Car reviews

Like ABT is to Audi, Brabus is to Mercedes. These are the tuners that come to mind when you talk about the respective brands. Brabus is here with another creation called the Rocket 900 “One of Ten” that’s based on the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S. The Brabus model comes with changes inside and out, but the biggest changes have happened under the hood. The car didn’t just receive some extra horses and torque; Brabus also increased the displacement of the V-8 powerhouse. The car is super-exclusive and only 10 examples of it will be built.

When Chrysler introduced the Pacifica Hybrid, it rattled to ever-shrinking minivan segment to its core. Not necessarily because it offered some new, ground-breaking technology but because it’s quite literally the only hybrid minivan on the market – at least until the Toyota Sienna lineup goes hybrid for the 2021 model year. Until then, however, the Pacifica gets to wear the crown. We drove the Pacifica just a year ago and we had somewhat mixed opinions about it – has anything changed this time around? Let’s find out!

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio has been on the market just four short years, and the more aggressive Stelvio Quadrifoglio has a year less under its belt. We’ve already learned that the Stelvio can hold its own against everyday luxury SUVs, but halfway through its lifecycle can it still deliver the performance and comfort expected from something that carries an Alfa Romeo badge? Is the Quadrifoglio still worth the $80,500 entry level price in a luxury crossover market that grows, quite literally, by the day? Well, FCA stopped by TopSpeed headquarters with a Stelvio Quadrifoglio to let us find out for ourselves – this is what our week-long experience taught us.

I am sure you will agree, one of the most dreaded images, for a car owner, is when the check engine light comes on. When that happens, it could be anything from a faulty sensor, to something serious, which is why having a good scan tool may be critical, as it will help determine whether it is a cheap and simple fix or something that may cost thousands of dollars. And although an onboard diagnostics scanner will not fix everything, it will eliminate any uncertainty, as to what problem your car has. This is exactly why we have compiled a short list, in order to help you decide, which is the best OBD2 scanner for you.

It’s been just about a month since BMW launched the new M3 and the M4. While the bucktooth grille became the talk of the town, there was one other piece of news around that time that didn’t receive as much attention as it should have. BMW Performance Division’s CEO, Markus Flasch, said that M’s first fully electric car will arrive next year and it will be based on the i4. When you have a confirmation from the automaker, it doesn’t take long for the car to be spotted doing test runs, and the same has happened here, too.

New spy shots have appeared that show the i4 M draped in black and white sheets to avoid people from guessing what it is, but hey, who are we kidding here?

Post the big debut, the Ford Bronco and its urban-alter ego are busy with various other activities. The Bronco Sport recently won the 2020 Rebelle Rally in its category in stock condition, and now Ford has announced the Bronco will don the emergency vehicle outfit to support the National Forest Foundation.

Ford has teamed up with Filson, an outdoor outfitter, to develop the Bronco Wildland Fire Rig Concept. It is customized with firefighting equipment and Ford will donate two examples for the cause.

Acura has introduced the PMC Edition of its best-selling SUV, the RDX. The RDX was introduced back in 2006 as a spiritual successor to the MDX, which went to take bigger roles in the portfolio, quite literally. The RDX debuted as a premium entry-level crossover and is an important product for Acura. Initially, it was built on the same platform that underpinned the Honda Civic and the CR-V, but the third-generation introduced in 2018 as a 2019 model year SUV and was based on a new platform. It has been the best-selling SUV for Acura in the last two years, so, keeping it fresh is imperative.

The company has introduced the PMC Edition of the SUV in Thermal Orange shade that is reminiscent of the NSX Hybrid supercar. And the price? $52,995 including destination charges. Is this a steal deal?

Chelsea Truck Company has returned with another Jeep Wrangler rendition called the Protest Edition. Although the name could be considered slightly controversial, the changes made to the SUV are pretty neat. Nothing under the hood has been changed and it is stock, which means all the changes are cosmetic only. This Wrangler is a right-hand-drive model and is brand-new, unlike some of the examples from Chelsea lately that have had previous owners.

The Ferrari Monza SP1 is a rare breed, even for Ferrari’s standards. It’s limited to just 500 units with the equally audacious Monza SP2, the Monza SP1 is a proper Ferrari speedster that carries 799 horsepower from its 6.5-liter V-12 engine. It’s properly powerful as all speedsters should be, but there really is no such thing as too much power, is there? German tuning firm Novitec swears by that motto, and the Monza SP1 benefits from it. What kind of aftermarket program did Novitec create for the fanciful Monza SP1? Let’s find out.

TechArt has had the new 911 Turbo and Turbo S in its sights for a while now and it’s finally time for the Porsche-savvy tuner to unload the goodies.

The TechArt treatment for the Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S is a comprehensive one and touches on almost every aspect, from exterior tweaks to a power bump and mechanical upgrades.

