Car reviews

While the Prancing Horse is best known for its top-shelf performance vehicles and winning racing machines, even Maranello’s finest must occasionally bend to the whims of the passenger vehicle market. But don’t see it as a compromise - rather, it’s best seen as a combination of speed and usability, catapulting the commonplace people mover to the extraordinary realm of apexes and checkered flags. Such is the case with the Ferrari 250 GT 2+2, the brand’s first genuine four-seater model.

Continue reading to learn more about the 1960 - 1963 Ferrari 250 GT 2+2 (GTE).

The Mercedes G500 is the latest Mercedes model to get the Brabus treatment. Ok, so that’s not really saying a lot, but in the past week, the German tuner has gone into overdrive, releasing one Mercedes tuning program after another. The Mercedes-Benz E 63 S and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S already got their turns. Now, it’s the G500’s time in the spotlight, and in true Brabus fashion, the aftermarket prescription is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Unveiled in 2014, the Mercedes-AMG GT has proven to be a worthy successor to the SLS AMG, despite being a bit smaller and rivaling the awesomeness that is the Porsche 911. Since it’s debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the AMG GT has spawned many versions, including S, C, R, and Roadster versions. Limited to just the coupe model for now, the GT R will soon get a drop-top variant.

First launched for the 2017 model year, the GT Roadster made its debut in base trim, with a GT C version added soon after that. More recently, Mercedes-Benz also launched a GT S Roadster model, leaving the GT R the only trim that has yet to go topless. Rumors about a GT R Roadster have been flying around for a few years and it seems that the Germans are finally preparing a debut. The GT R Roadster was spotted recently on public roads and it appears it’s just as hot as the coupe.

Updated 08/17/2018: Our spy photographers caught the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT R out for a first testing session.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster.

The Mustang Cobra Jet is now known as Ford’s factory-built drag racer, but the "Cobra Jet" badge was actually created for a 7.0-liter V-8 engine back in 1968. This is also the year when the Blue Oval produced 50 lightweight Mustangs for the said engine and shipped six of them to Holman Moody and Bill Stroppe to be prepared for NHRA racing. Fifty years later and Ford is celebrating the event with a special-edition Cobra Jet model.

The first Mustang-based drag racer since 2016, this Cobra Jet comes with all the goodies you’d expect to find on such car. There’s a revised body that looks similar to the facelifted sixth-gen model, skinny wheels up front and fat tires to the rear, a competition-spec interior, and a massively supercharged V-8. Making things even better, it’s the quickest and most powerful Mustang that Ford has developed specifically for drag racing in history.

Continue reading to learn more about the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet.

As a compact sedan, the Nissan Sentra never was what one may call "popular" among gearheads. Yet, Nissan is eager to improve it, even going so far as to release a spirited Nismo version in the process a few years back. Now, we have the 2019 Nissan Sentra with only a handful of upgrades, most notable of which is the integration of the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all models, save for the entry Sentra S.

Celebrating its “defining heritage” Rolls Royce just revealed a whole collection of bespoke Ghost cars called the Silver Ghost Collection. It is an important celebration as the Silver Ghost, produced in 1906, actually was named “the best car in the world” upon completion of a nonstop endurance voyage that covered 14,371 miles. An incredible achievement in 1906. Now, with a limited edition of only 35 Rolls Royce Ghost cars designated for the Silver Ghost Collection, the British company based in Goodwood solidified its status as the ultimate in the world of cars.

Almost every year Brabus prepares a comprehensive set of improvements for a number of Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG vehicles. They usually present them at the Auto Shows in Geneva, Paris, or Frankfurt. This year, with the Paris Motor Show nearing, Brabus revealed its new Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S. It is a small compact crossover with an insane 4.0-liter engine, now tricked out by Brabus. This car seems to be as close to contradictions as humanly possible. It is a family crossover (sensible at that), but with such a monstrosity under the bonnet, you’d feel threatened by it even if you drove in a Ferrari F430.

The Brabus Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S basically represents everything that is bad with the car market today, and then it represents everything that is awesome as well.

You know what? I don’t care if you have all the hate in the world for the SUV/Crossovers or whatever. This thing is awesome, and you will learn why here.

