Kurt Ernst, Contributor
Articles
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Let’s be perfectly clear about something: Las Vegas exists to separate you from your money as quickly and efficiently as possible. With the possible exception of games of skill, winning a... -
Sometimes Your Head's Just Not In The Right Place: VideoWe’ll warn you in advance that the video below is NSFW, courtesy of a pair of bared female buttocks about seven seconds in. It’s tasteful nudity, but if that kind of stuff offends you, it’s probably best if you just skip this video. While this commercial wouldn't even get a second...
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Salon Prive Announces Details of 2012 EventAny good Concours d’Elegance event is equal parts car show and celebration of the luxury lifestyle. If you’re in the one-percent, there’s plenty of opportunity to display your net worth; if you’re not, the chance to mingle with the ultra-rich while taking in the...
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Mercedes-Benz May Grab Number Two Spot From Audi By 2015Audi has a long-standing goal of becoming the world’s number one luxury automaker, and for the past few years it looked like the four-ring brand was well on its way to achieving this. Last year, Audi sold just over 1.3 million vehicles worldwide, beating rival Mercedes-Benz (1.26 million) and...
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Video: Alex Zanardi Takes To A New Form Of RacingIf you’re a new fan of motor racing, chances are good the name Alex Zanardi means nothing to you. While the Italian driver spent five seasons in Formula One (1991-94, 1999), his greatest success behind the wheel came in the American CART open-wheel series, where Zanardi raced from 1996-98...
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Aston Martin Vantage GTE Set For European Racing DebutAfter making its competitive debut at the World Endurance Championship season-opener in Sebring, Florida, the Aston Martin Vantage GTE will make its first European appearance at the upcoming Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, scheduled for Saturday, May 5. In its first two North American outings...
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If you ask 100 car enthusiasts to name the most significant cars of the postwar era (after 1945), only one thing is certain: you aren’t likely to get the same list twice. Don’t believe...
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The Fiat 500 Takes The First SCCA B-Spec Series WinLast fall we told you about the SCCA’s new B-Spec series, designed to be an affordable gateway into the world of SCCA racing. Cars for the series are purpose-built and include the Kia Rio, the MINI Cooper, the Mazda2, the Ford Fiesta, the Honda Fit and the Fiat 500. By series rules, each car...
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Video: Build Your Own Papercraft Bugatti VeyronAre you fascinated by the Bugatti Veyron’s lines, but lack the multimillion dollar price of admission? Do you yearn to lovingly caress the curve of the Veyron’s rear fender, or gaze longingly at its inverted horseshoe grille? Despair not, financially-challenged supercar fans: thanks to...
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Truth In 24 Documents Audi's 2011 Le Mans EffortYou win the Indianapolis 500 or the Monaco Grand Prix; if you’re lucky, you survive the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That thought was the premise behind Audi’s 2009 documentary, entitled Truth in 24, which is still available as a free download on iTunes. The film captured the story of...
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Rare 1991 Aston Martin Zagato Sanction II Coupe Heads To AuctionIn 1960, Aston Martin collaborated with Zagato to build a lightweight, higher performance variant of the Aston Martin DB4 GT, to be called the DB4 GT Zagato. Initial plans called for the production of 25 units, but demand never reached expected levels. In the end, only 20 cars were produced from...
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Limited Edition Roush Mustang Hits The Block For CharityOn May 16th, as part of the SAE Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, a one-of-one 2013 Roush Stage 3 Mustang will cross the auction block at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Donated by Ford and Roush, proceeds from the sale of this unique Mustang will go to support the SAE’s...
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When you hit the lottery jackpot, or land that mid-six-figure bonus, what’s the very first sedan you’re going to buy? Notice that we didn’t say “car,” since we suspect... -
Keep Your 2012 Camaro ZL1, We'll Take This '68 Camaro Convertible: VideoWhen it comes to the pro touring scene, few car enthusiasts are on the fence. Critics say that pro touring modifications (like modern drivetrains, suspensions, brakes and conveniences) ruin potentially collectible cars, of which there is a finite and ever-decreasing supply. Fans, on the other hand...
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Does Driving Over Someone's Toes Merit A Seven-Year Sentence?Are any American readers planning a visit to Norway in the near future? If so, allow us to offer up some free advice: you may want to avoid wearing anything with an American flag, and if anyone asks where you’re from, just answer “Canada.” Why? Because at the moment, a Norwegian...
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Don't Scratch My Fiat 500 Abarth: VideoRomanian supermodel Catrinel Menghia has done quite a bit to raise Fiat’s brand recognition in the United States market, primarily though a commercial called “Seduction” that was never intended to play on network TV. In fact, the commercial was created exclusively for the Los...
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BMW Opens New Design Center In China: Is That A Good Thing?Following on the heels of this week’s Beijing Auto Show, BMW has announced that it’s opening a new Designworks studio, with a Connected Drive Lab, in Shanghai’s upscale Huangpu District. The area is described as a commercial and financial center of one of the world’s fastest...
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Lamborghini Trademarks ‘Huracán’ Model NameEarlier this month, we brought you news that Lamborghini had trademarked the name "Deimos,” likely for a future prototype or production model. The company appears to be on a trademarked-name kick, and has just filed to protect the name Huracán. As Car and Driver points out...
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A bone-stock Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 comes from the factory packing 580 horsepower, which is good enough to get the uber-Camaro from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, run the quarter-mile in twelve seconds... -
New Aston Martin Getting 550 Horsepower: ReportRemember the new Aston Martin we showed you last week? The one we say is the new Aston Martin DB9, but Britain’s Car Magazine believes is the next Aston Martin DBS? Word on the street this week, from Britain’s Autocar (which also believes we’re looking at the new DBS), is that the...
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After Nearly Two Decades, BMW Returns To DTM: VideoOn Sunday, April 29, BMW will return to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series for the first time since the 1994 season. Granted, that absence includes the three-year-period from 1997 through 1999 when the DTM series was on hiatus, but that doesn’t make Sunday’s race at...
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FIA Tests Forward-Mounted Roll-Hoops For Formula Cars: VideoWhile Formula One driver safety has greatly improved over the years, head injuries remain a cause for concern. In 2009, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was nearly killed when a spring thrown from Rubens Barrichello’s car struck him in the helmet, causing a life-threatening injury (and requiring a...
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German Scientists Working On 'Adaptive Tires'Consider this: every tire on the market today is a compromise. Do you want the ultimate in adhesion, for cornering in warm and dry conditions? Done, but don’t try to drive on the tire in winter months, especially if there’s snow on the ground. Want off-road traction, capable of getting...
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Ving Rhames Wants You To Buy A Buick: VideoVing Rhames, or more specifically the characters played by Ving Rhames, doesn’t take disappointing news well. Remember Marcellus Wallace, the character played by Rhames in Pulp Fiction? The one who once tossed a guy off a roof for massaging his wife’s feet? When someone like that tells...
Kurt Ernst