Cars

The third-generation FD Mazda RX-7 is unquestionably one of the greatest Japanese sports cars ever built. Not only is it an exceptionally pretty thing to look at, but thanks to its low weight, faultless chassis tuning, and compact dimensions, it’s epic to drive as well. And of course, you can’t forget to mention the RX-7’s wild rotary engine package either, which, properly tuned, sounds unlike anything else out there. The particular example featured in this video comes with all that and more, with as much as 520 horsepower produced from a triplet of triangles spinning up to an incredible 10,500 rpm.

The Macan might be a small Porsche SUV but it still shares at least small amount of Porsche 911 DNA. For 2020, Porsche has completed its mid-cycle update to the Macan lineup by introducing the latest styling over to the Macan S. Of course, not a lot changed on the outside, but the S now comes with some extra power and a little less weight – two things anyone can get behind. Along with the release of the new Macan S, we managed to get our hands on a nice allotment of fresh wallpapers, so we figured we should give it some on-screen love and feature the new Macan S as our wallpaper for the day. We’ve showcased our favorite wall paper down below but have also attached a gallery to the bottom of this page with other great shots of the 2020 Porsche Macan S.

Porsche just unveiled the 2020 Cayenne Coupe, which is a lot like the standard Cayenne, but with a “sportier” roofline. As a fan of fast cars and less of a fan of fast SUVs, I feel as though it’s my duty to encourage anyone considering the Cayenne Coupe as their next vehicle purchase to instead take a gander at the Porsche Panamera lineup, which offers more performance, equal levels of luxury, and nearly equal practicality.

Sliding behind the wheel of some big, nasty sports car with a bajillion horsepower and tires wider than Wisconsin certainly has its appeal. That said, beating a bajillion-horsepower sports car with a lightweight little econobox also has its appeal. And while YouTuber Shmee150 certainly has loads of experience with the former, this video shows him trying out the latter. The featured vehicle this time is called the Sub 7Up - a modified, stripped-down Volkswagen Up! with the potential to spank the venerable Ferrari 430 Scuderia on the Nürburgring. No, seriously.

We don’t have to tell you how difficult it has become to drive in a metropolitan city these days. The ever-growing traffic and lack of parking space sometimes pushes you to take an Uber instead of driving yourself. But if you have multiple things to do, like dropping off the kids to school, going to work, and run daily errands, you cannot rely on cabs all the time. For that, you need a car that is practical and capable of fulfilling all your commands. These cars need to be easy on the pocket in case some idiot bumps your car at the signal, fun to drive incase you get that traffic-free quarter mile, and should not carry a very high price tag. So, here is a list of 10 cars we have compiled for you that make for the perfect urban commuter.

The scene may have been busy over the past few days, comparing the new Tesla Model Y and the very similar Model 3, calling them too similar, but the fact of the matter is, the new small Tesla crossover has a direct rival. I am, of course, talking about the Polestar 2, itself a strange model that’s neither a sedan nor a crossover - that’s right up the Model Y’s alley. These two cars are direct rivals if we’ve ever seen any, and while their styling may be radically different, they are undoubtedly targeting the same market segment. The Tesla is the more bubble-like of the two, with its strongly arched roofline, but it can seat two more people than the Volvo (in theory, at least), so at least there’s a purpose behind the hunchback design.

In terms of performance and range, the two are very close, at least if we compare the higher-spec Long Range or Dual Motor AWD versions of the Model Y to the Polestar and its single powertrain choice. You will be able to get the Tesla Model Y Performance model that will blow the Polestar 2 clean out of the water with its 3.5-second zero to sixty time, but the other two versions available from launch are comparable.

Coupe SUVs tend to suffer from polarized opinions – you either like them or absolutely despise them. They represent the weirdest blend between body styles that the automotive world has ever seen. BMW is the culprit for starting the trend, and other automakers must follow. That’s why we’re looking at the new 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe – Porsche had to have a competitor for the BMW X6, and now they do. Powered by either a 3.0-liter six-cylinder or a 4.0-liter V-8, the new Coupe SUV can deliver as much as 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Here at Topspeed, nobody can really agree on whether the body style is attractive or not, but we know at least some of our readers are in love with the body style, and the Cayenne Coupe will be the subject of all your desires. So, we’ve decided to make it our wallpaper of the day. Check out our favorite below or pick your own from the gallery at the bottom of the page!

