Super High-End

Introduced in 2014, the Mercedes-AMG GT is no longer the company’s flagship sports car, but a full lineup of vehicles. In three years, AMG not only developed a Roadster but also launched a higher performance coupe and a beefed-up convertible too. Oh, and it also created two different race cars based on the GT. In all, the AMG GT includes seven members, which is darn impressive. But Mercedes-AMG won’t stop here. Although rumors of a Black Series model have yet to be confirmed, recent spy shots suggest that such a version is indeed underway. And we might just see it in the metal in early 2019.

With the GT R in showrooms, a Black Series model might not make much sense, but Mercedes has plenty of room to either slot it between the GT S and GT R or place it above everything else as a range-topping model. The latter scenario is more likely, so we could get an AMG GT with close to 600 horsepower and built in a very limited run. We should find out more later this year, so make sure you stick around for updates. Meanwhile, have a look at my speculative review below.

Updated 11/12/2018: Our spy photographers caught the beefed-up GT R testing on public roads again! Check out the photos in the gallery section.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.

The Jaguar XK 150 was the final evolution of the original XK launched in 1949 and, as such, it was the most refined and the most powerful of them all. The S version came with a 3.8-liter engine from the Mark IX that developed 265-horsepower, impressive for the year 1960.

Just like its predecessor, the XK 140, the XK 150 was larger than the original XK 120, but it received some aesthetic improvements to make it look more modern. It originally came with the 3.4-liter DOHC inline-6 XK engine which developed 182 horsepower thanks to the updated cylinder head. The first XK 150s were sold in FHC (fixed-head coupe) specification with the drophead coupes arriving in 1958.

The XK 150 was kept in production until the end of 1960 when the final XK 150s were built for the 1961 model year. The following March, the E-Type was announced, and we all know how that went. But the appearance of the E-Type does not diminish the importance of the XK 120, and its XK 140 and XK 150 brethren, and the fact that now there’s an increasing market for these lush sports tourers.

It’s no longer a mystery that GM is working on a mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette. The sports car has been spotted testing numerous times, we’ve seen sketches of the interior, plans of the engine, and even leaked pricing information. But General Motors may be hiding a vehicle based on the upcoming C8-generation Corvette: a mid-engined Cadillac.

It has happened. The Lamborghini Urus accelerated to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. In one of their latest videos, Drag Times reported and clocked a massive Lamborghini Urus accelerating to 60 mph in exactly 2.93 seconds. To show you just how amazing this feat is, you have to know that Lamborghini officially disclosed that the Urus will accelerate to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. I was aware that Lambo is conservative with its acceleration estimates, but not half a second conservative.

A Porsche Art Car isn’t something unheard of, but this is one of the strangest of them all. Designed by Peter Klasen, a German artist part of the ’La Nouvelle Figuration’ movement, it is an early 911 modified for racing with about 192-horsepower on tap and is named ’Project 007’. And no, there are no links to that secret agent.

Early 911s are revered for their purity in terms of the construction and the classic design of the body. The original 911 (901) is a Butzi Porsche design whose lines are still relevant on modern Porsches that we see and hear today. This particular 911, though, is something that we don’t see every day. Its colorful livery was drawn up by Klasen in 2009, and it’s similar, in terms of the color palette and some of the themes and elements displayed, with previous liveries he’s done.

Maybe Klausen’s most prominent work in the automotive world is a racing livery that adorned a Porsche 962 CK6 entered by German outfit Kremer Racing in the 1990 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The German artist also designed the red-white-and-blue livery of a Porsche 911 (993) GT2 entered by French team Sonauto in the French GT Championship in the late ’90s.

Arguably the hottest and most discussed car to be unveiled in 2019, the Chevy Corvette C8 remains a mystery, with very little official information to run by as of November. Thankfully, the rumor has provided us some data in recent months and now it’s back with pricing information, placing the mid-engined sports car at $169,900 before options.

The McLaren 720S is an absolute beast right out of the box, with nearly $300K worth of go-fast awesomeness on offer for anyone with the bank to back it. That said, for a little extra outlay, you can extract even more from it, granted you know where to turn for a tune.

This particular example comes from EKanoo Racing, a tuner based out of the Middle East that specializes in building seriously quick drag racing machinery. This McLaren is no different, however, the mods are very light, with just an ECU retune to pull a bit more power from the mid-mounted, twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8.

EKanoo Racing declined to say exactly how much more power this tuned 720S is making, but unleashed down the 1320, it manages a very fast 9.605 at 146 mph. Compare that to the stocker’s time of 10 seconds flat at 140 mph, and it’s obvious this thing is laying down some extra mid-range muscle.

As a reminder, the stock McLaren 720S produces 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, all of which is routed to the rear wheels by way of seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The sprint to 60 mph takes less than 3 seconds, while top speed is rated at 212 mph.

The run itself takes place in Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit, the same track used for the annual Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 1 race. The whole clip is just 30 seconds long, but seeing this thing move at full chat is a delight all the same. Make sure to listen for the high-pitched whine as the 720S accelerates, which apparently are the super-sticky tires making maximum thrust against the tacky track surface.

