HotCars - HotCars Exclusives

Exclusive: An Interview With Cody Walker And Tyrese Gibson On Their Unshakeable Bond With Japanese Cars

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:36:00 GMT

If we talk about a Nissan Skyline GT-R with blue stripes racing a bright pink Honda S2000, a Toyota Supra, and a Mazda RX-7, you know we’re referring to that epic JDM drag race. In 2 Fast 2 Furious, and the whole Fast & Furious franchise, Japanese cars have always had a prime spot, so what better place than Japan to find all of these JDM cars in real life? This is precisely why it made so much sense for FuelFest to host their event here, in the country where you can live and breathe the JDM culture.

Super Sedan: This '90s Mercedes-Benz Is Still An Epic Sleeper

Tim Stevens — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:42:18 GMT

The Mercedes-Benz E 500 Limited doesn't look like anything particularly special sitting there. Even with its silver paint sparkling in the brilliant Austrian sunshine, air freshly cleaned by a passing shower, one of the greatest Mercedes sedans ever produced does little to draw the eye.

Review: The 2023 Range Rover LWB SV Serenity Is All About Quiet Luxury

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:49:17 GMT

While many manufacturers have jumped on the fast moving SUV trend, rare are those that have had the time to build a sense of legacy around their long-standing, flagship SUV models. With over 50 years of history, Range Rover is one of the few benchmark vehicles that has set the tone for what an SUV should be. Add to that a few bonus points for being a royalty and celebrity favorite, enhancing the car’s prestigious image.

One Last Drive In The Audi R8

Tim Stevens — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:00:18 GMT

In the eyes of many, the Audi R8 has been a second-run, budget alternative since its debut. Some elitist pseudo-enthusiasts said that if you wanted a Lamborghini but couldn't quite afford one, you went with the R8.

2024 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe: More Power, More Style, More Seats

Tim Stevens — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 03:00:19 GMT

You'd expect a new generation of an established sports car to gain horsepower. A fresh new look? Practically mandatory. Advanced new suspension systems? Very necessary. A higher tech interior with more fancy features? 100 percent.

Yes, The Spectre Is Electric, But It’s First And Foremost A Rolls-Royce

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 21:12:10 GMT

There’s no denying that the Spectre has been a long awaited model from Rolls-Royce as the industry goes electric. We’ve all been curious about how the world's leader in luxury would approach the electrification process, but unlike other manufacturers, Rolls-Royce already had a taste of what it would be like to power a car with a battery.

Exclusive Interview: How GRIDLIFE Is Revamping The Car Scene

Cameron Parsons — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 19:23:52 GMT

It's hard to go racing.

Exclusive Interview: Steven Posner, CEO Of Putnam Leasing, Discusses The Best Cars To Invest In, Interest Rates, And Leasing Classic And Supercars

Bassem Girgis — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 15:09:22 GMT

The automotive industry is going through some rough patches, starting with car shortages caused by the pandemic; and now with ultra-high interest rates, dealership markups, and an overall inconsistent market. Shortly after the automotive industry resolved some of the car shortage issues from the COVID era, the global economy started showing some instability, which discouraged buyers from not only purchasing new cars, but also put doubt in automotive enthusiasts' minds when it comes to buying collectible or high-end vehicles. We wanted to address the current state of the automotive market through an expert's lens, so we reached out to Steven Posner, CEO of Putnam Leasing. Through his business of leasing supercars and ultra-expensive collectibles, he is a great candidate to give insights on today's car market, collecting classic cars now and in the future, as well as leasing supercars and vintage collectibles and possibly making money by the end of the term. Steven has been in the car business for over 45 years and has seen multiple boom and bust cycles over the decades. Through his knowledge and perspective, Steven shared great insights, recommendations, and hopefulness during our discussion.

HotCars' Japan team takes you to the amazing Fuji Motorsports Museum

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 21:42:44 GMT

If you’ve had the chance to get to Fuji Speedway to watch a race, attend an event, or you've seen it in an anime, you’ll surely be familiar with the grand front gate and the “Fuji Speedway” logo in black and red letters. Since it first opened its doors back in 1965, the Japanese racetrack has gained worldwide notoriety, hosting prestigious races such as Formula 1 or WEC 6 Hours, as well as local racing series such as the Super GT series or Super Formula.

Exclusive Interview: The Donkmaster On His Career And The 1973 Chevy Caprice Created For The Netflix Film "They Cloned Tyrone"

Bassem Girgis — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 18:10:49 GMT

From growing up in the deep south of Hardeeville, South Carolina, to building custom cars in Hollywood, Sage "Donkmaster" Thomas has had quite the ride. We spoke with him to dig deeper into how he started in the automotive industry, his shop In & Out Customs in South Carolina, and his newest 1973 Chevy Caprice build for the film They Cloned Tyrone starring John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris.

Exclusive Interview: How Aptera’s Co-Founder Plans On Making A $26,000 Solar EV

Andrew Lambrecht — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 20:30:54 GMT

Aerodynamics is everything at the ragged edge of developing efficient electric cars. In internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, aerodynamics somewhat less important, as it takes about 20% of the energy output to overcome wind resistance at speed, the rest on frictional losses and heat. You can overlook that heat loss as long as gasoline is cheap enough and the onboard fuel tank is large enough, so slight changes don't significantly affect fuel consumption or range.

Lamborghini's Diablo deserves more respect than the Countach

Tim Stevens — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 20:47:19 GMT

Sometimes, a thing is only remembered for those things that came before, great products and great people overshadowed by their predecessors who, in the moment, were perceived to be even greater. This is the sad purgatory in which we find the Lamborghini Diablo.

Lead guitarist of Papa Roach, Jerry Horton, hated on Porsches but then had a conversion leaving his Dodge Viper in the dust.

Bradley Hasemeyer — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:55:55 GMT

For anyone alive in the early 2000s, you probably had the revolutionary device called an iPod. Then you packed it full of songs from Nelly, Matchbox 20, and of course, Papa Roach. The latter exploded on the scene in the early 2000s touring the world, winning awards, and topping charts. Known most famously for their number one song, Last Resort, Papa Roach's sound was a mix of punk rock and rap metal. And unlike so much of the rest of pop culture of 20 years ago, Papa Roach is still doing their thing, touring and cranking out chart-topping songs even today. And lead guitarist Jerry Horton is a huge reason for their success.

We Drove The New Nissan Z On “Japan’s Nürbürgring:” Here’s What We Learned

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:45:17 GMT

With the recent announcement of an upcoming NISMO version, the Nissan Z (or Fairlady Z here in Japan) is all the rage right now. Ever since Nissan first launched the Z Proto back in 2020, the interest for the latest iteration of the Japanese icon never faded. Quite the opposite, we’re all the more intrigued, especially as the combination of the on-going chip crisis mixed with high demands makes the Z a rare commodity. So, when Nissan gave us the keys to test the new Z on its home turf here in Japan, they did not need to ask us twice.

We Took The Ford F-150 Raptor R Off-Roading: Here's We Like More Than A Ram TRX

Michael Van Runkle — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:47:12 GMT

For over a decade, Ford ruled the off-roading roost with the hardcore F-150 Raptor. But then, in 2020, Ram announced the TRX package for the 1500-class pickup truck and immediately stole the crown with a supercharged Hellcat V8 pumping out 702 horsepower. Ford obviously needed to respond, but first the company released a Raptor package for the new Bronco, which added standard 37-inch tires and a smaller version of the F-150 Raptor's twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6, to make the world's most hardcore off-roading SUV.

2023 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance First Drive Review: Big Torque And Big Luxury

Tim Stevens — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 22:05:16 GMT

AMG has a long history of producing powerful sedans, and historically the S-Class has always been king. In 2023, Mercedes-AMG has a new flavor of the classic S 63, one that gets its power not just from turbocharging but from hybrid power, and even a little help from Formula One.

