Autos
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This Rolls-Royce Wraith Has a Mural On Its Hood, Because Why Not?
Rolls-Royce is no stranger to celestial design themes. Its starlight headliner gives passengers a view of the night sky without ever having to open the windows. This time around, the automaker is taking things a step further with a bespoke Wraith that features a special headliner depicting the entire solar system from inside the cabin. Commissioned through Rolls-Royce Abu Dhabi, this Wraith’s exterior features a satellite view of the Arabian Peninsula from space. The intricate artwork on the hood took more than 100 to complete by hand, according to Rolls. On the side of the vehicle near the door handles, there are icons representing the eight planets of the Solar System: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Sorry again, Pluto. Along with the solar s...
Overfinch Shows Off Ultra-Luxe Sandringham Edition Range Rover LWB
We know the current Range Rover is on its way out, but if you can’t be bothered to wait for the new one and want an SUV that’s handsome, luxurious, and exclusive, then Overfinch has you covered. The Range Rover Sandringham Edition, as they’re calling it, is a Range Rover Autobiography LWB with an extra heaping of interior opulence and exterior style. The outside of the Sandringham Edition Range Rover is massaged with a unique body kit from Overfinch. The front bumper, grille, and front fenders are redone in carbon fiber—you can even see the weave in the air intakes. At the back, there is a new carbon fiber diffuser with a pair of integrated exhaust outlets and a new carbon fiber spoiler that sits atop the tailgate. The whole thing is set off by a set of custom 22-inch whe...
Mercedes-Benz Deal Directs High-Tech Powertrains to Aston Martin’s Vehicles
The story of Aston Martin lately has been inexorably linked to Mercedes-Benz—namely, the latter’s engines going into the former’s sports cars. It’s a technical partnership that’s been going on for years, culminating earlier this year with an even more intimate tie-up: Mercedes-AMG’s CEO, Tobias Moers, jumping ship and heading to Aston, replacing Andy Palmer, after a massively successful run at Daimler’s performance vehicle wing. Now, another deal and even closer ties between the British grand touring legend and the famed German brand. The basic thrust is this: Mercedes-Benz will increase its stake in Aston Martin to an as-of-yet undetermined percentage, but no more than 20 percent. In exchange, Mercedes will break off some of its most advanced powertrain...
2020 Mazda CX-30 Premium AWD Arrival: One Year With Mazda’s Newest SUV
Like the relationship of Jim and Pam on The Office, an automaker evolving from a mainstream to a luxury brand is compelling to watch. There’s a will-they-won’t-they tension as the product and marketing teams fight customer perception as they attempt to get from A to B. Some brands have been successful. Hyundai, which went from selling Excels to Equuses (eventually spinning that off as the Genesis luxury brand)—springs to mind. Others, such as Chrysler’s mid-’00s pivot, fell flat. The latest automaker to attempt the transition is Mazda, and we’ll be spending the next 12 months with the 2020 Mazda CX-30 Premium AWD to see how this brand in transition is faring. Why the CX-30 instead of something like a Mazda 6 or CX-5 Signature, you ask? Simple: ItR...
2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrids Get Tweaked, Are Even Juicier
There’s a lot to like about the plug-in hybrid version of the Porsche Cayenne. In past reviews, we’ve praised its refined chassis, robust acceleration, and the powertrain’s smooth transition between gas and electric power. These qualities helped advance the SUV to the finalist list for last year’s MotorTrend SUV of the Year competition. Now, Porsche is making a few more tweaks in hopes of delivering even better performance. See all 41 photos All changes apply to both SUV and coupe body styles. First, the 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid gets a bigger battery, with capacity increasing considerably from 14.1 to 17.9 kWh. Powertrains haven’t changed, however, which means the standard model still combines a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 and electric motor for 455 horsep...
2020 BMW X3 xDrive30e First Test: Worth Every Penny?
Usually when you face a choice between a conventional gas or plug-in hybrid SUV or car, the PHEV struggles to save enough fuel to offset the cost of the battery, motor, and all that extra copper. For some drivers, the BMW X3 xDrive30e might just pencil out. But will it kill your soul while doing so? How the BMW X3 xDrive30e Plug-In Hybrid SUV Can Pay For Itself Changing the “i” at the end of that model designation to an “e” costs $4,600. For that, you get a 107-hp/77-lb-ft electric motor sandwiched between your engine and transmission, which boosts the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine’s output to 288 hp and 310 lb-ft. (In the xDrive30i it makes 248 hp and 258 lb-ft.) You also get a hefty 12-kWh battery pack capable of propelling the X3 on battery power alone ...
