Autos
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2 Fast 2 Furious Cars: How Fast Are They, Really?
Thereʼs always been something special about movie cars. From Steve McQueenʼs ʼ67 fastback Mustang in “Bullitt” to Burt Reynoldsʼ black Trans Am in “Smokey and the Bandit” to the GT500 Mustang Nick Cage called Eleanor in “Gone in 60 Seconds,” movie cars become objects of desire. This is due to something called movie magic. Without movie magic, Steve McQueenʼs Mustang would have fallen apart after the first jump, Burtʼs smogger motor T/A would have been stopped at the first road block, and Eleanor would have ended up in the Long Beach impound. Well, we decided to take a sledgehammer to movie magic and that sledgehammer is our trusty radar gun. We trucked six of the cars from “2 Fast 2 Furious,” the sequel to the 2001 summer blockbuster “T...
The Next Honda Civic Si Is Closer Than You Think
The newest Honda Civic sedan is already in dealerships, and the hatchback model is nigh—so, when can we expect the sporty Civic Si models to arrive? The wait won’t be long, according to leaked internal Honda documents that appeared on civic11forum.com, which reveal that the Si will closely follow the new hatch this fall. According to the timing outlined in the leak, the 2022 Honda Civic Si will reach dealerships in October, one month after the 2022 Civic hatchback. Timing for the new Civic Type R, the most powerful 11th-gen Civic variant, isn’t included in the documents. Why wait for the Civic Si? For starters, it’ll offer a manual transmission. The new Civic sedan is automatic-only; Honda has said it’ll continue to offer the three-pedal option for the Civic ha...
2022 Porsche 911 GTS First Look: The Sweet-Spot 911 Returns
See all 12 photos What Makes a 911 GTS a GTS? The 911 GTS has always been a 911 Carrera with a few choice sport options added on—but they’ve often cost less than if you were to add those options individually to say, a 911 Carrera S, on your own. The 992 is no different. Starting with a standard 911, the GTS’s 3.0-liter turbocharged flat six makes 473 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Not only is that 30 more hp and 30 more lb-ft than you get in the standard S, it’s also not too far off the 911 GT3’s 500 hp figure. Power will be sent through either an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (Porsche’s excellent PDK) or a seven-speed manual (with a 10 percent shorter shift throws than before). The mighty 911 Turbo’s braking system has been adapted...
2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition First Drive: Tweaked by Tobias
See the Full Model Overview The 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition is more than just a showy variant of the storied British automaker’s entry-level sports car put together by the marketing department to make the most of Aston’s return to grand prix racing. No, the Vantage F1 Edition is a landmark Aston Martin. It’s the first Aston Martin with the fingerprints of the company’s new CEO, former AMG boss Tobias Moers, all over it. Moers was lured from AMG in August 2020 by Canadian billionaire and Aston Martin F1 team owner Lawrence Stroll, an activist investor who became chairman of Aston’s road car business in April that year after leading a consortium that acquired a 16.7 percent stake in the company. The Vantage is similar in size and layout to the Mercedes-...
Hyundai’s Elantra N Looks Ready to Take on the Civic Type R in New Teaser Pics
The release of two teaser images of the 2022 Elantra N indicates Hyundai has plans to reveal the sport sedan reasonably soon—surely before the end of the year. Back in November, however, we learned a few key details about the Elantra N, such as how much power its engine will put out, as well as other items related to the car’s dynamics, such as the fact it receives a multi-link rear suspension setup. See all 13 photos Power to the Masses A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is set to live under the Elantra N’s hood. The little four-pot will produce 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. Either a six-speed manual transmission and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission will be available. In other words, the Elantra N will pack more power than a Volkswagen Golf G...
(Wealthy) Californians Can Buy 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Manuals After All
Rich people in California, rejoice! It turns out that you will be able to purchase a brand spanking new 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual transmission in the Golden State after all. In case you missed it, due to an antiquated California noise regulation, it looked like Porsche would be unable to sell either flavor of its newest high performance GT3 (the winged original or the wingless, trendy Touring model) in the car’s biggest market. Moreover, you couldn’t simply buy a three-pedal GT3 in say Nevada and then register the car in California. For nearly a week, it looked as if there would be no 2022 model year GT3s for either the Hollywood or Silicon Valley set. Here’s Porsche’s initial explanation for why the GT3 ran afoul of California’s r...
