Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Tonight we sit in the lobby of the El Rancho hotel in Gallup, New Mexico, laptops on fire as we work to bring you our impressions of the day while they remain fresh--and before crashing into bed to...
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Fireball Run: Day Three, Mission ImprobableWe woke up this morning not knowing what to expect. It turns we had even less of an idea than we thought we did. Frenetic mayhem is the only phrase I can find to describe what went on inside the Camaro SS. But as crazy as it got, it was fun. The day started out well enough. Feeling good from our...
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Fireball Run: Day Three PreviewToday was a good day. Fun events, great people, and some awesome cars. Even though we've been at it since six o'clock this morning (it's closing in on 11 p.m. local as I write) we're looking forward to doing it all over again tomorrow. But instead of heading out to a track, we'll be hitting up our...
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Fireball Run: Day Two, Las Vegas Motor Speedway ResultsToday the Fireball Run headed out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first track challenges of the rally. Both road course and autocross competitions were up for grabs, with the winner taking home 100 points--points that will become key as we head into the mission competition tomorrow. I chose to...
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Mitsubishi CEO Refuses To Leave U.S. MarketIt might sound like a response to a question no one was asking, but Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko says he's not even thinking about leaving the U.S. market. Mitsubishi, like many other carmakers, has struggle over the past decade, but Masuko says the U.S. will remain at the core of...
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Video: A Lap Of The Future Austin F1 Grand Prix CircuitThis may be the only lap ever run at the F1 circuit planned for Austin, TX. Planning and progress have been kept very secret, and some have expressed doubt that it's even possible to finish the facility in time to get on the 2012 calendar. Others think it's a sure thing. We're undecided, but after...
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The Jaguar XFR isn't yet long in the tooth, having just hit the market in 2009. But already Jagaur is working on a facelift for the fastest Leaping Cat ever, to bring it closer in line with the new...
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Fireball Run: I'm Going To Race Valentino BalboniValentino Balboni. Lamborghini's test driver of the last 40 years, the now-retired Balboni has a special-edition Gallardo made in his honor. He'll be driving one in the Fireball Run. And I have to race him. The 2010 Fireball Run will be the first time Balboni has participated in a multi-day road...
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Nissan Silvia (240SX) Revival Dead, Sentra Coupe Instead?We aren't big fans of the current Sentra. It's not that it's a bad car, it's just not all that sporty, even in SE-R trim. The CVT transmission has a lot to do with it, though the Spec V remedies that. But Nissan appears to have done away with plans to revive the 240SX/Silvia as a Mazda MX-5...
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Fireball Run: The CompetitorsIn case you haven't heard, High Gear Media is competing in the 2010 Fireball Run. Our team of editors will take on the challenges, tracks, and missions to try to win the glory driving a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS. Along the way, we'll be helping to find missing kids as part of the event's larger...
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2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: Rolls-Royce Bespoke CollectionCustom coachwork and Rolls-Royce go hand in hand like supple leather and quilted stitching. To show off its bespoke capabilities, Rolls-Royce is planning a collection of commissioned cars for the 2010 Paris Auto Show. Among the five cars on display will be a Carrara White metallic Phantom Drophead...
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Rhys Millen Driving Hyundai WRC Car For Rounds 2 & 3 Of Rallycross ChampionshipThe U.S. is getting its first real taste of European-style rallycross (think supermoto with rally cars) this year and some of the biggest names in North American stage rally are already involved: Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, Ken Block, Dave Mirra, Antoine L'Estage, and now, Rhys Millen. Millen...
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Glorious audio, crisp HDR-style video and more all-around views of the Aston Martin One-77 than you'd get in the mob that would surround the car in person. This video may be the closest you ever get...
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2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: 2012 Range Rover EvoqueThe details on the 2012 Range Rover Evoque are out, with more to come at the 2010 Paris Auto Show debut. Best of all, we have plenty of info on the U.S. version of the smallest Range Rover, including a ballpark starting price. At "around $45,000" the Evoque won't be the most affordable compact...
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Bentley's Pedestrian-Stabbing Hood Ornament Recall Affects Just 596 VehiclesIt turns out there's an upside to being a super-exclusive, limited volume hyperluxury carmaker beyond the chest-high stacks of cash. When a recall happens, it affects only a handful of vehicles. Bentley's latest recall, for a problem with the hood ornament failing to retract, applies to just 596...
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2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV tops tests against Crown Vic, ChargerGeneral Motors Company [NYSE:GM] is crowing about the results of the latest testing by the Michigan State Police of the 2011 Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle. Turns out it jaunts to 60 mph, 100 mph and gets back to a stop quicker than the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor and the Dodge Charger...
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Video: Hooning The 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost, Burnout StyleIt's rare that we find a pickup truck that pushes our enthusiast buttons, but today, we have exactly that. Our Executive Editor Marty Padgett is at the Ford F-150 EcoBoost launch today, and he captured this video of the truck proving that while it may be a V-6, it packs more punch than the frumpy...
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2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: 340-HP Peugeot EX1 EV ConceptThe Frenchification of the news continues, this time with Peugeot's latest addition: the EX1 all-electric sports car concept. Built with the look of a futuristic track-day toy, it packs a 340-horsepower, all-wheel-drive punch. The EX1 also features an unconventional narrow rear track and single...
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If you've been hankering for an Infiniti G sedan but couldn't justify the brawny 328-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6, you've got a new option: the 2011 G25. On sale today, from a starting price of $30,950,...
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Forbidden Fruit: Twin-Charged 185 HP Audi A1 1.4 TFSIAudi's answer to the MINI Cooper S, the A1 1.4 TFSI won't be coming to the U.S., nor will any other A1 of the current generation. Look, but don't touch, as we walk through the specs of this premium small hot-hatch. Rated at 185 horsepower, the little A1 might be worthy of an S1 badge but for the...
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2011 Dodge Challenger Specs Leaked...AgainBack in July we got our first taste of the 2011 Dodge Challenger's spec sheet, confirming the 6.4-liter HEMI for the SRT8 and putting pricing in the $25,000-$43,000 range. Today, what looks to be an internal dealer document has surfaced, revealing more details--including specific horsepower...
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Video: Two Takes On How NOT To Start A RaceThis weekend's road racing in Europe was a bit of a bang-up session, with crashes at the start and shortly after in Formula Renault 3.5 and Formula 2. These are both classic illustrations of the red mist getting the better of the drivers' abilities, and great examples of how not to start a race...
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2010 Paris Rumormill: Porsche Planning 500-HP Limited Edition GT3 RS?France's Internets are ablaze with talk of a 500-horsepower, 500-unit limited edition of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS powered by a 4.0-liter flat six. So far all we have to work with is rumor and innuendo, but the idea is intriguing. According to the reports, the upgraded GT3 RS would be limited to a...
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Cadillac Recalling 2009-10 CTS, CTS-V For Crash Safety DefectThere's no denying Cadillac's CTS and especially the CTS-V are very good cars. They manage to compete with the German luxury marques in ways no American brand has in decades. But they're not perfect. GM has just issued a recall on certain 2009-10 model year CTS and CTS-V models for failure to...
Nelson Ireson