You have to love a country where you’re legally allowed to drive 280 km/h (174 mph) on the street. And that’s just what German tuner MTM has done with its new Audi RS6 Clubsport model. Plus, they videotaped the experience to share it with the world. And we’re thankful they did. Hitting a speed of…
Product placement has always been a key part of any successful marketing and advertising campaigns. It all started with movies and television shows and now has even entered the realm of video games. Some campaigns are just pure tacky while others are cleverly placed to really inspire the consumer to go out and get the…
For those unfamiliar with the “Donk, Box, and Bubble” trend, here’s a quick tutorial. Donk: A late 1970’s coupe or convertible, generally a GM product, such as a Monte Carlo or Cutlass Coupe, lifted, on hilariously oversized wheels. Box: A mid-1980’s Chevrolet Caprice, lifted, on hilariously oversized wheels. Bubble: A 1990’s Chevrolet Caprice, lifted, on…
According to a recent report by Car & Driver, the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan is three years late to the party for a number of reasons. Initially, Subaru decided to focus its efforts on the hatchback body style for the current generation STI because of advantages this body shape would provide their WRC…
As we recently reported, the newly released Ferrari 599 GTO is the fastest street-legal Ferrari ever built. With a 670 horsepower V12 and a six speed transmission derived directly from the F1 program, this 3,538 lb technological marvel also has highly sophisticated aerodynamics, suspension tuning and traction control systems. With the first 599 GTO owners…
Toyota was once famous for its “Kaizen” methods of continuous improvement, whereby incremental changes throughout the product development and production process helped make their cars better. Every business school student has heard stories about Toyota plant employees being given authority to stop the production line so that quality issues can be solved – and we’re…
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb veteran Jeff Zwart put on an awesome display of RWD car control on his record-breaking assent of Pikes Peak this weekend, taking his Luminox Watch Porsche GT3 Cup car up the 14,115 ft mountain in a Time Attack RWD class record time of 11-minutes and 31.1-seconds. Zwart’s time up the…
Look, when the BMW X6 was first announced we all scratched our heads. Don’t deny it, you did too. The X3 and the X5 have their place in the market, but the X6 is an oddity. Now we’re starting to feel wrong about judging this book by its cover. The X6 M has truly reshaped…
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a real VIP in the eyes of your dealership? Maybe your dealership just offers a free cup of coffee or perhaps they’ve got a luxury lounge with big screen TVs, snacks, massaging chairs and a nice espresso machine. That, however, is nothing compared to the treatment you’ll receive…
Several weeks back, while at Mosport International Raceway, we had the opportunity for a ride-along in one of the World Challenge race cars. The series provided a lineup of different models, including a race-prepped Acura TSX, a Dodge Viper and a Volvo S60. Under most circumstances, we’d choose the Viper – but not this time….
Everyone knows about the “California Roll,” right? Whatever they call it in your neck of the woods, it’s when you roll slowly through a stop sign instead of coming to a complete stop. This author was recently unfairly ticketed by a Redondo Beach, CA Police Officer, who witnessed yours truly perform this very move, on…
Magazines have a way of glorifying stories in ways we cannot even imagine (trust us, we know). But this story of Jeremy Freedman’s 1997 Volkswagen GTI is surely worth a read. It relates to everyone of us speed addicts with trials, tribulations and a dedication to a family member. Even though most people outside car…
With Porsche refusing to take part in MINI‘s challenge to race at Road Atlanta (which was neither a real race, nor actually on the track at Road Atlanta), MINI decided to go ahead and stage the comparo anyway. And the plucky British automaker… lost? That’s right, the MINI Cooper S couldn’t best the German juggernaut…
Godzilla ran roughshod over the competition in Malaysia this past weekend, the Nissan GT-Rs of Calsonic Impul and Motul Autech taking the top two spots on the SuperGT GT500 podium at the 5.5 km Sepang International Circuit. With track temperatures of 110 degrees, the No. 12 Calsonic Impul GT-R of Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli…
It’s possibly the best 80’s montage of them all; yes, we’re talking about the training scene from Rocky IV where the underdog Balboa trains in a wooden hut in the Russian countryside while Captain Ivan Drago (aka, Dolf Lungren) pumps up on steroids and makes use of the world’s most sophisticated machines to tone his…
Pimpin’ ain’t easy, even in the U.S. But what about in Kazakhstan? Unless you’re a mobster, a chauffeur, or a car thief, odds are, you’ll never get to drive a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Most people outside of major cities have never even seen one. That fact may work to mechanic Ruslan Mukanov’s advantage, as he’s simply…
It’s been delayed more times than a mid-east peace agreement, and until now it was looking just as unlikely. That’s right, we’re talking about Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 video game. At a press conference held yesterday at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Sony confirmed that GT5 will hit shelves on November 2. The…
Racing is never cheap, but the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship provides a compelling mix of tight racing at a number of high profile venues (including the Honda Indy Toronto and Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres) without the big sticker price of pro series in the United States. This winning combination has attracted a number of…
Exploiting social media for all it’s worth, MINI isn’t about to let up on its David vs Golliath challenge. As we’re sure you recall, MINI recently challenged Porsche to a race at Road Atlanta. Porsche subsequently declined, trading MINI’s fun jabs for biting disdain of the fun British brand. (Funny, we always thought German’s were…
If you’re a fan of Lamborghini‘s, chances are, you’ve heard the name Valentino Balboni. Between 1968 and 2008, Valentino Balboni was Lamborghini’s most famous factory test driver, who once stated that he has been behind the wheel of 85 percent of all Lamborghinis built during this period. Some people think we, as automotive journalists, have…
Oh boy – it looks like the gauntlet has been thrown down and G-Power now has a true challenger. We first showed off GTHaus’ Meisterschaft Widebody E92 BMW M3 and then G-Power’s Pair of Clubsport M3s available to the public. Probably given the hype that G-Power’s parts produced, GTHaus didn’t sit around to be overtaken….
The Toyota Yaris was voted as the 2010 Best Overall Value of the Year. V-A-L-U-E, not F-U-N. But hey, who is to stop crazy enthusiasts from turning it into fun? Much like the Honda Civic Hatchback from say 1995, the Yaris wasn’t meant to be turbocharged, or taken down the quarter mile. It was meant…
Endurance racing fans are no doubt getting geared up for this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, but German videographers Tim and Nick Hahne have just released this stunning HD video from this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hour race. Rather than focusing on the racing action out on the track, the Hahne’s instead provide an intriguing…
Don Panoz, the mastermind behind the production of hand-built exotic sportscars like the Panoz Esperante and 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class winning Esperante GTLM (2006), has outdone himself with this latest creation, the Abruzzi ‘Spirit of Le Mans’. Built and named to pay tribute to what Panoz considers the world’s greatest motor race,…