The Porsche 911 Carrera RS is an exercise in reducing a formula to its purest form. It was built as a lighter, faster, and more powerful version of the 964-generation Carrera 2 and it stands as a spiritual successor of the magnificent 911 Carrera 2.7 RS from the early ‘70s.

The Benjamin Dimson-penned Porsche 911 (964) debuted in 1989 and featured a rounder body shape in tune with the times which was a clear, but not profoundly radical, departure from the design of the previous 911 that was still tracing its roots back to the original Ferdinand Alexander Porsche-drawn model launched in 1963.

For 1992, Porsche launched the Carrera RS in Europe which was, in essence, a road-legal version of the Carrera Cup racing cars. This single-make series was on the bill of the Formula 1 World Championship weekends as support races in between F1 sessions.

The 911 Carrera RS never officially made it across the Atlantic and into the U.S. market. With that being said, 45 cars that were meant to be used in a Carrera Cup U.S. series that never materialized did trickle down to dealerships and were quietly sold in 1993 in the shadow of the RS America which deserves its own review as it isn’t identical to the European RS.

The Corvette Zora ZR1 is one of the rumored names for Chevrolet’s upcoming mid-engined sports car. Set to be unveiled in 2019, it will be part of the eighth-generation Corvette, also known as the C8. For the time being it’s not yet certrain whether Chevy will keep making a front-engined Vette, but the midship sports car has already been spotted on public roads as a prototype.

Whether Chevrolet will keep offering a front-engined Corvette or not, the company’s goals with the C8-generation car are more than obvious. Chevy is not only aiming to offer a competitor for the Ford GT, but also wants to enter the entry-level supercar market dominated by the Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan, and the McLaren 720S. Keep reading to find out what we already know about the upcoming Corvette Zora.

Continue reading to learn more about the Chevrolet Corvette Zora.

Lexus has a new flagship called the LY 650, and if I did not know any better, I’d say that Lexus has a new ship. Literally. This is a 65-foot luxury yacht that Lexus revealed only days ago. It is the company’s effort in the maritime business where it has partnered with Marquis-Larson Boat Group, a company based in Pulaski, Wisconsin, to build and sell a true luxury yacht. Following an overwhelmingly positive response it received last year after the introduction of the stunning 42-foot Lexus Sport Yacht Concept, the Japanese company continued with the development of the full-fledged yacht. This one carries over some design elements from the last year’s concept. More importantly, Lexus was so brazen to say that the new yacht will become the fourth flagship in the lineup - just after the LS sedan, the LX SUV, and the LC coupe.

It’s been too long since we last discussed the matter of Nurburgring records. This time, it’s big. Porsche claims to have re-taken the outright lap record for a production car on the fabled track located in the Eifel mountains. A GT2 RS prepared for the challenge by Manthey Racing is now the car to beat.

Porsche is crazy about records, as you might’ve noticed. They built a special 919 Hybrid prototype, known as the 919 Evo, just to showcase their engineering prowess, and to smash the then-lap record at the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix track and the all-time Nordschleife lap record. Now, they’ve returned to the ’Green Hell’ to claim the fastest time for a production car, which had been in the hands of Lamborghini since earlier this year.

Read on to learn why this is a convoluted situation

Ever since it was brought back to life in the late 1980s, Bugatti has offered only one vehicle at the time. And between the EB110 and the Veyron, there was a 10-year hiatus when the French built only concept cars. This strategy will end soon, as Bugatti finally seems ready to add a second vehicle to its current portfolio, in the form of a luxury, performance-oriented SUV.

Rumors about Bugatti planning to add a second vehicle to the lineup have been flying around ever since the company unveiled the 16C Galibier concept in 2009. For many years, it was believed the Bugatti would finally build a sedan, mostly because the French have developed no fewer than three four-door concept cars since the early 1990s. However, while Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann thinks that a modern version of the Royale limousine would be popular, an SUV makes more sense financially. With that in mind, we rendered what the upcoming Bugatti SUV might look like and gathered all the information we know so far into a speculative review.

McLaren’s on an absolute monster roll. The British manufacturer barely let the dust rest on the newly-unveiled Speedtail and now they’ve released the first tidbits of information about the production version of the ludicrous Senna GTR, the track-only iteration of the already mind-boggling McLaren Senna.

We’ve just gotten over the rush caused by McLaren’s new 3-seater Speedtail model. Just as we’re rounding out talking about every inch of the Speedtail, McLaren kindly offers us more. Wait, what? Well, McLaren released today the first details on the McLaren Senna GTR which was first previewed via a flashy prototype at this year’s Geneva Auto Show.

That’s right, we now know a bit more about the car which will, as we can guess from a sketch you’re looking at, be slightly different to the Senna GTR concept. I’ll explain why that is down below so you should keep on reading if you want to find out what the GTR’s numbers are as well.

