Behold, the only American car you can factory order and pick up at a dealership that features body assembly completed by an independent coachbuilder, just as luxury automobiles like Duesenbergs—and Lincolns—often were in the classic era: the Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition. Anyone can plainly see the extensive modifications the coachbuilders made in stretching the bodywork and reengineering those Rolls-Royce-aping rear-hinged—don’t-call-‘em-suicide—rear doors. But how did they do on the inside? Is this the Rolls-Royce Ghost of American luxury-car interiors? Let’s start off by noting that nothing much changes forward of the B-Pillar, so we’ll focus on the rear-seat experience here and refer you to our 2017 Lincoln Continental Black Label Interior Review for details on the cockpit, i...
We’re standing in an alley just east of Downtown L.A. between run-down warehouses. A black helicopter is sitting in the parking lot behind a chain-link fence, engine running. Over the roar of the chopper comes shouting: “Three, two, one, action!” A bright orange Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody comes screaming down the alley, turns, and nails the throttle—drifting through an open gate and coming to a stop just short of the helo. And …“Cut!” It’s not the set of Fast 9, the latest movie in the Fast and The Furious mega franchise, but it feels like it, and that’s the point. We’re actually on the set of the SixTwentySix’s music video production for “One Shot” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again featuring Lil Baby—the breakout hit from the official “Road to Fast 9” mixtape. With the song inspired by th...
Mercedes-Benz dropped off the long-term GLE 450 4Matic in early April, right as the shutdown from the global pandemic was getting underway. There was nowhere to go, and as such by the end of May, the poor, underused Mercedes family hauler had only 1,984 miles on it. An ominous mileage total if there ever was one, as well as one that’s way lower than I’d like to see on the odometer. Solution? Grab a startlingly inexpensive Airbnb just outside of Colorado City, Arizona, (Warren Jeffs country!) just south of the Utah border. Then toss the wife and 3-year-old in the Benz and hit the road for a 2,000-mile road trip, hitting the following breathtaking locales: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. How’d the GLE 45...
Speculation has always been regular part of the auto-journo gig, and today we’re armchair-quarterbacking the current Subaru BRZ‘s future. If you happen to check out Subaru’s Japanese website at this link, translate the page from Japanese to English (unless you’re fluent in the language, in which case, good for you), and scroll down to the ominous message blared in big red letters: “We have closed the build-to-order manufacturing order for the models listed.” <!– –> Even though that translation is a little wonky, it looks like Subaru of Japan won’t be taking orders for BRZs anymore, a signal that the company has officially hit the brakes on BRZ production. When we reached out for comment, a Subaru spokesperson simply said they, ...
Jeff Meier’s latest acquisition of the all-time great Lamborghini Miura–by way of a stunning garage find–is a heck of a story, filled with fortunate good luck. But his fascination with Lamborghini’s original supercar runs much deeper. Meier was born and raised in Cleveland, where he grew up in a large family. His father owned an automotive repair shop, so there were always different cars parked in the driveway. As early as the age of five, Meier developed a curiosity for cars that flourished into a hobby of identifying them when he’d see them driving on the road. The same kid that would shout out “Volkswagen,” “Chevy,” and “Ford” from the backseat when his father pointed at a car would one day become a full-fledged car expert and collector in his own right. The Lamborghini Miura Bug Bites ...
A new Volkswagen Golf GTI arrives in the United States for the 2022 model year—in fact, it and the Golf R are the only confirmed versions of the company’s compact hatchback coming to our shores. Before it arrives, Volkswagen is sending off the seventh generation 2021 Golf GTI with some new goodies for its final year on our shores. Once again offered in S, SE, and Autobahn trims, the 2021 Golf GTI adds visual zest across the board courtesy of new black-painted side mirror covers and rear spoiler. Higher-end SE and Autobahn models also benefit from fresh 18-inch wheel designs, as well as an improved infotainment system. See all 18 photos Dubbed MIB3, the new setup brings wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as SiriusXM with 360L, into the hatch’...