Today’s automotive market includes plenty of offers for all pockets. Whether you want a very affordable car to take you from point A to B or a very expensive luxury sedan or supercar, you have plenty to choose from. But what if you’re stuck somewhere in the middle with $50,000 and you’re not sure at what segments to look at? Well, you’ll need plenty of time to consider all options, but here’s a list of candidates you should really look into. Whether you’re looking for a sports coupe, a sedan, a small crossover, or even an EV, this list includes some of the best options out there.

Ken Block’s Ford Escort RS Cosworth rally car must be cursed. A little over a year his first Escort RS Cosworth rally, which after he affectionately calls “Cossie,” caught fire and burned down, the second Escort RS Cosworth, called “Cossie V2,” once again came up short at the most inopportune time, conking out in the middle of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood race. In a span of 20 months, Block has raced in two Escort RS Cosworth rally cars. Neither made it to the finish line. There must be a pattern there.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that an average time for the one-way daily commute in the U.S. is precisely 26.1 minutes. Remember, you have to come back too. That roughly equals to 4 and a half hours commuting weekly and over 200 hours in traffic per year. Only for your daily commute. Sure, the national average does not apply to any state or a city. For example, on average, you will commute about 16.6 minutes in South Dakota (shortest commute) and 43.6 minutes in Washington, D.C. (longest commute). Depending on your needs, you may be inclined to commute more frequently in the city, or, on the other hand, more on the highway. Thus, choosing the best commuter car is not a walk in the park. In that regard, I did pick ten best commuter cars, but I divided them into three categories: cars that are good for city, highway, and winter. Plus, I’ve added one option that could potentially cover all bases. It is an SUV, of course. I’ve added two more variables to this equation - the car needs to be able to return at least 30 mpg, and it’s entry price needs to be less than $30k.

The much-rumored BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, a car we already spotted on public roads as a camouflaged prototype, was just confirmed by the German automaker. The four-door coupe will make its public debut at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show in November and will be a global vehicle.

Highway driving is a big part of your daily routine if you have a longer commute to and from work. There are some 146,000 miles-worth of highway in the U.S. and, with 143 million Americans commuting to and from work, 83% of whom use their personal cars (and most of them take aboard no passengers), millions of cars are utilizing the highway system on a daily basis. Approximately 3.3 million people have a commute that’s longer than 50 miles, and about 7% of the working population must tackle a +100-mile commute to get to their jobs. All these people need a car they can depend on during their daily journies, a car that’s good on fuel, has enough torque and power to merge adequately, isn’t going to leave you with a bent spine when you finally get out of it and isn’t too expensive to maintain.

You’ve seen them: the folks who can’t seem to wrap their heads around the concept of merging or who forget that there’s a time for them to be on the left lane and that time isn’t all the time. But you aren’t one of them, and we’re here to help you choose your next ride on the basis of how well it copes with highway driving. Here are the best highway cars money can buy in the U.S.

The 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe is a sleek, coupe-style version of the familiar Cayenne SUV and the German company’s competitor for the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, and the Audi Q8. Unveiled in 2019, it goes on sale for the 2020 model year with drivetrains borrowed from the regular Cayenne. Design-wise, it has a much sleeker rear end, but Porsche also altered the front fascia, which looks a bit more aggressive than the regular SUV.

Aimed at premium crossovers built by German companies, the Cayenne Coupe benefits from all the features available with the regular Cayenne. However, this SUV offers limited headroom for rear-seat passengers and has a slightly smaller trunk. Does it have what it takes to give the X6, GLE Coupe, and Q8 a run for their money? Let’s find out in the review below.

Performance Solutions, a Czech company specialized in prototyping and technology consulting, is now breaking into the world of supercars with the Mosquito. Named after the British ’Wooden Wonder’ from World War II, it only weighs 2,147 pounds and is powered by a naturally-aspirated V-8 good enough for 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Target acquired on the Brabham BT62.

By and large, there are two types of supercars out there: those that impress you with buckets of power and a stratospheric top speed, and those that are focused more on how to tackle corners faster than your brain can process the whole thing. The Mosquito aims to find a spot in the latter category thanks to its Le Mans-inspired body kit topped off with a fin across the rear deck, a sizeable wing and center-lock wheels shod by Michelin tires. You may not look at it and think, "hmm, that’s a good grocery-getter," but if the BAC Mono or the Ariel Atom can be road legal so can this thing that, at least, offers amenities like a full-width windshield, a fixed roof, and doors.

The Hyundai Tucson becomes the third model to receive the N Line treatment, following in the footsteps of the i30 and i30 Fastback that came before it. The launch of the Tucson N Line marks as a coming-of-age for the Korean automaker’s resident compact SUV. A unique appearance package bolsters the more aggressive-looking SUV. Hyundai also added some subtle interior upgrades and improved the SUV’s driving setup, ensuring that the Tucson N Line can live up to the performance billing that comes by having the “N Line” name attached to it. The Hyundai Tucson N Line arrives to European markets later this year. Unfortunately, the U.S. market isn’t getting it.

