Car guides

Hot wheels as a brand came into existence in 1968 when the founder Elliot Handler, also the co-founder of Mattel, got the idea of creating a competitor to Matchbox toy cars. The creator’s vision was to get a one-up on Matchbox by creating custom and more detailed cars taking inspiration from California’s hot-rodding culture, which was at its cusp in the late 60s and early 70s. The cars would have big wheels, big exhausts, and even superchargers, in tune with the trending auto culture of the time.

The Polestar 2 has been with us for quite a while now, and over the years, the Swedish EV brand has been giving it incremental updates. For 2023, however, the updates are much more pronounced, especially under the skin, though it’s not significant enough to be considered a mid-cycle facelift. Due to these updates, the Polestar 2 has been given a price increase across the range. The Polestar 2 Single Motor now starts at $48,400 (+$2,500), while the Dual Motor version now starts at $51,900 (+$700). These prices do not yet consider the $7,500 federal tax credit and $1,400 destination fee.

With the introduction of the 11th-gen Civic family not too long ago, hot hatch fans are eagerly waiting to witness the all-powerful and more advanced Type R model which Honda teased back in October 2021. The new-gen Civic looks subtle, and the Type R, is not going to be an exception. But, there are some confirmed specs about the upcoming model that might be the last fully gas-powered Type R. Here’s all you need to know about it before its official debut in the coming months.

The all-new 2023 Range Rover Sport finally broke cover a couple of days ago. After what was close to a decade in service, the old Sport was really in need of a complete overhaul and that is exactly what this third-gen model promises to be. An all-new Sport from the ground up.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most recognized sports cars out there. The model has a long and proud history that spans more than half a century. One of the 911’s biggest highlights, however, is the 930 Turbo, which is one of the most famous 911 models ever made, and for more than a few reasons. Here’s all you need to know about the iconic, rear-engine sports car of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Alpine A610 was as odd as they came. It was the quirky French performance automaker’s last hurrah before the brand was resurrected after 22 years of absence with the outgoing A110. This arguably iconic piece of French motoring from Renault’s relatively unknown performance brand recently celebrated its 30th birthday and reminded us how quirky French automobiles are much loved and celebrated by the automotive community.

The long history of Mercedes-Benz spawned plenty of amazing projects, many of which resulted in some of the greatest road-going and racing vehicles, we have ever seen. You only need to look at cars like the 300SL, 300SLR, CLK GTR, SLR McLaren, and others. There are, however, many cars that never saw the light of day. Among the most obscure projects to come out from Mercedes-Benz’s test facilities is the 1991 Mercedes C112. It had the potential to be the most ground-breaking sports car of the 1990s, but sadly, Mercedes decided not to make it.

The Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is one of the craziest spin-offs of the now-discontinued Lamborghini Aventador. While the standard lineup of the Raging Bull is exciting enough for most, those craving the genuine, visceral feel of a proper race car can opt for the radical Essenza SCV12. But, there lies the problem. The Essenza is a track-only race car, but it has no racing series to compete in.

What you’re looking at is not just the most powerful Escalade, but the most powerful Cadillac and the most powerful Full-Size SUV ever. Yes, the 6.2 small block under the hood has been worked on to offer some serious power upgrades. While it won’t be no track weapon, the added performance hardware has certainly transformed this Escalade. But crucially, is it worthy of the revered V badge? Well, read on to find out.

The use and application of 4WD in consumer vehicles is nothing new. The first application of this technology was seen in 1893 when an English engineer, Bramah Joseph Diplock, patented a four-wheel-drive system for a steam-powered tractor. In 1903, Spyker became the first automaker to bring it to mainstream automobiles.

The true evolution of 4WD came about with WWII when all major manufacturers started developing lightweight vehicles with four driven wheels for the military. Soon enough, Germans found that the traction gains from a 4WD system could prove highly beneficial on the dirt roads of the Group-B rally stages as well. As a result, Audi became the first to fit its purpose-built performance car with an all-wheel-drive system in 1980, and the rest is history.

The Huracan is nearing the end of its life cycle, and the tradition at Lamborghini dictates that the last few years are reserved for special editions - a bucketload of them. A case in point is the Aventador that recently added its "final" iteration to the lineup with the Aventador Ultimae. Huracan’s predecessor, the Gallardo, was put through a similar regime after its nine-year production run. And now, Lamborghini has introduced the 11th iteration of the Huracan with the Tecnica.

Practicality is, often, an afterthought when it comes to high-performance sports cars. If you are on the market for one, there’s a good chance that practicality is not among your top priorities or that you have another, more practical vehicle. With that said, not all sports cars are made equal, with some of them being surprisingly practical. Here are 15 sports cars that are more usable than you might think.

The truth is that, at its core, the Nissan Z is underpinned by a platform that’s been used for decades. And, with the Infiniti engine under the hood with the very same output found in the Red Sport models, it’s easy to assume that Nissan simply cobbled a bunch of stuff together from existing parts bins into a new body and called it a day. That actually couldn’t be further from the truth, though, and you’ll be surprised to know just what happened below the skin to make the Nissan Z so new that it will drive better than any Z car that came before it.

The humble Japanese automaker Toyota, commonly associated with beige-looking Camrys and Prius jokes is not as humble as one might think. Toyota holds quite a few bringing rights, including the title of the world’s largest automaker. Despite the company’s current success, its journey in motorsports and its history with performance cars has been quite the uphill battle. So, let’s take a look at Toyota’s inspiring journey that has given rise to some of the most memorable cars.