Classic Cars
Conquer the Dakar Rally With This Collection of Bowler Land Rover Defenders
In nearly every single parameter, the new Land Rover Defender improves over the old warhorse Defender it replaced. While Land Rover’s O.G. Defender’s capability as an expeditionary lance and an agrarian implement is undeniable, the British brand worked extraordinarily hard to develop a new Defender that drives and performs like something from the 21st century, and not the 19th. However, with unibody construction and a suite of tech aimed at improving on-road manners, the new Defender isn’t quite the boulder-basher it used to be—especially if your needs include bombing through the Dakar dunes on a rally raid. For that, you turn to the mad minds at Bowler. The U.K.-based manufacturing workshop established itself as the premier name in making Defenders rally-raid-ready ...
No One Puts Enough Respect on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren’s Name
Cast your mind back to 2002. Covid-19 wasn’t anything to anyone, Elon Musk was only known for creating PayPal (and, after selling it, buying a McLaren F1), and Porsche, Ferrari, and Pagani were setting the automotive world alight with the Carrera GT, Enzo, and Zonda. It was one heck of a time to love cars, not least of which because the Chrysler PT Cruiser was MotorTrend’s reigning car of the year. But there’s another, oft-forgotten member of the early 2000s supercar aristocracy: the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. See all 15 photos Born out of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren that started with their joint Formula 1 program, the SLR was both an homage to the old and an exploration of the new. The McLaren F1 had been out of production for several years, and the n...
Jaguar Classic Will Build You a Brand-New C-Type
As it has with its stunning continuation Lightweight E-Type, XKSS, and D-Type cars, Jaguar Classic will assemble a limited number of brand-new, hand-built Jaguar C-Types for well-heeled customers of exceptional taste. It’s been 70 years since the C-Type hit the scene, its timeless grace and technical innovations forever changing motor racing. These new C-Types—and we mean new, not restored or remanufactured—will be as correct as possible and even eligible for vintage racing. See all 26 photos That is sure to be good new for anyone interested in hearing these straight-six-powered cars roar around a track. Rare and costing well into seven figures for even the most pedestrian original C-Type, it’s getting to the point where sheer rarity and value may mean owners might think twice ...
Honda Put a 248K-Mile ’97 CR-V in Its Museum? Yes, and We Drove It
Honda CR-V Full Overview Joy, then puzzlement: That was my reaction when Honda asked if I’d like to drive a vehicle from their semi-secret museum in southern California—and then told me that museum piece was a 1997 Honda CR-V. Okay, I realize it’s been nearly 25 years (cripes, where does the time go?) since the Honda CR-V first hit these shores, and what a seminal game-changer it was. But … a CR-V? In a museum? “Does not compute,” buzzes the 1970s-era computer that is my brain. And that brings me to the present day, with me trying to keep an open mind as I cruise down to Torrance in a latest-and-greatest 2021 Honda CR-V. I pull into the faceless industrial park that conceals Honda’s museum, and there it is: An anonymous ’97 CR-V DX with all-wheel-drive—s...
That Time a Racing Legend Endorsed Healing Crystals for Cars
The modern wellness industry has spawned countless online influencers and personalities eager to hawk supposed cures and lifestyle tweaks to millions of fans. But even before the dawn of Instagram, kale smoothies, and chakra cleanses, it was still treacherous for any public figure to hitch their wagon to less-than-scientific methodologies. Case in point: Australian racing legend Peter Brock. For one of Australia’s biggest names in racing, the decision to go full New Age in the late 1980s proved so costly that it not only ended his longtime business partnership with the country’s largest automaker, it almost very nearly killed his motorsports career. But for a brief moment before the wheels came off, Holden performance honcho and multi-time touring car champion Brock had some cr...
The Surprising Performance Potential of Volvo Engine Swaps
Many fans of Swedish metal are eager to turn others onto the potential for Volvo performance. There are a surprising array of engine options and platforms that can make for the perfect oddball project. We’ve gathered some ideas to inspire you to consider a Volvo project car. Uncommon Performance: 1974-1993 Volvo 240 The humble Volvo 244 (sedan), 242 (coupe) and 245 (wagon) enjoyed nearly three decades of faithful service as the go-to car of choice for college professors, safety-conscious families, and free thinkers looking to escape Detroit’s grasp in an era when European imports were still a mixed bag when it came to quality and reliability. Collectively known as the Volvo 240, the line-up’s stodgy, squared-off styling concealed an overbuilt design that still ensures a s...