Exclusive Interview: Gil Dezer Discusses The Bentley Residence And How You Can Live With Your Car In Your Condo

Bassem Girgis — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 20:10:41 GMT

If you're reading this, then you're most likely a car enthusiast. However, we all have one thing in common: we always turn back to look at our cars when we park. If you ask any car enthusiast what their dream is beyond a large garage, it will be to bring their car right into their home. You may not hear this a lot since it's not usually feasible, but Gil Dezer of Dezer Development proved otherwise. People know Gil for a lot of things in the real estate development world, like developing some of the most luxurious real estate in New York, Florida, and Las Vegas; but for car people, they know him for his car elevator invention called the Dezervator. The Dezervator started with The Porsche Design Tower Miami, but now he's expanding further with The Bentley Residence. We had the opportunity to speak with the real estate mogul about the Dezervator, the Bentley Residence, and of course his love for Porsche, Bentley, and countless other vehicles that inspired him to combine luxury living with automotive passion.

How 100 Liberty Walk Cars Took Over A Car Show In A Matter Of Minutes

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:05:16 GMT

Not so long ago, the Japanese tuning brand Liberty Walk shocked the automotive world when founder and CEO Mr. Wataru Kato and his team revealed to the public a chopped-up, lowered and repainted Ferrari F40. But this is nothing new, really. Back in 2020, it was Liberty Walk’s Super Silhouette Skyline that broke the internet –or at least the internet’s automotive corner– with its black and red livery, reminiscent of the 80’s silhouette race car.

Bargain EV Hunting: Buying A High Mileage Tesla On A Budget

Andrew Lambrecht — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:01:15 GMT

Despite its reveal seven years ago and becoming California's new Prius, the Tesla Model 3 still represents the pinnacle of automotive technological progress. Almost akin to that of Jobs' original iPhone, the Model 3 took virtually every preconceived notion of what a car should be and discarded it. Instead, Tesla not only formulated its own rules but its own entire game— and its record-breaking sales and obsessive intrigue prove that so. Around the same time, Chevrolet released its fully-electric Bolt; though less expensive, it stuck to the unwritten auto industry rules, and its sales and general interest paled in comparison to that of the Model 3.

2023 Maserati Grecale Modena Review: All-New Luxury SUV To Shake Up The Segment

Bassem Girgis — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:35:15 GMT

SUVs are the most talked about vehicles in the automotive industry as of lately, and for good reasons. Hybrid and electric vehicle technology now allows the convenience and space of the larger vehicles, with the efficiency and performance of smaller vehicles. Now most automakers offer various SUV options, and Maserati is no different. In addition to the Maserati Levante we reviewed in 2022, the Italian automaker is now adding the all-new Maserati Grecale to their lineup. Maserati offers the Grecale in four trim levels: GT, Modena, Trofeo, and an all-electric Folgore. While the Trofeo is the obvious choice for buyers seeking a true performance SUV, the GT and Modena will most likely be the more popular models. We skipped the entry-level GT and test drove the 2023 Maserati Grecale Modena, the trim level we believe strikes a balance of performance and realistic MSRP (relatively speaking). The question is, can the Maserati Grecale Modena compete with the likes of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the BMW X3, and the Porsche Macan? The answer is both yes and no.

2024 Aston Martin DB12: An Exclusive Look At The World's First Super Tourer

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 21:00:16 GMT

Things are going well for Aston Martin lately. Amidst the Aston Martin F1 team’s recent successes on the racetrack with Fernando Alonso securing consecutive podiums for the manufacturer since the season’s start, there was no better timing for Aston Martin to launch a new car: the DB12. The new “Super Tourer,” as Aston Martin calls it, comes in to replace the 7-year-old DB11 model. With this super tourer status, what the DB12 essentially aims to be is a vehicle that brings in both supercar and GT qualities under one roof. As the manufacturer calls it a “world’s first,” Aston Martin sets a high standard, promising drivers something completely different to what they’re used to. This comes in the shape of a brand new high-tech interior, and a completely upgraded performance from the 4.0-liter V8 carried over from the DB11.

General Motors Is Jolting Consumers Into The EV Space By Selling The Lifestyle Before The Car

Bradley Hasemeyer — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:15:15 GMT

Has there been anything more polarizing in the automotive space over the past 25 years than electric cars? Wanna ruin a dinner party? Take a hard line on either side of the EV conversation, and you'll create quite a stir. Most of the industry has committed to full EV offerings within the next decade, but not everyone gets plugged into this shift. Within nanoseconds of a Google search you'll find people spitting venom at the electrified future calling EVs dirtier than internal combustion engines (ICE), worse for the environment, and a grid-crashing nightmare. On the other side are the EV angels who see this as the ticket to future happiness, the best way to save the whales, and a way to stick it to the global oil companies. General Motors has an idea on how to bring both those sides to some clarity.

From Le Mans To F1, Here Are Some Of Japan’s Most Iconic Race Cars and Engines

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Wed, 24 May 2023 13:00:14 GMT

Whether it be rallying or Formula 1 racing, Japan is no stranger to the world of motorsports. Names instantly come to mind, with Subaru at the World Rally Championship back in the day, or more recently Honda and its engines powering the Red Bull Racing’ Formula 1 cars. For this year’s MotorFan Festa held at Fuji Speedway, organizers put together a unique race car display with some of Japanese manufacturers’ most memorable race cars and most successful engines. The display included a wide selection ranging from Toyotas to Nissans and from Super GT cars to Formula 1 cars. This time, we took a closer look at four of them: the Scuderia AlphaTauri AT02 Formula 1 car, The Toyota TS010, the Nissan R390 GT1 and the Andretti Motorsports Dallara IR-12 Honda IndyCar.

John Odom's 5,000 HP GT-R On Discovery's Drag Racing Show, Street Kings

Bradley Hasemeyer — Fri, 19 May 2023 15:00:15 GMT

Most enthusiasts have been to a racetrack. But drag racing with giant engines and mind-blowingly powerful cars like is a 4,600 hp Chevy Camaro...well, that's a whole different beast entirely. One driver, a 1/4 mile strip of asphalt, and upwards of 11,000 horsepower. It's brutal, insanely loud, and extremely dangerous. For John Odom, however, star of Discovery Channel's "Street Outlaws: No-Prep Kings" series, and owner of Odom Racing, it's just another day at the track.

Exclusive Interview: Cody Walker On FuelFest, Reach Out Worldwide, And Paul Walker

Bassem Girgis — Fri, 19 May 2023 14:00:14 GMT

Between the Covid era, the EV market, hybrids, and the consistent move to all-electric cars and trucks, true automotive enthusiasts yearn car events in their areas. We heard that FuelFest is coming to our town of Los Angeles on June 3rd, 2023, and we couldn't help but get excited. After all, this event brings diverse types of cars and trucks that get to race, show, drift, and do even more. We spoke to Cody Walker, the man behind FuelFest, about the event, and we took a journey back in time to his childhood and the initiation of his love for cars, and how Paul Walker inspired and influenced not only his life and this event, but the world of automotive through the Fast and Furious franchise. Cody Walker now gives his full attention to his family, FuelFest, and Reach Out Worldwide, the foundation Paul Walker started in 2010.

An Exclusive Look At Bentley’s Most Powerful Model Ever: The Batur By Mulliner

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Mon, 15 May 2023 20:00:16 GMT

Bentley unveiled their ultra exclusive model, the Bentley Batur by Mulliner, in August last year. The British manufacturer, which plans on launching their first EV in 2025, introduced the Batur to showcase what’s to come in terms of design for future electric Bentley models. But do not get mistaken, the Batur is no EV and hosts a petrol-powered engine. It’s also the most powerful W12 model to come out of the Bentley factory.

Review: The Perfect Luxury Coupe Doesn't Exist? The Lexus LC 500h: "Hold My Beer."

