Autos
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Flame Hoops? The Weird Science Behind the World’s Fastest Car’s Wild Engine
We’ve come to expect speed records to be set by deep-pocketed global car companies like the VW Group’s Bugatti brand, which has the budget to produce crazy complicated quad-turbo W-16 engines. So when the Washington state-based and independent SSC Tuatara managed to set an official two-way average speed record of 315.7 mph (!) running a small-block engine boasting half the cylinder and turbo count and a single (billet) camshaft, we were desperate to learn more about this record-setting engine. Who better to tell us all about it than its architect, Tom Nelson, of Nelson Racing Engines? See all 40 photos Small-Block Geometry, No GM Parts Tom was quick to note that this is not a GM engine block. It merely shares some key geometric dimensions with the iconic and quintessential...
Maybach Up a Minute: Mercedes’ Ultra-Luxury GLS Is One Pricey SUV
Mercedes is asking $161,550 for the Maybach GLS, which features just about everything but the kitchen sink. Goodies include heated, ventilated, and massaging seats, interior roof-mounted ambient lights, luscious Nappa leather upholstery, heated and cooled cupholders, and a signature cabin fragrance. Passengers in the back get a 7.0-inch tablet to work with, while a wooden parcel shelf separates the main cabin from the luggage area. Buyers can also select a refrigerated compartment with custom champagne flutes. Meanwhile, the exterior is decked out with a chrome grille, retractable running boards, standard 22-inch wheels (23-inch units are optional), and a hood-mounted Mercedes three-pointed star. Under the sheetmetal, the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 packs a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8. A 48...
Land Rover Defender Visual History: How the Off-Road SUV Got Here
Land Rover Series I (1948-1958) See all 165 photos The Rover Company had a problem after the second World War. Europe was in shambles and there wasn’t much demand for the sort of luxury cars Rover had made in the past. Inspired by the Willys Jeep, they developed the first Land Rover, an agriculturally focused four-wheel-drive truck with a steel frame and an aluminum body. It entered production in 1948 and what would come to be known as the Land Rover Series I was born. It was offered in various configurations that differed in wheelbase, door count, and body style. Land Rover Series II (1958-1971) See all 165 photos The Series II made its debut 10 years later in 1958. Its exterior design featured the same inboard headlights and boxy profile as the Series I but added a pronounced shoul...
For VIPs on the Go, This Inkas Mercedes Sprinter Is Both Limo and Office
Inkas Mercedes-Benz Sprinter VIP Mobile Office: Baller-Status Interior Inside the Inkas Mercedes-Benz Sprinter VIP, the layout and finishes such as flooring and upholstery are fully customizable, and upon request, Inkas offers a bulletproof-armor exterior package. The main passenger compartment generously accommodates five passengers, leaving plenty of room for kicking up your feet and relaxing. It features a corner office with a rotating chair and an L-shaped desk, four power-adjustable captain’s seats, two 45-inch smart TVs, wireless connectivity, USB ports galore, a premium entertainment system, and a removable center table. All captain’s seats are finished in high-quality leather, with a massage function and adjustable footrests. See all 15 photos Inkas Mercedes-Benz Sprint...
2021 Kia Seltos Pros and Cons Review: Honey, I Shrunk the Telluride
Pros Real SUV styling Well-tuned CVT Surprisingly spacious interior Cons Some cheap interior materials Four-star NHTSA safety rating Start with the styling, where the 2021 Seltos gets right what so many affordable SUVs miss—it looks like an SUV and not a tall hatchback. Even if you don’t like the pops of character provided by eye-catching details inside and out, the Seltos resembles a larger SUV than it actually is. That impression continues inside, where the Seltos delighted us with its spacious, reclinable rear seats. The outstanding package is marred only slightly by the occasional cheap materials the driver and passengers will find across the trim lineup. But that’s expected on an SUV with a price tag ranging from about $23,000 to $30,000. What you don’t expect, howev...
Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 Dies So That the Mach 1 Can Live
Automakers shuffle option packages all the time, for reasons both obvious and obscure. For the 2021 model year, many changes are coming to the Ford Mustang lineup—and yes, that’ll affect its options. The most notable change is the introduction of the 2021 Mustang Mach 1, a special performance model that pulls double duty and takes over for the Bullitt and Shelby GT350, incorporating bits from both, as well as the Mustang GT Performance Pack 2. With some good comes the bad, however: like the Mach 1’s other parts donors, the Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 is now dead, too. The changes were discovered on Blue Oval Forums and reported by Muscle Cars and Trucks, and a Ford spokesperson confirmed the discontinuation of the Performance Pack 2 to MotorTrend...
