Mustang
Driven: 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302
So how does the Boss 302 shape up as a performance vehicle? Fan-freaking-tastic.
Quick Drive: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec
So where does the Genesis sit in the coupe spectrum? Well, the honest answer is everywhere. We’ll elaborate on what we mean later, but suffice it to say that this is a vehicle that’ll appeal to a variety of buyers.
Flip This Car: 1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible—Part Five
Over the last 13 or so years I’ve made at least 70 passes down sanctioned quarter-mile drag strips, most of which involved piloting cars not ideally suited for such activity. By not ideally suited, I’m talking old school Taurus SHOs with manual transmissions that tended to explode after a bit of abuse. But those years were some of the best motoring fun of my automotive career, and in the process I gained a well-rounded, basic education on the sport of drag racing, from proper staging etiquette to analyzing the numbers on the all-important time slip. And through it all, never once did I experience a breakdown at the track. You probably see where this is headed.
Driven: 2013 Ford Mustang V6 Premium
Overall, the Ford Mustang remains a solid choice for the driving enthusiast, even if that enthusiast can’t opt for the fire-breathing 5.0-liter V-8. Power in this car is decent, and with its fresh new looks, upgraded technology suite, and optional suspension upgrades, it remains a relative bargain for the Americana-obsessed involvement shopper.
Rumors: Industry Report—Proof Of Chevy Camaro Z28 Package Uncovered?
Camaro5 user “showstopper” was installing the diffuser on a Camaro ZL1 when something particularly revealing was discovered on one of the mounting brackets.
Flip This Car: 1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible—Part Four
So, at this point I’m supposed to regale all the faithful Flip This Car readers with an unlikely and slightly wacky auto adventure. For part four of the last series I entered my Buick Roadmaster in an SCCA Rallycross event, and to keep the fish-out-of-water spirit alive I turned to the Michigan Ice Racing Association (MIRA) for some winter time fun with the Mustang. With everyone telling me how dead I’d be trying to drive this car through the ice and snow, what better way to give everyone the raspberries than to race the 5.0 on a frozen lake? The stakes would be much higher this time, however, for while the rallycross was a solo event racing against the clock, I’d be racing side-by-side with other cars at the MIRA event. And none of us would have the benefit of studded tires.
First Look: 2012 Shelby 1000
This is the 2012 Shelby 1000. That name is slightly deceiving, because there is no Shelby Mustang that gets 1000 horsepower. There’s a 950-horsepower, road-legal car that runs on pump gas, and there’s the 1100-horsepower track version (which probably runs on some combination of ground-up unicorn horn and clouds of Jupiter).
Comparison: 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR vs. 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Five-Door
This is a matchup of two icons, with intensely loyal followings, filled with aftermarket tuners dedicated to their respective machines. Fans of one brand would rather walk than drive their competitor’s iron.
Flip This Car: 1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible—Part Three
Straight up, this car is a hooligan. It’s a rebel. It’s the friend that sets the bad example. Listening to NPR in this car is like going to church wearing leather chaps and a sleeveless shirt that says Sex instructor: beginners welcome. Even with the poor gearing and crummy seats, this car is a party animal that wants to get loud and sideways at every opportunity. It’s constantly taunting me, reminding me there’s a pair of wheels behind my head being driven by a gutsy V-8 up front, with a short wheelbase in between. The ride is harsh and the steering heavy, but those attributes bring a welcome amount of feedback on what the car is doing, and more importantly, what I must do to ensure the survival of both vehicle and passengers. How sideways can we get? How long do we want to hold it?
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.
First Look: 2013 Ford Mustang GT500 Convertible
Well, this is one way to ring in a 20th birthday. Ford has just unveiled the 2013 GT500 Convertible as part of the Special Vehicle Team’s celebration of 20 years spent building fast cars and trucks that wear the Blue Oval badge.
Secondhand Gems: All-Wheel Drive And 30-mpg
Ladies and gentlemen, we have before us something of a quandary.
In the modern motoring world of pricy gasoline and pricier diesel, sourcing a vehicle that can turn 30 miles per gallon or greater on the highway isn’t hard. And we’re not talking about anemic little econoboxes with bodies made from tin foil–these days being frugal can mean a handsomely optioned mid-sizer like a Nissan Altima, or a sporty 300-plus-horsepower speed machine like a V-6 Mustang.