Bradley Hasemeyer — Mon, 08 May 2023 19:00:14 GMT

The Lexus LFA is arguably the best car ever made. It has a cult following, is insanely rare, and featured ground-breaking firsts. The Lexus LC 500 is the evolution of that wall poster. It started turning heads in 2018 but has remained relatively unchanged. Last year Lexus updated the wheels, suspension, and stability control and this year they bring suspension enhancements as well as a new Cloudburst Gray paint for 2023. But is that enough?

Here’s Why The Bentayga EWB Means Great News For Bentley’s Fastest Growing Market

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:00:14 GMT

It is no secret that Bentley’s SUV model, the Bentayga, has driven the marque’s sales upwards ever since its launch back in 2015. After a major facelift in June 2020, the British manufacturer is now pushing the newest iteration of their luxury SUV another step forward, with the Bentayga Extended Wheel Base. The EWB being bigger and more opulent than ever with an infinite choice when it comes to speccing your own model (24 billion different ways to be precise), the upgraded luxury SUV is a promising model for the British manufacturer.

Engineering Explained On The Future Of Performance Hybrids Cars And SUVs

Andrew Lambrecht — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:00:13 GMT

It's no secret that the automotive industry is rapidly pivoting towards electrification. From Tesla producing 1.3 million units in 2022 to a new era of pickup trucks launching from Ford and Rivian, electric cars are becoming the new mainstream. But some areas of the automotive sector are taking longer to adopt the new mainstream. Namely, most supercars are still primarily gasoline-powered. While there are a few outliers from the likes of Pininfarina and Rimac (the former shares its platform with the Rimac), the 2-door car sector has yet to embrace the brave new world.

Former Japanese F1 Driver’s New Concept Store Is Giving ‘The Dark Knight’ Batcave Vibes

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 16:00:15 GMT

If you remember our highlights from the Tokyo Auto Salon (Japan’s biggest annual car show), you might remember the ARTA Mechanics booth and its grandiose display. There, the newly founded tuning brand showcased their two creations: a modified Honda NSX and a modified Toyota GR86. The brand stood out with their edgy and minimalist display, as it offered something much different from the other JDM tuners you’d normally see at TAS. The booth was intriguing to say the least. No hip-hop music but minimal techno beats. No merch laid out everywhere on counters, but an exclusive collab’ line of clothing neatly arranged by color. No messy, crammed, underground garage kind of display, but a pristine and spacious stage with nothing but their cars on it. Simply said, this was no Liberty Walk or VeilSide but something more sophisticated.

How The New Polaris Factory Racing Team Will Help Lead To Better RZRs For Everyone

Michael Van Runkle — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 17:00:15 GMT

Polaris introduced a new Factory Racing Team at this year's running of the San Felipe 250. The effort aims to take side-by-side competition to a new level with a fully prepped racecar, new drivers, and serious financial commitment. Ahead of the race debut, I spoke with Polaris Racing Technical Director Robert Wilmot about how the popularity of UTV racing series can improve research and development can filter down to create better, more reliable side-by-sides available to the general public.

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS450 X4 Review: The New Standard In The Luxury Electric SUV Market

Bassem Girgis — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 17:00:13 GMT

When it comes to electric cars, Tesla managed to own this market and take it by surprise. With their Model X, they were able to also redefine the SUVs in a world where EV is slowly becoming king. In a different field, German cars like Mercedes-Benz forever own the luxury cars market. Since the early days of automotive, Mercedes was successful in producing top quality vehicles in all shapes, forms, and price ranges. Today, we see SUVs like the EQS450 making a real dent in the all-electric SUV market. This vehicle does not only dominate Tesla in terms of quality and luxury, but it also makes for a rather strong case in terms of price range, starting roughly at around the Tesla Model X. The only problem is, the 2023 Mercedes EQS450 4Matic doesn't match the Model X in terms of performance. So, the question is, which is the better choice, and should you choose luxury over performance?

EXCLUSIVE: Talking To Mini’s Head Of Design About The Aceman Concept And The Brand

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 19:00:15 GMT

Built to provide convenient, fuel-efficient and affordable transportation for all back in the late 1950s, the Mini Cooper has since become an automotive icon recognizable by all. And if you didn’t know, there’s a whole lot of love for the Mini Cooper here in Japan as it remains the best selling imported model for a few consecutive years already, even achieving record sales for the Mini Cooper JCW in 2022. However, the all-electric Mini Cooper SE that is already breaking records in Europe has not made it to Japan yet. This is probably why we are seeing Mini’s electric concept cars coming to Japan one after the other, to stir the excitement for their new EV.

EXCLUSIVE: What Formula Drift Champion Fredric Aasbo Thinks Of New Rules At Round 1 In Long Beach

Michael Van Runkle — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 17:01:12 GMT

The oceanfront residences of Long Beach, California, turned into some of motorsport's best seats in the house this past weekend when Formula Drift returned for the first round of the new 2023 season. Of course, Long Beach (almost) every year plays host to both Formula D and an IndyCar Grand Prix—the latter set to pierce the idyllic setting this coming weekend—so apartments and businesses facing the Pacific Ocean should be used to echoes of screaming engines bouncing around the main streets, buildings, and palm trees.

EXCLUSIVE: Lamborghini Urus Baja Racer Render Imagines A Budget-Free Build For The Dunes

Randy Gardner — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:00:15 GMT

In the traditional form, the Lamborghini Urus draws a max of reactions. Some looks are those of confusion, others disgust, and some jealousy. Regardless, the Urus is an incredible SUV boasting 641 horsepower from an Audi V-8. Something that draws similar divisive glances in the car community is the Baja concept, where enthusiasts take everyday family vehicles and modify them to take on vast sand dunes. While the Urus is far from traditional, it is an excellent platform for building and shares a lot with a Baja favorite, the Porsche Cayenne. However, most Baja cruisers are enthusiast builds, not always suitable for daily-driving. These are usually high-mileage vehicles finding a second life after a stint on Craigslist. With an MSRP of $225,500, the Urus is far from economical to tear up, and it is unlikely we will see a real Baja build soon. But until then, we all can at least dream a bit more accurately with this fresh car render by Rostislav Prokop.

EXCLUSIVE: This Oldsmobile Rocket Render Will Take Over The Restomod Scene

Marko Sokolovski — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 17:00:14 GMT

We all know that General Motors owns a bunch of brands. A lot of them are still around to this day, and all of them appeal to a slightly different type of customer. For the regular consumer, there's Chevrolet. For the consumer who wants premium cars, but also a good value proposition, there's Buick. If you want a big SUV or truck, you go for GMC, etc. However, back in the day, GM had quite a bit more subsidiaries than the ones they have today. A lot of them met their untimely demise quite a while ago, and one of these was Oldsmobile.

EXCLUSIVE: Pontiac Tojan Rendering Resurrects A 1980s Icon

Randy Gardner — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 16:00:14 GMT

With throwback cars and even television shows, the 1980s hasn't been this popular since, well, the 1980s. With a renewal in interest toward the decade, artist Timothy Adry Emmanuel proposes a successor to an iconic aftermarket icon, the Pontiac Tojan. At its root, the original Pontiac Tojan is a traditional third-generation Firebird. Third-party Knudsen automotive would then transform the vehicle into something extraordinary. Slick futuristic ground effects and contrasting paint schemes helped make the Tojan stand out, but under the hood is what makes the car truly special. Knudsen took the factory 215 horsepower V8, added unique tuning, axed emissions systems, and with help from dual turbochargers, brought power up to an even 800. The result is an American car with supercar performance. The original Tojan's top speed is 206 mph. While Knudsen only created between 150 and 300 Tojans over six years, interest is renewing as value rise on all vehicles from the era. This car rendering begs the question, would a third-party tuned GM coupe with '80s flair still turn heads?

