Car reviews

Earlier this month, Brabus revealed its latest creation based on the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S coupé – the Brabus 800. The German tuner has given it a typical Brabus treatment. It comes with a black exterior, big wheels, oodles of carbon fiber elements and components, and of course, a power boost.

Combining modern hardware with a timeless classic shape is a dream for many automotive enthusiasts. Although there are more than a few companies that engage in such activities, very few actually go the extra length to achieve a more vintage driving experience. British company RML has done just that with this beautiful interpretation of the iconic Ferrari 250 GT SWB, based on the Ferrari 550 Maranello. RML has a long history of making bespoke chassis setups for various applications, including Motorsports. Some of their work includes the 2014 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge prototype (the one powered by the R35 GTR engine) and a road conversion for the track-only Aston Martin Vulcan.

Novitec’s love for Ferrari is never-ending. It wasn’t too long ago when the aftermarket company came up with an N-Largo treatment for the F8 Tributo. Within a month, Novitec has launched another model, this time, based on the SF90 Stradale. The Novitec SF90 Stradale nudges the horsepower to just over 1,000 horses while also increasing the torque by almost 50 pound-feet. Apart from this, it also comes with an upgraded exhaust system, a suspension setup, and a more-than-subtle aesthetic makeover. There’s no word on the pricing, though.

The Volkswagen Passat is officially dead in the United States. Well, not quite yet, but it’s definitely taking its last breaths as Volkswagen prepares the Chattanooga plant in Tennessee for production of the Atlas, Atlas Cross, and all-electric ID.4. As the U.S. market bids farewell to the Passat, it’s going to honor it in the only way it knows how – a special edition. The car you see here is just one of four configurations, with a total of 1,973 examples being built. Why 1,973? Because 1973 was the first year the Passat was offered.

Volkswagen will produce 411 examples of the Passat special edition in a combination of Aurora Red Metallic with a Titan Black interior. This model represents the original production code of the Passat – 411. Next, there will be 423 examples of the passat finished in Racing Green Metallic with a Mauro Brown interior. 423 represents the Chattanooga, TN area code. Another version finished in Pure White with Mauro Brown interior will be produced in just 524 examples, representing the opening date of the Chattanooga plant: May 24, 2011. Finally, the fourth iteration of the Passat special edition will be offered in Grey Metallic with a Titan Black interior. 615 represents six generations of imported Passats (6), one generation assembled in Chattanooga (1), and 5 decades of U.S. sales (5).

Outside of the exclusive exterior paint and interior theme, there’s not a whole lot to set the Passat special edition apart from the pack. The seats inside will feature a “x of 1973” tag on one side and “Chattanooga 2011” on the other. Comfort sports seats will come standard with Vienna leather while the exterior will ride on distinctive 18-inch, fifteen-spoke wheels. Pricing for the Passat special edition comes in at $30,295 but the Aurora Red Metallic will add an extra $395 to the ticket.

The Mercedes-AMG S63 is no slouch with 612 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, but what if that’s not enough? Well, according to famed tuner Posaidon, it’s not, and that’s why we’re looking at this tuned version of the S63 today. The same 4.0-liter V-8 lives under the hood, but it now features revised turbos with upgraded ball bearings, new air induction, and a revised exhaust system with new downpipes and sports catalytic converters. In the end, the Posaidon S 63 RS 830+ is good for a whopping 880 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque. That kind of power enables this S63 to hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 217 mph.

However, that’s not where the story ends. Posaidon has another upgrade in the works that will raise the final output to as much as 940 horsepower and 944 pound-feet of torque. Unfortunately, Posaidon hasn’t revealed straight-line performance figures for this upgrade, but it seems safe to speculate that 60 mph will come in around three-seconds flat. On that note, both of the upgrades we’ve discussed so far include physical upgrades, so if you’re not interested in that Posaidon can give you as much as 707 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque via simple recalibration of the car’s computer system. Rounding off the whole deal is an electronic lowering module for the AIRMATIC air suspension that will give the S63 a sportier right and more dynamic handling.

Volvo announced the C40 Recharge for the U.S. market back in March this year. It is essentially a crossover version of the XC40. The U.S. market is known to welcome crossover coupes with arms wide open and Volvo accepted the invitation. For the 2022 XC40, Volvo introduced two new trims – Plus and Ultimate. But, the C40 will be offered only in the top-spec Ultimate spec. Aside from the looks, it comes with a premium cabin and a ton of creature comforts. The downside, however, is the range. The C40 Recharge is offered with a range of 210 miles, which isn’t too impressive for a vehicle that costs close to $60,000.

