Kurt Ernst, Contributor
Articles
-
As anyone who’s ever participated in bench racing will tell you, it’s easy to throw down numbers and brag about specs from a sheet of paper. Backing numbers up with real-world... -
Shelby's 'Green Hornet' Mustang To Cross The Block In ScottsdaleWhile there is no shortage of rare and desirable Mustangs affiliated with Carroll Shelby, it’s hard to top a car that’s one of one, especially when the saved-from-the-crusher car was never intended to be more than a Ford design study. Inspired by the success of the “California...
Kurt Ernst -
Dodge Challenger To Get Redesign, Spawn SRT Barracuda Variant: ReportTo paraphrase Mark Twain, “rumors of the Dodge Challenger’s demise may be greatly exaggerated.” Despite the anticipated introduction of the SRT Barracuda (perhaps the worst-kept secret in Auburn Hills), it now appears that Dodge may not be killing off the Challenger after all...
Kurt Ernst -
Acura ILX, Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ Do Well In Latest IIHS TestingAmericans, right or wrong, tend to equate the size of a vehicle with its safety. While you can’t get around the laws of physics, the latest testing from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that small cars, when designed properly, can be safe, too. The latest vehicles to earn the...
Kurt Ernst -
2014 Cadillac ELR Spy ShotsHere are the latest shots of Cadillac’s extended-range electric ELR, wearing a triangular camouflage pattern, undergoing what appears to be hot-weather testing at an undisclosed location in the Southwest. Originally shown as the Converj in January of 2009, the Volt-based luxury car has since...
Kurt Ernst -
Chris Harris Rants On The MX-5... Again: VideoEsteemed moto-journalist Chris Harris doesn’t like the Mazda MX-5 Miata. In an now-famous article, Harris shot down the MX-5 as a sports car, calling it “just a way of being exposed to the elements.” Worse, he penned that the MX-5 “drives with all the precision of a boneless...
Kurt Ernst -
Back in April, we told you about a newly-announced partnership between luxury automaker Bentley and luxury lodging provider Starwood Hotels. In addition to providing lodging for Bentley’s... -
Lexus Tops BMW, Mercedes In August U.S. SalesFor the first time since December of 2010, Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, sold more cars in the U.S. last month than German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lexus delivered 24,237 vehicles in August, compared to 16,835 from BMW (excluding MINI) and 22,686 from Mercedes-Benz (excluding Smart)...
Kurt Ernst -
Audi Kicking Off S8 Sales With NFL Advertising: VideoFor the first time in its history, Audi will sell all of its S Models in the United States, giving buyers on these shores the chance to sample all of the brand’s race-derived luxury performance wares. To highlight this, Audi will launch a new television commercial for the S8 during...
Kurt Ernst -
Barn Finds, British StyleMore and more automakers with historically significant cars are getting into the process of factory restoration as an added service for their customers. Porsche and BMW will both take on restorations, and Ferrari will do the same for its racing cars. Aston Martin wants customers to know that it...
Kurt Ernst -
Grand Am And ALMS Announce MergerYesterday we brought you word that the Grand Am and American Le Mans Series (ALMS) would likely be announcing a merger in the very near future, and today it’s official: as of 2014, the two sports car racing series will unify under one common banner. Details, such as the name of the combined...
Kurt Ernst -
Bentley America Moves Headquarters, AgainIf you work for Bentley Motors in its United States corporate offices, here’s some free advice: you may want to consider renting a house instead of buying one, given the luxury automaker’s recent history of relocation. In 2008, Bentley moved its North American corporate headquarters...
Kurt Ernst -
The Trans-Am series is best known for wheel-to-wheel racing between the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro, especially during the height of its popularity from 1968 to 1972.
More than just ... -
2014 Volkswagen Golf Revealed Ahead Of Paris DebutVolkswagen won’t show off its latest generation of Golf hatchback to the general public until the upcoming Paris Auto Show, but the German automaker chose to release images and details of the upcoming car at a special event in Berlin. If you were expecting big changes in exterior styling...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Volvo S80, XC70 Models Recalled For TPMS Programming FlawVolvo is recalling some 300 model year 2013 S80 sedans and XC70 wagons to correct a software error in the Central Electronic Module relating to the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). As delivered, the cars will display a “TPMS Service Required” message after some 15 minutes of...
Kurt Ernst -
Arnold Schwarzenegger Drops Hummer For A Mercedes Unimog: VideoArnold Schwarzenegger isn’t the kind of guy to drive a Mazda MX-5, and we don’t see a Fiat 500 Abarth in his future, either. In fact, the actor and former governor of California has a way of making even normally-sized cars, like a Camaro ZL1, seem comically small. We’re not sure...
Kurt Ernst -
Property Foreclosure Forces Auction Of Ferrari CollectionHere’s today’s hard life lesson: when you own a collection of Ferraris and your real estate business goes bankrupt, its best to move the cars before the bank forecloses on your storage warehouse. If you’re into the potentially illegal act of hiding assets, that is. A Dutch...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Chrysler 300 Gets Upscale Trim, New Glacier EditionIf you’re looking for a sedan with amenities like Poltrona Frau leather, hand-sanded matte wood trim, a powered rear sunscreen, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-path detection and an eight-speed automatic transmission, chances are good you’re shopping only European brands. For 2013...
Kurt Ernst -
If you’re a fan of endurance racing in the United States, here’s some (potentially) good news for you: Speed TV is reporting that a merger between rivals American Le Mans Series (ALMS)... -
2014 Kia Soul Spy ShotsKia won't give us any details on the 2014 Soul, but these spy shots seem to confirm that changes for the popular hatch are in store.
Kurt Ernst -
Mazda Works To Combat Distracted Driving: VideoIn 2010, 3,092 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver, while some 416,000 were injured in crashes involving driver distraction. Traveling at 55 mph, a driver covers some 300 yards, blind, in the 4.6 seconds it takes to send the average text. Those numbers aren’t...
Kurt Ernst -
Jaguar Debuts AWD System, XFR Speed Pack At Moscow Auto ShowWhen it comes to key auto shows worldwide, the Moscow Auto Show is rarely mentioned in the revered tones as the Paris Auto Show, the North American International Auto Show or even the Geneva Motor Show. Still, Russia is a key market for automakers, especially those in the luxury segment, so having...
Kurt Ernst -
BMW's DesignworksUSA Builds The Ultimate... Gaming Mouse?BMW has long been known for building the “Ultimate Driving Machine,” but now a division of the Munich-based automaker is taking “Ultimate” in an entirely new direction, designing what may be the pinnacle of computer gaming mice. We didn’t know there was a market for...
Kurt Ernst -
Alex Zanardi Ponders His Next RaceNext week, Alex Zanardi will climb aboard his hand-powered tricycle and compete for Italy in the 2012 Paralympic Games. It’s oddly fitting that the road cycling events will take place at England’s Brands Hatch circuit, where Zanardi last competed behind the wheel of a World Touring Car...
Kurt Ernst