814 Articles
Maserati 2+2 GT prototype tries the old "fake rear doors" trick

But The Car Connection isn't partcularly hoodwinkable. This GT is disguised to look like a regular Quattroporte sedan, on which it is largely based. The borrowed Q-porte items:  the Ferrari-designed V8 engine, Cambiocorsa paddleshift transmission, front suspension and rear axle. The new GT will be significantly larger than the outgoing model, which has a back seat that can only accommodate malnourished children comfortably. [Thanks,

Porsche contemplating hybrid Cayenne

The vegetable will be a half habanero, half thai chili blend that will provide a semi-faux Capsicum flavor… oh wait, wrong blog. I meant to write that Porsche may market a gas-electric hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV that makes use of Toyota's RX400h guts. Porsche doesn't do diesels, but they feel that an alternative powertrain is necessary, especially for the company's primary sales market, the US, which will implement stricter emissions regulations in 2009. Toyota's 270-hp syst

VW may lose one billion euros; shareholders to sympathize by losing minds

VW's head goatee Bernd Pischetsrieder recently told the Italian newspaper Il Sole that his company "will lose nearly 1 billion euros in the United States this year due to the weak dollar and the (product) lineup which is waiting to be renewed." VW is forced to sell their vehicles at a certain pricepoint in the cutthroat US market, meaning that they cannot compensate for the weak dollar or the fact that their cars are becoming more expensive to build. The old home market isn't exa

Ford Mustang enjoyed by C/D data-freaks

It's always refreshing to read one of those rare Car and Driver reviews that's devoid of hard test data, and this Mustang article is no exception. It's pleasurable to not be pummeled by numbers and read about the actual driving experience. C/D romped with the V6 and V8 Stangs on backroads, interstates and a racetrack, and they find it a highly worthy successor to the outgoing model, especially the eight cylinder GT. The unsophisticated suspension is old school but extremely well-

Mercedes CLS500: why not just call it a roadster?

Since that makes about as much sense as calling it a coupe. Despite AutoWeek's refusal to question Mercedes' ridiculous naming practices, this thorough going-over of the CLS is pretty engaging— I did not know that the CLS sports constantly adapting seat bolsters to provide just the right amount of support in turns. What a radical technological development. The 302-hp V8 gets along beautifully with the seven-speed autobox, especially with the manual shift program enabled, and the Air

This is the fireplace where I burn my money

Let's say you just bought a Maybach 57. Granted, it's the short one, and TRU BALLER$ only roll in 62s, so you need to do something to distinguish yourself. Do you call X to the Z? No— you ring up US coachbuilder Genaddi Design Group, which for just over $150K can turn your 57 sedan into a 57 cabriolet, complete with matching canvas top. The company also converts Rolls-Royce Phantoms into stretch limos, and they plan on making a Bentley Continental with a GTR designation, a project w

Lotus GT coupe prototype seen driving through a bog

Cranberries, beware. This Elise-based GT will sell for about £30,000 and lock horns with the new Boxster, while maintaining a so-called "higher spec" than the Elise and Exige. The GT is noticeably wider, most likely to make room for a V6 engine. Overall, the car will be more spacious, more refined, and quieter than the Elise, which should make it very friendly to the US market, assuming that it can pass emissions regulations.

Rimmer'$ Rim$: The Illest Thing on the $treet!

If you think making fun of oversized wheels is played out, you need to see this amazing advertisement in its full legible splendor. Click the link now and thank me later. Two snaps up to VW Vortex's Car Lounge for bringing this to my attention.

Jeep Grand Cherokee conquers 2 Penn Plaza

Well, that Jeep made it. Supposedly some onlookers were disappointed when scantily clad ladies did not emerge from the vehicle after it reached the top—fortunately, New Yorkers can find underdressed females emerging from alleys citywide, at all times. In other news, Mary Jane has dumped Peter Parker because although he's strong and courageous and all, he doesn't have a sweet-ass leather interior. [Via Christopher Diken

2004 Audi TT Roadster DSG6: two clutches, no third pedal

Much of this unspirited back-and-forth between two AW editors concerns Audi's sequential manual gearshifting device, which employs a twin-clutch to wrangle the rpms and dole out perfect throttle blips. You can break off shifts in a more efficient manner than a true manual, and breeze through low-speed maneuvers without worrying about that pesky friction point. The DSG in the TT is apparently better than BMW's SMG, and various settings tailor shifting to the conditions. It's no surprise th

Oh, Renaultsport Clio 182 Cup, how I would drink from thee

Renault's Clio series has always been a line that inspires severe "why can't we get those here" lamentations, at least from me. The 182 Cup is a stripped version of the regular 182, meaning it has been lightened slightly, firmed up with a tight suspension, and relieved of most unnecessary creature comforts. A 180-hp 2.0 liter four-banger takes the 182 Cup to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds, meaning it probably gets to that American benchmark in roughly 6.799045 ticks. The high point of the

