Sports Cars
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He was brought in back in 2014 to help bring back Lotus from the brink of bankruptcy and turn it into a viable automaker, but now Jean-Marc Gales has given up his CEO position at the British sports car brand. Gales on Monday revealed via a statement that he has left Lotus for “personal reasons,” though we know he also has a new job lined up at classic car retailer and restorer JD Classics. He hasn't completely cut ties with Lotus, however. He will remain as an adviser to Chairman Daniel Donghui Li. Meanwhile, taking over the reins at Lotus will be Feng Qingfeng. Both Li and...
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BMW drops first details on next Z4
There's a new BMW Z4 racing into showrooms next year, and uniquely the car has been developed on a platform shared with the modern-day Toyota Supra due about the same time. This bodes well for the BMW as having a dedicated sports car platform should turn what has traditionally been a hairdresser's...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Maserati to add Alfieri halo car, new SUV, electric powertrain from Ferrari
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles during an investor meeting Friday revealed that Maserati has an electric future...in more ways than one. The Italian luxury brand has been largely lost in the FCA portfolio, but it will get six new vehicles by 2022, including a long-awaited Alfieri halo car and a new SUV...
Kirk Bell -
Will the next VW Golf R dish out 400 horsepower?
Volkswagen is hard at work prepping the MkVIII Golf, which should arrive sometime in the next year or so. That also means we'll have a fresh take on the GTI and the hot hatch Golf R. It seems, however, that VW is eager to turn the Golf R from a hot hatch into a scorching one. And by scorching, we...
Jeff Glucker -
Electric Audi RS 3 boasts 4 electric motors, 1,180 horsepower
The Audi RS 3 is no slouch of a sport sedan, but Schaeffler Group has given the car an electrified shot in the arm. The firm yanked out the original 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine and fitted four Formula E-sourced electric motors. The end result? 1,180 horsepower. Schaeffler Group created...
Sean Szymkowski -
Proposed Jaguar I-Pace SVR could be too quick for untrained drivers
Jaguar product planning boss Hanno Kirner believes the instant torque and power found in a hypothetical I-Pace SVR could be too much for untrained drivers. While he stopped short of confirming a high-performance version of the electric crossover, he made it clear such a vehicle is on the table...
Sean Szymkowski -
I awaken at the Dorint Hotel on a cool, dewy May morning. The surface of the famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife rests just a few feet outside my window, and it, as well as the plentiful surrounding greenery, is shrouded in a pea soup fog. Mid-May shouldn’t be this cold. The temperature struggles to hit 50 degrees. In a perfect universe, the sun breaks through the fog so I can test the new top performer in the Aston Martin DB11 range, the 2019 DB11 AMR, on the most revered and challenging racetrack in the world. Psyche! Aston Martin didn’t invite journalists here to drive on the...
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Small bump in power for 2019 Subaru WRX STI
Subaru on Thursday announced a round of updates for the 2019 WRX and WRX STI, and for the latter there's extra power to be had. But before you get too excited we'll point out that there's only five extra horses, bringing total output of the 2019 WRX STI to 310 horsepower. The new total matches the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: More than 1 hybrid variant pegged for next Porsche 911
Porsche is working on its next-generation 911 and the automaker has indicated that hybrid technology will play a role. However, we've now learned that it could play a bigger role than previously thought. Auto Express reported Thursday that the next 911, code-named the 992 and due on sale in 2019...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T first drive review: the way forward for a classic
The scene in the rearview mirror of the 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T is remarkably clear. It’s all high-definition vineyards and crystal-clear coastline, for as long as I dare look back. Why it’s so clear: Engineers fitted thinner rear and side windows that are not only 6 pounds lighter...
Aaron Cole -
Jaguar product boss hints at second sports car
Plans for a second Jaguar sports car appear to have picked up steam internally. Jaguar product boss Hanno Kirner has hinted the brand has plans for a potential family of sports cars. He told Autocar in a Monday report that the F-Type has been a major success and that Jaguar loves sports cars. "I...