Himalaya is known to create builds of timeless vehicles. One of them is the Defender, with which the aftermarket company has had a love affair for a long time. Last year, Himalaya worked on the new Defender to create a special edition called Spectre. Now, the company has laid its hand on the renowned moniker to build a 650-horsepower beast that inducts itself into Himalaya’s flagship Summit Series.

The first-generation 4 Series still looks good to this day. It’s even better to drive, thanks in particular to the 50:50 weight distribution between the two axles and BMW’s affinity for a driver-centric experience - and by that, I don’t mean just the fact that the cockpit points every button, knob, or screen at whoever is sitting behind the wheel.

That genuine appetite for spirited driving is still present in the new 2021 BMW 4 Series, albeit wrapped up in a polarizing package. What I’m really trying to say is that this book should under no circumstances be judged by its cover. That would be a mistake.

The long-awaited GMC Hummer EV has finally made it’s debut, and it comes to the party with a lot of noteworthy features and some pretty impressive performance. According to GMC, the new Hummer EV will be power by (and as expected) GM’s new Ultium batteries and the new Ultium Drive electronic motors. The Hummer will feature a total of three electric motors that, according to GMC, will deliver and impressive 1,000 horsepower and a “GM-estimated 11,500 pound-feet of torque.” It all reality, it’ll probably put close to 900 pound-feet to the ground, but we’ll leave that discussion for another time. GMC has offered up some pricing and trim information with the entry-level model commanding $79,995, but it comes with just two electric motors. It’ll be coined the “EV2” and will launch in spring of 2024. It will be preceded by the EV2x in 2023 (the lowest model that can do the CrabWalk) and the Hummer EV3X, which will be available in Fall of 2020 with a $99,995 price tag.

Check out the highlights and gallery below to learn more about the Hummer EV and see just what it looks like!

This is the BMW X2 M Mesh Edition, a package-laden special edition model that adds more visual character to a crossover that, quite frankly, needs all the help it can get. A mesh kidney grille — not BMW’s new and controversial grille — stands out as the package’s most prominent addition. Exclusive color options, decals, and a new set of wheels are also included in the X2 M’s dress-up. The Edition M Mesh package for the X2 M is priced at $3,550.

Earlier this year, Tuscany collaborated with Harley-Davidson to roll out a special edition GMC Sierra that was limited to just 250 examples. Around the same time, Hennessey had rolled out the GMC Sierra Denali Goliath 700. The truck came with 700 horses under the hood and transformed the simple Sierra into a magnificent beast. But, how do you combine the finesse of a Harley-Davidson edition truck and the performance of a Hennessey product? Well, you get them together!

An individual purchased the Harley-Davidson Sierra and took it to Hennessey for a performance upgrade. As the team says in the video, is this the Harley for a rainy day?

ABT Sportsline is back again, this time giving a twist to Audi’s performance SUV, the RS Q8. The aftermarket company has worked on a lot of Audi models in the past, and this time it is the SUV’s turn. Not too long ago, the company turned the RS4 wagon into a different beast. This time, ABT is offering two different packages, offering a significant increase in the power outputs over the stock numbers. There are a lot more goodies, like new wheels and exhaust system, that feature along with the package.

Mercedes-AMG’s GT family is a lineup of filthy performance machines, none more imposing than the 730-horsepower GT Black Series. But before the GT Black Series arrived, the 639-horsepower AMG GT 4-Door 63 S 4MATIC+ held court as the most powerful member of the AMG GT family.

Just because that’s the case now, though, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for the four-door powerhouse to reclaim that throne with some help from the aftermarket world. Enter Posaidon.

Renault is outlining its EV mobility plan with a sleek-looking concept called eVision which heralds the use of a new battery pack, “one of the thinnest on the market.” The production model derived from the concept will sit on the CMF-EV platform, but it’ll take at least one year before we see it in the metal.

Mid-size luxury sedans are generally considered to be the sweet spot between comfort and performance. They are just the right size and usually offer a wide range of drivetrain options. The Jaguar XF is nearing its sixth production year and received a well-deserved facelift in order to continue to effectively rival the German trio in the luxury sedan segment. With this came new powertrain options, including a mild-hybrid version. Does the newly-revised XF offer something that’s worth giving it a second look? Let’s find out and see if it’s still a viable alternative to the usual suspects in the segment.

Audi is famous for a lot of innovations in the history of the auto industry, but none have been as impactful to the automaker as the quattro all-wheel-drive system. Introduced at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, the quattro all-wheel-drive system has become a foundational piece of all of Audi’s road-going performance cars.

It’s only right that with the quattro system celebrating its 40th anniversary, Audi is launching a special edition TT RS to commemorate the occasion. The special edition model is called the 40 Years of quattro, as fitting a name as any SE model Audi has released in recent memory.