We spotted a camouflaged 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz crossover-based pickup on a trailer in the middle of the SoCal desert, possibly en route to Death Valley for some real life testing in hotter-than-hot conditions. After all, we saw a temperature of 110 degrees at the location we saw the truck, suitable to give any vehicle a healthy workout. See all 11 photos Hyundai, recognizing the need to increase its presence in the truck and SUV market, hopes the compact unibody pickup will do the trick. Is it even a truck? To the disappointment of diehard body-on-frame truck enthusiasts, the 2022 Santa Cruz is going to be a unibody, crossover-type truck reportedly built on the compact SUV Hyundai Tucson’s platform. It’ll most resemble the Honda Ridgeline, but smaller, perhaps making it bette...
The Endurance, not yet on sale, has already endured some hardship in a sense. Lordstown Motors emerged from the ashes of GM’s Workhorse W-15 hybrid pickup situation, which flamed out, but gave a breath of life to a new and arguably more compelling project. But all that history, and any promises Lordstown has made about the upcoming EV pickup, aren’t worth a hill of beans if it can’t do real truck stuff in the way customers want. This promotional video aims to prove that the Endurance has the goods to do the job—and see for yourself if you think customers are ready to jump aboard. The Endurance is just one of a number of EV pickups on the radar, with varying degrees of profile and vastly different ideas of what an EV truck should be. From the retro-futuristic Tesla Cybertr...
It’s hard to pull off a Jeep Wrangler in pink, but designer Afzal Kahn managed to do just that. This special Wrangler, painted in “3D texture pink military paint,” is currently up for grabs. And it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The pink Jeep features a special design package from the Chelsea Truck Company. Front and center is a carbon-fiber grille with four slots. The model also features a new front bumper, special front lighting, an Iron Man vented hood, and a set of electrically folding side steps. A suspension lift kit gives the SUV even more presence. In the rear, there is a quad exhaust system and a Chelsea Truck Company spare wheel cover. Finishing off the look are black, star-shaped 20-inch wheels. See all 20 photos Inside, the SUV sports quilted leathe...
The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is already a car worthy of the Shelby name, but for those who want a more conspicuous connection to racing legend and entrepreneur Carroll Shelby, Las Vegas-based Shelby American is offering a Carroll Shelby Signature Edition package that turns your stock Mustang GT500 into a GT500SE with more power and an official Shelby CSM number. Wondering why you’d want Shelby to tune and Shelby-fy a car that’s already a Shelby? The relationship between Ford and Shelby can be a little confusing, so here’s a quick breakdown: Ford licenses the Shelby name for the GT500 and GT350, which were developed 100-percent in-house at Ford. Shelby American is the company that Carroll Shelby founded, and still builds its own cars including continuation-series Cob...
GM and EVgo have identified 40 metropolitan areas across the country in need of better fast-charging infrastructure. EVgo has previously announced it will power its chargers with renewable energy. See all 5 photos “We are moving quickly to bring new EVs to market that customers will love,” GM chief executive officer Mary Barra said in a prepared statement. “We know how important the charging ecosystem is for drivers, one that includes access to convenient and reliable fast charging.” The first of the new stations will open in early 2021, with each station offering charging for at least four electric vehicles at once. The stations will be located in highly visible areas in both cities and suburbs, including access for renters and apartment dwellers who do not have at...
When Acura pulled the sheets off the new TLX sedan earlier this year, it revealed key specs for the regular-grade model—but left out a few details about the zestier Type S trim, namely, how much horsepower and torque its turbocharged V-6 kicks out. Well, Acura has finally come out with those numbers, and they’re much more competitive than anything put forth by the old TLX. The 2021 Acura TLX Type S’s 3.0-liter V-6 will make 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. That horsepower figure edges the Audi S4’s 349, but falls shy of the BMW M340i’s 382 horsepower. Other sport-focused six-cylinder stalwarts in the entry-luxury segment are more powerful, too, including Infiniti’s Q50 Red Sport 400 and Mercedes-AMG’s C43. However, the TLX has taken a big step for...