EXCLUSIVE: The Corvette Electric Era Is Inevitable And It All Starts With This Concept

Marko Sokolovski — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:15 GMT

Up until the early '50s, American cars were just your typical sedans and station wagons. In fact, it took Ford, for example, until the late '40s to finally abandon their pre-war designs and introduce something new, in the rather simply named '49 Ford. However, the American auto industry was preparing for a pretty major revolution, the first American sports car. General Motors decided to put together such a car, after seeing how successful European sports cars were at the time. They revealed the fruits of their labor at the 1953 General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. They also gave it a truly spectacular name: the Chevrolet Corvette.

EXCLUSIVE: Driving Everrati's First Porsche 964 EV Conversion In America

Michael Van Runkle — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 18:00:15 GMT

Back in 2021, the UK-based EV conversion specialists Everrati made waves in the United States by announcing a new project aiming to electrify the iconic Ford GT40. Lost among the resulting outcry, many diehard Blue Oval fans clearly forgot that the GT40, itself, was originally something of a project car based on the Lola Mk6 GT from none other than the UK.

EXCLUSIVE: This All-Electric Porsche 911 Rendering Will Change Your Mind About EV Performance Cars

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 17:00:15 GMT

When it comes to sports cars, the Porsche 911 is a quintessential model. At this point, it's beyond just a sports car. It's a yardstick that all other sports cars pit themselves against. Even though tons of other sports cars have tried to dethrone the 911 before, the devoted fans and enthusiasts aren't very easy to steer away from their beloved rear-engined icon. The 911's engine layout is perhaps its most recognizable feature, and it's also its claim to fame, for good and bad.

EXCLUSIVE: This Mercedes G-Wagon Is Reimagined Into A Crazy Hot Rod

Marko Sokolovski — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 23:00:14 GMT

The 1970s was an interesting time for the automotive industry. While North America was reeling from the Oil Crisis, various efficient and reliable Japanese cars took the world over by storm. This decade also saw the creation of an unassuming military vehicle from Mercedes-Benz, something that the Shah of Iran suggested, made in collaboration with Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria. The vehicle in question was the Gelandewagen, which is German for "terrain vehicle."

EXCLUSIVE: This Crazy Chopped Up Rolls-Royce Hot Rod Render Is Absolute Automotive Madness

Marko Sokolovski — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 22:00:14 GMT

Back in the early 1900s, two gentlemen, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce founded a company with the intention of making airplanes, and a goal to make the best car in the world. Fusing their last names together, Rolls-Royce Limited was born. Right from the very beginning, they were all about luxury cars with the most features that people back then could ask for. They were also entirely hand-made, and due to coach-building, very few seemingly identical Rolls-Royce models from the pages of history are actually identical. Eventually, the original Rolls-Royce dissolved in the '70s, but they returned in 1998, now under BMW ownership, with the same intention as before; to make the best cars in the world.

EXCLUSIVE: This Plymouth Superbird Render Is The Perfect Restomod

Marko Sokolovski — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 21:00:13 GMT

Every once in a while, we reminisce on a lot of fallen titans of industry. This can apply to any industry, really, but the automotive industry is full of a bunch of fallen, but never forgotten names that people still talk about to this day. Dozens and dozens spring to mind, but one stand-out American automaker that got a whole lot of things right, most notably the muscle car formula, is Plymouth.

Exclusive Interview: Richard Rawlings On HP, EV, And Giving Away An SRT Jailbreak

Bradley Hasemeyer — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 16:00:14 GMT

The name Richard Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage are two of the biggest names in the enthusiast community. We all became fans of his long-running show, Fast-N-Loud. It brought world-wide fame to him and his crew at Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas. The show has ended, and as Richard told me, he's never been happier. He took the crew over to his YouTube channel and now drops weekly episodes on his own terms. Luckily, for all of us, it still includes the team modding and building some of the most eye-popping enthusiast car porn you can find.

EXCLUSIVE: This Dodge eMuscle Would Change The EV Industry Forever

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 17:00:14 GMT

It's no secret that every automaker is doubling down on electrification. More investments, expanding model lineups, advancements in technology and better charging infrastructure all contribute to the EV movement being even faster than before. With this transition into more sustainable automobiles, we will unfortunately have to wave goodbye to a few certain types of cars. You may think this also includes muscle cars, and their roaring V8 shenanigans.

This Secret Underground Car Meet In Tokyo Was Like Real Life Tokyo Drift

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 16:01:12 GMT

We’ve all seen that scene in The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. Driving along to the beats of the song that needs no introduction, Sean and Twinkie arrive in a parking lot to join what is Sean’s very first car meet in Tokyo. With revving, drifting, loud music and a countless number of modified JDM cars, this is pretty much the car meet every JDM enthusiast would dream of attending.

The BMW M4 GTS Is The Track Day Junkie's Dream Build From The Factory

Cameron Parsons — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:00:14 GMT

OEMs obsess over special edition releases, complicating the market to an annoying level. From supercar manufacturers like McLaren to the enthusiast-focused models from Subaru and Toyota, these manufacturers made a strong business case for limited run model trims. Simply throw in a few carbon panels, use a different color thread for the interior stitching, and program in five extra horsepower. Stamp a "# out of 500" plate on the dash and you can boost your profit margin by a significant percentage. This isn't always the case, but still the truly special limited edition models are too few and far between. BMW's 2016 M4 GTS stands as one of the few that delivered plenty of reasons to call it a special rarity. Even better, BMW knew their audience when it came to the M4 GTS. This was not a model to be purchased and added to a collection to sit for decades, awaiting a high bidder in the future. The M4 GTS is an OEM-made track car, arriving from the factory with most of the modifications that any active track day driver would have installed anyway. The best part is that the customers recognize this, and instead of leaving the car at home in hopes of price appreciation, they're wringing them out on the race track.

EXCLUSIVE: This Acura Integra Type R Will Keep The Japanese Performance Market Alive

Marko Sokolovski — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:00:14 GMT

Over the past several decades, Honda have made some of the world's favorite performance cars. One of the defining features of most Honda models is that they all have some type of fun injection, even if they're simple economy cars, they can still be quite good fun behind the wheel. Among JDM car enthusiasts, there's a never-ending battle as to which fast Honda is the best one, but an absolute favorite among just about everyone is the Integra Type R.

EXCLUSIVE: A New Render Changes How You Will See The Next Generation 4Runner

Marko Sokolovski — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 18:00:14 GMT

Toyota's Hilux is one of the most successful global pickup truck icons. Thanks to the chicken tax, Toyota no longer offers it in North America, but the Hilux is the quintessential versatile pickup truck for a lot of people. In the '80s, Toyota realized that a pickup isn't all that practical for everyone, and that the SUV market is slowly on the rise. They decided to put together an SUV version of the Hilux, which they called the Hilux Surf. When that car reached North America, they called it the 4Runner.

EXCLUSIVE: How This California-based Startup Is Making 600 Horsepower Electric Broncos

Andrew Lambrecht — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 17:01:13 GMT

Classic cars will always be desirable. Whether it's an American muscle car from the sixties or a European off-roader from the seventies, there will consistently be a market for historic vehicles. However, these aging vehicles are subject to obstructed driving experiences compared to vehicles of the modern day. Whether it's poorly-calibrated suspensions, unresponsive steering, or an overall lack of performance, cars of older eras just can't come anywhere near the technological prowess of modern cars. While some find an allure in these drawbacks, others would prefer if these vehicles could see a second lease in life.

