So, we have been very patient with what may be one of the best crossover SUVs ever built: the Tesla Model X.
We were expecting to see the Model X released in late-2013 for the 2014 model year, but things are changing, as they usually do. According to a report by Los Angeles Times, the Model X’s production has been pushed to late-2014 with deliveries happening in 2015.
The reasoning for the delay is that Tesla has been so focused on improving the Model S that it chose to push the Model X back, as opposed to rushing through it. We’ll take that excuse at its face value, but that seems almost like a cop-out, as we haven’t seen any changes to the Model S since it was released, sans a significant price hike. Maybe there is a change to the Model S around the corner that we are not yet aware of.
So, those of you that are excited to get your hands on this crossover SUV that hits 60 mph in under 5 seconds while looking pretty sexy, you’re just going to have to wait a little longer.
If you ever find yourself on the other side of the law with the SWAT hot on your tail, you best hope that this monster of a truck isn’t hot on your tail.
Built by Galpin Auto Sports, this massive F-450 is appropriately called the B.E.A.S.T., or the 5.11 Tactical B.E.A.S.T.
It’s an enormous ride and for our money, one that would make us a little nervous is it were in our rearview mirrors. The truck was built in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department together with military gear manufacturer 5.11 and Sweden Entry Tools (S.E.T.) for the use of law enforcement, fire departments and Special Forces.
To accommodate the uniqueness of this truck, Galpin set out to completely build it from the ground up. The aftermarket company reinforced the chassis to accommodate the increased weight brought about by an easily deployable steel security door, which weighs more than 600 pounds, from the bed of the truck that demonstrates how the tools function.
On top of that, Galpin also added a bevy of new features and components on the exterior, including a matching satin black painted front and rear with Road Armor bumpers. The truck also has integrated high intensity discharge (H.I.D.) front PIAA fog lamps and a 10,000-pound front mounted Warn winch to go with custom water-jet-cut diamond-plate covers and exterior trim accents, front and rear strobe lighting, and a custom fabricated, backlit, side steps with 5.11 and “B.E.A.S.T.” branding.
Inside, the modifications continue with: new dash panels; headliner and console areas wrapped in 5.11’s Flextac and 1050D clothing materials; custom seat inserts reupholstered in 5.11 clothing material; custom painted satin color matched interior trim pieces; integrated DVD headrests in both drivers and passengers seats; custom diamond plate floor mats hand-formed to fit in the foot wells; and a custom flashlight, knife, and accessory pockets all throughout the seating area
The B.E.A.S.T. is then finished with a set of 22-inch custom powder-coated satin-black American Force Classic wheels wrapped in Nitto TerraGrappler tires.
There really are no bounds to the wonder that is Galpin Auto Sports. We’ve sung its praises on this site numerous times and it just keeps on smacking balls out of the park with its programs.
One of the latest projects that GAS worked on was actually commissioned by the folks over at Microsoft, specifically the team behind the PC game Halo 4. The request: build a military-inspired F-150 Raptor that could be inserted directly into Halo 4, and driven by Masterchief.
Easier said than done, right?
Not for GAS it seems. The American aftermarket company began the project by disassembling the truck and adding a custom paint scheme consisting of multiple matte green shades. From there, GAS also put in Line-X spray coating to the fender flares, bumpers, and the bed of the Raptor. A new Fox coil over suspension was also installed, increasing the truck’s suspension by 2.5 inches to accommodate the monstrous set of 35-inch Mud Grappler tires.
Inside, a slew of customized enhancements were put in, befitting the tastes of a hardcore gamer. A pair of 7-inch head rest monitors and one 10-inch drop down monitor was put in, all of which would be of good use for anybody who would want to play Halo 4 via the limited edition Halo4 XBox mounted in the custom build “UNSC” enclosure under the rear seat. And just to give everyone the feel of being inside a true military vehicle, GAS created a custom leather and canvas interior that puts you in the atmosphere of being on ground zero.
Finally, GAS also took time to add some performance enhancements to the Raptor, installing a Whipple industries supercharger and Magnaflow exhaust that improves the truck’s output to over 500 horsepower.
So we all know and love the G63 AMG by Mercedes, but what if four wheels just aren’t enough for you? Well, the German automaker may have just the vehicle for you in the form of a six-wheel-drive variant of the bad-ass G-Class by AMG. The Swedish military is due to get one and the Australian military already has them in service. Unfortunately, there was no way for a civilian to get ahold of one.
Well, Autobild happened to catch one of these bad boys being delivered and it was not wrapped up in the typical military garb. No siree, this beastly Benz looks to be in full-civilian dress. It could be that this is just how Mercedes delivers the six-wheel monster to the military, but we highly doubt that Mercedes would go through the trouble of painting it and installing all of the safety items that civilian cars require just to have the military strip it down.
This points toward Mercedes actually offering this massive SUV up for sale to the general public, which likely gets you off-road nuts all hyped up. Before you get yourself too worked up, we say there is about a 99.999-percent chance that this model will never hit U.S. shores. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Regardless, this production monster truck comes with the AMG-built 5.5-liter V8 engine with 544 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is unknown, but we assume it will feature a 7G-TRONIC transmission. Though the standard G63 AMG screams to 60 mph in only 5.4 seconds, we would be shocked to see this tank get under the 7-second mark.