Governator's hybrids-in-HOV-lanes bill hits snag

Although California recently passed a Schwarzenegger-sponsored bill to allow single-occupant hybrids to use highways' HOV lanes, a waiver from the federal government may be needed before the law can be applied. Currently, HOV lanes constructed with federal cash can only be used by vehicles carrying more than one person, with an exemption made for vehicles powered by natural gas. Cali's law would allow hybrids that can manage 45+ mpg to use the HOV lanes. And this ain't no crazy West Coast

Infiniti divulges pricing for 2005 G35s

Finally, I can get off the edge of my seat. The automatic-equipped sedan and coupe will sticker for $30,700 and $32,400, respectively, while the stick versions go for $30,450 and $33,000, and you've still got to respect their order within the sentence, ok? The six-speeders will see a nice 18-hp spike for 2005, bumping horsie output for the RWD cars to 298. The G35 sedan also gets slight exterior tweakage, new wheels, and a limited-slip differential for 2K5. The coupe's interior (seen prev

Satisfy your constant mod-craving with this SEMA show preview

Automobile Magazine tips you off to what'll be popping at this year's Specialty Equipment Manufacturer Association show next month in Lost Wages. You can expect standout booths from Evolve, the Volvo tuner that will display a 450-hp S40 (pictured), Mazda, which will be repping hard with the Mazdaspeed 6, and Nissan, with their 35th Anniversary 350Z and a cache of cool trucks. Also prepare to be blinded by plenty of extreme body kits that will make you think, "I can certainly appreciate th

Another Pimp My Ride POS on the auction block

If you are even vaguely familiar with MTV's atrocious Pimp My Ride series, you'll take a singular gander at the $18,000 starting bid here and spend the rest of the day explaining to your co-workers "just what's so damn funny." Some highlights from the vehicle description: "Rims and tires alone worth about $8000," paint that's peeling around the doors, a cracked DVD screen, and a stereo that "sounds SO KILLER!!!!" It's a tough choice between this and a loaded Mazda 3, but I think I'm gonna

Convergence 2004: the hotness just keeps pouring in

It's like magma, people, you can't stop it. DuPont Automotive and Motorola have teamed up to produce a much tidier heads-up display (HUD) unit, which requires hardware the size of two sugarcubes. Oldfangled HUDs (at right) caused engineers and designers to exchange blows because the toaster-sized devices took up so much room in the dash. Also, more notable for its scarcity, is talk of 42-volt batteries, which were once thought of as the future of automotive electronics, since the increasi

K>V: Katech Cadillac CTS-V K-Series

The sinister CTS-V above is the work of Katech, the firm behind Caddy's SCCA World Challenge race cars. For the SCCA events, the CTS-V is forced to keep its stock internals, but for the private-sale K-Series, Katech chucks the LS6 and drops in a custom 6.7 liter V8 good for 525-hp and 535 lb./ft. of brain-concussing torque. If for instance you absolutely had to get to 60 miles per hour as quickly as possible, the K-Series will get you there in 4.6 seconds. On top of the power boo

Chevy unleashes triumvirate of sporting concepts in Sao Paolo

The Bowtie Brigade is showing the Meriva SS, Astra Sedan SS and Corsa Sedan SS at the Sao Paolo Autosalon, hoping that a few cosmetic alterations (mesh grille, 360º tints, bangin' 16-inch alloys) will confuse buyers into thinking these econolumps have serious performance abilities. I also want to be the first one to call chrome mirrors as a new OEM and aftermarket trend, whereby mirror covers replace HIDs as thieves' target of choice. My favorite thing about this article is its chara

Jeep Grand Cherokee to scale Manhattan building tomorrow in publicity stunt

If you're in midtown Manhattan tomorrow (Thursday, the 21st), you may want to swing by 2 Penn Plaza (right above Penn Station) and check out the new Grand Cherokee that will be parked on the side of a 30-story skyscraper. There's no word on exactly how this feat will occur— one may assume that there will be some kind of winch system that slowly retracts and pulls the vehicle up the side of the building, until it reaches a "Jeep Only" parking spot. The climb will take place between 8

Before knocking boots, make sure to set parking brake

Or you'll end up like an Argentinean couple whose vigorous roadside passionfest sent their car over a cliff and 300 meters down into a ravine. No serious injuries were sustained, but firemen were needed to extract the woman from the vehicle. The couple claims they did not notice that the car was moving at first, since they were far too busy "rocking [each other's] world."

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