Cars

RUF builds some of the fastest modified Porsches in the world, cars altered so much that they are barely Porsches when the process reaches the end and the car is ready for delivery. Such a car is the CTR2, the replacement of the Yellowbird, a 993-based monster that could reach 215 mph in 1995, beating anything but the McLaren F1.

If you’re asked to name a few really fast cars of the ’90s images of the Lamborghini Diablo, the Bugatti EB110, or the Jaguar XJ220 would probably spring in your mind. Well, how many of you would think of a modified Porsche that could beat anything that Zuffenhausen had to offer, even the ludicrous race-bred 911 GT1? Yes, it’s the product of a tuner, but the cars built by Alois Ruf Jr., and his men have always been impeccably well-built. They also have an enviable record of humiliating established supercars over the years. The CTR2 is the bridge between the pure Nurburgring-slashing CTR and the mid-engined CTR3 that takes the ideas of the Carrera GT to another level.

Introduced in 2017 to replace the Yeti, the Karoq is Skoda’s first authentic foray into the compact crossover market. Already available in variety of trims, including the rugged Scout and the sportier Sportline, the Karoq is about to enter the performance market with an RS badge.

Set to break cover in 2019, the Karoq RS will most likely share underpinnings with the hot Cupra Ateca, built by Seat’s recently founded performance division. This means that unlike the Kodiaq RS, which features a diesel engine, the Karoq RS will deliver solid performance. Expect it to boast a more aggressive exterior and unique features inside the cabin. Until the actual SUV breaks cover, we created a rendering that previews its exterior design.

In an effort to move ahead and push the boundaries of what the pony car can do, Ford introduced the 2020 Shelby GT500 at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. It is the most powerful Ford ever. It is the fastest Mustang ever. It has the biggest vent ever fitted to a production Ford. It is basically a race car you can use on the road as well. And this is a tale about the 2020 Shelby GT500’s most amazing facts and quirks. It’s a winner, this one. For sure.

Maserati is dropping some spice back into the Levante SUV with the release of the Levante Vulcano. The special edition model is an aesthetic showcase featuring exclusive touches in the exterior and interior. The SE is also available in two states of tune, though those don’t include the range-topping, 590-horsepower Levante Trofeo or the 542-horsepower GTS. Unfortunately, only 150 units of the Maserati Levante Vulcano will be available. Worse, all 150 units are headed to the European and Asian markets. Details on pricing have yet to be announced by Maserati, though expect it to cost somewhere in the vicinity of $120,000.

Such news always messes up my thought process for a while. How can an insanely powerful hypercar get add-ons that will make it all the more powerful? Somehow Aston Martin has managed to accomplish it. The AMR Track Performance PAck for the 2018 Aston Martin Valkyrie is not just about the performance; it includes a vast array of add-ons that can make it stand out even more than it already does....if you can believe that.

A 48-year-old man drove his Ferrari into the Lake Worth Inlet in Palm Beach County, Florida claims that he did it because Jesus told him to. The man, identified as James A. Mucciaccio Jr., made headlines last month when he drove what looked like aFerrari 360 Modena into the water after a conversation with a police officer regarding an issue with Mucciaccio allegedly driving over the speed limit. When the police officer asked to his license, Mucciaccio got into the car, reversed it off the dock, then accelerated forward into the inlet, sending the Ferrari into the water. Apparently, the Lord Almighty himself was behind all of it, or so Mucciaccio claims.

Like most new cars these days, the new Toyota Supra is coming with a first-off-the-line version called the Launch Edition. Based on the sports car’s Premium trim, the Supra Launch Edition sets itself apart from the standard Supra through a number of special details and exclusive touches. Only 1,500 units of the Supra Launch Edition will be available, all of which are earmarked for the U.S. market. The first-production Supra is included in the first 1,500 units. Unfortunately, no one’s going to get it anymore since it was already auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona for a whopping $2.1 million. The Supra Launch Edition, on the other hand, starts off at just $55,250.

It’s no secret that the collector car market is red hot right now, and that was clearly evident at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona this past weekend, where one of Ford’s finest crossed the block for a whopping $2.5 million.