Hertz is a tried-and-tested name in the rental car game, and its latest offering is going to scratch a lot of sports car itches. As part of the company’s 100th-anniversary celebration, Hertz is offering 100 special edition Chevrolet Corvette Z06s at the cost of just $199 per day. Throw in other fees and taxes and that total bumps up to almost $300, but still, that’s a relative bargain to pay for the chance to spend a day with one of these black and yellow beauties.

Although critics initially derided the Gallardo as a copout for the Italian automaker, offering two fewer cylinders and a smaller on-road presence than the rest of the lineup, the “baby Lambo” quickly silenced the naysayers by selling well over 7,000 units in its first five years of production. Its performance was so impressive, the higher-ups from Sant’Agata Bolognese decided to usher in a new go-faster version for 2008, upgrading the Gallardo with fresh aesthetics and improved performance. The result was dubbed the LP560-4, and once again, customers flocked to dealers, catapulting the nameplate to the top of Lambo’s list of all-time bestsellers.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2008 - 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

McLaren’s MSO division is responsible for some of the most mouth-watering creations we’ve seen in recent memory, and it looks like MSO isn’t done, judging, at least, by a pair of new special-edition models, one of which is called the 720S Track Theme. In keeping with MSO’s tradition of going all-out with its projects, the 720S Track Theme gets a smorgasbord of new features and options, all of which have been added to add an extra touch of exclusivity on what is already an exclusive supercar.

After seven successful years on the market, the third-generation Ford Focus was replaced by a brand-new hatchback. Although it’s too early to say whether the new model will be as successful as its predecessor, it has many features to brag about, starting with a new platform that will underpin several Ford vehicles in the future. It also boasts a sportier exterior, new tech inside the cabin, and a revised engine lineup. With the standard Focus on its way to dealerships as of 2018, it’s time to talk about the RS model. The performance-oriented model might arrive by the end of the year and rumors and renderings are already making headlines on the internet.

Ford’s very own competitor for the all-popular Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Focus ST will benefit from all the cool features of the new Focus, but it will receive a few extra features inside and out. The sportier exterior with more aggressive cues will be joined by an exclusive interior, while its engine will provide the most power in an ST model yet. Until the next-generation Focus RS arrives, the ST will sit at the top of the range in terms of performance and pricing. Let’s take a closer look at what we already know about this car in the speculative review below.

Update 8/15/2018: The next-gen Ford Focus ST prototype has finally been caught on camera. Check out our special spy shot section below to check it out for yourself.

The Lamborghini Diablo arrived at a difficult time for the Italian firm. Barely out of bankruptcy and purchased by the Mimran brothers in 1985, Lamborghini began working on a successor for the aging Countach. Development took no fewer than four years, with the final car unveiled in 1990. Just like its predecessor, the Diablo was made available in various versions, including an SV model, reviving the Super Veloce name for the first time since the Miura SV was discontinued in 1973.

Lambo introduced the SV model at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show, a full five years after the Diablo went into production. It was essentially a more powerful version of the regular Diablo. It had larger brakes but lacked the all-wheel-drive system in the VT. The Diablo SV was updated alongside the other trims when Lambo facelifted the supercar in 1998, but it became the lineup’s base model and was discontinued after just one year on the market, replaced by the GT. Production of the Diablo continued two years after the SV was retired until 2001.

Continue reading to learn more about the Lamborghini Diablo SV.

Collective gasps welcomed the BMW Turbo Concept on the stage at the 1972 edition of the Paris Motor Show. The car, stunning from every angle, was the embodiment of what future BMW products would offer: cutting-edge looks, state-of-the-art technology, and performance. This mesmerizing prototype designed by Paul Bracq was the inspiration for BMW’s one and only supercar: the M1. Thirty years later, BMW honored both the Turbo and the M1 by creating the appropriately-named M1 Hommage. Dressed in a similar coat of hypnotic red as the Turbo and with countless design cues that trace their roots in the Giugiaro-penned M1, the Hommage was a way for BMW to look back while also looking towards the future.

First displayed at the Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este in 2008, the M1 Hommage was the German manufacturer’s way of refreshing the wedge-shaped M1 which was celebrating its 30th birthday. BMW brought the much-revered older siblings to complement the launch of this design experiment, but many were left bemused by the company’s announcement that there would be no new supercar to come from Munich.

