1,089 Articles by Michael
Track Test
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition First Drive

Driving The Very First Fruit Of A Revitalized Motorsports Legend

There is only one Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition on the planet, and its owner is standing patiently in the hot pits at Oklahoma's Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, watching attentively as his prized possession circles the challenging road course at speed.

Featured
2015 Porsche 918 Spyder: Touring the factory

A Privileged Look Inside Zuffenhausen Assembly

Willy Wonka granted just five lucky Golden Ticket holders access to his incredible chocolate factory, yet we consider ourselves just as fortunate, as Porsche invited us to be among the first of just four American journalists to see behind the closed doors of its 918 Spyder assembly plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany. Of course, there were no Oompa Loompas or flowing chocolate rivers, but the va

Quick Spin
2015 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS [UPDATE]

Effectively Splitting The Middle Ground Between S and GT3

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story referenced the 911's six-speed manual transmission, but of course, Porsche uses a seven-speed manual in this car. The text has been changed to reflect this.

Quick Spin
2016 Audi S6

Enhancements Improve, But A Gentleman's Character Prevails

Minutes after spending time in the refreshed 2016 Audi A6 in Germany, we were tossed the keys to its enthusiast-tuned sibling, the Audi S6. In similar manner to its lesser brethren, the S6 has also been updated for the 2016 model year with a new look, a boost in power and additional technology.

First Drive
2016 Audi A6

Boosted Power And New Gearbox Transform This Teutonic Sedan

After dodging light traffic for more than 10 miles at speeds never exceeding 85 miles per hour, the left lane of the derestricted autobahn ahead of us finally opens wide. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for, and we bury the accelerator against its stop and hold it there. The transmission attached to the turbocharged four-cylinder of our 2016 Audi A6 drops a couple gears and begins an arduous battle against aerodynamic drag.

Quick Spin
2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid

Creamy Complex Powertrain Delivers The E-Assisted Goods

Think of the electric motor in the facelifted 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid as the cream filling in an Oreo cookie. Under the hood of this plug-in hybrid crossover is a 333-horsepower, supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with a 95-hp synchronous electric motor sandwiched between it and an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The clutched powertrain allows pure combustion, pure electric or a combination of both to drive all four wheels thro

Review
2015 McLaren 650S Review

Making The MP4-12C A Distant Memory

Otolith organs are the tiny acceleration-sensing parts of your inner ear that are extremely effective at telling your brain when you are changing velocity. They make easy work of elevator rides, subway cars and most roller coasters, but the organs are completely overpowered by the 2015 McLaren 650S – the acceleration from its twin-turbocharged V8 leaves them dazed and confused, an overwhelming, dizzy sensation topped off with a bout of q

Quick Spin
2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster

Well-Seasoned Beauty Gets Shiftier

Aston Martin previewed its most powerful, quickest-accelerating and fastest production roadster ever at this year's Pebble Beach Concours. The 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster is essentially a convertible version of the V12 Vantage S Coupe,

First Drive
2015 BMW X6 First Drive

Bavaria's High-Riding Hunchback Stays The Course

Most everyone would agree that BMW offers a range of very attractive and well-proportioned coupes, sedans, crossovers and wagons. Yet there is one member of its family that has always struck us as a bit odd: the X6.

First Drive
2015 Ford F-150 First Drive [w/videos] [UPDATE]

Utilizing Lightweight Aluminum To Break Steel Traditions

UPDATE: Ford has responded to our inquiries for curb weights on all models and released figures for all models. You can see a chart in the gallery and our article below has been updated accordingly.

First Drive
2015 Honda CR-V First Drive

Meaningful Mid-Cycle Refresh Leaves This Cute-Ute All Grown Up

Predicting the future direction of Honda's compact CR-V would have been difficult based on the Civic-derived model that first arrived on our shores for the 1997 model year. The newcomer, selling alongside the body-on-frame Passport (a hastily rebadged Isuzu Rodeo), was a cute compact crossover with four doors and an awkward curb-side hinged tailgate thanks to its Japanese home-market design. The five-passenger CUV offered generous interior

Review
2014 Pagani Huayra

A Cool $1.84 Million -€“ Therapy Not Included

As I pilot the Pagani Huayra down a busy Los Angeles freeway, I can't help but grow increasingly concerned about my psychological state – I've got a sneaking suspicion that I'm going a bit mad.

First Drive
2015 Toyota Yaris First Drive

Refreshed To Sell Confidence And Value, Not Innovation And Technology

Advertising firms have done an admirable job convincing consumers that the easiest way to find a best-in-segment car or truck is by looking at a few key metrics. In the most elementary terms, the vehicle with the highest horsepower, most gears in its transmission housing, lowest acceleration times and best fuel economy most certainly must be the class benchmark.

Quick Spin
2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Refreshed, Resculpted, Polished And Refined

Toyota offers many flavors of its refreshed 2015 Camry, but those who choose to lower their operating cost-per-mile, squeeze 500-plus miles out of each tank of fuel or run a very efficient and reliable sedan in their taxi fleets will only be interested in one: the Camry Hybrid.

Review
2015 Cadillac Escalade

Flying High In Caddy's First-Class SUV

I have never liked traveling to Monterey, CA. The picturesque coastal city is about 300 miles from my home in Los Angeles, which means cramped and uncomfortable regional aircraft are part of the equation when the turnaround is only one night. Over the years, I have cursed the LA Basin's bumper-to-bumper traffic en route to the airport, argued with TSA personnel over carry-on baggage and waited countless hours for the fog to lift just for the anguish of being packed into a small regional jet for

Video
Evo pits BMW M3 against Porsche Macan in drag battle

If you want to move five passengers in very rapid fashion and you've got a $75,000 budget, two newly introduced four-door models immediately come to mind – both are the highest performing vehicles in their respective segments. But which is faster off the line, to the 60-mile-per-hour benchmark or flat-out over an even longer run? Evo took both to paved aircraft runway to find out.

Quick Spin
2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4Matic

Luxury Bruiser Loves To Run, Hates To Dawdle

Let us pause as I toss a Kleenex to the owners of Mercedes-Benz's $166,900 S600 and $222,000 S65 AMG models. The quickest S-Class is not fitted with a twin-turbocharged V12 driving its rear wheels. Instead, that honor goes to this $141,450 S63 AMG, which arrives with a twin-turbocharged V8, a wickedly quick multi-clutch transmission and surefooted all-wheel drive. This particular Merce

First Drive
2015 Acura TLX First Drive

Splitting The Difference Makes The Difference

Immediately after landing at Washington's Dulles airport, an Acura representative handed me the keys to a 2014 TSX with fewer than 180 miles on its clock. The four-cylinder engine started and I pointed its signature beak towards a destination in Middleburg, VA. It was a curious move by the Japanese automaker, especially considering that I had flown no less than 2,300 miles to drive the discontinued ve

Quick Spin
2015 Porsche Macan S

Stuttgart's Entry-Level Crossover Is Everything But

I'd be willing to bet that 99 percent of all Porsche Macan owners will never take their vehicle on a track or see any more off-roading than a dirt path to a summer cottage, yet I maintain that there is no better venue to explore the absolute outer limits of the automaker's newest small family transport than on a racing circuit and an off-road course. It's testing at each extreme of the vehicle's operating envelope, with both challenges requir

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