Why not treat those who very much want to live the three-pedal life? Still, the base 2022 Mini Cooper is a great all-around subcompact, and any enthusiast would get a kick out of putting it through its paces on a winding mountain road.
In this video we discuss the Mini Cooper SE and go through the logic of why it might be the ideal EV.
Even as their vehicles get larger and more complex, BMW has made a point of recalling the diminutive and beloved 2002 as a frame of reference for the inspiration behind cars like the new M235i. First sold in 1968, the 2002 was instrumental in establishing BMW’s reputation in the realm of compact sports sedans and coupes, and served as the predecessor to the 3-Series.
As we reported earlier this year, the new C7 Stingray is pretty great right out of the box. But when the tuners at Lingenfelter got their hands on the new Corvette, they turned it into a bonafide road-going missile with a very angry disposition.
It’s been seven years since the R35 Skyline first made landfall in the US, and in that time, year-over-year changes to Godzilla have been largely incremental. But while none of GT-R’s updates have been revolutionary, with each revision of Nissan’s supercar it has gotten consistently faster and, theoretically, easier to live with. We decided to get behind the wheel of a 2015 model, here coated in the new-for-2015 Gold Flake Red Pearl pant, to see what Nissan’s engineers have come up with to face the recent onslaught of new contenders for the budget supercar crown.
While we were out at Willow Springs for the MPG Track Days event we had a chance to take the Lingenfelter Reaper around a dirt course to check out the various modifications that the tuning company has made to the Silverado. Lingenfelter has designed the Reaper as something of an answer to the Ford F-150 Raptor, taking the already very capable Silverado Z71 and transforming it into a truly brawny pick-up for on and off-road duty.
During the first day of the MPG Track Days event, Tesla took the opportunity to introduce journalists who hadn’t had any previous seat time in the Model S a chance to give it a brief spin around Pasadena. Of course we jumped at the chance to hop into the driver’s seat of the sport sedan, here outfitted with the P85 high performance package.
Today we’re getting up close and personal with Chevrolet’s performance sedan, the SS. From a fundamental standpoint, the SS shares much its mechanicals with the gone but not forgotten Pontiac G8 GXP, a car which itself was largely derived from the Holden Commodore. Back in 2009 the G8 was heralded by many as “the poor man’s M5”, so considering the close lineage, the SS brings with it some high expectations.
Every year the Motor Press Guild holds their Track Days event, gathering both journalists and auto makers in one spot with the goal of giving both parties the opportunity to connect and allow members of the press a chance to evaluate the latest from the brands that participate. This year had a particularly good turnout, giving us a chance to check out vehicles we haven’t had any seat time in as of yet, as well as one’s we’ve reviewed previously but haven’t had on track yet, like the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang GT.
Today we’ve got the keys to a drop top C7 Stingray optioned with the seven speed manual transmission, performance active exhaust system, and magnetic ride control suspension. This particular Corvette is also equipped with the Z51 performance package, which includes upgraded brakes, shocks, springs, anti-roll bars, wheels, and tires, along with dry-sump oiling and an electronic limited-slip differential.
It’s no secret that Dodge’s new 707 horsepower Hellcat power plant has caused quite a stir among performance car enthusiasts. When we headed to Portland earlier this year to drive the Hellcat-flavor Dodge Challenger, we came away with a lot of reasons to be excited. Considering that the Charger and Challenger share a nearly identical platform aside from the coupe’s shorter wheelbase, it comes as little surprise that the driving experience between the two is fairly similar. Still, with four doors, the Charger serves a different purpose in Dodge’s lineup, and the automaker has made a concerted effort to give the Charger its own unique characteristics that complement its sedan configuration and the role it will play for potential buyers. To get a better understanding of exactly what that entails, we headed to Washington D.C. and nearby Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia to see for ourselves.
For 2015, Ferrari’s best-selling vehicle becomes the first turbocharged road car from Maranello in 25 years. Perhaps seen as a concession to tightening emissions and fuel economy standards, any notion of the California’s reduced displacement and newfound forced induction as a drawback goes right out the window when you see and hear what it’s now capable of.
This week we find ourselves behind the wheel of another factory-built hot hatch. Much like the Fiesta we featured in September, the Focus also gets a thorough high performance reworking for ST duty from Ford’s engineers.
With competition from the likes of the BMW 5-Series, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the Audi A6, it’s clear that Cadillac faced an uphill battle when they brought the CTS into the midsized sport sedan fray back in 2002. Since then we’ve seen the CTS-V best the Germans on their own turf with a record-setting Nurburgring lap time and a steady series of tweaks and refinements as the car matured but, performance notwithstanding, there’s always been a sense that while the CTS made for a great midsized sports sedan, it still existed a step or two below its European rivals as an overall package. Last year marked the debut of the all-new third generation CTS, which brought with it a striking new design, a longer wheelbase, a lower roofline, and debut of the Vsport trim level which slots between the base model and the as-yet unannounced CTS-V. Even a brief glance at the new car made it clear that Cadillac was in it to win it with the new CTS, but with the firm foothold of the established players in the segment, would it be enough? We spent a week with the CTS Vsport to find out.