Lincoln brought back the nostalgia of the 1960s with its Continental Coach Door Edition last year. The automaker plans to produce just 80 examples of the suicide door edition Continental at a premium of $40,000 over the top-of-the-line Continental. Despite the exorbitant price tag, Lincoln sold all the 80 copies within three days of its launch! If you were planning to get one and think you have lost your chance, do not fret. Lincoln will soon be producing more of the Coach Door Editions as a 2020 model.

When Subaru first released the WRX to the U.S. market back in the early 2000’s, performance enthusiasts went nuts. Finally, after a decade left out in the cold, America was getting a taste of the turbocharged, rally-bred good life. Now we’re getting the full-fat experience thanks to the 2020 Subaru WRX STI S209, a series of numbers and letters that add up to the most extreme Six Star experience available without a roll cage. Usually reserved as a JDM-only delicacy, the limited edition S209 is the first “S” line model offered exclusively for the U.S. market, and it’s nothing less than the best-performing STI ever made thanks to an upgraded engine package, functional aero, a wider stance, and trick suspension upgrades.

GMC has revealed the new 2020 Sierra HD, following hot on the heels of the 2019 Ram 2500 HD that dropped at the Detroit Auto Show last week. Big torque, a big stance, and endless capability are the norms here, but how do these two shape up?

The Mercedes-AMG Project One has been making headlines for more than a year now. The German company slowly released bits of information about the upcoming supercar in 2018, but come 2019, and we finally know a bit more about its performance. To put it simply, it’s outstanding!

Introduced in 2008 on an already old platform borrowed from Mercedes-Benz, the current Dodge Challenger is more than just a little long in the tooth. However, thanks to high-performance versions like the Hellcat and the Demon, the Challenger remained relevant and even became the second best-selling sports coupe in the U.S., behind the Ford Mustang but ahead of the much newer Chevrolet Camaro. A redesign is underway, and FCA is preparing big changes for the nameplate.

Automakers are actively collaborating with movie franchises to create some stellar concepts that are definitely not real-world worthy. However, some of the car manufacturers are rolling out superhero movie-inspired editions that add a certain zing to the existing models, like the Jeep Renegade Batman vs. Superman Special Edition, Kia Sorento X-Men Edition, and the Isuzu Vehicross Iron Man Triathlon special. Now, Hyundai has revealed a tasteful example called the 2019 Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition.

If you are a stick-shift lover, proceed with caution. We heard some news that is not yet official and we sincerely hope it is just a baseless rumor. Blame the reduced demand for this, but according to Bimmertoday, BMW is planning to eradicate manual transmissions from even more of its models. Is there any reason to live in this world anymore?

Are you one of those who thinks that Toyota could’ve done much better in designing the new Supra? Ever wonder what the sports car could’ve looked like if the design was treated differently? Auto designer Roman Miah took a shot at redesigning Toyota’s new sports car, and the results are, well, interesting. Miah’s design interpretation of the new Supra builds off of what the new Supra looks like and taps into retro resources, specifically the designs of past versions of the Supra. It’s a similar approach to what Toyota did but done in a slightly different fashion. There are a lot of differences between Toyota’s design of the new Supra and Miah’s own rendering. Both versions stayed true to honoring the Supras of the past, but in doing so, they arrived at the same design destination by taking different roads to get there.

Mercedes was caught testing restyled E-Class prototypes that look like they’re hiding new front and rear fascias. It also appears that most of the work will be done on the front end, which is covered by the heaviest camouflage, although there are other details hidden as well.

The current E-Class, the fifth generation of the nameplate, was launched in 2016 and it is due for a refresh next year. Most changes will be done to the styling, to better reflect Mercedes’ new design language that was originally showcased on the new A-Class and CLS. The updated E-Class is expected to experience an extra infusion of tech as well.

No changes will likely be made to the engine range since the Mercedes started selling the E-Class with its new generation of four-cylinder and straight-six diesel engines, both of which make up the bulk of sales in major markets such as Europe.

Update 01/22/2019: The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is due for a mild facelift, and it should be coming in 2020. It’s only been about a month since we last laid eyes on the pre-production prototype, but we’re getting another look at it. There aren’t any real changes in terms of what we can see on the outside, however, we do get a decent look at the interior, and there are some minor things that we can spot. Check out our spy shots section below for all the details.