EXCLUSIVE: This All-Electric Dodge Viper May Just Be The Future Of Performance Domestic Cars

Marko Sokolovski — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 18:00:15 GMT

Back in the late 1980s, a group of frisky engineers at Chrysler had the idea of putting together a modern interpretation of the Shelby Cobra. The Shelby Cobra was the result of Carroll Shelby fitting a massive powertrain under the hood of the British AC Ace sports car. It had a big V8, massive fender flares, and pretty much nothing else. Fittingly, we have imagined what a modern interpretation of that car might look like. That was the idea behind this new Chrysler product, and they thought they could make it work. Amazingly enough, Chrysler's board of directors actually approved this idea after an overwhelmingly positive public reaction to the concept car, and the engineers started to work. Being a modern interpretation of the Shelby Cobra, they thought of an equally venomous snake to name their new project after: Viper.

EXCLUSIVE: This Brand-New Mitsubishi EVO XI Render Gives New Life To The Japanese Compact Sports Car Scene

Marko Sokolovski — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 18:09:14 GMT

Throughout the pages of history, we've seen many legendary rivalries. David and Goliath, King Kong and Godzilla, so on and so forth. Likewise, we've seen tons of legendary battles in the world of cars. Supra vs Skyline, AMG vs M, Miata vs The World, you get the idea. As far as these legendary automotive gauntlets go, few can quite match the rivalry of the Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, or as they're more colloquially known, the Subie and the Evo.

EXCLUSIVE: This Revived Muscle Car Render Shows Us What A Modern Pontiac GTO Would Look Like

Marko Sokolovski — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 17:00:14 GMT

Thanks to the sheer number of sub-brands at General Motors, they had a division and automaker for just about every type of consumer. Chevrolet for the regular buyer, Buick and Oldsmobile for the premium buyer, Cadillac for the luxury buyer, and Pontiac for the buyer who wanted their car to be good fun to drive. Unfortunately, in the heat of the economic crisis of the late 2000s, GM had to shutter a lot of their divisions, and this included Pontiac.

2023 Lambo Urus Performante Review: Living With The World's Most Hardcore SUV

Michael Van Runkle — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 00:33:23 GMT

Though the concept of driving an SUV on a track might have seemed outlandish only a decade ago, Lamborghini's latest Performante doubles down on the already potent Urus platform with a more aggressive and wider body, more power, and a pivot to steel springs in place of the original super SUV's smooth air suspension system. The combination prompted Lambo to introduce the Urus Performante to the world on track at Vallelunga, in Italy, with a bit of circuit driving and a stint doing some rally drifting in the dirt.

EXCLUSIVE: This Toyota 2000GT Rendering Brings An Icon Into Modern Day

Randy Gardner — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 21:00:14 GMT

The Toyota 2000GT is a certifiable automotive icon. While the original was limited to a mere 351 units, it was a pivotal product for Toyota as a brand. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Toyota vehicles had a stigma of being something embarrassing to drive. Owners of Toyota cars in the United States only bought them because they were among the cheapest vehicles on the market. Dealerships begged Toyota for a product with sensual styling and captivating performance. Toyota delivered with the 2000GT marking the beginning of a long line of fun and unique vehicles from the manufacturer.

EXCLUSIVE: Ford F-150 Lightning Raptor Rendering Combines Performance Prowess And Electric Efficiency

Randy Gardner — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 18:57:37 GMT

The Ford F-150 Raptor is an iconic performance truck that brings muscle to the versatile pickup. With the release of the F-150 Lightning, attention is shifting away from the throaty high-performance trucks. Now that Ford is going all in on electric vehicles, it is only a matter of time before we see a Raptor trim make its way to the Lightning family. Thanks to already potent electric motors with vast amounts of torque, the Lightning is already a nearly perfect platform. Like Raptor owners, most Lightning users won't regularly use their trucks for heavy hauling, allowing Ford to redirect some of the towing optimizations. But what could a Lightning Raptor look like? Artist Timothy Adry Emmanuel paints a vivid picture in this exclusive car rendering that encompasses previous Raptor themes in a Lightning package.

EXCLUSIVE: We Took A Seat Inside The Mercedes-Benz Project MAYBACH Concept Car

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 18:00:14 GMT

If the world of fashion is familiar to you, you might have heard of the name Virgil Abloh. Abloh, who worked as a Creative Director for Louis Vuitton, founded his own label Off-White, and recently passed away in 2021 at the age of 41. This sudden and tragic news shocked many, but the legacy he left behind remains very much at the center of all conversations.

EXCLUSIVE: Check Out This Hypothetical Lamborghini Pickup Render

Marko Sokolovski — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 18:00:15 GMT

At one point, Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini wanted to supply a military vehicle, which they codenamed the Cheetah, mostly to the oil industry for exploration and production purposes. They even trialed it for the US Army, but the Army itself never actually tried it out. After this plan fell through for Lambo, they simply decided to put together a production SUV with what they learned while developing the Cheetah. The resulting LM002 was a truly ridiculous SUV; it used the V12 from the Countach, it had locking differentials, permanent 4WD, and the tires had a sand lip.

EXCLUSIVE: Why Doug DeMuro Took A $37 Million Investment Into Cars & Bids... And Then Bought A Carrera GT

Michael Van Runkle — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 21:00:14 GMT

When automotive YouTuber Doug DeMuro unveiled the auction platform Cars & Bids in June of 2020, he joined a rapidly expanding slate of sites hoping to replicate or build upon the astonishing and easily calculable successes of Bring a Trailer. But where many sites failed to ever survive past the startup phase, Cars & Bids proved capable of capitalizing on the booming collector car industry—even through Covid-19 pandemic concerns. Now, only around two and a half years later, DeMuro has announced that Cars & Bids took on a massive $37 million cash investment from The Chernin Group to support the site's continued growth.

Travis Pastrana's Top 5 Racing Machines

Cameron Parsons — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:31:14 GMT

The Daytona 500, NASCAR's highlight race of the year, is fast approaching and already bringing some big stories for this year's running. Jimmie Johnson, one of the biggest names and most accomplished drivers in recent NASCAR history announced his return to the Cup Series with Daytona on the to-do list. Adding to the excitement for this year's race, Travis Pastrana recently announced his entry to this legendary race, making this his first time back at Daytona in a stock car since 2013. The 23XI Racing team and sponsor Black Rifle Coffee just unveiled Travis' #67 livery ahead of this weekend's race. Travis reflected on the direction of this livery, "Plaid has been a big part of my life in everything since the (dirt bike) double back clip. Since the days of Evel Knievel, the Stars and Stripes have always represented the stunt community and I'm a very proud American. With sponsors Black Rifle Coffee Co and Dixxon flannels, we figured it would be fun to incorporate both. It looks like a plaid car on the straights and an American flag on the banks!"

EXCLUSIVE: Behind The Scenes Of The 2023 Honda Civic Type R With The Product Management Team

Cameron Parsons — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 18:00:14 GMT

When Honda chooses to implement the "Type R" title on any of its models, you know it's something special. The Type R name doesn't come with much mystery as it simply stands for "racing." But this goes to show that when Honda equips a car with this famous badge, it must prove its worth. The Type R badge elevated some of Honda's most notable cars like the Integra, NSX, and Civic. The resulting product came in the form of weight reduction, greater engine performance, track-tuned suspension, more downforce, bigger brakes, or any combination of these. In the US market, the FK8 generation (2017-2021) Honda Civic Type R planted itself as one of the best sport compact cars available during its run. Although it carried four doors, room for kids in the backseat, and front wheel-drive, the Civic Type R punched far above its weight. As the 2023 Civic Type R makes its way onto public roads, it appears the narrative hasn't changed as it improves upon the FK8 Type R even further. We wanted the backstory on the new Civic Type R, so we took the opportunity to interview members of American Honda from the product managers' perspective.

Side-By-Sides Draw Huge Crowds At 2023 King Of The Hammers UTV Rock Race

Michael Van Runkle — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 16:24:37 GMT

The epic desert fest known as King of the Hammers returned to Johnson Valley OHV Area this year for two more weeks of hardcore off-road racing. After venturing out into the cold to watch the same event last year, I knew at least a little bit more of what to expect this time around when I received an invitation from Can-Am to check out Thursday's UTV Hammers Championship race, which combines high-speed desert running with some of the gnarliest rock-crawling known to man.