Like a unicorn in a prairie, the mid-engined 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 has become the stuff of myth, randomly showing up in a random corner of the U.S at, well, random times. It’s been spotted in Detroit, Arizona, Colorado, California, and Florida. Most of the time, the Corvette C8 is seen with heavy camo wraps, but a few photos of the mid-engine supercar sitting idle in a gas station revealed something unique about it: a spacious front trunk, or “frunk,” as people in the business call it. Apparently, the Corvette C8’s frunk is big enough to fit, not one, but two full-sized golf bags, complete with actual golf clubs. It’s unclear how much space there really is that compartment, but if it’s as big as the rumors say it is, then it counts as one of many surprises that await all of us once Chevrolet finally gets around to launching it. Speaking of which, when’s that going to be, Chevy?

A fresh batch of spy photos of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 has come to light. As expected, the new photos show very little of the model’s prototype. The sedan’s entire surface area is covered in wraps, though, so expect plenty of aesthetic changes to happen to the updated model. Mercedes-AMG has yet to pinpoint a specific debut for the for the upcoming CLA model, but all signs seem to indicate a 2019 launch timetable. As for the AMG CLA 45, that should happen a little later in the same year. Either way, the fact that the test mule has already made a few appearances indicates that development of the model is now in full swing.

Update 3/21/2019: The Mercedes-AMG CLA45 was caught doing some cold weather testing with a little less camo. Check out the new shots and learn a little more about it in our spy shots section below!

It’s no secret that I’m not exactly the biggest performance SUV fan. On more than one occasion I’ve likened the segment to training elephants to tap dance (sure you can do it, but what’s the point?). To me, an SUV is really good at carrying lots of people and stuff, occasionally good at going off-road, and that’s about it. Sure, you can stuff it with power and mechanical grip and every speed trick in the book to make it fast, but in the end, if it’s performance that you’re after, you’re better off with a smaller, lighter platform, preferably something specifically designed for the job. To make matters worse, the SUV “Coupe” segment almost always hurts one the SUV’s biggest strengths (interior room) to bolster one of its biggest weaknesses (styling). And to me, that’s dumb.

When the going gets slippery, it’s comforting to know you have the power of all-wheel drive underneath you. With engine output sent to all four tires, an all-wheel drive vehicle can grip the road far better than a front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive equivalent. And while most new-car buyers gravitate towards cumbersome SUVs and crossovers for the extra traction of an all-wheel-drive setup, the right choice from the car segment can offer just as much confidence on a rain-slick or snow-covered road. As an added bonus, all-wheel drive cars tend to offer a more comfortable ride, easier driving dynamics, and better fuel mileage than an SUV or crossover. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the ten best all-wheel-drive cars on the market for 2019.

From street racer, to record-breaking drag racer, to winning professional drift team owner, Stephan Papadakis is hands down one of the most important figures in import performance culture. We got a chance to pick his brain.

BMW’s largest SUV offering used to be the X5, but in the context of there being even larger premium SUVs on the market, the German automaker decided to make its own - the new X7. Now it’s being tested by the international motoring press, and they seem to like it quite a lot - some of them even go so far as to say its huge twin-kidney grille is not oversized and it looks suitable with the rest of the design.

Did the world really need a Porsche Cayenne with a “steeply sloping,” fastback-style roof and more squatted rear end? Apparently, it did because the new Cayenne Coupe is real and has just broken cover with its sights firmly set on the BMW X6, Mercedes GLE Coupe, Lamborghini Urus, and Audi Q8.

The popularity of Lister’s LFT-666, formerly known as the Thunder, prompted the British outfit to create the LFT-C as an attention-grabber while it works on the Knobbly. The LFT-C features "an almost unlimited options list," packs the same 657 horsepower V-8 as the fixed-head version, and it costs $182,424. Unlike the coupe, though, only 10 LFT-Cs will ever be made.

Lister seems to be doing better than ever. The company based in Cambridge, England currently assembles the LFT-666 Coupe and the F-Pace-based LFP that’s one of the fastest SUVs money can buy in Europe. More recently, CEO Lawrence Whittaker announced plans to revive the legendary Knobbly nameplate on a retro-chic two-seater sports car with Ferrari-rivaling output, and a rebirth of the Storm is also on the cards in the future. It is, then, surprising that Lister found time to create the LFT-C at all.