High-End

Remember the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R? Silly question, of course you do. The race car was active on tracks around the world between 2014 and 2019 and it even managed to snatch a victory in the GTE Pro class at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In all fairness, what brought us here today is Abimelec Design’s recent rendering of a widebody C8 Corvette that looks ready to pick up where the C7.R left off.

Bentley wowed us all when it flooded the internet with images of the glorious Bacalar, an aggressive two-seater based on the current-generation Continental GTC with design strokes signed by Bentley’s famed coachbuilder Mulliner. Now, we’re getting a peek at how a coupe version might look but you should withstand the urge to throw money in Bentley’s general direction as this is merely an unofficial render.

From the ashes of the canceled 2020 Geneva Auto Show rose many models that were supposedly slated to make their debut in Switzerland and Bentley’s eye-catching Bacalar would’ve surely attracted every and all camera lenses. As it happens, a web reveal is all we got but, alas, we’ve been drooling at the $2 million roadster ever since we laid eyes on it so we do hope Bentley’s short-term plan includes a Bacalar with a fixed roof arching over the heads of the driver and his very special companion sitting in the passenger’s seat.

The Maserati Levante Trofeo has the genes of a Ferrari. That itself says a lot. And, until the Ferrari Purosangue arrives, this is the closest thing we have to a Ferrari SUV. The Levante Trofeo is an exotic SUV that looks stunning on the outside, reeks of luxury on the inside, and has the engine that makes it one of the fastest SUVs on sale today.

Now, imagine everything being raised by a notch. Aftermarket tuner Novitec has laid its hands on Maserati’s latest SUV, the Levante Trofeo and gave it a twist inside out. Called the Levante Esteso V2, it comes with over 600 horses and is now the world’s fastest SUV, beating the mighty Bentley Bentayga.

In this day and age, with electrification being pushed hard and fines from emissions regulations capable of putting automakers in the ground if they don’t comply, every manufacturer has started downsizing and electrifying engines to carry on business as usual. Now a new report from autocar – one that cites “auto parts suppliers” claims that Land Rover’s aging 4.4-liter, Ford-sourced, diesel V-8 is set to be replaced by something smaller, but the question is what?

BMW recently revived the iconic 8 Series and turned it into its halo model, but the nameplate is struggling in the U.S., where more than 2,000 units are sitting on U.S. dealership lots. Dealers blame it on poor marketing support from BMW, but could this be a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?

The 2020 Morgan Plus Four is a neo-retro roadster produced by British coachbuilder Morgan. The 2020 Plus Four replaces the old Plus 4, a roadster that Morgan produced without any updates from 2005 to 2020. While the nameplate carries over unchanged, the word "Four" replaces the numeral "4" for better differentiation between the two cars. The 2020 Plus Four is underpinned by the CX-Generation, bonded aluminum platform that Morgan debuted in the 2019 Plus Six. Although it looks virtually the same on the outside, the 2020 Plus Four features a more modern interior, while the old naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine was replaced with a turbo-four from BMW.

Reports about the Porsche Macan EV have been bouncing back and forth for a year now, with the latest news being that it may only be sold as an EV from 2024 onward. This news came via an external report, but it is mentioned briefly in Porsche’s Annual and Sustainability Report for 2019 and that it is scheduled to launch in 2022. What was more interesting in that report, however, is reference to a jacked-up rugged wagon, once known as the Mission-E Cross Turismo Concept. Do you see where this is going? Are you getting excited yet?

After the turn of the decade, we reported that BMW would be one of the last automakers to drop the internal combustion engine. In that same report, we explained more about what that meant and that while the four- and six-cylinder engines would be in play for a while, BMW’s V-8 and V-12 were living on borrowed time. We even told you that by 2023 BMW’s V-12 would probably be retired. Now, that fate has essentially be sealed as BMW has confirmed that the new BMW 7 Series – due in late 2021 or early 2022 – will be offered with a range of gasoline and diesel engines and even hybrid and pure-electric propulsion systems. So, we’ve got confirmation that the BMW i7 is coming, but we’ve also learned that the V-8 and V-12 are officially on the chopping block.

We can’t help but get excited whenever a new supercar comes to the market and its makers are quick to post an estimated top speed. Then reality hits: you need a lot of space to take a supercar/sports car to its Vmax, and even more importantly, you must make sure some safety rules are in effect.

With that in mind, the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds is one of those places that offer enough runway length and width so that in case things do go wrong, the one behind the wheel has a chance (i.e. enough time) to save the situation or at least know he won’t have to worry about hitting a wall at 150 mph.

Rumors about a modern Barracuda have been flying around since 2007. That’s 13 years as of 2020 and many of us have lost hope that a revival of the iconic Cuda will happen.

However, it seems that the Barracuda may indeed return for the 2021 model years as a replacement for the Dodge Challenger. And it will do so under the Dodge brand since the Plymouth marque was discontinued back in 2001. Official details about the 2021 Barracuda are still scant, but we gathered all the information there is about the modern incarnation of this muscle car legend.

The Mercedes-AMG GT R is a real looker with its long nose and swooped back cabin. Just looking at it evokes all the feelings you’d expect from a precision-built, six-figure machine that bears both the AMG and Mercedes logo. It’s an impressive car, to say the least, but what happens when you get behind the wheel of one of the 750 GT R Roadsters that will be produced? Does it still evoke that same high-end sports car feeling? Does it still feel like it’s ready for the track from the moment you sit down in the seat? Does it drive any different compared to the coupe it is based on? Well, we spent a week with the AMG GT R, and we’ve set out to answer all those questions and more.