2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium Manual Review: It Doesn't Get Much Better For The Price

Bassem Girgis — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:00:14 GMT

You can call it a BMW Z4, a Toyota GR Supra, or whatever you feel, the 2023 Toyota GR Supra Manual is one of the funnest sports cars you can drive today, especially for under $60,000. Since 2019, the fifth generation Supra has been making news, with nearly no negative hits other than it's a collaboration with BMW. However, if the German collaboration is able to produce something this dedicated to car enthusiasts, then we need more of it. Since Toyota announced the return of the Supra, fans around the world took to social media and automotive media outlets to complain about the lack of a manual transmission. Toyota heard the cries for the third pedal loud and clear. We got behind the wheel of the 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium with the manual transmission to see if it can be even more fun than the automatic.

EXCLUSIVE: This Company's Modern Pontiac Trans Am Is Keeping The Legendary Muscle Car Spirit Alive

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 18:00:16 GMT

The Pontiac Trans Am was one of the many cars to come out of the original muscle car era back in the '60s. After Ford essentially created the genre with the original Mustang, the first to jump on the bandwagon was Chevrolet with the original Camaro. Pontiac was always the sportier, more hip GM brand, so it was only natural that they got a version of the Camaro as well. The Firebird carried well on until the early 2000s, when GM killed off the F-body platform that the future classic fourth generation Camaro and Firebird rode on. GM then proceeded to kill off the Pontiac brand entirely, almost at the same time as the launch of the fifth generation Camaro in 2010.

HotCars Checks Out The Semi-Secret Honda Museum In SoCal

Michael Van Runkle — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 17:00:13 GMT

Tucked into a nondescript office park in Torrance, California, hides a semi-secret museum featuring some of the greatest Japanese cars ever built. Though not officially open to the public, the American Honda Museum can still be found on Yelp and Google Maps, and even has its own Facebook page—but that doesn't mean that actually getting inside is easy.

REVIEW: 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Brings Horsepower, Technology, And Style For Less Than The Competitors

Bradley Hasemeyer — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 17:00:13 GMT

From the N-line racing program, to vehicles packed with standard features, to spinning off the entire fantastic Genesis brand, Hyundai has fans; and for good reason.

2023 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Line Review: The Best Mid-Size SUV On The Market

Bassem Girgis — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 18:00:14 GMT

We live in an automotive world dominated by SUVs, hybrids, and EVs. With every other person on the road driving an SUV, automakers are competing with everything they got to get the edge. With competition like the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Honda Pilot, Subaru Outback, and Hyundai Palisade, the Kia Telluride certainly has its work cut out for it. However, we truly believe this is one of the best, if not the best, mid-size SUV on the market today. Whether you're looking for style, safety, functionality, or simply the complete package, the 2023 Kia Telluride may be one of the best choices for you. We tested the second-to-last trim level from the top, the Telluride SX-Prestige X-Line, and it's something special.

The 2023 Cadillac XT4 Wins The Compact SUV Beauty Contest, But Is That Enough?

Bradley Hasemeyer — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 18:00:14 GMT

Cadillac is a brand that evolved from starring in AARP commercials to becoming the ride of choice in every 2000s rap video and MTV Cribs episode. Since their resurgence, Cadillac has been taking aim at the Germans and ending up back toward the top of buyers' shopping lists for good reason.

2023 Honda Civic Type R Review: This Is The Best FWD Car In The World

Bassem Girgis — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 17:00:14 GMT

There are notable moments in automotive history that put smiles on millions of Americans' faces. For JDM fans, the introduction of the Honda Civic Type R in the states in 2017 was certainly one of them. While Toyota caused a bang when they announced the fifth generation Supra, which we reviewed and loved in 2022, it simply wasn't the same due to their BMW collaboration. The Civic Type R, however, is everything a JDM fan would want. It's a Japanese compact sports car with a turbocharger, and most importantly, it carries the iconic Type R badge that Americans couldn't get for decades. Fast-forward to this modern day, and Honda is already releasing its updated Type R in the United States. We had the chance to take the 2023 Honda Civic Type R for a week-long spin, and we think this is the best front-wheel drive ever produced.

Nitro Rallycross Star Travis Pastrana Sets Sights On NASCAR Daytona 500

Cameron Parsons — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 21:00:14 GMT

Travis Pastrana, 11-time X Games gold medalist and professional thrill-seeker, has performed just about every stunt possible on machines with wheels and an engine. As of late, he's been promoting and racing in the Nitro Rallycross Series, while cranking out some of the wildest Gymkhana videos the series has seen. Although Travis already has a long list of accomplishments under his belt, he just announced a new endeavor for 2023. This year, he aims to compete in the Daytona 500, NASCAR's most iconic and prestigious race on the calendar. Even with years of varied professional racing experience behind him, he still has his work cut out for him. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Pastrana about this venture, and his thoughts going into the biggest race of one of the biggest racing series in the United States.

First 5 Car Performance Modifications You Should Do Before Anything Else

Bassem Girgis — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:00:15 GMT

True car enthusiasts live for buying used cars, upgrading them, and turning them into real sports cars. The problem is, people saturate the internet with misinformation, or often times outdated information, and instead of building fast sleeper cars, people end up building race-looking cars that can't turn a quick lap for the life of it. There are a lot of modifications you can do to your car to increase horsepower, and a lot of the performance upgrades are actually quite easy. These upgrades come in the form of bolt-on mods, or they can be much more involved (that's for another article). The biggest mistake car people make is in the order of upgrades. We've compiled a different list of 5 performance upgrades you should stop doing. Before thinking of raw horsepower, looks, or historically-proven upgrades, you should focus on the upgrades that will make your car faster, offer you the most value for the money, and most importantly, upgrades that will immediately make your car quicker, better, and safer. Here are the first five upgrades you should do before addressing anything else on your vehicle.

Corvette E-Ray First Look: Up Close & Personal With Chevy's New Hybrid C8

Michael Van Runkle — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 21:33:19 GMT

The newest C8 Corvette E-Ray finally made its long-awaited official debut last week and to celebrate, Chevrolet brought a couple of pre-production cars to the Petersen Automotive Museum to provide exclusive previews for select media. Cloaked in a monotone widebody borrowed from the Z06, the hybrid version nonetheless arrives with slightly less power but the benefits of all-wheel drive thanks to an electric motor mounted between the front wheels.

EXCLUSIVE: Toyo Tires Pays Homage To Ken Block With Hoonitron Display At Tokyo Auto Salon

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 17:00:14 GMT

On January 2nd, the sudden news of Ken Block’s passing shocked the automotive world. Block died in a snowmobile accident in Utah, as confirmed by Hoonigan in an Instagram post. Block started his rallying career in 2005 and ever since, he extended the boundaries of driving, like no other driver had ever done before. He was a “visionary, a pioneer and an icon” wrote Hoonigan in their statement. On top of his many rally victories, Ken Block was also known for his Gymkhana videos, by pushing his cars to the limit in some of the most improbable and most spectacular locations. More recently, he had also driven the Audi S1 Hoonitron – the first electric Gymkhana car– in Las Vegas for what was rightfully called Electrikhana. We went to the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, and quickly made our way to the Toyo Tires' booth where Ken Block's Audi sat, and where he was supposed to be.

EXCLUSIVE: Here's What We Saw At Nissan’s 2024 GT-R Reveal At The 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 21:00:13 GMT

Nissan unveiled their new 2024 GT-R and its NISMO counterpart at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon during their press launch on Friday morning, here in Makuhari Messe - and HotCars was there to get an exclusive look. The R35, which made its first appearance back in 2007, is back again in 2024 for a 16th consecutive year, with mixed reactions from the general public. Though the enthusiasm was palpable in the crowd, the release left more than one questioning afterwards: is this the R35 4.0 or the final R35? One thing is certain, the new 2024 GT-R Premium Edition T-spec and GT-R NISMO Special Edition replace the previous 2022 models that were, until not so long ago, thought of as the “final” R35 models.