Aston Martin has cooked up a limited edition DBS Superleggera for one of its most famous dealerships in the U.K. Called the Aston Martin DBS 59, the special edition DBS was commissioned by Aston Martin Cambridge as an homage to the legendary DBR1 race car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 1959. In true Aston Martin fashion, the DBS 59 comes to us by way of the automaker’s Q division, which has been responsible for some of the most drool-worthy Aston Martin special edition models in recent years. The DBS 59 is dripping with exclusive touches in the exterior and interior befitting a true special edition Aston Martin. The DBS 59 will be available exclusively from Aston Martin Cambridge, and the dealership is now taking orders.

Morgan, the family-owned British car manufacturer that was one of the last in the world to rely on wood for its body structure, announces a new flagship sports car will arrive by the mid-2020s in both coupe and roadster forms.

Since 1935, when Morgan released their first four-wheeled car, the 4-4, Morgan designs have strongly relied on the style of that era. Now, with a new sports car in the making, Morgan announced they too have moved on with the times - sort of - and the new design language will be based on the shapes of the 1960s.

The new and so far unnamed car will feature the same front engine rear-wheel-drive layout bolted to a versatile new box-section chassis that will find its way into a number of Morgan products over the next few years.

The second-generation Ford GT was launched for the 2017 model year as a revival of the limited-edition supercar that the Blue Oval first produced between 2004 and 2006. The modern GT is also a tribute to the original GT40 from the 1960s and marked Ford’s return to endurance racing. Following a handful of special-edition model, Ford created the Carbon Series, a lightweight version of the standard GT.

Fitted with an extended range of carbon-fiber parts as standard, including wheels, the Carbon Series is nearly 40 pounds lighter than the regular GT. It also features extra carbon inside the cabin, as well as customized seats and a dashboard badge. Is it more powerful? No, but the fact that it’s lighter makes it a more nimble car on the race track.

The Maserati Bora, a classic Giugiaro design, is the first mid-engine sports car to come from Maserati and the bigger brother of the more well-known Merak, which massively outsold and outlived the Bora. Less than 600 were made, all with V-8 engines.

The birth of the Lamborghini Miura took the world by storm. It produced shock waves that rocked all the big names in the world of sports car manufacturing. Basically, after the Miura, everyone had to have a mid-engine supercar in its lineup. Alejandro De Tomaso came up with the Mangusta which followed the latest trends in design which dictated that the body should have a lot of straight surfaces and razor-sharp edges which would, in turn, reduce drag and make the whole thing look incredible. You can thank Marcello Gandini for this trend, the Italian designer behind the Miura who quickly moved on to a more futuristic design language with the Alfa-Romeo Carabo which was exhibited at the Paris Motor Show 50 years ago.

Maserati, who were still employing their elegant Ghibli, a quintessential grand tourer through and through, decided they should have a mid-engine car too. Ghibli’s designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, of Italdesign, was phoned up and, by mid-1969, the Bora prototype was in its testing phase. The finished product was gorgeous to look at, and an advertised top speed of over 170 mph was astonishing at the time. It was also a car that you could drive for extended periods of time thanks to the comfortable cabin and many amenities that weren’t too common in supercars.

Ferrari is busy developing their first four-door crossover, the Purosangue, and are already testing the hoisted suspension on a camouflaged GTC4Lusso mule. A keen videographer caught the mule for a few seconds from behind a fence so we can get a peek at how high the Purosangue might ride.

People have been buzzing for years about a potential Ferrari SUV. There have been coach built four-door models, including the Pinin prototype, but no utilitarian vehicle. Former CEO Sergio Marchionne was strongly against the idea but, now, it seems like at least a crossover sporting the Prancing Horse badge on the hood will become a reality.

We already know that it will be called the Purosangue and that it won’t be a proper SUV in the way the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga are, but it won’t be a sedan either. Louis Camilleri, who stepped up to fill the late Marchionne’s shoes, is against having the acronym ’SUV’ spoken in the same breath as ’Ferrari.’ But it will have higher ground clearance than any other Ferrari before it, and it will have the engine up front.

It makes sense, then, to see Ferrari testing various suspension setups that might trickle down to the Purosangue on Ferrari’s most laid-back grand tourer, the 2+2 GTC4Lusso which also has the engine in front of the driver.

The GT supercar seems to be a hit among enthusiasts. To satisfy the ‘overwhelming’ customer demand, Ford has announced that the production of the GT supercar will be extended by approximately two years. For people who would like to get it this time around, the Blue Oval will start taking applications in selected markets for about a month, starting from November 8.

It’s time for another Audi R8 Special Edition. The new SE, called the R8 V10 Plus Competition Package, receives a bundle of parts from the Audi Sports bin, included in part to help the supercar shed weight and improve its aerodynamic performance. Production is limited to just ten units, all of which are earmarked specifically for the U.S. market. Each unit of the R8 V10 Plus Competition Package costs $237,350. The special edition R8 arrives in dealerships in November 2018.

Talk of a making mid-engined Corvette has been constant since the 1970s, but the idea never really fully materialized and if you want to know why GM only is just now testing one with plans to release in 2020, then do read on.