Audi’s R8 track-only lineup is getting bigger and better. The R8 LMS has 83 driver titles and 106 additional championship victories under its belt already. To make sure this record only gets better in the future, the company has come up with an Evo II iteration of the LMS GT3. It features a new wing, a redesigned air intake, and an upgraded suspension setup amongst other things. It breaches the half-a-million-dollar mark after price conversion.

Founded in 2019 by Justin Lunny, Everrati as a company specializes in converting iconic vintage cars into electric cars. It is riding the wave of the current EV revolution where people certainly want to go electric, but at the same time don’t want to give up on some of the most timeless shapes from Automotive history. Everrati and countless other startups are addressing this demand for Resto-modding.

With the latest project, the company wants to work on one of the most iconic cars in Motor Racing, the Ford GT40, or more accurately, a perfect replica of the original. Drivers like Bruce McLaren who raced the Ford GT40 car back in the day, ought to wonder what has happened to their beloved eight-cylinder racer in 2021.

Being on the market since 2017, it might seem logical to glance over the Mercedes E-Class until a new-gen model arrives in a few years. That actually couldn’t be further from the truth because the E-Class lineup was refreshed for 2021 with new technology, and updated appearance, and a more efficient powertrain. We’ve been itching to see how the new E-Class stands after its most recent refresh, so Mercedes let us spend a week with the E450 Wagon. It didn’t take long for us to realize that the fifth-gen E-Class has aged well, and in fact, we’d take the E450 Wagon over most SUVs – how’s that for a plot twist?

The BMW 5 Series has long been one of the brand’s most significant models. With nearly 50 years of history and millions sold, the 5er has enjoyed great success. The current G30 generation was recently updated, so it’s not going away in the next couple of years. That said, we’ve already seen spy footage of the next generation BWM 5 Series, set to debut around 2024. This is what we know so far.

It’s been a decade since Lamborghini opened its first dealership in Mexico. To commemorate this, the automaker has come up with four special editions based on the themes of Mexico’s culture – Life, Death, Dream, and Time. These are all aesthetic changes and come with no upgrades under the skin. The Mexico models are all about the ideology and the reasoning behind the four themes. Which edition is your favorite?

E-Type UK, a brand that’s well known for restoring classic Jaguar E-Types with utmost precision has decided to take a different path with the announcement of the new brand “Unleased.” This new sub-brand won’t only restore classic Jaguar E-Types, but will bring them into the modern world via a hefty list of updates that some purists might find a little offensive. Of course, if you keep an open mind, you’ll find that Unleashed is doing something pretty cool.

The first Unleashed model is based on the E-Type Series 3, and as you can see from the pictures we have here, this car looks every bit like a classic E-Type, albeit with a few exterior enhancements, like the wrap-around chrome, custom made grille, and the new badging. More chrome can be found around back, and you can’t ignore the new 16-inch wheels, either.

Basic enhancements inside help the cabin feel more luxurious, including the new aluminum center console, updated and custom-made leather seats, and the piano black dashboard. Beyond this, however, is where the controversy really comes into play. See, this classic E-Type is a lot more modern than you’d expect, even if you don’t notice at first glance. Modern enhancements include an engine start button, electric windows, Bluetooth connectivity, surround sound speakers, a heated windshield, and a complete air conditioning system. If you’re able to get past that, the powertrain under the hood will really get you excited.

The original 5.3-liter V-12 has been re-engineered and each of the 12 cylinders bored out, pushing the 272 horsepower of the early 1970s to a health 400 horsepower. Displacement has obviously grown, with the engine now displacing 6.1-liters vs. 5.3-liters. The engine is also mated to a new five-speed manual gearbox and features a bespoke chassis with a completely new steering, suspension, and brake setup.

As you can imagine, an Unleashed E-Type Series 3 doesn’t come cheap. The program starts at £325,000 or about $512,825 at current exchange rates. And, by the way, that doesn’t include the suitable doner car, which according to Classic.com can get quite expensive. The lowest sale ever was $13,200 while the highest price is $254,252. The most recent sale commanded $87,319. Is a modernized E-Type Series 3 worth well beyond a half-million bones? You tell us what you think in the comments section below!