2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross First Test: Exactly What It Needs To Be
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Full Overview Hop into the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and the first thing you notice are a set of massive shift paddles mounted to the steering column. Huh? They look like they were taken straight out of the Lancer Evolution X from years ago, and they immediately convey a wildly specific message. It’s a message the rest of the Eclipse Cross can’t quite live up to. Paddles this huge are usually reserved for the sportiest automobiles, like Ferraris, and Lamborghinis. Or Mitsubishi Lancer Evos. Seeing them poke out from behind a small crossover’s steering wheel gives you the impression this SUV is built for serious drivers. However, the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is not made for people who love driving, but rather for a much wider range of buye...
2021 Tesla Model S Plaid: How to Use Launch Control to Eclipse Ludicrous Speed
Tesla Model S Full Overview The 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid has many things in its arsenal to put down some insane acceleration numbers. For starters, it includes three electric motors—one at the front axle, and one at each rear wheel—to total 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. A set of 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (265/35 up front and 295/30 at the back) does the important job of putting that huge amount of power to the ground. And finally, the Model S Plaid’s launch-control system preps the powertrain for explosive, neck-snapping acceleration runs. Thankfully, activating launch control is fairly easy. Here’s how to do it: Tap the “Controls” icon on the infotainment screen (the icon is a mugshot of the Model S located at the lower left corner). This ...
Tesla Predictive Shifting Test and Review: Well, It Almost Works
Tesla Model S Full Overview What Tesla’s Predictive Shifting Does and Doesn’t Do The system’s official name is Auto Shift Out of Park (Beta), and that’s an accurate description, as is Musk’s use of the word “guess.” The idea is that when you power-up the Tesla (there’s no ignition key or power button; you just step on the brake), the car will know whether to shift into forward or reverse for your departure. One automated direction choice is all you get, as once the car moves, direction choices are all down to you. Letting the Model S Shift for Itself See all 120 photos Here’s how it goes, when it goes: Turn on the car, close your door, and fasten your seat belt (the 2022 Model S prompts you for the last two). If the car is able to ...
Before the X5 M, BMW Built a Wild 700-HP V-12 Prototype
The BMW X5 M, you probably know it well by now. It’s what happens when BMW takes the normal X5 and grants it with supercar power and sports car handling. Since its introduction roughly a decade ago, the X5 M has been changing our perception of what a performance SUV can be. And it was inspired by an ultra-powerful prototype SUV from Munich that was far more bonkers than the X5 M that followed: the X5 Le Mans. Just how extreme was the X5 Le Mans? Completely revised bodywork—including a new hood, bulging fenders, and a lower ride height—give the Le Mans a punchy look. Lightweight BBS LM wheels and a roll cage were added later. Lightweight buckets replace the original seats, and a gear lever for the six-speed manual transmission stands proud in the center console. But the real show...
Ford Tremor vs. Raptor: What’s the Difference Between These Off-Road Pickups?
Ford’s current lineup of off-road vehicles is stacked. Besides the radical, revived Bronco and new Bronco Sport, the iconic F-150 Raptor has been redesigned, and a new Tremor package available on every Ford truck increases all-around capability. Both the Tremor and Raptor are designed with off-road use in mind, but for different performances and different preferences. Why would you pick one over the other? Read on to understand your choices between the Raptor and the Tremor package. What Is the Ford Tremor Package? Forget the F-150 Tremor FX2 and FX4 street trucks. Today’s Tremor package adds capability to with equipment that improves off-road prowess while enabling strong towing and hauling. Available on the midsize Ranger, full-size F-150, and Super Duty trucks, it’s ta...
Testing the Tesla Model S Plaid: Milestones, Records, and Other Geeky Factoids
Hey, have you heard? The 2021.5/2022 Tesla Model S Plaid can run a sub-2.0-second 0-60-mph time on a prepped raceway surface. Well, sort of. The way we gather acceleration data uses the same launch methodology as the NHRA, drag racing’s sanctioning body. The official timer starts after 1 foot of forward progress—a.k.a. rollout—so that the car has fully broken the light beam at a competition drag strip’s start line. (We factor in this rollout via software when testing without a beam, which is most of the time.) The thing is, on a prepped surface so sticky with resin that it nearly pulls off your shoes, with three electric motors driving all four wheels, and 1,050 lb-ft of torque at your disposal, a lot can happen not only in one foot, but also within the length of a car on its w...
