Kurt Ernst, Contributor
Articles
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In the First World War, the British Royal Navy came up with a plan to counter the threat of German submarines, which were decimating shipping in the Atlantic. Vulnerable merchant ships were fitted... -
Porsche Sending Classics To The 2012 Mille Miglia, TooJust last week, BMW announced that it would send a selection of cars from the BMW Classics collection to participate in the 2012 Mille Miglia. The vintage car rally is scheduled from May 16 through May 20, and the route will run from Brescia to Rome and back again. Not to be outdone by BMW, Porsche...
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The Story Of Pagani Automobili: VideoHoracio Pagani began his career as an automotive designer at a very early age, carving futuristic body designs from blocks of balsa wood. Inspired by the works of Leonardo DaVinci, Pagani believed it was both possible and necessary to combine art and engineering. By age 20, Pagani had designed and...
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McLaren Likely To Embrace High Nose F1 DesignCompared to cars like the 2012 Red Bull RB8 and the 2012 Ferrari F2012, the current McLaren MP4-27 pictured above uses an oddly-conventional nose design. That may be costing the team seconds on the racetrack, so it’s recently tested a high-nose design at Mugello. As Autosport tells us, the...
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Mercedes-Benz Has A Dark Side, Too: VideoIf we say “Mercedes-Benz,” what are the first adjectives to pop into your head? Chances are good you’ll come up with words like “plush,” or “coddling,” or “luxurious.” It isn’t likely that words like “crisp,”...
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The Ongoing Saga Of Porsche's Sub-BoxsterIt’s been a busy year for speculation on future Porsche models, and we’re not even at the halfway point yet. In January, Porsche CEO Matthais Mueller seemed to say “nein” to the idea of an entry-level Porsche roadster by commenting, “Possibly we need to wait until the...
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Patrick Long’s job requires him to wear a suit to the office. It’s not a three-piece suit, but it is a three-layer suit, since Long works as a factory racer for Porsche. In fact, Long is... -
Rolls-Royce Explains The Phantom Series II: VideoRolls-Royce buyers don’t like change, yet every product has to evolve to stay current. When dealing with a product like Rolls-Royce’s flagship Phantom, the trick is to change the car enough to be different, yet not so much as to alienate brand loyalists. When penning the Phantom Series...
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Want To Win A Chance To Drive A Lotus F1 Car?Climbing behind the wheel of an F1 car generally requires years of racing experience, the reflexes of a fighter pilot and a sixth sense for car control that few people possess. Failing that, you could be the host of a very successful BBC automotive show, or you win a contest sponsored by watchmaker...
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Cadillac Pulls Out The Stops To Launch CUEThe user interfaces of modern infotainment systems can be difficult for the average consumer to understand and embrace. Ford learned this lesson the hard way when it launched the MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch infotainment systems to a flood of criticism and negative feedback. Cadillac...
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Buick's Latest Voice? Swimsuit And Lingerie Model Marisa Miller: VideoBuick is trying really hard to portray itself as a manufacturer of stylish and hip vehicles. To do so, they’ve enlisted the help of an odd cast of characters: first came former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, talking about the “oh effect” that Buicks can potentially have on...
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Carlisle Events Giving Away A Pair Of EnginesAre you a Chevy fan or a Mopar fan with a project in your garage just awaiting a new engine? If so, we’ve got good news for you: at the upcoming Carlisle GM Nationals, scheduled for June 22-24, Carlise and Auto Enthusiast will give away a 1963 Chevy 409-cubic-inch V-8. Two weeks later...
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We’re not sure this comes as news to many racing fans, but here it is: seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher is the world’s second-richest athlete, racking up some $823... -
1958 Porsche Speedster Could Be The Barn Find Of The YearIf you’re looking for an all-original 1958 Porsche Speedster with less than 100,000 miles on the clock, where would you even start looking? A high-end auction, like RM Auctions or Gooding and Company? A retailer of collectible cars, like Canepa Design? Chances are good you wouldn’t...
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2013 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Chosen As Indy 500 Pace CarThe 2013 Chevy Corvette ZR1 is the 11th Corvette chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500, and the most powerful production pace car in history.
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Lapping Laguna Seca On Two Wheels... In A Mustang: VideoPlenty of motorcycle riders have lapped Laguna Seca on two wheels, and plenty of Fox-bodied Mustangs have run the track on four wheels. No one, as far as we know, has ever driven the course’s 2.24 miles in a Mustang (or any other car) on two wheels. That didn’t stop stuntman James...
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EPA Sees No Fuel Economy Gains From The 2013 Audi A8 3.0TSmall is the new big, at least according to automakers who are scrambling to downsize engines to meet upcoming fuel economy and emission standards. No automaker is immune, and even luxury marques like BMW and Audi have jumped on the smaller-is-better bandwagon. Forced induction is the key to making...
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2012 BMW 3-Series Models Recalled For Head Restraint IssueBMW is recalling 7,600 new 3-Series models to correct a potential defect with the front seat headrests.
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The United Kingdom is honoring 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign with a Diamond Jubilee event stretching from May 10-13. As part of the celebration, Ferrari owners and collectors will...
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Marussia B2 Sports Coupe Order Books FullWe’ve got bad news for any European readers hoping to buy a Russian-designed, Finnish-built lightweight sports coupe styled after a fighter jet: you’re chance to place an order for a Marussia B2 has come and gone. Word from the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf is that the order book for the...
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BMW Working On Harder-Edged Z4 Replacement: ReportMake a list of the world’s best-handling roadsters, and what would be on it? The Porsche Boxster, without a doubt, and likely the Honda S2000 (even though it’s no longer in production). We’d expect to see the Nissan 370Z on the list, as well as the Mazda MX-5 Miata. On the other...
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The Veyron's Place In Bugatti History: VideoTo fully understand the story of the Bugatti Veyron supercar, first it’s necessary to understand a bit about the company founded by Ettore Bugatti in 1909. Ettore Bugatti came from a family of artists, and art has featured prominently in the design of not just Bugatti automobiles, but in...
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David Yurman Crafts A Watch To Honor The Shelby 1000Thousand-plus-horsepower Mustangs (or even 950 horsepower Mustangs, in street trim) don’t come along every day, which is why jeweler David Yurman has created a special timepiece to honor the Shelby 1000 Mustang. Limited to a production run of just 300 units (150 in stainless steel and 150 in...
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2013 Cadillac ATS Pricing AnnouncedThe 2013 Cadillac ATS sedan will be priced from under $34,000 including destination charge, making it a serious value in the compact luxury segment.
Kurt Ernst