Kirk Bell, Senior Editor
Articles
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Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] Performance is happy to show enthusiasts what it is doing these days. In addition to its videos of the Ford GT development, it is working on a four-part series of videos...
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Ford GT documentary part three: Time to raceFord Motor Company [NYSE:F] Performance has released the third in a series of videos on the development of the revived Ford GT. Chapter one detailed Ford's decision to build this race car/supercar. Chapter two examined the challenges and advantages involved in engineering a road car and race car...
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1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 restoration video, part four: attention to detailA few weeks ago, we began following the restoration of the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] GT40 Mk II that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Rob Kaufman, owner of classic car dealer RK Motors Charlotte, purchased the car in 2014. While the GT40 was in pretty good shape, it wasn't in the same...
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Toyota goes racing with the Sienna and we drive itHave you ever considered driving your living room around a racetrack? Toyota would like you to think it's possible, and is why it decided to compete in the One Lap of America with a pair of Sienna minivans. One Lap concluded this past weekend, and both vans completed the 12-state, 3,500-mile trip...
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Country club racetracks evolving to offer more than just track timeWe’re all pretty familiar with the concept of the country club racetrack. Starting about a decade ago these members-only tracks started popping up across the country. Instead of golfing, they offered racetrack facilities where well-heeled members could take their toys to do some unfettered...
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Details of 2017 Ford F-150's EcoBoost 3.5 V-6, 10-speed autoFord's EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6 has been one of the best light truck engines on the market since it was introduced in 2011. For 2017, it promises to get better. That's because the Ford is not only installing the second-generation of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost in the 2017 F-150, but also pairing it with...
Kirk Bell -
A couple weeks ago, we started following the restoration of the Ford GT40 Mk II that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Rob Kaufman, owner of classic car dealer RK Motors Charlotte, purchased the...
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2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport priced from $66,445What's the best Corvette to buy? Well, it looks like it will soon be the Grand Sport. Chevrolet has announced that the 2017 Gran Sport will be priced from $66,445 for the coupe and $70,445 for the convertible when they go on sale this summer. Both prices include the destination charge. The Grand...
Kirk Bell -
Behind the scenes with the development of the Ford Focus RS RXFord Motor Company [NYSE:F] Performance has released the first in what promises to be a four-part series of videos detailing the development of the Focus RS RX rally car. Built to compete in the FIA World Rallycross Championship series, the RS RX is an amped up, race-ready version of the...
Kirk Bell -
2017 Audi A4 previewA new generation of the Audi A4 is being launched for 2017, one that’s lighter, more powerful and much more advanced than ever before. It arrives with only one engine option, though with two outputs. The engine is turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 good for 190 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of...
Kirk Bell -
1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 restoration video, part two: disassemblyLast week we learned that Rob Kaufman, owner of classic car dealer RK Motors Charlotte, purchased the Ford GT40 Mk II that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. While chassis number P1046 was in perfectly good shape, it wasn't outfitted as it was when it won Le Mans. It had done time as a transmission...
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VW T-Prime Concept GTE revealed, hints at new flagship SUVBased on its auto show debuts of late, Volkswagen wants consumers to know that it is working on two things: SUVs and plug-in hybrids. At the 2016 Beijing Auto Show on this week, VW unveiled a vehicle that fills both bills, the T-Prime Concept GTE. A premium SUV based on the latest MLB platform that...
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Audi R8 at Daytona; the second Aston Martin Vulcan on our shores; and Lexus finally does away with its 2.5-liter V-6: The Week in Reverse Kirk BellWe drove the 2017 Audi R8 on the banks of Daytona; the second Aston Martin Vulcan arrived in the U.S.; and we learned the difference between diesel and gasoline engines. It's The Week in Reverse,...
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2016 Lexus IS 200t F Sport first drive reviewAutomotive quiz question: Which automaker has had the worst engine on the market for, oh, the last decade or so? Surprisingly, the answer is Lexus. The Japanese luxury brand's 2.5-liter V-6 offered little in the way of power, and made up for that shortcoming by delivering mediocre fuel economy. And...
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VW may buy back diesels, offer $5,000 to ownersAccording to a report from Reuters, Volkswagen and United States regulators have reached an agreement on the "Dieselgate" issue that has plagued the company for months. The deal could involve buying back up to 500,000 diesel cars in the U.S. The official announcement is expected tomorrow, the day...
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1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 restoration video, part oneIf it's not the most important race car in Ford Motor Company's [NYSE:F] history, it's in the top three. Ford GT40 Mk. II chassis number P1046 was the car that officially won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. It was the culmination of Ford's effort to beat Ferrari at its own game, and not only did...
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Ford GT documentary part two: The Cutting EdgeFord Motor Company [NYSE:F] has dropped the second in a series of videos on the development of the revived Ford GT. Built as a tribute to the GT40 that won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans with a 1-2-3 finish, the next-generation GT is being developed as both a street car and a race car. In fact, the...
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BMW issues recall and stop-sale for 2016 7-SeriesBMW North America has issued a recall and stop-sale for select 2016 7-Series sedans due to an issue with the airbag control module. The module was manufactured by Continental. Somewhere, someone at Takata is silently rejoicing. In the United States, the issue involves an estimated 6,110 BMW 740Li...
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Getting caught speeding is never a good thing, especially when you are cited for triple digits. However, a Minnesota man may have just done Chevrolet a favor by showing the incredible capability of...
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2016 Tesla Model S gets first styling update since launchTesla Motors' [NSDQ:TSLA] Model 3 electric sedan has been dominating the internet for the past couple of weeks, what with more than 300,000 early adopters putting down deposits for a car that they won't be able to get for about two years. But there is a Tesla sedan that people can buy right now...
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Hennessey Venom GT Spyder sets new open-top speed recordHennessey Performance decided it needed to do something spectacular to celebrate its 25th anniversary, so it went out and broke the top speed record for an open-top production car in its 1,451-horsepower supercar. On March 25, 2016 the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder posted a top speed of 265.6 mph at...
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Impressive Shelby collection headed to auctionJoe McMurrey is a Carroll Shelby fan. He appreciates Shelby as the American who made American race cars competitive on the world stage. In fact, he likes the old chicken farmer so much that he has assembled one of the most impressive collections of Shelby cars you'll ever see. After owning most of...
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GM design chief Ed Welburn to retire July 1General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] today announced that design chief Ed Welburn will retire effective July 1. Welburn, 65, spent 44 years at General Motors. He took over as head of GM design in 2003, then assumed global responsibilities in 2005. Under his leadership, GM built a network of 10 design...
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Patent filing shows Mazda is working on a rotary engineThe Wankel rotary engine has its issues, most notably with too many emissions, substandard fuel economy, and reliability. In fact, we just posted a video that explains these problems. But a rotary engine is also fun. It spins up quickly, offers good power for small displacements, and its light...
Kirk Bell