Autos
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What Is Gulf Livery? The History of Racing’s Iconic Color Scheme
Gulf Livery: The Timeless Orange and Blue Race Car Livery with Global Fame Catapulted to icon status by the golden age of motorsports in the 1960s, the Gulf Oil livery is easily one of the most respected and globally recognized race-car liveries. Having already picked up back-to-back wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 and 1967, the relentless Ford GT40 dressed in the Gulf livery collected two more consecutive Le Mans titles in 1968 and 1969. Afterward, the undisputed “King of Cool”—Steve McQueen—starred in the 1971 feature-length film Le Mans, in which he played racing driver Michael Delaney behind the wheel of one of two Gulf-liveried Porsche 917Ks. Indeed, the 3707 Zenith Blue and 3957 Tangerine colors famously adorned both the Porsche 917K and Ford G...
Getting to Know Faye Hadley of “All Girls Garage”: Old Toyotas, Chickens, and Makeup Tutorials
On Friday, November 27, 2020, David Freiburger and Brian Lohnes are subjecting six of your favorite MotorTrend hosts to a series of holiday-themed automotive challenges that you, almost certainly, have never seen the like of before. But before all the Holiday Hooptie Challenge starts, let’s get to know one of the lucky contestants from All Girls Garage on the MotorTrend App and Pistons & Pixiedust on YouTube and Instagram. Meet Faye Hadley. Pistons & Pixiedust isn’t just the name of Faye’s YouTube Channel—it’s also the name of her ASE-certified general repair shop outside of San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in Toyotas. With no mechanical or technical background to speak of, this tiny ball of energy, laughter, and tattoos may not be what you expect to see...
2020 Kia Telluride Long-Term Update: Still the King After 18,000 Miles
Kia Telluride Full Overview Although the Calipers have been passed to the Defender, the Telluride is still tops in its segment. Unsuccessfully competing alongside the Defender for this year’s honors was the 2021 Toyota Highlander. The Highlander not only fell short of winning our annual award, it also fell short of dethroning the Telluride as the top three-row SUV. Don’t take my word for it. Head over to our newly launched Buyer’s Guide and check out the rankings! Unsurprising to me, the Telluride leads the three-row SUV pack with score of 8.4/10. Not only does the Telluride beat its main competitors, only one other SUV, the luxurious Lincoln Navigator, matches the Telluride’s score! Again, none of this surprises me. After lending the Telluride to a coworker with tw...
What Is Overlanding? Off-Road In-Vehicle Camping Explained
So, What Is Overlanding? We don’t usually refer to Wikipedia as a source, but in this case, we will, as the site’s definition of overlanding sums up nicely exactly what the activity entails: “Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road-capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping, often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and spanning international boundaries.” See all 27 photos What Is Overlanding 101 Overlanding is a combination of remote travel, off-roading, and camping. Overlanding’s origins date back to the early 1900s when Australia began to establish r...
2008 Acura TSX: Finding That Perfect Balance
It’s safe to say that Angel Pena, owner of this supercharged 2008 Acura TSX, has a “type.” Having been enamored with Acura’s entry-level sedan ever since it was first introduced, he knew right away he’d get his hands on one, and eventually, he did just that. Today, a decade later, he’s moved on to his second TSX chassis and managed to find a picture-perfect combination of what so many others often strive for: an almost completely street-legal build that’s tame enough for the street yet can hold its own on the track. Right Car, Wrong Color That initial purchase, a 2005 Carbon Grey version of the TSX about a decade ago, proved to be everything he imagined, though it was simply the wrong color. Angel adds, “My dream was always to own...
The U.S.-Market Volkswagen Passat Sedan Is Being Killed in 2023
It’s a nerve-wracking time to be a sedan in the U.S. right now. The market is shifting away from four-door family cars toward SUVs and crossovers. The latest casualty in this move is the Volkswagen Passat, which will be discontinued in the U.S. by 2023, according to a report from Wards Auto. “We’ve made a decision to cancel the Passat for the U.S. The sales trend is very firmly in favor of SUV models, as indicated by the success of the [Chattanooga-built] Atlas,” Volkswagen brand chief Ralf Brandstätter told Wards. Production of the U.S.-market Passat will end at Volkswagen’s U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2023, coinciding with the all-electric Volkswagen ID4 SUV’s ramp-up to full capacity. (Keep in mind the American Passat is unique from the E...