Classic 1971 Range Rover SUV Is Made Even Better By Way Of Less Roof
Planning on commissioning an over-restored restomod Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco, or FJ40 soft-top? How creative. Take our word for it (with the Jeep Wrangler’s production lines at full capacity and the new Bronco approaching at terminal velocity), your six-figure candy-painted agrarian box won’t stand out from the square-sided 4×4 drop-top crowd, not to mention the thousands of LS-swapped beach blitzers already crawling over sandy locales such as Malibu and Miami like ants on a spilled puddle of mango-flavored White Claw. Think outside the box, please. For optimal drop-top four-wheel-drive fun, we suggest dusting off the bidding paddles for the 1971 Range Rover “Suffix A” Convertible crossing the block at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Arizona sale later...
No, Not That EV1: Saab’s EV-1 Wasn’t Electric But It Was Awesome
Half a decade before the GM EV1 electric car burst onto the scene, beginning a saga that would last until the controversial end of the lease program in the 2000s, Saab had its own EV-1. The acronym held a different meaning, and the two cars couldn’t be different in concept or execution. But the EV1 is still remembered, and the EV-1 is as obscure as they come. We think the Saab EV-1 deserves its day in the sun, too. See all 4 photos The 1985 Experimental Vehicle 1 wasn’t driven by electricity, although interestingly enough it featured roof-mounted solar panels that powered a cabin cooling fan—take a look at its solar-oven-like greenhouse and you’ll understand why that was a necessity. Mechanically, it was heavily based on the 900 Turbo, with a turbocharged inline-four powe...
Seeing Red: Pair of Mid-Century Jaguar Racing Legends Up For Grabs at Auction
Crack open that swear jar and take a hammer to the piggy bank—another Jaguar D-Type is crossing the auction block. The Jag is one of the featured lots at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Arizona sale, and while the majority of existing D-Types wear demure shades of green, blue, silver, or white, this finned wonder presents in a fantastic shade of Ferrari red, giving one moneyed enthusiast a chance to stand out at the next Goodwood Members Meeting or Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Surprisingly, the Jag left the factory in this stunning red-over-red configuration, a scheme marque experts believe was applied to only two or three other D-Types. After the original dealer failed to find a buyer, none other than former Formula 1 head honcho Bernie Ecclestone held the car for a period and helped move al...
How to Fix Up a Project Car on any Budget, From $50 and Up
It’s done. You’ve pulled the trigger on that project car and dragged it home. Project cars come in all shapes and sizes, so let’s assume you’ve found yourself one that runs, but just barely. Only your true die-hard hot-rod buddies get it. Everybody else thinks you’re crazy. You see what the non-believers can’t, not a rusty junkyard escapee but a soon-to-be cruiser that just needs a little tweaking to become a loyal daily driver. Building it is a moral imperative. There are a hundred things that it needs and a thousand cool parts you want, but you can’t afford them all—heck, you can’t afford any of ’em. You just laid down most of your cash for the right to put your name on the title. But you can still plan. And that’s what we desig...
Before the First Jeep Grand Cherokee, There Was the Concept 1
Before the first Jeep Grand Cherokee drove up the stairs and through a giant glass window at the 1992 Detroit Auto Show, a dramatic entrance for a vehicle that generated huge interest at the time, Jeep had previously shown off the Concept 1. The Concept 1’s lines were a direct preview of the “ZJ” Grand Cherokee to come, but that wasn’t the intent at the time. This was supposed to be the next Cherokee. Jeep wanted its next Cherokee to be roomier, with greater passenger comfort and cargo space. They also wanted to update the Cherokee’s appearance, with a smoother and more elegant look. The XJ Cherokee is a cult classic now, but by the late ’80s it was simply a boxy SUV starting to age. The Concept 1, using the same unibody architecture underneath, brought ...
Jeep Grand Cherokee: MotorTrend’s 1993 Truck of the Year
The MotorTrend ’93 Truck of the Year competition proved that intensity isn’t a function of quantity. Although only three trucks answered the call this year, there was no shortage of talent. Each entrant is a standout in its own class. The Ford Ranger, for instance, has been the best-selling compact pickup in America for the last six years. The Isuzu Trooper is the all-time sales champ for import SUVs. And the Jeep Grand Cherokee, of course, is Chrysler’s sequel to the popular Cherokee, the vehicle that almost single-handedly built the four-door SUV segment. Naturally, other new trucks were introduced over the past year. But the new Land Rover Range Rover County LWB and Defender SUVs, and Chevrolet and GMC turbodiesel extended-cab pickups couldn’t meet...
