson Ireson -
1990 Jaguar XJ220 Prototype No. 2 On eBayThe Shelby Cobra prototype at SEMA is legitimately drool-worthy, but this XJ220 prototype may be even more impressive. It's up for auction at eBay Motors with a Buy It Now price of $800,000. The seller says it's the second prototype built, sporting chassis number XPO102 and it comes complete with a...
Nelson Ireson -
D3 Le Monstre Wide-Body Cadillac CTS-V Coupe: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosAs if the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe weren't impressive enough in stock form, the bodywork and tuning gurus at D3 have decided to throw a wide-body conversion at the car, put huge wheels and tires on it, and boost the power to 1,001-hp. Built not just for show, but for go, the be-winged wide-body CTS-V...
Nelson Ireson -
Original Shelby Cobra Prototype: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosThere are hordes of hotted-up, modified, and tweaked cars at the 2011 SEMA show, but one car in particular harks back to a purer, simpler time. Despite its age, it packs no less punch: it's the original prototype chassis for the Shelby Cobra, built in 1962. Wearing chassis code CSX0001, this is the...
Nelson Ireson -
Sporting a range of Mopar upgrades and weight-saving features, better aerodynamics, and slightly more power, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 ACR shown at the 2011 SEMA show makes us hope the brand decides... -
Are Built-In Navigation And Infotainment Systems Already Obsolete?I just spent a weekend driving almost 1,000 miles to compete in an even that involved all of 7.5 minutes of competitive driving--but along the way I found my new phone was capable of doing just about everything I find great in the latest generation of in-car, OEM navigation and infotainment...
Nelson Ireson -
Grand Theft Auto V First Trailer: VideoJust minutes ago, Rockstar Games released the first teaser video for Grand Theft Auto 5, and it looks like it's going to be good. Cinematic scenery, chaotic action, and plenty of hot cars to steal, hoon, and crash. The trailer itself is narrated by the main character, explaining why he decided to...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford Focus Electric Priced, 2013 Range Rover, SEMA Galore: Today's Car NewsThe opening day of the 2011 SEMA show is behind us, and we now have a bevy of modified hardware to ogle, including the Mazda MX-5 Spyder, a gaggle of B-Spec race cars, some funky Toyota iQs, and much more. In other news, the 2013 Ford Escape uses video game tech for its hands-free liftgate, the...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford Fiesta B-Spec Race Car: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosThe B-Spec field continues to flesh out, now with live images of Ford's entry into the compact racing series. We have live images of the car from the 2011 SEMA show, just weeks after it finished its first official group test with other B-Spec racers. Those other B-Spec racers include the Honda Fit...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Honda Civic Si HFP Package: 2011 SEMAThe latest iteration of the Honda Civic Si has underwhelmed critics, including our own reviewers at TheCarConnection, but Honda isn't letting the lukewarm reception get in the way of heating things up a bit. Today at the 2011 SEMA show, the company unveiled the Honda Factory Peformance (HFP)...
Nelson Ireson -
The latest from the Rhys Millen-Hyundai collaboration is a winner: the RM500, a Genesis Coupe with Hyundai's 5.0-liter Tau V-8 under the hood. Aside from being powerful and sporty, the conversion...
-
2012 Ford Fiestas By Hot Wheels: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosThe 2012 Team Hot Wheels Ford Fiestas look like the cars we had as kids, but they're life-sized and ready for some track action thanks to a host of Ford Racing accessories. Specifically, a Ford Racing suspension and exhaust give the 2012 Fiesta some growl and prowl, while the 18-inch Motegi Racing...
Nelson Ireson -
Pit Boss Cartel 2012 Scion iQ: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosBuilt as a pit support vehicle for some unknown division of motorsport, the Pit Boss Cartel 2012 Scion iQ epitomizes over-the-top SEMA modification in pursuit of a largely pointless goal. But it still looks pretty cool. The chopped, shaved, and otherwise cut-up iQ sports an air ride suspension, a...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Kia Soul Inspired By Michelle Wie: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosNext up on our roster of Kia customs from the 2011 SEMA show, we have this funkier-than-funky Soul inspired by Michelle Wie and turned out by West Coast Customs. Sporting a custom exterior based on Wie's custom LPGA golf bags, the Soul also features a wide range of typical and not-so-typical tuner...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Kia Rio Retro Surf, Forte Hockey By Antenna: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosKia is hitting SEMA as hard as ever this year with a new crop of cars to work with, including the stylish little five-door Rio hatchback. These two concepts, the Hockey and Surf, demonstrate not just the tuner-worthy basis the Rio provides, but its utility as a hatchback as well. Both cars are...
Nelson Ireson -
Blake Griffin Kia Optima: 2011 SEMA Live PhotosEarlier this year, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin pulled a wicked dunk over a Kia Optima (video below), and now Kia has taken the wraps off a Blake Griffin-themed Optima. Wearing a basketball-textured exterior in House of Color sunset and cinnamon pearl paint, custom wheels, and a host...
Nelson Ireson -
Today we have a bounty of new-car news at High Gear Media: the Subaru BRZ STI Concept gets a preview ahead of its Los Angeles Auto Show debut; Lincoln confirms it is still working on a C-segment...
-
Lincoln C-Segment Vehicle Still Coming, Reports Of Cancellation FalseYesterday, a report emerged at FordInsideNews that Lincoln's plan to build a luxury C-segment vehicle rivaling the likes of the Audi A3 had been canceled. Today, we have official word from Lincoln communications manager Christian Bokich that that is not the case. In fact, Lincoln remains committed...
Nelson Ireson -
Chevrolet COPO Camaro Concept: SEMA 2011The Chevrolet Camaro COPO Concept looks to be aimed at competing with Dodge's Challenger Drag Pak and Ford's Mustang Cobra Jet.
Nelson Ireson -
Next-Gen Saab 9-3 Revealed Via PowerPoint?Today is now officially Leaky Monday: first the FT-86 gets its specs revealed by one presentation, now the next-gen Saab 9-3 appears to have been outed by a similar route. The image of the car, grainy and black-and-white as it is, comes to us by way of Swedish outlet SvD via Autoblog. Showing looks...
Nelson Ireson -
Toyota FT-86 Specs Leaked: 200 HP, 2,700 LBJust as we expected, the Toyota FT-86 (and very likely its FR-S variant) will get a 200-horsepower boxer four-cylinder and weigh in around 2,700 pounds depending on options, according to a comparative spec sheet released today. The comparison chart, leaked today via FT-86 Club, says as much about...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 MINI Roadster, Fiat 500 Abarth, SEMA: Today's Car NewsThe Fiat 500 gets a sportier variant, the Abarth, at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Nelson Ireson