Sean Szymkowski -
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 roars into Jay Leno's Garage
The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is one of the fastest cars in production right now, but it isn't an exotic with a price tag resembling some mortgages. How fast can it go? Chevy has set a lap record at Virginia International Raceway and also clocked the car at 212 mph. Jay Leno has been fortunate...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fans of Shelby's Series 1 sports car launched in the late '90s can look forward to a modern version based on the donor chassis of one of the originals. Unveiled Thursday, the new car is called the Series 2, and virtually every element from the donor Series 1 has been either redesigned or replaced for enhanced performance. The Series 1 arrived for 1999 and has the honor of being the sole car designed and developed from the ground up by Carroll Shelby. The plan was to use the car's aluminum honeycomb monocoque chassis for a line of modern sports cars, which was why the first was called the...
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2018 Ford Mustang GT Performance Package Level 2 first drive: making it a real sports car
The Ford Mustang was born a pony car, but it’s worked tirelessly for most of the last decade to move past its roots. To become a true sports car. The reintroduction of the Boss 302 in 2012 came close, but only in 2015 did Ford finally ditch the Mustang's solid rear axle for modern technology...
Joel Feder -
2019 BMW M2 Competition priced from $58,900
Roundel fans, rejoice. While BMW is busy focusing on bringing more SUVs and electric cars to the market, the M division still wants more performance options. By hook or by crook, the M folks seem to have snuck one past the money men: the 2019 M2 Competition. And the best part is that there's no...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Watch the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS at play on the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is wrapped by a seemingly endless twisting, undulating sliver of tarmac that's as beautiful as it is dangerous. Certain sections of the road have no speed limits. It's the home of the most dangerous event on the motorsports calendar. It's also the perfect place to grab a 2019...
Jeff Glucker -
Aston Martin inaugurates AMR Performance Center
Aston Martin on Friday cut the ribbon on the new AMR Performance Center located next to the Nürburgring race track in Germany. The site isn't actually new as it was originally established in 2008 as the Nürburgring Test Center, though the name change reflects the more customer-oriented...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Cody Walker brings a Toyota Supra to Jay Leno's Garage
You're in for a special episode of “Jay Leno's Garage” today. Cody Walker, the youngest brother of the late Paul Walker, visits Jay Leno and the comedian's famous garage with a 1993 Toyota Supra. But this isn't any old Supra. It's a right-hand-drive example shipped from Japan, probably...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Buyers looking for a serious sports car with luxury and style have a new option in the form of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster. The open-top version of AMG's sports car made its debut in 2016 but only in GT and GT C guises. Now the Affalterbach tuner has added the mid-range GT S Roadster. Like all AMG GT models, the GT S Roadster is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and spinning the rear wheels. The car also comes standard with an electronically controlled locking differential at the rear axle, which is integrated with...
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Wolfgang Porsche shares his top 5 favorite Porsches
Dr. Wolfgang Porsche is the grandson of Porsche found Ferdinand Porsche. His older brother Butzi designed the 911. Wolfgang is a competent metalworker in his own right, but he's not getting his hands dirty these days. Dr. Porsche (how cool would that look on a business card?) helps run the good...
Jeff Glucker -
2019 Aston Martin DB11 gets the AMR treatment
The DB11 is very much the grand tourer of Aston Martin's lineup, meaning it's big and comfy though not necessarily the best choice when heading for a track. For that there's the Vantage. However, not everyone will want to go with the smaller car, so Aston Martin has developed a sharper, more...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Dodge didn't build a Viper Targa, so one company did it for them
We waved goodbye to the Dodge Viper last year as production came to an end. The Viper's production end still stings, but perhaps what hurts a smidge more is the fact we never saw a factory Viper convertible or targa top for the fifth-generation sports car. After all, every other Viper generation...
Sean Szymkowski -
BMW won't make an M2 convertible, but this German company did
BMW does not offer the wonderful M2 as a convertible, but that hasn't stopped a German company by the name of Lightweight from modding the standard convertible into something comparable. With some modifications and M2 parts, Lightweight will transform a standard 2-Series convertible into a drop-top...
Sean Szymkowski -
Record-setting, Shelby-fighting 215-mph Cheetah to be auctioned
The Shelby Cobra gets all the love, but it's Bill Thomas' Cheetah that deserves plenty of praise and adulation as well. One example is heading to auction, and it's a prime example of a rare racing machine. In fact, this is probably the cleanest unrestored example out there and just 11 original cars...
Jeff Glucker