Flip This Car: 1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible—Part Two
In just over a month I’ve already tallied close to 2000 miles behind the wheel of the 5.0. Does that mean I enjoy driving this car? In a word, yes, but it’s a touch more complicated than a one-word answer. The complete road test will be forthcoming in part three so I’ll refrain from sharing the unorthodox similes and astute observations until then. For now, you’ll be happy (or disappointed, depending your expectations for this series) to know that I’ve not yet smacked, slapped, thumped, tweaked, slammed, sideswiped, bounced or otherwise biffed the Mustang into anything moving or stationary, despite the current date which has us well into winter here in the northern latitudes.
Quick Drive: 2012 Audi TT 2.0T
This base-level Audi TT is a pretty desirable sports coupe, but it does require a buyer that’s slightly more interested in luxury, styling, and/or overall image than performance. Don’t misunderstand me; I’ve quite enjoyed every TT driving experience that I’ve had, including this 2.0T. And, within the narrow TT universe, the base car is actually a smoking bargain (the higher spec cars get expensive quickly). But in terms of the always difficult to assess “thrills per dollar” metric, there are certainly better options.
Mini Comparison: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 And 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8
Part of the fun of driving these big-engined vehicles is the feeling of power you get when you mash the throttle. Despite the colder weather, the tires (summers at that) hooked up without much trouble. In fact, during our time with both cars, grip was rarely an issue, even under wide-open throttle. What really struck us, besides the accelerative force on a WOT run, was just how usable the power in the SRTs was. Even with a 6000-rpm horsepower peak and a 4300-rpm torque peak, there’s so much juice in the lower part of the rev range, that both the Charger and 300 are very easy to drive around town.
Flip This Car: 1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Convertible
Through risk comes reward, or at least that’s the plan with this, the first all-new chapter in Winding Road’s Flip This Car saga since the ill-fated Subaru Legacy turbo graced these digital pages back in the summer. This ragtop is my car—my name is on the title and I’ll be the one digging it out of the ditch and footing the repair bill as I white-knuckle it through a Michigan winter. Actually, I believe this two-door, rear-wheel drive, 3000-pound V-8 droptop is the perfect car for winter despite what my friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors, impersonal acquaintances, strangers at the gas station, both my therapists, and anonymous teenagers in line at the local Gamestop think.
First Look: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500
We like this modern Muscle Car War that’s been going on. As if Chevrolet’s upcoming Camaro ZL1 wasn’t attractive enough with its 580-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged V-8, Ford has now announced a 650-horsepower (!) GT500. Let’s put that number in perspective. It’s 12 more horsepower than a Corvette ZR1, 30 more than a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and it’s about equal to the Ferrari FF. Yes, there’s more to life than just horsepower, but a 650-horsepower Mustang that comes with a factory warranty is enough to inspire jaw-on-the-floor stares.
First Look: 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302
Continuing the barrage of 2013 Ford Mustang releases is this fun tidbit about the hardcore Boss 302. While there isn’t much changing with the Boss (aside from the sheetmetal changes mentioned here), there will be a couple of new colors, as well as a reflective graphics package reminiscent of Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Boss.
First Look: 2013 Ford Mustang V-6 And GT
With a full redesign in 2010, and a pair of new engines in 2011, the 2013 model year will see a heavy refresh of the existing car.
List: The Ten Greatest Movie Cars
We like movies. More importantly, we like movies that feature cars as integral parts of the story. So we’ve put together a list of ten of the most influential, important, and downright entertaining vehicles in cinema history. Quite simply, these cars made the movies as much as any flesh-and-blood actor. Of course, there will be disputes about just whether we should have included Mad Max’s Ford Falcon, James Bond’s Toyota 2000GT, or Herbie (wait, there probably won’t be any arguments about that last one). We’re pretty confident with our choices though. So without further ado, read on for our list of the ten greatest cars from the movies.
Driven: 2012 Shelby GT350 Convertible 624HP
Fleet manager Brandon Turkus was the lucky duck that got the first Winding Road ride in the Shelby GT350 this time around. He drove down to Ford HQ in Dearborn, Michigan to pick the monster convertible up, and returned to Ypsilanti with a face-bursting smile on his mug.
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