2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class First Drive Review: A Sci-Fi Vision of Luxury
Even though almost 30 different models comprise today’s Mercedes-Benz portfolio in the U.S., the launch of an all-new S-Class is still a defining moment for Germany’s most successful premium automaker. Mercedes SUVs, particularly the GLE and GLC families, might today be the brand’s volume sellers, but an S-Class is still intended to be nothing less than a statement of engineering excellence and technical expertise that underpins the very credibility of the three-pointed star. The mission statement for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is thus crystal clear. The 2021 S-Class, codenamed W223, is built on a new platform known internally as MRA2. Effectively an evolution of the current car’s underpinnings, MRA2 has been reworked to package a new rear-steer axle and a large...
2021 Jaguar E-Pace First Look: The New Entry Level Jag
Fresh-Faced Feline Luckily, the updates for 2021 are nearly as comprehensive as the work done to the F-Pace. On the outside, the sides and rear of the E-Pace remain mostly unchanged, but there is a new face up front that’s slightly more mature than last year’s giddy looking treatment. There is a new mesh grille with chrome brightwork, a set of new LED headlights, and a new, more sculpted hood, all of which bring the little SUV in line the rest of the 2021 Jaguar lineup. As before, the E-Pace offers two turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains. The P250 and P250 SE models will use the carryover entry-level 246-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that sends power through a nine-speed automatic to all four wheels. Sport 300 models get the (also carryover) 296-hp, mild-hybrid 2.0...
Comparison Test: 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 vs. 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250
This was bound to happen. Luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz are filling every niche on the market. Sometimes twice. Case in point: the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 and 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250, two SUVs from the same automaker competing against each other in the same subcompact luxury SUV segment. You, dear consumer, may be asking, which one is better? How do you distinguish mini-utes beyond appearance? Why are luxury automakers filling such tiny segments? To answer these questions, we have both vehicles and we’re pitting them against each other in a GLA-Class-vs.-GLB-Class sibling showdown. May the best Mercedes-Benz subcompact SUV win. GLA 250 vs. GLB 250: How Do They Drive? Both the GLA 250 and GLB 250 are motivated by the same 221-hp 2.0-liter turbo I-4 paired to an eight-speed...
These Sexy Old Speedboats Pack Wicked Alfa Romeo Racing Engines
Alfa Romeo was a monster of post-war racing on land, winning a number of what we’d now consider Formula 1 races with the Alfetta 158/159 powered by a very small-displacement, supercharged straight-eight engine. This car was monumentally successful at the hands of drivers like Juan Manual Fangio and Nino Farina. But, less well known to us car enthusiasts, this engine (and other motorsports engines from the company) also had very successful careers on the water. The Arno II, seen above, was powered by an Alfa 158 engine (and is parked next to its Grand Prix car relative). All told, the boats in this exhibit racked up 11 world records, six world championships, and a number of European and Italian championships. Alfa Romeo developed marine engines and supported race efforts for decades, ...
A Beautiful Mistake: Lancia Should Have Built the 2003 Fulvia Concept
At the time of this writing, Lancia—one of the greatest automakers of all time, with a history of racing success and great driver’s cars—currently produces just one vehicle. The Lancia Ypsilon is a homely little hatchback that’s been on sale since 2011 and is powered by a range of eensy little engines, including a 0.9-liter inline-two. This situation comes after several years of parent company FCA foisting rebadged Chrysler products on Continental buyers, including the Lancia Thema (neé Chrysler 300). Such cynical badge jobs made a mockery of the brand’s heritage, but it didn’t have to be this way. At the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, the company showed off the Fulvia Concept, an homage to one of the company’s finest-ever enthusiast cars and a triumph of the era&#...
Ford’s Power Stroke Concept Truck Is the Epitome of ’90s Americana
Ford’s rounded 1995 Explorer was still nearly a year away from launch in 1994, but the Blue Oval’s Power Stroke concept pickup gave clues to the company’s styling directive for the cars, trucks, and SUVs it planned to sell to consumers throughout the latter half of the 1990s. Besides showcasing the brand’s forthcoming design language, the Power Stroke housed Ford’s upcoming turbo-diesel 7.3-liter V-8 engine, which would soon make its way to production bearing the—wait for it—Power Stroke moniker. Despite its show-car status, the Power Stroke concept was surprisingly road-ready. Riding on a modified heavy-duty truck frame and featuring an interior cribbed from an F-Series pickup of the era, the truck’s only true conceptual elements lived on its yello...
