Ford
Chevrolet SS Priced At $44,470
Chevrolet has announced pricing on the highly anticipated SS sedan ahead of its on-sale date in late 2013. The single trim level (a departure for Chevy) starts at $44,470. That price is mildly misleading, though, as Chevy’s announcement indicated that the 6.2-liter, V-8-powered sedan will be subject to a Federal gas guzzler tax. The exact cost this adds hasn’t been determined yet.
Ford Kills Australian Production
It’s a sad day for our friends down under. According to a story published in The Australian, the American brand that’s been building cars Down Under since the 1920s will cease production of Australian-specific models by October of 2016. The closure will result in the loss of 1200 jobs, although Ford would retain 1500 Australians for product development positions.
Hennessey Unveils Eight-Passenger VelociRaptor SUV
Hennessey is only planning on producing 30 units per year. And as the company hasn’t fully tested its off-road prowess, it’s recommending owners don’t go crazy on the dunes just yet. Instead, founder John Hennessey says, “If you’re looking for the ultimate vehicle to drive from Aspen to Telluride in January, the VelociRaptor SUV would be perfect.” So really, this is more of a GT car to the standard VelociRaptor’s track-day special. Fine by us.
Video: Driving A 430-Horsepower Subaru BRZ
We love the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S. We enjoy a 200-horsepower, rear-drive car that can mix it up on back roads or at the track, with the sense that you could never really do anything to overpower it. We like the challenge of wringing every last drop of power out of its 2.0-liter flat-four.
Video: Live Long And Prosper—In An Audi S7
Audi’s latest marketing effort may be the best yet. Starring the incomparable Leonard Nimoy and the talented Zachary Quinto, the two actors that have portrayed everyone’s favorite green-blooded, pointy eared Vulcan, Spock, Audi demonstrates the difference between old and new.
Hennessey Tunes A Pair Of Blue Oval Sleepers
Enter the delightful maniacs at Hennessey, makers of the ballistic Venom GT and tuners extraordinaire. The team at Hennessey has turned its wrenches towards the Taurus SHO and MKS, and delivered a pair of all-wheel-drive rockets that are sure to wow unassuming Mopar drivers.
Video: Hear The Roush Stage 3 Mustang Roar
We’ll have a full review of the Roush Stage 3, including one of our POV driving videos, in just a few weeks time. To whet your appetite (and ours) for a new, tire-shredding Mustang, Roush has released this video, showing just what the Stage 3 is capable of.
Update: The 2013 Audi S3 Reviewed
So, while we’re waiting for the new S3 sedan, we figured we’d have a look around at our European friends, who’ve had the pleasure of driving various generations of the S3. The most recent review comes from British magazine CAR.
Forbidden Fruit: Modded Ford Focus RS Appears In Jay Leno’s Garage
This particular, third-gen Focus RS was actually picked up by Galpin Ford, the largest Ford dealer in the world, in Mexico. On a mere six-month visa, the Focus RS’ turbocharged five-pot was tuned up to 420 horsepower, up from the stock 305 ponies, thanks to Ford tuner Mountune. While 420 horsepower is plenty, it’s even more intense when channeled through the front wheels. Can you say torque steer?
Driven: 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE
So, really, we’d accepted the fact that we wouldn’t get to drive Chevy’s black-hooded 1LE. That is, until our schedule went completely haywire, and we were offered a 1LE, complete with a massive set of Pirelli Sottozero snow tires, as a last-minute replacement for a canceled loan. So, our Victory Red Camaro arrived, sporting the aforementioned tires and hood, and with that, a special dose of attitude.
Is SRT Preparing A Hotter Challenger To Compete With Chevy’s Z/28?
According to our friends at Motor Trend, a hotter Challenger could be on the way. SRT chief Ralph Gilles offered a not-so-subtle hint regarding the sharper Challenger at last week’s New York Auto Show. The new model would be designed to compete with the new Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, which debuted in the Big Apple.
Review: 2013 Shelby Raptor
This is the Master Landing Page for the Shelby Raptor. From now on, as we further review this car, we will be updating this page with whatever fresh content we create. Future drive reviews, updated specifications, videos, and other relevant information will all be found right here, in one convenient spot.
Chevrolet Revives Z/28 Badge With A 500-Horsepower Track Star
Ford discontinued the Mustang Boss 302 after two years on sale. This, the Ford people said, was all part of the plan. The Blue Oval only planned on offering the best Mustang in decades for a mere two years, rather than making it a staple of the lineup. This was a mistake, not just because the Boss 302 was awesome, but because arch-nemesis Chevrolet had a track-focused muscle car of its own on the way.
Update: 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Part of the issue, we think, has to do with the focus of these trucks. Aimed at on-road performance, they lacked the utility of a traditional pickup (due to their sporty tires and suspensions) while being outrun and outhandled by equal or lower-priced performance cars. Automobiles are governed by the laws of physics, and a truck-based performance vehicle is never going to have the same potential as a car-based performance vehicle. The Raptor works because it doesn’t try to beat cars at their own game. It is a truck, first and foremost.
Issue 92 Is Now Available!
This month, we review the turbocharged version of Mini’s newest model, the Cooper S Paceman, and find it to be less weird than we had suspected. Plus, we pack a bunch of other automotive content in this issue.
Review: Ford Mustang Boss 302S
The Boss 302S is built by Ford Racing, together with Watson Engineering, as a ready-to-run road racing car. The basic specs are aimed at Pirelli World Challenge GTS class racing, but the car is also suitable for SCCA and NASA club events. In the world of factory racecars, the Boss 302S is relatively affordable at around $89,000. Ford builds 50 cars per year, so while they are ordered through Ford dealers (as a part), orders must be placed in time to get an allocation slot and before the annual winter batch build.
Cop Reviews Ford Police Interceptor Sedan
While we’ve already had the chance to sample the 2013 Ford Taurus, we still can’t help but be curious about the version that goes into police duty. Thankfully, The Truth About Cars writer David Hester gives the new Police Interceptor a full rundown from the perspective of Johnny Law.
Update: 2013 Honda Accord Coupe V-6
There’s a misconception that since the death of the S2000, Honda’s only really “fun” car is the Civic Si (with respect to the tossable, but ultimately underpowered CR-Z). We’d dispute this point of view, and we think you would too, if you’d just got done testing Honda’s new Accord Coupe.
Chevy’s Drag-Ready COPO Camaro Gets Updated
For 2013, the COPO Camaro will be available with three V-8s: a base 350-cubic-incher with 325 horsepower, a 396 with 375 ponies, and a 427 with 425 horsepower. Each engine, when fitted with the new, manual-transmission option, qualifies for the NHRA’s Stock Eliminator classes.
List: The Top Ten Winding Road POV Test Drives
Considering it’s Friday, and none of us want to do actual work, this makes today’s list a perfect time sink. We’ve corralled our most popular POV test drives, and have assembled them in one place. There’s roughly an hour’s worth of video here, with everything from affordable rear-drive coupes, to full-bore sports cars, to a pair of very powerful muscle cars. There are few better ways to spend an hour of your day then watching these videos (make sure you have headphones!).
Video: Tanner Foust Laps The Nurburgring… In A Raptor?
Well, here’s your bizarre video for the day. This is all-around awesome driver and host of Top Gear US Tanner Foust, swinging and sliding a 411-horsepower, 6000-pound Ford F-150 SVT Raptor around the legendary Nürburgring. Yes, a Raptor on the Nürburgring.
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