Sports Car reviews

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.

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!

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.

It looks like bringing retro names and shapes is all the rage these days in the automotive world. Marc Philipp Gemballa, a boutique German automaker, has just revealed a new four-wheel-drive machine aptly dubbed the Gembella Marsien (From these launch images, it looks as though this 959 is on Mars, but it’s actually the sand dunes of Arabia), which takes inspiration from the Porsche 959 Safari from the 80s. The Marsien is based on a heavily modified version of the current Porsche 911 Turbo S.

In a world dominated by large, tech-heavy cars, an engaging, back-to-basics, lightweight sports car is just what driving enthusiasts crave. UK is considered the birthplace of the compact lightweight sports car, even though it was the Japanese who made it reliable, with cars like the Honda S600 and, of course, the Mazda MX-5. However, a new company called Wells Motor Cars is a testimony that UK still knows how to make engaging lightweight sports cars and their mid-engine Vertige is the perfect example.

Remember back in 2017 when Jaguar showcased that 1968 1.5 Series Roadster with an all-electric powertrain? Dubbed the Jaguar E-Type Zero, that car was created to “future-proof classic car ownership.” Taking it a step further, it’s also the only electric sports coupe that Jaguar has actually ever made – at least for now, as the company is supposed to go all electric by 2025. But, that’s a story for another time. So, why am I talking about the E-Type Zero? Well, another company known as Electrogenic has managed to give an old 1967 Jaguar 1.25-series E-Type Coupe (the one bult primarily for the U.S. market) an all-electric powertrain. Is it crazy? Sure; and may even it’ll rub a few enthusiasts the wrong way. But at least this car will be able to cruise through the city after non-EVs are outright banned.

It was only a matter of time before TechArt get their hands on the Porsche 992 Turbo S. The 911 Turbo has been known to wipe the floor with much more expensive cars and now, Turbo S owners will have the opportunity to order the TechArt package, which turns the 911 Turbo S into the GT Street R. As always, the good people at TechArt have touched both the aesthetics and the performance of the car and, as expected, the results are epic.

We have reason to believe that BMW will offer a hardcore, lighter, and potentially more powerful version of the current M4 coupe. Firstly, the previous M4 was further distilled into such a variant and secondly, a set of spyshots sent in by our photographers shows a couple of interesting test mules.

The A91 Toyota Supra has been the center of controversy ever since early 2020, when Toyota announced that the 2021 model would benefit from more power and better engineering. It got even worse when it was announced that Europeans wouldn’t get the updated 2021 model, while Toyota announced its [justification for improving the Supra its second year->art188439 on the market, despite the shaft it gave first-year buyers. Beyond this, however, the Supra has proven itself to be worthy of the Supra name, and the latest addition to the 2022 lineup gives it the carbon-fiber look that it deserves. This is the 2022 Toyota Supra A91-CF (Carbon Fiber) Edition, but don’t get too excited yet because it’s a North American affair, and its production is limited.

There’s nothing quite like a classic Porsche, and the 964-gen 911 holds a special place in a lot of hearts. When the 964 911 entered production in 1989, it was considered to be 85-percent new compared to the model it replaced – not only a bold move, but a hard thing to achieve considering it had to retain that timeless 911 look. The 964 is long gone and is now considered a classic, and that’s why so many restomods are popping up these days – the 964 is at that ripe age. Not all restomods are created equal, though, and that’s where this 500-horsepower Porsche 911 (964) restomod comes into play. Fair warning – it might not please the purists.

The McLaren 720S is an extreme machine, and was one of the first ever supercars to approach the acceleration level of modern day hypercars. Where McLaren stopped with the 720S, aftermarket tuners picked up, giving the world models like the McLaren 720S by Novitec, McLaren 720S Zenith Black by MSO, and even the 720S Spyder by MSO. Each of these programs built upon and already amazing package, but none of them come close to making the 720S look as extreme as the McLaren Senna,and that’s where DarwinPro’s new aerodynamic body kit comes into play.