The 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is an upcoming high-performance variant of the 982-generation Cayman that’s rumored to debut in 2020. Essentially a more aggressive and powerful version of the existing 718 Cayman GT4, the 2021 will be the first of its kind and the first modern 718 to feature the "RS" badge. This car has been in the rumor mill ever since the first Cayman GT4 was introduced in 2015, but it took Porsche around four years to turn it into reality. Better late than never, I guess.

The 2021 718 Cayman GT4 RS is more than just a rumor now. The car has already been spotted on public roads with some camouflage on its body, but also with a beefed-up exterior. It features bigger vents in the front, a big rear wing, and many small details that set it apart from the already familiar GT4. Just like the latter, the 2021 718 Cayman GT4 RS will feature the 911’s 4.0-liter flat-six under the hood, but in a more powerful setup. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.

Update 3/18/2020: The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS has been spotted doing some cold-weather testing and there are a few subtle changes that you need to know about. Check it out in our “Spy Shots” section below!

If Bentley and coachbuilding were people like you and me, they would be inseparable best friends. Take the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar or the Continental GT Convertible Equestrian, for example – they are overly luxurious and highly custom thanks to Bentley’s Mulliner division. These examples show just how far Bentley will go to tailor its vehicles to customer desire, and with the whole automotive world shifting like never before, what does the future hold for a company like Bentley? Well, modular coachbuilding could become the next big thing, and automotive designer Joseph Robinson drew up a project to represent just that.

Bentley is adding a new member to its growing lineup of exclusive bespoke creations. The newest addition is called the Continental GTC Equestrian Edition. Limited to just a single unit — yes, there’s only one in the world — the Continental GTC Equestrian Edition makes for a suitable follow-up to the outlandish Bacalar roadster that the boys from Crewe, England unveiled earlier this month. Though not as over-the-top as the Bacalar, the Continental GTC Equestrian Edition is a sultry one-off that draws inspiration from the popular hobby among the rich and famous. It features extraordinary and exclusive details that no other Continental GTC carries, justifying its billing as a true one-of-one creation. The Bentley Continental GTC Equestrian Edition is already spoken for, and, as you might expect, the one-off model was specially commissioned by a client who’s fond of thoroughbreds.

Let’s be honest, we you think about Cadillac, you think about mid-level luxury. They can be rather luxurious, but they are still GM and just really don’t compete with full-scale luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, or even Audi. You damn sure wouldn’t cross-shop a Cadillac sedan vs. a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, though, would you? Well, as it turns out, GM and Cadillac think you will, and that’s why they are going to introduce the Cadillac Celestiq, an overly luxurious (or so they say) electric sedan that will sit comfortably in six-figure territory. A Cadillac…. In six-figure territory.

Mansory is a premium aftermarket company that has designed some pretty good vehicles in the past. The cars that it has unveiled lately, however, seem to tell a different story. Check out the audacious Lamborghini Urus Venatus or the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Coastline to know what I mean. But, now, the company is back to working on its favorite vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

In 2019, Mansory worked on the Mercedes-AMG G63 to create a Star Trooper edition of the legendary SUV. The company has now created a pickup version of the same Star Trooper SUV with a few more touches. Did Brabus inspire them to do this? The Star Trooper has been designed by Mansory in collaboration with Phillip Plein.

Announced at Audi’s Annual Press Conference in Ingolstadt earlier this year, the Audi E-Tron GT is a new all-electric four-door coupé destined to hit the market in 2020. Offered as part of the Audi electric onslaught in which the Ingolstadt-based company will reveal 20 new electric models by 2025, the Audi E-Tron GT will sit at the top of the Audi Sport division, and will be responsible for constructing an all-new character trait for Audi’s line of Sport vehicles. With models such as the Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A7, the company obviously has some proper knowledge of the four-door coupé design. The E-Tron GT will act as a flagship for this intriguing car segment.

Given the E-Tron GT will take technology, design features, cabin specs, and possibly drivetrain hardware from other E-Tron vehicles, we already know a thing or two about the new car. Marketed to fight against the likes of the Tesla Model S and similar entries from other manufacturers, the Audi E-Tron GT could be even more impressive than the recently introduced E-Tron Quattro SUV.

Update 03/09/2020: A prototype for the Audi E-Tron GT has finally been spotted in the wild. Check out the latest spy shots and what we’ve learned in our special “Spy Shots” section below!

The Mercedes G-Class is the epitome of iconic vehicles – it’s big, boxy, luxurious, and capable of going just about anywhere. Sales of the G-Class, especially with the launch of the newest generation, has skyrocketed, and one is forced to wonder if it’s because people love it for its capability and iconic design, or is it because it states true to what old-school SUVs were all about – driving excessive amounts of fuel and looking boxy while it does it. Either way, we’re about to find out the answer to that question. Following confirmation that the G-Class would go electric a while back, we’ve now learned that work has officially begun an electric G-Class.

The 992-gen Porsche 911 Turbo S didn’t evolve a lot in terms of design. It never does, really. For the most part the 911 has gone through minor changes since it was introduced some 70 years ago. And, while that may have held true for the new 911 Turbo S, there’s something that did evolve drastically, and that’s its overall performance. In fact, without moving to a bigger engine or going hybrid, Porsche managed to give the new Turbo S the largest increase in power its ever seen – this is how Porsche did it and why.

Porsche has bravely stepped into the EV world with the new Taycan, and it has sparked a lot of conversation about when the rest of the lineup will move into electrification as well. There’s potential that the 718 Cayman could go electric or at least hybrid when the next-gen model launches, but what about the 911? Will Porsche’s most iconic car take a ride on the greener side of things anytime soon? Well, Porsche’s Director of its Sports Car Line had something to say about it, and it might surprise you. … or maybe it wont.