Kurt Ernst, Contributor
Articles
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For a car that doesn’t really exist and may never hit the market, Bugatti’s Galibier 16C has received an amazing amount of coverage in the media. Since its unveiling as a concept in 2009,... -
Subaru Explains The Development Of The BRZ Coupe: VideoThere isn’t much we can say about the Subaru BRZ that hasn’t already been said. Designed to introduce the joy of driving to a new generation of enthusiasts, the car was built to provide exceptional handling and great ride comfort, all at an affordable price. The key to the car’s...
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Scion's FR-S Sport Coupe Won't Get Turbo Option: ReportBad news, sports fans: if you’re looking for a factory-built Scion FR-S turbo, word is that no such animal is forthcoming, at least in the United States market. The problem, as Car and Driver points out, is cost. The Scion FR-S was designed specifically to sell in the mid-$20k range in the...
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Zombies Hate The Chevy Cruze: VideoIf we were making a list of the “Top Ten Vehicles To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse,” the Chevy Cruze compact sedan wouldn’t make the grade. In fact, no compact sedan would, only because our own preferences involve something with brush guards, four-wheel-drive and an abundance of...
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Brabus Hybrid Mercedes-Benz E-Class Is Remarkably ConventionalWhen we say the name Brabus, what comes to mind? Chances are good you’re envisioning an upgraded Mercedes-Benz sedan, stuffed full of monster-horsepower V-12 goodness and fitted with quilted-suede seats. What you’re not expecting, we’ll bet, is an ordinary-looking Mercedes-Benz E...
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Go Behind The Scenes At Pagani: VideoCan a supercar blend art and design successfully? Can the language of mechanical engineering also be translated into visually stunning sculpture? When the genius behind these designs is Horacio Pagani, the answer is yes. As a young boy in South America, Pagani was influenced by the designs and...
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Are you an environmentally aware captain of industry? Is it awkward being chauffeured to Greenpeace meetings in a Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase? Fear not, because we have good news for you:... -
BMW Works To Perfect The Virtual Test DriveImagine this: you walk into a BMW dealership to test drive a 1-Series M, and your sales adviser sits you down to go over the fast line around its racetrack. Before handing you the keys, he tells you, “Try not to stack the car, but if you do we have an endless supply.” If that sounds...
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First AMG-Only Dealership Opens In BeijingThe Beijing Sanlitun AMG Performance Center is unlike any other Mercedes-Benz dealership in the world; you can’t buy a Mercedes-Benz E Class or C Class model there, but you can buy anything in the current AMG high-performance portfolio. The idea of an AMG Performance Center is nothing new...
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Senna's First F1 Steering Wheel Hits The Auction BlockIn 1984, a young Brazilian driver by the name of Ayrton Senna da Silva (most frequently shortened to Ayrton Senna) rose from the British Formula Three ranks to make his Formula One debut, driving for Toleman Group Motorsport. What happened over the next decade, before Senna’s untimely death...
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Cadillac The Latest Automaker To Join The Semi-Autonomous ThrongSelf-driving cars, for better or for worse, are most likely inevitable. We wouldn’t expect them to appear in the next few years, or even the next decade, but much beyond that some degree of autonomous driving is all but guaranteed. Between now and then is the gray area, where the building...
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2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Altitude Edition AnnouncedJeep has announced a limited production "Altitude Edition" of its popular four-door Wrangler Unlimited, available at dealers in May.
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The SRT Viper (formerly the Dodge Viper) owes its existence to two men no longer associated with Chrysler: Carroll Shelby and Bob Lutz. Shelby and Lutz conceived the idea in 1988, partly as an homage...
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Steven Tyler buying Hennessey Venom GT SpyderSteven Tyler may well be the hardest working man in show business. When the 64-year-old singer isn’t fronting Aerosmith (which is gearing up for another tour this summer), he’s one of the judges on American Idol. In between is the occasional solo project, new Aerosmith recording or...
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Rolls-Royce Debuts Phantom Series II Extended Wheelbase In BeijingIf you need further proof that the Chinese auto market is critical to luxury automakers, consider this: Rolls-Royce has chosen the Beijing Auto Show for the world premier of its Phantom Series II Extended Wheelbase model. The 2012 Beijing Auto Show marks the second consecutive year that Rolls-Royce...
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Chrysler Returns To China With Jeep Wrangler And Chrysler 300 ConceptsTo mark the return of Chrysler to the Chinese market, the automaker is showing two design concepts built specifically for the Chinese market at this week’s Beijing Auto Show. Named for a symbol of prosperity, the Chrysler 300 Ruyi Design Concept is sprayed in Maximum Steel and trimmed with a...
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Audi Shows Its Q3 Jinlong Yufeng Concept In BeijingIn Chinese, jinlong yufeng translates into “Golden Dragon in the Wind.” While that may seem to be an odd name for an Audi concept, it plays on 2012 being the Chinese year of the dragon. Coincidentally, 2012 is also the year that Audi will launch its Q3 crossover in the Chinese market...
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Volkswagen Shows E-Bugster Electric Beetle In BeijingVolkswagen has chosen the Beijing Auto Show for the Asian market reveal of its E-Bugster electric concept, shown to North American audiences in hardtop form at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Based on the newly redesigned Volkswagen Beetle, the E-Bugster (which is an amalgam of Electric Bug...
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Intent on making a statement at this week’s Beijing Auto Show, Aston Martin is unveiling three special edition models in its “Dragon 88” series, aimed specifically at customers in... -
Land Rover Announces Range Rover Evoque Special Edition With Victoria BeckhamWhen Land Rover began showing off the new Range Rover Evoque back in 2010, it used celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Juliette Lewis to pitch the uber-chic crossover. Land Rover even announced that Victoria Beckham, Posh Spice herself, would consult on Evoque design. No one knew how to take that...
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Mercedes-Benz Could Bring More Four-Cylinder Diesels To The U.S.In the interest of fuel efficiency, luxury manufacturers are replacing six-cylinder engines with forced-induction fours. BMW has already made the switch on its new 3-Series cars, and the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 models sport a turbocharged 1.8-liter four. If luxury buyers are willing to downsize...
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Classic Fiat X1/9 Up For Grabs At Carlisle Import ShowWhen Fiat launched its new Fiat 500 in the United States last year, the Italian automaker had just a nine-percent brand recognition. While ads featuring Romanian supermodels, Charlie Sheen and Jenny from the block have upped that to around 40-percent, the fact of the matter is this: most Americans...
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MINI Green-Lights The Clubvan Concept For ProductionWhen MINI rolled out its Clubvan panel truck at last month’s Geneva Motor Show, it was billed as a “concept only,” with no immediate plans to put the commercial-vehicle-in-three-quarter-scale into production. As is often the case with such displays, MINI wanted to see public...
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BMW's M135i Confirmed For The U.S. Market: ReportDo you remember the BMW M135i Concept we reported on a few months back? The 1-Series hatchback worked over by the mad scientists at BMW’s M Performance group? The one with a 300-plus-horsepower turbocharged inline-six, upgraded brakes and an M-tuned suspension? We’ve got good news and...
Kurt Ernst