Reimagining an iconic classic can be a tricky business. Luckily, more than a few studios have proven they can pull it off. Kimera automobile’s creation is the latest example of how an icon can be not only reimagined but also improved. The studio’s meticulous approach, derived from motorsports, has resulted in a tribute to one of the greatest rally cars ever made – the Lancia 037. Preceded by the legendary Stratos and succeeded by the mighty Delta HF Integrale, the 037 is part of Lancia’s glorious past. Just like the Lancia New Stratos and the Lancia Delta Futurista Coupe, the Kimera EVO37 is a love letter to the brand’s better days.

New York-based design firm, 7 Designs, has come up with a body kit for the Maserati MC20. The company has come up with the Aria aero kit for the supercar that features eight components composed of carbon fiber. None of these are any crazy, oversized parts that affect the original look of the car. These are rather subtle and fully functional that add enough downforce to keep your 600+ horsepower beast in control at high speeds. The company will make just 25 examples of this aero kit, so don’t expect it to be cheap..

The 1990s were a great period when it comes to cars. The Lamborghini Diablo, Honda NSX, Porsche 911 (993), Ferrari F355, and many others spawned in this period. Those, however, are just a few of the many examples. It seems that in the 1990s everyone was hell-bent on making a performance car worthy of immortalization in the automotive archives. The De Tomaso Guara is one of those cars that didn’t manage to achieve the iconic status it aimed at. Nevertheless, there’s a lot to like about it, and we are going to share everything we know.

Porsche’s a big fan of letting the world know about its motorsport roots. After all, the brand’s success on the race track is something that deserves to be put out there, and the same applies to any sort of motorsport-related Porsche anniversary.

Meet the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Sports Cup Edition, a limited special-edition model that features a motorsport-inspired design and an interior that’s been luxed-up by Porsche’s very own Exclusive Manufaktur to mark the 15th anniversary of the customer and club sport series “Porsche Sports Cup Germany.”

“Turismo Internazionale” – it sounds Italian, but it’s actually what the “ti” designation on some compact BMW models stands for. After years of absence, we see it once again, on the 2021 BMW 128 ti. While the Bavarian hot hatch provides great performance and aggressive enough aesthetics, the Swiss tuning company has decided to turn the 128ti to 11, by improving almost every aspect of it. What came out of it is the 128tii (Turismo Internazionale Iniezione), which is an homage to the BMW 2002 tii.

The Honda Civic Type R is a very special vehicle. Many will belittle it because it is front wheel drive. Others will say that it is stupid to pay that much money for a fixed up Civic. People that say things like that are inexperienced drivers who have no idea how much fun a proper front wheel drive car can be. And if they need a badge from a high end European car to define a sports car, then they have an ego problem and they do not know anything about cars. Honda’s rich racing history is one of the most successful in recent times and products such as the Type R are a result of what their engineers learn from racing. We spent a few days with the Civic Type R and it is one of the most fun sports cars at any price. That sums it up. If you want more details, keep reading.

The 2021 McLaren 620R is the range-topping version of the Sports Series, the company’s entry-level lineage of sports cars. Essentially a road-legal version of the 570S GT4, the 2021 620R slots above the 600LT. Design-wise, the 2021 620R is almost identical to the 570S GT4. It also features the same engine, but because it’s not restricted by racing regulations, the V-8 boasts more power.

Rated at 610 horsepower, the 2021 620R is the most powerful Sports Series vehicle ever created. It’s also the quickest, but it lags behind its siblings when it comes to top speed. With production limited to 350 units, the 2021 McLaren 620R costs almost $300,000. Let’s find out more about this supercar in the review below.

Just as customers are now receiving their Ferrari F8 Tributos, a new aftermarket program is already available for Maranello’s successor to the 488 GTB. As most have likely guessed correctly, this program comes to us by way of Novitec, the Italian tuner that’s best known for its work on some of Italia’s finest supercars. This new program for the F8 Tributo is a chop off the old block for the German tuner. It’s tricked out with an impressive engine upgrade, a new set of wheels, and improvements to the suspension that should make the F8 more potent on the road and track. The package also comes with an aerodynamic body kit, but as it is with early bird tuning kits, the aforementioned aero kit remains in the oven and will be launched at a later time. Still, it’s hard not to like what Novitec already has on the table for the F8 Tributo. After all, it’s not easy to turn a 700-horsepower supercar into a bonafide spitfire.