General Motors’ decision to identify Cadillac as the lead brand towards its plans for electrification comes with a lot of weight and expectations. It could also be the key to Cadillac’s survival as an auto brand. GM’s newly appointed president, Mark Reuss, acknowledged as much in a conversation with Reuters. According to Reuss, electrification is the only place the General can take the brand if there’s any chance for Caddy to survive. It’s a delicate place to be in, but the changing winds in the auto industry have left General Motors with few options on the table for its once proud luxury marquee. If Cadillac doesn’t thrive as an EV brand, it could very well end up with the same fate as Pontiac and Saturn, two GM-owned auto brands that are no longer with us today.

Audi’s crossover and SUV lineup is already mighty stout, but that isn’t stopping the Four Rings from adding yet another high-rider to the list. The latest will take the name Q4, and as you might expect, it’ll squeeze in between the Q3 and Q5 within Audi’s stable. Alternatively, the new crossover could also carry the name Q3 Sportback. Either way, the fresh ‘ute will offer a more coupe-like roofline compared to the standard Q3, but carry over the current Q3’s interior appointment, engine, and drivetrain, plus all the options.

Update 1/22/2019: The Audi Q4, a coupe-like SUV that will slot just above the Q3, has been spotted doing some more cold-weather testing, just a year after it was last spotted in the wild. Nothing has changed as far as design or camo cover, however, this recent sighting tells us that Audi is still working on the compact crossover, and that’s something to be happy about. Check out the latest shots in our spy shots section below.

A low-mileage McLaren Senna sold for $1.45 million at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The specific Senna, VIN# 005, sold for more than the $1 million starting price that a brand-new Senna would’ve cost. Unfortunately, McLaren only built 500 units of the supercar, and all 500 Senna units, including 120 in the U.S., already have owners. Actually, only 499 units of the 789-horsepower supercar remain after one of them was charred to a crisp recently. Perhaps that developed spurred the spike in price for the Senna that was being auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson. Perhaps it didn’t. Either way, the winning bidder not only won a Senna, but he also won a Senna with just 281 miles in its odometer. That’s a pretty sweet deal for all parties involved.

Buyers cross shopping between the new Range Rover Evoque and BMW X2 are looking at two different answers to the same question: What is a rakish-looking, almost coupe-like crossover that is striking to behold, fun to drive and posh to sit in? They’re about the same size, even though the Evoque looks bigger because it is more squared off, but they actually provide a very different experience for driver and occupants.

Firstly, the X2 feels like a very well sorted hatchback to drive, and you can throw it into corners with a fair bit of confidence. On the other hand, it is pretty much useless off-road going over anything more severe than a potholed country road. The Range Rover Evoque is decent to drive on tarmac, but it’s only average in this respect, however, it wipes the floor with the X2 when it comes to any kind of tougher off-roading.

They look and feel different and also address different buyers with different needs, even though they will be cross shopped and compared against one another. The fact of the matter is, they’re so different, it’s quite possible that somebody who really likes one, will absolutely hate the other. It probably all boils down to where and how you want to use it, although realistically very few buyers will actually take advantage of the Evoque’s off-road qualities, and just potter around the city in it, an application where the X2 is probably better.

GM launched a new Chevrolet commercial last week, and the video claims that the brand is more reliable than Ford, Honda, and Toyota. The ad has stopped airing after only a few days due to complaints from the competition, which challenged Chevy’s claims. And, rightfully so. Chevy has since removed the advertisement from the internet and television but claims that it was to focus on the new Silverado and not as a response to the video in question.

Dating back to the late 1960s, the Shelby GT500 returned in 2019 after a five-year hiatus. The first iteration of the sixth-gen Mustang to sport a supercharged V-8 engine, this GT500 is also the most powerful street-legal Ford, even when compared to the Ford GT supercar. The GT500 also borrows some tech from the GT, as well as from the race-spec Mustang GT4. The first GT500 in five years is aimed at the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. And, although final specs aren’t yet available, it seems that it will have enough power to compete with both. Arguably the biggest news is that the supercharged V-8 delivers in excess of 700 horsepower, but enthusiasts also have to cope with the fact that Ford doesn’t offer a manual gearbox. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.