2021 Tesla Model 3 Packs More Range, Interior and Exterior Improvements
Even though the Tesla Model 3 has only been with us for a few model years, it is still a work in progress on the quality control front. But for 2021, the smallest and least expensive Tesla you can buy is getting a host of updates. Tesla quietly updated their consumer site with some of the improvements listed here, but the interior changes were sent to us by someone who works at a Tesla store. The most notable changes are to the car’s range, and these were in the updates to Tesla’s website. In 2020, the base Model 3 had 250 miles of range and it topped out at 322 miles, while the Performance-trimmed cars were able to go 299 miles on a single charge. For 2021, the base Model 3 now has 263 miles of range, the Performance models can go 315 miles, and the long-range cars see a major...
2021 Nissan Rogue Pros and Cons Review: Huh, So This Is a Nissan?
Pros Honda-like practicality Roomy back seat Improved interior quality Cons Platinum ride quality Loud engine Good but not great dynamics Nissan’s best-selling vehicle could soon be notable for more than just the amount of cash on the hood. After seven long model years, the redesigned 2021 Nissan Rogue re-enters the compact SUV scene more relevant than it’s been in a long time. Nissan, we missed you. The box-checking Rogue hits at the heart of the segment with smart, practical touches. A large back seat and wide-opening rear doors are just the start. The Nissan manages to offer a spacious cargo area while shrinking in length by 1.5 inches, making it that much easier to park. A new cargo spot below the center console could be useful, and like the class leaders, its rear seats fo...
Land Rover Defender Pros and Cons Review: Surprise, Surprise
Pros Incredible ride Fabulous design Great inline-six engine Cons Some interior cheapness Tiny third row Build quality concerns Perhaps as a result of being deprived of the Land Rover Defender in America since 1998, we were unsure what to expect with this new one. A few of our staff members have some experience with the old one and features editor Christian Seabaugh got to drive the new version 500-miles across Namibia (insert jealously induced expletive here), but by and large the big silver truck with the fanny pack hanging off the side was a stranger. It was much better than we expected. “Shock of all shocks,” says senior editor Scott Evans said. “The off-road truck with the giant knobby tires rides really well over all the rough pavement. All the travel in the suspens...
2021 Toyota Venza Pros and Cons Review: Lexus Lite
Pros Comfy seats Quick bursts of power Good hybrid brakes Cons Frustrating capacitive controls Can’t tow Excessive tire noise When the luxurious Lexus RX is out of reach, Toyota might have the next best thing. The 2021 Toyota Venza wraps the RAV4 Hybrid‘s powertrain in a longer and more premium package, providing buyers in the midsize SUV market a fresh option with a specific focus. You won’t find any fancy off-road driving modes inside the Venza, which does have standard electric AWD, thanks to its rear-mounted motor. And the Toyota isn’t rated to tow, either. Instead, the Venza aims to be the best high-riding school-run cruiser in its class. Oh yeah, and because it’s a hybrid, it’s more efficient than its Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Edge, and Honda Passport...
2021 Honda Civic Sedan Ditches Its Manual Transmission, Just Like the Accord
The 2021 compact four-door Honda sedan is now on sale, and without its stick-shift option, it is only available with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The base 2021 Honda Civic LX sedan starts at $22,005, an increase of $250 compared to the previous year—albeit with the previously optional CVT included. It also happens to be quite a bit more expensive than the base Toyota Corolla sedan, which starts at $20,920. See all 31 photos Honda previously offered a six-speed manual transmission also on the four-door Civic Sport in addition to the LX, but not anymore. Prices for CVT-equipped Sport models have gone up $250, as have prices for the top-level Touring model. The EX-L is the only trim level that’s cheaper this year. Other than the loss of the manual transmission, ...
2021 Cadillac Escalade Pros and Cons Review: The Boss Is Back
Pros Elegant interior Class-leading tech Unabashed style Cons Chevy parts here and there Retrograde fuel economy The Cadillac Escalade didn’t invent the concept of the luxury full-size SUV, but it’s been so dominant for so long you’d be forgiven for thinking so. Even as the competition caught and surpassed it, the biggest Caddy remained a staple of red carpet premieres, music videos, and valet lots. Now, though, the boss is back. The 2021 Cadillac Escalade takes every criticism leveled at both itself and the Cadillac brand head-on and comes away with barely a scratch. We can’t begin anywhere but the interior. For years, we’ve begged GM to give Cadillac the budget and freedom to design world-class interiors, and the most we’ve received is high-quality mat...