2021 Hyundai Sonata vs. Kia K5 Comparison Test: Two Alternatives to Your Average Accord
Hyundai Sonata Full Overview Ask a MotorTrend staffer which midsize sedan is best, and the reply “Honda Accord” will come as quickly and reflexively as a leg kick follows a tap to the patellar tendon. The Honda leads our midsize sedan rankings, and for good reason. But for many buyers, an Accord or a Toyota Camry is just too obvious a choice, or too ubiquitous. For decades the corporately linked Korean automakers have offered more features and tech for the same or less money, and now they’re even offering bolder designs. Hyundai and Kia also still offer longer warranties than the Japanese nameplates, despite mounting evidence that you may never need it: Kia recently tied for the top spot in J.D. Power’s 2020 Initial Quality Study (Hyundai ranked ninth, Honda 19th, T...
2021 BMW 540i xDrive First Test: Quick, But Not Exactly Fun
BMW 5-Series Full Overview The seventh generation of the BMW 5 Series, coded “G30,” has not earned universal praise at MotorTrend as had some earlier models. When it competed in our 2018 Car of the Year contest, we chided its “numb handling and response” and lamented “an anodyne feel that permeates all of these 5 Series entries.” We attributed that largely to BMW’s decision to migrate the 5 to the architecture that underpins the larger, heavier 7 Series. In our luxury midsize category rankings, the 5 has trailed the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, and at times even the Lexus ES. Well, BMW has sharpened its pencils and rolled out a revamped G30 5 Series for 2021. This new 5 Series boasts loads of detail improvements, including a 48-volt mild hy...
Ski-Toting Mercury Cougar of James Bond 007 Movie Fame Could Top $200,000
Whatever you think of George Lazenby’s turn as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service—famously his first and only appearance on screen as 007—this 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible deserves recognition as one of the coolest ski-equipped Bond cars in existence. Driven by the character played by Dame Diana Rigg, Contessa Tracy di Vicenzo, it was both an unlikely getaway car and an unexpected entrant in an ice racing event—leaving a lot of twisted metal, and frustrated SPECTRE henchmen in its wake. Now, this fascinating Bond car is for sale through Bonhams, and the high end of the auction estimate is a heady $200,000 when it crosses the auction block on December 16, 2020. It’s one of three used in the film, the seller claims, and apparently appeared in the scene in...
Tatiana Calderón Is Racing Toward F1, and Wants Other Women to Follow
Tatiana Calderón is probably the fastest woman on the planet right now, and the 27-year-old Columbian’s racing career has been punctuated by a number of firsts. She was the first woman to compete in both Japanese Super Formula and Formula 2, and was part of the first all-female LMP2 driver lineup in Le Mans history earlier this year. She’s also the first woman Alfa Romeo has ever signed as a test driver for their Formula 1 team, and that’s where she’s headed. “I want to be a full time Formula 1 driver, that’s my dream. It’s why I wake up in the morning,” Calderón told MotorTrend during a virtual roundtable event hosted by Alfa Romeo Racing. But getting a seat at the pinnacle of motorsport is a herculean task for even the most experienced and ...
2019 Toyota RAV4 After One Year: Did the SUV Live Up to Its Reputation for Reliability?
Toyota RAV4 Full Overview As America’s best-selling SUV, you can’t get any more bread-and-butter than the Toyota RAV4. Toyota sold more than 448,000 copies in the U.S. last year, far surpassing sales of the Honda CR-V and other rivals. We knew it wouldn’t be the most exciting vehicle to grace the MotorTrend Garage, but we had high expectations for our year with Toyota’s small SUV. Will its competency match its popularity? It won’t be an easy feat. Our RAV4 exuded a certain charm when it arrived at our headquarters in El Segundo, California. It showed up on our doorstep with an enigmatic Lunar Rock paint color. Is it blue, green, or gray? We’ll never be quite sure. While other small crossovers have comically rounded features, the RAV4 has a chiseled front...
Rolls-Royce Lights Up the Road With Neon Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinan
Rolls-Royce is taking a page from the ’80s by introducing neon-themed special-edition vehicles. The British automaker is rolling out a handful of Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinans in vibrant colors. Oddly enough, all vehicles are Black Badge variants with dark accents and increased performance. The special Wraith Black Badge gets a Lime Rock Green color, inspired by the Australian green tree frog. Inside, gray leather seats pair with green stitching. The Dawn convertibles are painted Eagle Rock Red after the flowers on an evergreen tree native to Hawaii. Grey leather with Koi Red stitching complete the look. Finally, the Cullinan features a Mirabeau Blue paint job that mimics the color of the Rhetus periander, a butterfly species found in Central and South America. Open the doors, and you&...
