Kurt Ernst, Contributor
Articles
-
Audi and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati both have a history of tackling the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb. Now that the brands are under one roof, it makes perfect sense to use this...
-
Jaguar Shows Its F-Type At Speed Before Paris Debut: Video
It seems we know all there is to know about the upcoming Jaguar F-Type roadster. Unlike Jaguars of recent years (excluding the surprisingly hard-edged XKR-S), it will be focused more on handling than on luxury. It will come with a choice of three supercharged engines, including two V-6s and a V-8...
Kurt Ernst -
Roger Penske's Sons Charged With Breaking And Entering
Racing and automotive mogul Roger Penske isn’t having a good summer. First, there was the whole A.J.-Almendinger-testing-positive-for-banned-substances incident to deal with, which left Penske’s NASCAR Sprint Cup team down a contracted driver after Almendinger’s release. Now, just...
Kurt Ernst -
Ultra-Rare 1965 Shelby Cobra DragonSnake Enters Restoration
The beauty of a barn find is this: sometimes you don’t even know what you have until you start the process of disassembly. Take the case of a 1965 Shelby DragonSnake Cobra for example: when purchased by a collector last year, he believed it to be one of six built. As it turns out, the car was...
Kurt Ernst -
Pedestrian Detection Is The Next Auto Safety Trend
As we move closer and closer to a future that involves fully autonomous cars, it’s becoming clear that systems developed for the self driving cars of tomorrow are making cars of today safer. Recent studies prove that technologies like collision detection, lane departure warning, adaptive...
Kurt Ernst -
Here's What Fiat's Sergio Marchionne Drives For Fun
Running a major automaker involves lots of hard work and plenty of long hours, but rank hath its privileges. In addition to the six-or-seven figure salary plus stock options, it’s pretty much a given that the CEO gets to pick any car (or really, any cars) from the company catalog to drive...
Kurt Ernst -
We first told you about a planned roadster version of Alfa Romeo’s upcoming 4C sports car in March of 2011. Since then, there hasn’t been much to report on the open-top sports car,...
-
Will Spyker Focus On Brand-Building In The U.S.?
Luxury supercar builder (and former Saab parent) Spyker has just announced the appointment of John Walton to the dual roles of chief commercial officer and managing director of its American business unit. Walton is the former vice president of Aston Martin North America, back when the luxury...
Kurt Ernst -
Aston Martin Visits Bosch's Boxberg Proving Grounds: Video
In addition to providing Aston Martin owners with specialized driving instruction programs in the U.K. and the U.S., the luxury sports car maker also runs a series of more relaxed “lifestyle events,” which usually involve scenic tours in Aston Martin automobiles. Somewhere in between...
Kurt Ernst -
Would You Drive A 109 Year Old Oldsmobile Across The United States?
Joy Rainey’s motorsport resume can hold its own against most non-professional drivers. The U.K. resident is a veteran of events including the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the London to Sydney Marathon and the Carrera Sudamericana. She also campaigned a Jaguar E-Type in hill climb...
Kurt Ernst -
Listen To A 1990 Benetton Ford Play Its F1 Symphony: Video
Just in case you’ve never seen an F1 race in person or on television, we’ll warn you in advance: the unmuffled engines of Formula One cars are loud. They’re also extremely high-strung, which is why teams go through as many engines as FIA rules allow in the course of a single...
Kurt Ernst -
Can Alfa Romeo's Upcoming Giulia Sedan Take On BMW's 3-Series?
Alfa Romeo will likely relaunch as a brand in the United States with its limited-production 4C sports car, followed by the far more mainstream Giulia sedan. To say that Alfa has a lot riding on the success of the Giulia in both the U.S. and Europe is a huge understatement, and it’s seen as...
Kurt Ernst -
As the name implies, a supercar is suppose to thrill its owner in every possible regard. While Spyker’s C8 Aileron is said to be a big improvement over the old C8, power output is still a...
-
Bertone's 1967 Jaguar Pirana Concept To Be Displayed At Concorso Italiano
Fresh off a recent restoration, the 1967 Bertone Jaguar Pirana concept will be one of the featured cars at the upcoming Concorso Italiano, scheduled for Friday, August 17 at the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey, California. The styling may be Italian, but underneath the Pirana’s futuristic...
Kurt Ernst -
A Track Day Veteran Lamborghini Aventador: Video
For many buyers, the purchase of a supercar is merely a way of showing the neighbors that you have more money (or care about saving it less) than they do. All too often, supercars are driven to events like car shows, or perhaps out to a five-star restaurant, before being returned to their lives of...
Kurt Ernst -
2012 Audi R8 To Come In Exclusive Selection Editions
If you’re in the market for a 2012 Audi R8, there are two limited-production models built just for the American market that are about to hit U.S. Audi dealers. Called “Exclusive Selection Editions,” Audi will produce just 20 examples powered by its 4.2-liter V-8, and only 30...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Buick Verano Turbo Priced From $29,990
Buick's latest sporty sedan offering, the 2013 Verano Turbo, will hit dealerships with a starting price of $29,990.
Kurt Ernst -
Nissan Unveils Its Completed Project 370Z: Video
To promote its refreshed 2013 370Z, Nissan solicited fan feedback on its Nissan Performance Facebook page to create the world’s first crowdsourced 370Z track car. Since Kicking off what it called "Project 370Z," Nissan has shown us two videos of the car under assembly, and now we get to see a...
Kurt Ernst -
Automotive designer Jean Bugatti was the man behind the styling of such classic Bugatti automobiles as the Type 41 Royale and the Type 57. Despite his artistic gift, Bugatti was an engineer who also...
-
Audi Ultra Technology Links Le Mans Victory To The New RS 5: Video
If you haven’t seen Audi’s video, Truth In 24 II, it’s well worth a screening when you have the time. The documentary details Audi’s efforts at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, through the eyes of people like driver Benoit Treluyer and race engineer Leena Gade. Footage from the...
Kurt Ernst -
Porsche Shows Off Cars From Its 'Secret' Collection: Video
Porsche’s original factory museum, opened in 1976, was modest in both location and scope. Situated on a side street in Stuttgart, the facility was only large enough to display some 20 cars at any given time. In 2009, Porsche opened a new museum in Zuffenhausen, adjacent to its corporate...
Kurt Ernst -
MINI Talks Development Of Its John Cooper Works GP: Video
MINI has already made it perfectly clear that its new MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP will be the fastest production car its ever built, and a new series of videos gives us a good idea of how much MINI is sweating the details. While the original MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP, sold only in 2006...
Kurt Ernst -
Cannonball 2000 Rally Entrants Help Sick Children's Dreams Come True
The original Cannonball Baker Sea To Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was a highly illegal and controversial event hastily assembled by Brock Yates in protest of the Draconian 55 mph national speed limit enacted in the United States in the early 1970s. The idea was to run across the continental...
Kurt Ernst -
If Genius Is In The Details, The 2013 Lexus LS Is Brilliant: Video
Ponder the steering wheel in your car for just a minute. Chances are good it was produced by a single vendor via a fully automated process in a matter of minutes. Even if it’s wrapped in leather or suede, stitched by hand, it probably took no longer than a few hours to craft. Now ponder the...
Kurt Ernst