This wasn’t, however, entirely true as BMW didn’t ignore its waves of fans who fell in love with their 2008 concept and went on to include certain unmistakable design cues in their 2009 Vision EfficentDynamics concept which led to the BMW i8. It’s not a supercar, it was never intended to be, but it’s similar enough to the M1 Hommage to make us happy, and it also channels the Turbo prototype through all of its hybrid technology that it incorporates.

While the Type R may be a bit over the top with its styling, the lesser versions of the latest Honda Civic are definitely exceptional in their compact-car mission. Now, Honda has revealed the 2019 Civic with new styling features for the coupe and sedan. As an added bonus the Sport trim can now be had on the Civic Coupe.

Unveiled in 2017 as a replacement for the 650S, the McLaren 720S has already brought its aggressive design, luxurious interior, and beefed-up V-8 engine into showrooms. As it usually happens, McLaren began showcasing various custom models made by the MSO division, starting with the Velocity Theme unveiled at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. Come August 2018, and the Brits launched two mode special editions, one of which is the Pacific Theme.

Commissioned by McLaren Special Operations for McLaren Glasgow from Scotland, the Pacific Theme was created alongside Track Theme, a second supercar that will go the company’s dealership in Manchester. Much like all MSO-created McLaren’s, Pacific Theme boasts unique color and trim with a focus on the 720S’s "sophisticated technical luxury." Let’s find out what sets it apart in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the McLaren 720S Pacific Theme.

The 330 GT 2+2 was actually an update to the 330 America that Ferrari built in 1963 only. It also replaced the 250 GT/E 2+2, but it was larger and sportier. Introduced in 1964, the 330 GT 2+2 was upgraded in 1965, when the Series II model with a new design was launched. Production lasted until 1967, with 1,099 examples built until the Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 was introduced as a replacement. The cool thing about these cars is that they’ve remained somewhat affordable compared to other million-dollar Ferraris from the era.

The Model S is far and away Tesla’s most popular vehicle, known for singlehandedly shifting public opinion of EVs from dowdy, boring people-movers, to sexy, high-tech performance machines. This is the model that set the stage for all of Tesla’s other offerings, including the top-shelf Model X SUV, and more recently, the affordable Model 3 compact four-door. However, the Model S was first introduced in 2012, which means it’s starting to get a little long in the tooth, and a second-gen for the full-/mid-size luxury sedan should be headed down the line in the next few years. As such, we put on our speculation hats and got down to reasoning out what the next Model S might bring to the table.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2022 Tesla Model S.

The world of hot hatches is far more interesting than what we in the U.S. can ever fathom. The Europeans are particularly fond of them (the Brits especially), which led to the development of some of the most amazing cars. Some of them have never even appeared on U.S. shores. Believe it or not, I have found 21 awesome hot hatches from the past five years that have never set their tires on this side of the pond.

While compiling this list, I have come to a conclusion that buyers and drivers in the U.S. are usually really predictable. Apart from some producers who do not sell in the U.S. at all, international safety (UNECE) standards for car production are the ones to blame for a shortage of some of these cars.

We’re not compliant with those standards as we have our own set of rules called the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. In short, a disparity like this makes it very expensive for car producers to create two different versions of a car. And, that is exactly what is needed if you want to sell the same car in the U.S. and in the rest of the world.

Nevertheless, walk through this 4,853 horsepower list and imagine what your life would be like if some of these hot hatches could actually come here.

One of the most iconic American cars of all time, the Shelby Cobra, came to be in 1962 when Carroll Shelby combined Ford-made V-8 engines with British-designed AC Ace bodies. Although the Ace was fairly old and close to discontinuation in 1962, it’s lightweight structure helped Shelby create one of the greatest American sports cars. Built until 1968 in various road-legal and race-spec configurations, the Cobra reached its performance peak when the Super Snake was launched in 1966. Called the "Cobra to end all Cobras," the Super Snake is the rarest of the bunch, and it still holds the title for the most expensive American car sold at auction.

"When I built this dual supercharged 427 Cobra in 1966, I wanted it to be the fastest, meanest car on the road," Shelby told Barrett-Jackson in 2007 when the roadster was auctioned for its record price. "Forty years later, it will still kick the tail of just about anything in the world. It’s the fastest street legal Cobra I’ve ever owned."

Let’s find out more about this tremendous classic in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake.