Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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If you have $385,000, you have your choice of just about any car on the market. Or, you can buy one particularly expensive engine, the Ferrari LaFerrari's 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V-12. The...
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Nissan thinks its failed LMP1 program will help strengthen its Formula E campaignNissan is set to return to top-level motorsports as it prepares to replace Renault as the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's brand of choice in Formula E. It will be the first time Nissan takes center stage since its embarrassing LMP1 program in 2015, when the brand developed an underperforming...
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1975 George Barris SnakePit with 6 Ford V-8s surfaces for saleGeorge Barris, perhaps best known for creating the 1966 Batmobile, built many wild vehicles in his career, some crazier than others. The 1975 George Barris SnakePit is essentially a kid's Hot Wheel dream come true with not one, not two, but six Ford V-8 engines powering it. Unfortunately, it...
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Mercedes-AMG designers share their insights about the Project OneThe Mercedes-AMG Project One was potentially one of the most hyped supercars of 2017. The brand didn't disappoint when the car was revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show with an electrified 1.6-liter turbocharged V-6 and a split turbo that helped give it more than 1,000 horsepower. We've drooled...
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Startup Byton teases electric SUV ahead of CES debutThe Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has become more than a place for technology companies to show off their latest smartphone or gadget. Now, automakers and auto startups flock to the stage to present technical concepts and new vehicles as the automobile becomes more connected than ever. At...
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China will end production of 553 car models due to fuel economyIn China's pursuit to curb emissions and pollution, the country will force 553 locally produced vehicles in a new blacklist of sorts, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The reason is that the 553 vehicles do not meet new fuel economy mandates. Notable vehicles on the list come from well-known brands...
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Not all oils are created equal, and there's a new product on the market that comes with a pretty bold claim. Mobil 1 Annual Protection promises a life of 20,000 miles or one year, whichever comes...
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Matthew McConaughey returns for 2018 Lincoln Navigator spotLincoln's brand ambassador has returned for another intriguing advertisement, this time for the new 2018 Navigator luxury SUV. The brand launched the spot on Thursday before it makes its television debut on January 1 during the College Football Playoff. The spot, titled "Perfect Rhythm," features a...
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Nissan executive confirms new Frontier, hints at new XterraSaying the current Nissan Frontier is long in the tooth is an understatement. The mid-size pickup truck's platform dates back to the mid-2000s, while rivals boast platforms developed within the last couple of years. Nissan truck fans fear not because the brand has plans for an all-new mid-size...
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When worlds collide: AMG once tuned the Mitsubishi GalantAMG is well-known as the in-house tuner for Mercedes-Benz. However, it wasn't always that way. Until 1999 AMG used to do its tuning work for any automaker willing to pay. We bet you didn't know that once upon a time the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi was willing to pay for some German tuning. Thus...
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Pack your millions: one of first 20 Bugatti Chirons delivered up for auctionIt's car auction season, and the notable consignments keep rolling in. The latest big-ticket car? None other than a Bugatti Chiron, the French supercar that began deliveries this past March. RM Sotheby's will offer the supercar at its Paris, France, auction that kicks off on February 7, and we're...
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Hitler's 1939 Mercedes-Benz heads to auctionNo car chooses its owner, and such a statement rings truest with this 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen. We say that because this example was Adolf Hitler's personal vehicle, and it was also used by his staff during World War II. The historic, and controversial, Mercedes will head...
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Rally racer and Gymkhana star Ken Block has had a busy 2017 with his Hoonigan team. To cap off this year, Block appeared on an episode of Hoonigan's "Daily Transmission" video to look back on his...
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Preston Tucker's personal 1948 Tucker expected to command more than $1M at January auctionThe Tucker Corporation was merely a flash in the late 1940s pan, but it remains an incredibly intriguing story in American automobile history. The company's turmoil, conspiracy, and demise is a story that was documented, with some creative license, in the 1988 motion picture "Tucker: The Man and...
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Ken Block makes cameo in new "Top Gear" trailerWe think it's safe to say reworked "Top Gear" has finally found its stride. In an upcoming season, Ken Block makes a surprise appearance. The BBC's banner car show uploaded a new trailer to YouTube that features presenters Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, and Chris Harris running from the law. Block isn't...
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Elon Musk promises Tesla pickup will come after Model YTesla CEO Elon Musk promised the electric-car maker he oversees will build a pickup truck following the Model Y crossover, Reuters reported on Tuesday. It's the latest product promise following the 2020 Roadster's surprise reveal and the Tesla Semi's pending production. I promise that we will make...
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Father of Mazda's rotary engine has passed awayKenichi Yamamoto, the man behind Mazda's iconic rotary engine, has passed away at the age of 95, Japanese Nostalgic Car reported on Monday. Yamamoto wasn't only the man behind the brand's rotary engine, but he also helped ensure Mazda's future in the aftermath of World War II. After co-managing an...
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1942 Dodge Carryall restomod stops in at Jay Leno's GarageMeet one of the most obscure Dodge vehicles that you likely never even knew existed. Jay Leno's Garage welcomed this 1942 Dodge Carryall, which Legacy Classic Trucks restored as an ultra-reliable restomod chase vehicle for a road-rally racer. The Carryall predates the Power Wagon and Dodge first...
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Porsche is currently king of the Nürburgring, thanks to the bonkers 2018 911 GT2 RS, but the German luxury brand set yet another lap record you may not have heard about. That's because this time...
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This minty-fresh 1988 RUF CTR Clubsport is heading to auctionRUF cars aren't simply re-tuned Porsches. No, no, they're something very special indeed, and this CTR Clubsport is one of the automaker's shining stars from the past. Fortunately for one well-off individual, it's heading to RM Sotheby's Paris auction on February 7. Why is the CTR Clubsport so...
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Does the Tesla Roadster really have 7,000-plus pound-feet of torque, and what's its horsepower?The 2020 Tesla Roadster's surprise introduction came with some pretty tantalizing specs. One of them is Tesla's claimed 0-60 mph sprint in just 1.9 seconds, but another figure washed over the internet. According to Tesla, the Roadster will have 10,000 newton meters (more than 7,000 pound-feet) of...
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First-ever Alfa Romeo model expected to fetch over $1MNorth Americans only recently got reacquainted with Alfa Romeo following a lengthy return to the continent, but only die-hard fans will know what this is. In fact, it's the brands first-ever model, the 1921 Alfa Romeo G1, and it's heading to an RM Sotheby's auction in January. After decades spent...
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Group B rally racing was too dangerous to live onWhen someone mentions Group B, enthusiasts' minds immediately recall thoughts of monstrous racers with insane amounts of horsepower, wild body kits, and incredible danger. Danger. That's the one reason why Group B was not long for this world. Donut Media dedicated a whole episode to the history of...
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The Skyline GT-R team actually operated independently inside NissanAfter decades of lusting, Americans can finally own one of the most delightful pieces of forbidden fruit: the Nissan Skyline GT-R. The Skyline and the GT-R have always been a special car, but they weren't always a Nissan. As we're refreshed on in the latest episode of "Up to Speed" from Donut...
Sean Szymkowski