Las Vegas
F1 Launch Party – Las Vegas
Formula 1 took over the streets of Las Vegas during the weekend, celebrating the launch of the race to be held next November as the penultimate round for next year’s 2023 season.
Driven: 2015 Volvo S60 and V60
After an 11 billion dollar investment by parent company Geely, Volvo can now proudly proclaim technological independence from all previous collaborations with other manufactures. The latest offspring from this multi-year investment is a pair of motors in new Drive-E line of powertrains, now labeled as the T5 and the T6. These four cylinder engines have been engineered with the express purpose of delivering maximum efficiency with minimal displacement. Not long after our stint in Las Vegas for the BMW M235i and 435i convertible, we headed back to Sin City to test out these new advanced powerplants in the 2015 V60 sportwagon and S60 sedan.
Driven: 2014 BMW M235i
As the first M Performance model to be offered to American buyers, the 2014 BMW M235i has a significant burden to bear. Not only have BMW enthusiasts been demanding a new “affordable” sport coupe from the Bavarians for years, the M235i also has the considerable task of making the case to buyers in the United States that BMW’s new mid-range sport level has a reason to exist. Perhaps even more importantly, the M235i also has to assure the faithful that BMW’s recent proclivity for placing M badges on vehicles we wouldn’t expect to find them on is not a dilution of the brand and its implication. While much of that will ultimately be left to individual perception, we’re also happy to report that BMW’s decision to give us a chance to flog the M235i around the oval and road course at Las Vegas Speedway was not a regrettable one.
SEMA 2013: Challenger R/T Shaker and Mopar ’14 Challenger
Dodge and Chrysler Group’s performance parts division Mopar have brought two new challenger models to the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker features a very retro floating hood scoop. The Mopar ’14 Challenger is the newest in a line of annual limited edition performance models from the Chrysler family.
Hyundai To Sell 3.8-Liter V-6 And 2.0T Crate Engines
Hyundai has announced that is beginning a crate engine program to sell its Lambda 3.8-liter V-6 and Theta 2.0-liter four-cylinder motors to the aftermarket. The engines, both of which currently power the Genesis Coupe, will be available beginning December 2013.
Mopar ’14 Challenger Teased Ahead Of SEMA Debut
Chrysler is teasing the Mopar ’14 car it will be presenting at the SEMA show in Las Vegas next month. This year, Mopar will be giving its annual treatment to the Dodge (or SRT?) Challenger.
Hyundai And ARK Performance Bring Genesis Coupe Legato Concept To SEMA
Hyundai has announced that a Legato Concept developed in partnership with Ark Performance will be on display at SEMA in Las Vegas this November. Based on the Genesis Coupe, the Legato receives an upgraded design and performance enhancements.
1000-Horsepower Hyundai Genesis Coupe Headed To SEMA
Hyundai is teaming up with Bisimoto Engineering to wring 1000 horsepower out of a Lambda 3.8-liter V-6 in a Genesis Coupe.
Ubisoft’s “The Crew” Is Our New Favorite Heist Game
Ubisoft, maker of the Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, and Far Cry has a new racing game coming to the next generation of consoles that might just have the X factor that racing fans are looking for. It debuted in a trailer at E3 2013.
First Look: 2013 Subaru WRX and WRX STI Special Editions
Subaru is showing Special Edition versions of its 2013 WRX and WRX STI at SEMA in Las Vegas this week. Their debut coinciding with Halloween, the cars feature a Tangerine Orange Pearl paint (which you might be familiar with from Subaru’s new XV Crosstrek) and black custom wheels, front fender badging, mirror housings, and exterior graphics.
First Look: 2014 Chevrolet Sonic Dusk
Chevrolet has announced production of the Sonic Dusk ahead of its live debut at SEMA in Las Vegas next week. First shown as a concept last year, the Sonic Dusk will begin production in 2014.
Driven: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
Because, from the moment we slotted ourselves behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel, outside of the Hard Rock Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, to the last turn of the last hot lap we ran for the day, we loved driving this car.
Driven: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Now, the Genny has had its first mid-cycle refresh. Well, Hyundai calls it a mid-cycle refresh. To us it smacks of being a very-nearly-second-generation Genesis, as it boasts significantly revised engines, sheetmetal, interior trimmings, and a host of other changes and improvements.
Quick Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
The Tig has good size, is nice looking (the redesign was a good piece of work for VW), is easily maneuverable in the suburban sprawl, with confidence-inspiring AWD that will never need to prove itself on anything rougher than an icy street. The powertrain is, as is mentioned above, somewhere between “adequate” and “sort of fun” on the enthusiast spectrum, which puts it in the top-half of the crossover segment, at least.
Driven: 2013 Lexus GS350
In the world of mid-size luxury sedans, the big players have been the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Lexus GS, meanwhile, skated under the proverbial radar, lacking the performance cred of the 5-Series, the luxury cachet of the E-Class, or the sumptuous interior of the A6. It wasn’t a bad car, but even Lexus admits the Germans had dominated the market. Lexus is hoping to reverse that trend with the 2013 GS, and after a long day flogging it at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, we think Toyota’s luxury brand has got a pretty good shot of doing it.
Graham Rahal Hosts Auction To Benefit Wheldon Family
After the tragic loss of Dan Wheldon at the IndyCar season closer in Las Vegas, Mazdaspeed team member Graham Rahal has put together a fundraising auction to support Wheldon’s family.
Driven: 2012 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec
In fact, that icy air was endemic of the relative luxury of the Genesis cabin. Though not much changed for this 2012 model year refresh (new wood trims are about the only interior modifications), we were quickly reminded that the big Hyundai sedan was a comfortable place to spend time.
Toyota Reveals Entune Multimedia System
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Toyota has revealed its new multimedia interface system, Entune, which integrates five smartphone apps and voice recognition. Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, and Pandora can be used without touching one’s phone, and the system is compatible with a wide array of mobile phones with data plans.
Automotive X Prize Winners Announced
Three vehicles were named Thursday to share the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. The X Prize Foundation established the competition with the basic tripartite goal of encouraging the creation of cars that achieve 100 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) efficiency, produce less than 200 grams/mile well-to-wheel CO2 equivalent emissions, and could be mass-produced for the consumer market.
Hot Hybrid: Fortune Motorsports Tuned Honda CR-Z
Tuning house Fortune Motorsports has announced plans to work its magic on Honda’s new greenformance darling, the sports hybrid CR-Z. The final, hotted-up version of the car will be shown to the public at the 2010 SEMA show in Las Vegas (natch).
List: 2009 Lotus Elise SC from Las Vegas to Menlo Park, the Hard Way
Recently, Winding Road mainstay Rex Roy took a pretty magical two-day drive from Las Vegas, Nevada to Menlo Park, California in a 2009 Lotus Elise SC. Not one to let the time pass idly; Rex captured some amazing photographs along the way. Click through the gallery above where Rex narrates his journey for our benefit. Trust us, this was a good one.
Categories
Most Popular