Update 3/1/2013: Mercedes has just revealed a load of images and a video of the G63 AMG 6x6 on its Facebook page. you can see the video above and the images in the gallery. The German manufacturer has yet to reveal any of the specifications on this military favorite.
Fornasari made headlines almost a year ago when it released renderings of the Gigi sports car, a questionably named, retro-looking coupe that didn’t inspire much in the way of fascination.
To be fair, images of the Gigi were only renderings so we’re going to hold off on serious judgment until the Geneva Motor Show when the Gigi finally makes its world debut. More importantly, the Gigi won’t be alone in the Fornasari booth, as it appears that the Italian automaker will also have a couple of other still-to-be-named vehicles in Geneva.
Looking at the preview image on their website - again, all renderings - Fornasari is bringing a couple of SUVs, including the 2011 RR99, a Porsche Cayenne look-alike if there ever was one and a camouflaged Hummer with a more pronounced front end.
Fornasari hasn’t released any details on these other models so it’s probably a safe bet to say that they’re preparing these models with intent to shock and awe all of us at Geneva.
Whether they accomplish that remains to be seen. But we are intrigued, which in itself is already half the battle won.
It looks like Ford is preparing to surprise us with a new generation Edge crossover and if the first leaked image turns out to be true, it will be quite a huge surprise. A super-blurry image outlining future Ford models has hit the Interwebz and, as you can see, the 2015 Edge will feature an impressive evolution over the current generation with design inspired by the new generation Fusion.
The front seems to have been heavily revised with a a more prominent grille, sweptback headlights, plus more pronounced and aggressive lines. All of which are welcome additions to the aging Edge.
Its just our crazy impression, or 2015 will really be a busy year for Ford: there will be a new Mustang, new Edge and possibly new Taurus and Expedition.
We’ll keep a close eye out more a better-resolution image and we are sure one will popup soon enough. Until then, break out your microscopes and check out the above image comparing the 2013 model to the leaked image of the 2015 model.
Ram has never been an automaker that prided itself on being the fanciest looking in the garage. As its name suggests, the automaker has preferred function over form since its split from Dodge.
And as such, its parent company, Chrysler, has used the 2013 Chicago Auto Show to introduce the newest Ram, the 2014 ProMaster.
With some help from Italian tag-team partner Fiat, Chrysler has come up with a full-sized cargo van that just about boasts of every class-leading category in the market. Or at least that’s what Chrysler claims.
Whether there’s validity to that really depends on what you’re looking for in a cargo van. Fortunately, we found enough things about the ProMaster that we actually like. So much so that we’re not going to brush aside Chrysler’s incessant promotion of it. Maybe they do make a point. Or maybe they’re just drumming up the hype machine.
Either way, the 2014 ProMaster is here and by the looks of things, it’s here to stay.
Find out more about the 2014 Ram ProMaster after the jump
Don’t get carried away with the cool Technospace Concept, as it is merely an insight on what to expect from the upcoming C4 Picasso MUV — one of the best-selling models for the French Automaker.
Slated to be shown off at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the Technospace Concept looks production ready. Given the new radical design language that Citroen currently follows (Check out the Citroen DS5 for instance), expect the 2014 Picasso to retain minimal changes from the concept design.
If Citroen were to choose the above path, the 2014 Picasso will be 40 mm (1.57 inches) shorter in height than the outgoing model and 55 mm (2.16 inches) longer for extra cabin space. With these changes, the new Picasso will feature new proportions that delicately combine compactness and a large cabin space — a good aspect to impress customers looking for sheer practicality in a well-built package.
To befit the name, the car boasts several cool features to fascinate the children you will soon be ferrying such as a full-touch driving interface with a high-definition 12-inch panoramic screen.
The all-you-can-fit French van sits on Citroen’s new Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2) that aims to make the car lighter and more stable. And with an eco-friendly lineup in the cards, expect emission to be at a record level of 98 g/km.
The production version of the Technospace concept, aka the 2014 C4 Picasso will see the light of day from the second half of 2013. We’ll update this review once details fly by.
Browse through the entire lineup of Toyota models and you’ll notice that the FJ Cruiser is the only that looks completely out of place. Before you start questioning Toyota’s rationale for giving the FJ Cruiser a retro look, understand that there’s a reason behind that. The model is actually inspired by the iconic FJ40 4x4 utility vehicle that sold in the U.S. from 1960 to 1983, so that explanation fits why the FJ Cruiser looks the way it does.
If being different is what the FJ Cruiser is going for, then Toyota certainly hit this one out of the park. But the real question is if being "different" means that the FJ Cruiser is a good purchase relative to the kind of off-road vehicles it’s been slotted against.
Whatever the case may be, what we can all agree on is that the FJ Cruiser is definitely a good conversation piece.
Find out what we think of the FJ Cruiser after the jump
In their latest episode of Epic Drives, Motor Trend took the Ford SVT F-150 Raptor and tossed it into the wild and dangerous Mohave Desert, California. The model is driven by Arthur St. Antoine, who put on an incredible show behind the wheel of this amazing pickup truck.
For those of you who do not remember, the Ford SVT F-150 Raptor is offered with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that delivers a total of 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to an electronic six-speed automatic transmission that features a tow/haul mode and SelectShift Automatic functionality.
If you are interested in this model, it can be yours for $43,630 - a pretty hefty price if you consider a base F-150 is priced at just $23,670.
Watch the video to see how fun it can be to drive the F-150 Raptor into the desert.