DAKAR EXCLUSIVE: Sebastien Loeb And Prodrive R&D Director Discuss The Hunter Off-Road Racer

Michael Van Runkle — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 19:00:12 GMT

British motorsport and engineering firm Prodrive returned to the Dakar Rally this year for a third outing with an improved version of the Hunter racecar. Built on essentially the same platform as years past, with a Ford EcoBoost-derived twin-turbo V6 paired to a Sadev sequential gearbox and dual coilovers at all four corners, in 2022, the Hunter took second and forth at Dakar, first and second at Rallye du Maroc in Morocco, and then first at Rally Andalucia with legendary rallying driver Sebastien Loeb behind the wheel.

EXCLUSIVE: Drako Motors' Shiv Sikand Explains The Engineering Brilliance Behind The 2,000 Horsepower Dragon

Andrew Lambrecht — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:00:13 GMT

Founded in Silicon Valley nearly a decade ago, Drako Motors is a startup best known for its $1.2 million GTE electric supercars. But as Drako Motor's co-founder and executive vice president, Shiv Sikand, points out, it's essential to bring lower-cost, higher-volume vehicles to market to hold more brand relevance. And that's exactly what Drako is doing next. In November 2022, Drako Motors unveiled the Dragon, a $290,000 electric SUV set to make a sensational 2,000 horsepower.

Up Close And Personal At Dakar With Audi's E2 Hybrid Rally Racer

Michael Van Runkle — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 18:00:14 GMT

Last year, Audi brought a futuristic new hybrid called the RS Q e-tron to compete at the 2022 Dakar Rally. The experimental off-roader paired three electric motors with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine from Audi's Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) racecars, with all the long travel suspension and aerodynamics required by hardcore, fast-paced endurance desert racing.

5 Performance Modifications You Should Stop Doing

Bassem Girgis — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 17:00:14 GMT

True car enthusiasts are often more interested in used cars than new ones. This simply allows us to wrench on them and build them from nice cars to sports cars. Building cars has been a hobby for millions of Americans, as well as numerous countries in Europe and Asia, for decades. While a lot of the modifications helped the evolution of the automotive performance world, often proving themselves on tracks and streets around the world, times have changed. The only problem is, some car people never changed with time. If you love working on your car, or if you want to upgrade your street car, you should avoid these five performance upgrades and invest your money in other parts that can yield real benefit.

Making The Case For And Against An Automatic Toyota GR86

Michael Van Runkle — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:18:33 GMT

When Toyota dropped off this GR86, I took about three glances at the shifter before realizing that the car arrived with an automatic transmission. As a holdout from an era of engaging drivers' cars, at least in my mind, the GR86 (as well as its Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ siblings) only came equipped with manual transmissions. Who knew!

2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Review: Driving A Legendary Unicorn

Michael Van Runkle — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 21:32:41 GMT

Back in the early-2000s, Mercedes-Benz owned 40% of the McLaren Group. Not many Americans might know that fact, however, if they only started watching Formula 1 after the popularity of Netflix's dramatic documentary series Drive to Survive. So when a joint project known as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren arrived in the early-2000s, this combination German-British supercar sporting a supercharged V8 and rear-wheel drive in muscle car style probably caught the US market entirely by surprise.

EXCLUSIVE: The 1978 Ford Bronco Gets A Complete Makeover

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:00:13 GMT

There is a very good reason why the Ford Bronco has such a cult following. It first arrived in 1966, and it was among the first off-road SUVs targeted at regular buyers, instead of military buyers and/or people in rural areas. It was unlike the CJ Jeeps and the Land Rovers of the time, and it eventually gained a cult following. Today, the Bronco continues to write a major success story, with a new generation, a sub-lineup, and even more capability, while keeping the spirit of the original. Meanwhile, values for the original Bronco are absolutely out of control.

10 Most Show-Stopping Cars At StanceNation Japan 2022

Claire-Kaoru Sakai — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:00:12 GMT

If there’s one custom car event that never fails to attract massive crowds from all over Japan no matter where it takes place, it is without a doubt StanceNation Japan that we are talking about. In a country where modifying cars feels pretty much like a given for many owners, StanceNation Japan is one of the rare events known for hosting in various prefectures across the country. And this past October, the event was finally back in Tokyo after a four-year long hiatus from the capital.

EXCLUSIVE: A Fresh New Take On The Legendary Audi Quattro

Marko Sokolovski — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 14:00:14 GMT

The original Audi Quattro is easily one of the most iconic rally cars of all time. Audi used it back in the day to show how many benefits putting AWD in a normal car has, and they went on to completely dominate world rally championships the world over. With the Quattro essentially being the backbone of Audi's racing heritage and with it holding such an iconic status among enthusiasts and the auto industry, it's surprising that Audi still hasn't revived the Quattro in some capacity.

2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Review: The Manual Transmission Makes All The Difference

Michael Van Runkle — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 21:33:42 GMT

Long live the Toyota Tacoma, a bulletproof truck with everything you need and nothing you don't. The Tacoma proved ages ago that consumers still value simplicity and utility, though even diehard Toyota fans probably don't realize that the Tacoma still comes with a manual transmission option.

EXCLUSIVE: Ringbrothers' Story Behind Enterprising Partnership And Four SEMA 2022 Builds

Guy Pickrell — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:00:13 GMT

The seemingly unremarkable two square miles that encompass Spring Green, Wisconsin is, in fact, notable for two exceptional reasons. The first is Taliesin, a sedate, hill-top house designed by the famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the second is Ringbrothers, creator of some of the most ferocious and exotic restomods ever built. Jim Ring moved back to his home state of Wisconsin in 1993 and bought a car dealership. The following year he partnered with his brother, Mike to form the company that bears their name. Frustrated by the quality and quantity of stock parts for the classic cars they loved to work on, the brothers set out to make their own, and soon realized the potential of CNC machining equipment, which by the mid-90s had become financially accessible to smaller shops. The enterprising duo set out to develop their own automotive parts business, machining high-quality replacement components from billet aluminum, and later, using carbon fiber.

EXCLUSIVE: The Unofficial Comeback Of The Mercury Cyclone Render

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 17:00:14 GMT

What we know nowadays as muscle cars originated back in the 1960s, when Ford stuck a V8 engine under the hood of their new (at the time) pony car, the Mustang. Due to the Mustang's cheap speed ethos, it flew off the shelves even without a V8 engine, but it was the V8 that gave the galloping horse its icon status that it still has today. Eventually, the other American automakers started playing catch-up with the Mustang, resulting in the Chevrolet Camaro, the Dodge Challenger, and other similar classic cars.

2022 LA Auto Show: This Year's Most Important Industry Developments

Michael Van Runkle — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:00:15 GMT

The LA Auto Show returned to Downtown Los Angeles this year to once again provide consumers with an opportunity to get up close and personal with the automotive trends that will dictate the next few years of mainstream production. In an age when automakers can count on both traditional journalists and influencers to spread the word about every new make and model, auto shows may often seem like a holdover from a bygone era—and yet, the LA Auto Show still attracted everyone from jaded industry insiders to average car buyers who spend less of their normal time paying attention to emerging themes and technologies.

EXCLUSIVE: Crazy Widebody Kit For The MK5 Supra

Marko Sokolovski — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 18:00:14 GMT

The internet is a place where people love to debate. Debates can happen across a variety of topics, and any manner of things. However, the internet doesn't often know how to keep these debates civil and simple, and they often result in chaos. This is very much the case within the automotive community as well. Heated debates happen all the time, whether they are about electricity vs. gasoline, supercars, SUVs, and so much more. Arguably one of the most heated automotive-related debates on the internet concern the Toyota Supra.

