Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating today!
To celebrate, here’s a video that will make you thankful for track-focused muscle cars. The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 dropped jaws when it came out a few years back, and now Ford wants to decimate it with their new Mustang Shelby GT-350R.
Who do you think will win?
-Nick
Lambo’s LM002, or the “Rambo Lambo” as it was called, is a totally insane machine that somehow actually got produced.
It’s a Hummer-like military SUV with a supercar’s V12 under the hood. Just listen to the sound it makes!
Whatever fantasy car lists we all have, this should definitely be on it.
Enjoy!
-Nick
This very clean red Evo caught my attention at First Class Fitment. It seemed to have just the right amount of camber for my taste, and I love that deck lid spoiler.
A really well done car, overall!
-Nick Walker
After long last, we now have the hypercar comparison test we’ve all been waiting for!
Porsche 918 vs. Ferrari LaFerrari vs. McLaren P1
Chris makes sure to show how they went about the test using the proper methodology, in an effort to produce fair, uncontested results.
The video is around 50 minutes, but well worth the time. So sit back and enjoy this ultimate hypercar showdown!
-Nick
We’ve all know that Fiat was working on a new Spider for a while now, and that it would be based on the new ND chassis Mazda Miata. Well now it’s for real, and we’re calling it the “Fiata!”
Now, officially, the new Fiat roadster is called the Fiat 124 Spider. It is an homage to the classic Fiat 124 Spider, which was built from the mid 1960s until the mid 1980s. I’d say its styling does the old design justice…
As for the new Fiata, you can think of it as an ND Mazda Miata with a 500 Abarth engine swap done to it. Under the hood it shares the same growly 1.4L turbocharged four cylinder engine as the Abarth. It makes the same 160hp and 184 ft/lbs of torque. Not a huge horsepower leap over the figures of the Miata’s 2.0L SkyActive engine, but it will have a wider powerband thanks to all that turbo torque.
Everything else is similar, or even exactly the same as in the Miata. There are automatic and manual transmission options, as well as sporty and more luxury-focused models. The Fiat also weighs about 100 lbs more than the ND Miata, and will likely be positioned slightly up-market.
So what should we think of the Fiata?
Having just recently driven an ND Miata (review coming soon), I can attest that the platform of this car is fantastic.
I like the new 124 Spider’s styling a lot, but I was hoping for something a little more drop-dead-gorgeous. I get that they were going for the retro look, though, so maybe it’ll “pop” more for me when I see one in person.
I think the real deciding factor that will draw many to the Fiata over the Miata will be the power potential from that turbocharged Abarth engine.
Continue reading Meet the “Fiata”, or Fiat 124 Spider as they call it
So I’m considering the possibility of purchasing a Lexus IS-F in the next few months, and I’ve been doing a lot of research. (I guess I was just inspired by the Lexus RC-F I recently reviewed) In addition to looking into the car’s seemingly stellar long term quality and reliability, I’ve been checking out what sort of extra performance can be extracted from it with upgrades.
Now, the stock IS-F may well be enough for me, but it’s always nice to know how much more power I could have should I want it. So here’s what I’ve found…
Continue reading Lexus IS-F Modification and Tuning Guide (UPDATED)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-coK8AK8Hqo
Randy Pobst should be given a Nobel Prize for the size of his stones. Nick and I both love Roadkill, the show from Motor Trend that features Hot Rod Magazine editors David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan doing nutball stuff with old cars, then subjecting them to either abuse or some sort of scatterbrained idea. The Draguar, originally a Jaguar XJ12, packed a swapped small-block Chevy with a Weiand 671 blower (which self destructed at the drag strip), and now has a blueprinted V8 with over 600hp–they got it running again, washed it, and gave it to Randy Pobst. Watch the rest to see what else happens–I was laughing so hard I really did fall off my chair, and I have the bruise on my arm to prove it.
-Albert S. Davis
This test is a total and complete pipe dream! Two of the world’s ultimate hypercars pitted against one another on the track. Porsche supplied a 918 Spyder without hesitation, and McLaren sent their team to support the privately-owned P1. Of course, Ferrari was too scared of being embarrassed to allow a LaFerrari to join the test.
Who will win? See for yourself….
-Nick
Enjoy the sound of V8 turbo purge as Autocar takes the McLaren P1 GTR out on the racetrack.
-Nick
We caught this very rare Ferrari 550 Barchetta roaming the streets of Carmel during Monterey Car Week 2014. The owner was very nice and was happy to answer some questions about the car while he sat in traffic. Yet another great spot from our trip to California!
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 