Lexus is growing its exclusive Black Line series with the new RXL Black Line for the 2022 model year. This new special and limited-run edition will be based on the RX 350L or RX 450L, with the former being limited to 389 examples and the latter being produced in just 106 examples. The main highlight is, arguably, the new Cloudburst Gray or the optional Eminent White Pearl, however, it’s the black accents outside that really tie the package together. The 20-inch black wheels are the most notable, however, the wheel lug nots, radiator grille, outer portion of the mirrors, badging, and lower front bumper are all finished in black. When paired with the standard Cloudburst Gray, the RXL looks downright menacing while the Eminent While Pearl exterior finish makes for an awesome two-tone contrast that really draws attention.

On the inside, there’s a decent helping of open-pore wood trim, while te Nu-Luxe seats are upholstered in black with blue contrast stitching. That same blue stitching also ties together the dash pad, shift boot, and steering wheel. Since the Black Line is a purely aesthetic package, the RXL 350 delivers 290 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque from a 3.5-liter V-6 while the hybrid model dishes out 308 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque from the same engine paired with an electric motor. Pricing for the RX 350L Black Line comes in at $52,030 while the RX 450 HL Black Line commands $55,290.

Kia launched the Telluride SUV at the 2019 Detroit Auto show as an eight-seat competitor to the Honda Pilot and Volkswagen Atlas. It shares underpinnings with the Palisade but, despite being basked on the 2016 Telluride Concept, is shares very little with the vehicle it was based on. Being just two years old as of the time of this writing, you wouldn’t expect Kia to give the Telluride any kind of update at all, yet that’s exactly what the company has done for the 2022 model year. There isn’t a whole not of new for 2022, but Kia has made a few adjustments to bring the Telluride into scope of its competition.

The exterior has been enhanced just a bit with an updated radiator grille and new emblems. The trim level emblems and AWD emblems are darker and feature a different finish. The interior now features a new 10.25-inch infotainment display, fully automatic temperature control and highway driving assist is now available on the LX and S trims. The Telluride didn’t come with any updates under the hood, though, but the 3.8-liter V-6 is still plenty powerful with 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. There will still be four trims in total – LX,S,EX, and SX, and you can opt for FWD or AWD across the lineup. Pricing starts at $32,790 for the LX with FWD or $34,790 for the LX with AWD. The range-topping SX-P commands a starting price of $46,890.

For very many years, the Ford F-150 Raptor was the only off-road standalone model you could get straight from the factory. Ram, however, decided to come up with a rival for it and announced its intention by coming up with a concept performance off-road truck in 2016 called the TRX. Pretty much everything we saw there made it to the production version as well.

Fast forward to 2020, Ram launched the TRX as a Raptor-killer by upping the ante in almost every single department. The TRX was introduced with a supercharged V-8 that makes over 700 horses, impressive off-road equipment and specs, and an uber-premium cabin. Given all the bells and whistles Ram offered, there was no way this was going to be an inexpensive truck. Ram priced it at $69,000 at launch in the ‘base’ form. At that time, it was clearly positioned above the Raptor as they both had a significant price difference.

While this is a truck that you definitely want, is this a truck that you actually need? A white 2021 Ram TRX arrived at TopSpeed and we find out the answer to that.

After two decades and four generations in U.S., Kia has decided to globally rebrand the Optima as the K5 – a name it had be using for the Optima in the Korean market since 2010. With the name change came a much sportier exterior, a simple yet attractive interior, and a pair of engines that split the difference between great fuel economy and great performance – you can have one or the other. In early 2021, we had the opportunity to spend a week with the more economical K5 with a 1.6-liter inline-four that was good for 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Fast forward a few months, and Kia graced us with the K5 GT-Line AWD, which comes at a $1,600 premium over the FWD model plus a few extra standard goodies, including a special “Snow Mode.” Is it necessary to have a K5 with AWD, though?

Yet another EV Start-up in the Netherlands, Lightyear, intends to launch its very first car. The gimmick here is that it’s a car powered by Solar energy, and it’s said to be coming to Europe next year. The solar car can cover over 440 miles on a single charge thanks to solar modules that charge up the battery as you drive.

French automaker, Hopium, has made its very first hydrogen-electric prototype. It has also begun accepting orders. Because of its potential to store energy in a transportable form, hydrogen is shaping up to be a hot area in the renewable energy game. It will, however, be a difficult proposition, since there were only 553 hydrogen-filling outlets throughout the globe at the end of 2020. In other words, hydrogen isn’t exactly readily available just yet.