Track Tested: Dodge Challenger Hellcat Vs Chevy Camaro ZL1 At Willow Springs

Michael Van Runkle — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:00:13 GMT

Each passing holiday season marks the steady march toward the end of America's modern muscle car era. Electric cars may be the here-and-now already for city commuters but enough holdouts who love big gasoline engines still demand fun toys to serve as daily drivers—and none helped to inaugurate the current climate more than the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro.But Dodge now seems incomprehensibly intent on leading the charge towards e-muscle and Chevrolet will surely follow suit soon, which makes both the high-spec Challenger Hellcat and Camaro ZL1 something of dying breeds. That's exactly why Freedom Street Garage pulled out one of each for two raffle-style sweepstakes closing early in 2023 but first, invited me to take both to the track at Willow Springs Raceway to show potential winners what the two beefy muscle cars can do.

EXCLUSIVE: Driving Rod Hall's Baja 1000-Winning Ford Bronco

Michael Van Runkle — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 21:32:26 GMT

Earlier this year, director Amy Lerner spoke with me about filming her new documentary titled One More Win, which follows off-road racing legend Rod Hall as he attempts a 50th running of the Baja 1000 off-road race. Hall's exploits over the years inspired generations of off-roading enthusiasts and helped establish the sport, but a devastating health diagnosis during filming added to the already challenging prospect of competing, much less finishing, such a grueling endurance event.

EXCLUSIVE: This Toyota Supra Mk4 Restomod Should Satisfy The Mk5 Haters

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:00:14 GMT

Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Toyota's main sports car offering across the world was the Celica. For most of its life, it was a RWD coupe designed and built around the driver and the driving experience. In the late '70s, Toyota decided to broaden the Celica's appeal with an improved version. Instead of going with a popular moniker like GT or Sport or something similar, they decided on something far more captivating: Celica Supra. The Celica Supra eventually became a major success, because it was awesome. So much so, that Toyota decided it was high time for the Supra name to carve its own path, separate from the Celica family, and have the Supra take up the RWD sports car spot in the lineup, while the Celica set about carving the dirt and skyrocketing to the top of the leaderboards in world rally championships.

EXCLUSIVE: This Lamborghini Countach Restomod Is A Great Alternative To The New One

Marko Sokolovski — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 17:00:13 GMT

Being a car enthusiast isn't really a requirement to know what Lamborghini is. It's one of the premiere Italian supercar manufacturers of the world, and we have them to thank for the genius idea of slotting the engine in the rear middle of the car, rather than in the front. They pioneered the modern supercar layout that we all know and love today. Over the past 60 years or so, Lamborghini has put out some truly fantastic supercars, and some not so fortunate ones. However, the absolute peak of the Lamborghini lineup represents the V12-powered models. Since the late 60s, there have only been five. While car enthusiasts love having heated discussions about which one was the best, it's tough to argue with which one is the most recognizable. That honor would have to go to the Countach.

E.C.D., The Defender, Range Rover, And Now E-Type Restomod Specialist Is Just Getting Started

Guy Pickrell — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 18:00:13 GMT

In 2013, Tom and Elliot Humble partnered with Scott Wallace to form E.C.D. Automotive Design. Sharing a love of classic British cars, the three ex-pats set out to realize their vision of restoring and modifying Land Rover Defenders to levels of refinement and performance that far exceeded their original factory condition. From the outset, the partners agreed to bring all aspects of their production plan in-house, enabling them to maintain absolute control over quality, costs, and scheduling. Pioneering restomoders, including firms like Singer Vehicle Design and Ringbrothers, still use specialist contractors to complete certain facets of their builds, and E.C.D.'s 100% in-house goal was a tall order by any standards, but decidedly ambitious for a trio who could show only sagacity in place of manufacturing experience. It took them less than a decade to fulfill every aspect of their founding plan, but don’t expect the plucky Brits to sit on their laurels. In addition to Defenders and Range Rovers, the E-Type Jags are coming, and other models besides.

Devin Ramsey’s “Sumaire” Subaru WRX STi is an Engineered Track Monster

Cameron Parsons — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 18:00:15 GMT

Most car people find themselves getting into trouble as they get deeper into the car modding scene, but Devin Ramsey of Colorado took the opposite approach. While he kicked off his racing interests on the street, it didn’t take long for him to leave the scene and go legit. Concerned about the many dangers that come with street racing, Devin’s father was quick to lure him into the autocross world with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Heading down the path of legal organized racing may have been a lifesaver, but it also started Devin’s addiction to going faster. He floated through an array of cars to race before he landed on his ultimate racecar, a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi that he built into a 600 horsepower track machine.

EXCLUSIVE: Judges Jay Leno And Magnus Walker Talk The Hot Wheels Legends Tour Winner

Michael Van Runkle — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 19:00:13 GMT

Hidden in a huge warehouse in Burbank, California, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour filmed a grand finale event that revealed this year's overall winner after whittling down a global catalog of incredible custom cars. The competition provided an opportunity for fully grown adults to showcase their skills on real-life builds, channeling their childhood passions in the hopes of being selected as the latest 1:64 scale toy from the iconic Mattel brand.

EXCLUSIVE: It's A Perfect Time For Ferrari To Release A New Testarossa

Marko Sokolovski — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 19:00:13 GMT

Italian supercars. While other automakers from other countries have conjured up some pretty amazing supercar efforts since the '60s, Italian supercars are pretty quintessential. After all, Italy invented what we know nowadays as the modern supercar with a mid-engine layout. Over the years, and especially with the advent of Lamborghini, the Italian supercar rivalry got even more intense. Perhaps the most well-known Italian supercar pairing of all time is the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa.

EXCLUSIVE: This Nissan GT-R R36 Render Reminds Us That A New Generation Is Definitely Long Overdue

Marko Sokolovski — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 17:00:13 GMT

Back in the 1960s, just before Nissan sold the Skyline under the Nissan badge, they had no idea that they were about to launch a whole lineage of iconic cars that still get praise to this day, to the point where one might consider them overrated. The first homologation special Skyline was the original, extremely valuable 2000GT-R, which dominated the world circuit back in its day. By its retirement, the original racked up over 1,000 victories. Ever since then, there have been a fair few Skyline GT-R models, including the original C10, affectionately known as the Hakosuka, the R32, the R33, and of course, the R34.

Exclusive: We Went To An Obscure Car Meet, And This Is What We Saw

Jon Morris — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:00:12 GMT

The November air was unseasonably warm and inviting as the sunlight descended upon Pittsburgh’s North Side, casting its glow upon an eclectic array of automobiles, all gathered together in the name of obscurity. North Side Coffee & Cars is a monthly event in the Steel City, which aims to gather and showcase some of the most obscure cars within the area.

EXCLUSIVE: A Ford Gran Torino Revival Would Be A Perfect Stablemate To The Mustang

Marko Sokolovski — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 22:00:13 GMT

Back in 1964, Ford had no idea that they were about to kickstart a total revolution in the world of cars. They decided to show the world that going fast for not much money was possible, and they proved it with the original Mustang. In addition to making cheap speed possible, especially when they started offering it with a V8, the Mustang was the first car to take customization quite seriously, with Ford giving buyers the opportunity to spec out their Mustang with a variety of different colors, wheels, and accessories to truly make it their own.

HotCars At SEMA 2022: The Good, The Bad, And The Absolutely Outrageous

Michael Van Runkle — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 19:00:13 GMT

The automotive spectacular known as SEMA arrived en force at Las Vegas once more for 2022, after skipping a year in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and then putting on a lightly attended show in 2021. Last year, I covered every single day at SEMA, starting right from the opening ceremony on Monday. It was almost too much, especially since I had never been to SEMA before and therefore arrived without knowing what to expect.