In may have been just a few weeks ago that we were behind the wheel of a 4C, but when someone once again handed us the keys to one of the best handling cars on sale – one that’s even sharper and more visceral than the standard 4C – you better believe we jumped at the chance to get behind the wheel.
RAM has a somewhat unique niche with the RAM 2500-based Power Wagon. Less of a bespoke high speed offroader – Mopar has the RAM Runner for that kind of work – the Power Wagon is designed to be something of a heavy duty jack of all trades. To that end, the Power Wagon is designed to be highly capable in a variety of demanding situations, from traversing harsh terrain and fording streams to assisting disabled vehicles with its 12,800 pound winch and using its class five trailer hitch and 10,800 pound tow capacity to pull some serious cargo.
While we had a great time putting the new GT through its paces, perhaps the biggest surprise of during our stint with the all-new Mustang lineup was the new EcoBoost model. Slotted between the base V6 and the 5.0-powered GT, the EcoBoost Mustang gets motivation from a turbocharged, DOHC 2.3-liter four cylinder motor which outputs an impressive 310 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque, recalling the short-lived Mustang SVO of the early 1980s which still carries a cult following today for its light weight and eminently tunable turbocharged powerplant. Our tester was also equipped with a six speed manual and the optional Performance Package, which includes a 3.55 limited slip differential and 255/40R19 summer tires.
Some days at work are better than others. Yearning for more seat time after our stint with the 707hp muscle car in Portland back in July, we happily accepted the red key at an event held where Kanan Road meets Mulholland Highway in the lovely Malibu hills and headed out to the twisting stretches of picturesque road in this supercharged bruiser – here equipped with the Viper-derived six-speed manual transmission – with the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop. Some days, indeed.
Today we’re fortunate enough to be behind the wheel of another one of Maranello’s finest, the FF. The first all-wheel-drive vehicle in the company’s history, the FF replaces the 612 Scaglietti in Ferrari’s lineup. The shooting brake design of the FF is said to recall the shape of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Drogo race car and also draws some inspiration from stable mates like the 458 Italia and the 599 GTB Fiorano. The FF is powered by a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 making 651 horsepower and 504 pound-feet of torque, which is connected to a seven speed dual clutch transmission similar to the unit found on the F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari’s own patented 4RM all-wheel-drive system then routes the power to each of the four wheels as needed, leaving the car most often in a traditional rear drive layout.
Fifty years ago, Ford took the style of a European coupe and fastened it to the bones of the Ford Falcon and created the first pony car. More than nine million examples later, the Mustang is a legitimate icon of Americana, and its massive popularity has created an aftermarket so healthy that one phone call can get you everything you’d need to turn otherwise stock vehicle into a corner carving road racer or a 9-second drag strip beast. Marking its 50th anniversary, Ford has made some fairly sweeping changes to the car, including the first application of an independent rear suspension ever in the standard Mustang (SVT’s brief flirtation with the idea in the 99-04 Cobra models notwithstanding), an all-new look inside and out, and a new turbocharged four cylinder EcoBoost model now on offer, recalling the beloved Mustang SVO of the 1980s. 2015 also marks the Mustang’s entry into the European market, which brings with it a whole different set of challenges and buyer expectations. Earlier this month we took to the back roads of Malibu to find out if the 2015 Mustang GT has the goods to attract newcomers into the fold while still keeping its rabid fanbase happy.
Today we’ve wrangled one of Ford’s most capable pickups for a thorough look from top to bottom, and then head out on the road for a pair of POV test drives. For 2015, the Super Duty line of pickups gets a new optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8 which outputs 440 horsepower and a stump-decimating 860 pound-feet of torque. Naturally the F350’s towing capacity has risen as well, with the maximum fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailer figure now pegged at an astronomical 26,500 pounds.
Today we’re getting behind the wheel of one of our current favorites in the hot hatch segment. Weighing in at just over 2700 pounds, the ST is outfitted with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder motor which generates 197 horsepower and 214 foot-pounds of torque, up a whopping 77 HP and 102 LB-FT from the standard Fiesta. Accordingly, it comes as little surprise that the ST has plenty of oomph when dipping into the throttle, and paired with a stiff chassis, uprated suspension and torque vectoring wizardry which equates to quick turn-in and flat, generally neutral cornering, the Fiesta ST is an amicable companion for attacking your favorite twisty stretch of road.
Today we’re taking a look at a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible which has been warmed over by the horsepower fanatics at Lingenfelter. The drop top now sports over 600 horsepower by way of a HeartBeat supercharger system, which includes ECU modifications, an Eaton “TVS” 2300 rotating group, an internal intercooler system and bypass valve, twin dual-pass charge-air-coolers, a coolant circulation pump and a heat exchanger. To make sure the Corvette’s bark is as loud as its bite, it’s also been fitted with a Lingenfelter Performance exhaust system.
