2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA45 AMG: BABY ROCKETSHIP!

Road Test Editor Howard Walker uncorks Mercedes’ new four-wheel-drive  four-banger super-sport sedan. Trust me, a cork exiting a New Year’s Eve bottle of bubbly doesn’t have anywhere near the ‘pop’ of a Mercedes CLA45 AMG exploding away from standstill. It’s truly a small package with a huge fizz! Holy crap, this thing is rapid. As in zero-to-60 mph sprinting in 4.2 seconds, according to Motor Trend’s stopwatch clickers. That’s quick. That’s clown-out-of-a-circus-canon quick! To put...
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CALLAWAY CORVETTE: TWIN-TURBO SLEDGEHAMMER!

More than 25 years ago, the late John Lingenfelter drove this Corvette from Old Lyme, CT to TRC in Ohio, and then to 254.76 mph on the track. Unreal! Based on a ‘88 Chevrolet Corvette, the famous Callaway Sledgehammer, named to one-up the legendary AMG Mercedes-Benz Hammer, was built by Callaway Cars to set a top speed record and as a showcase for Callaway’s twin-turbo Corvette expertise. For years, Callaway’s Sledgehammer owned the record - World’s Fastest Street Driven Car - set on Octob...
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CUSTOM CLASSIC: 1919 MEISENHELDER ROADSTER!

One of four built in York, PA between 1919 and 1924; this impressive coachbuilt boattail Speedster is the only known example! Shown at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours, we caught up with it last month in Chicago at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) where it was a feature vehicle. Considered a Concept Car when new, it was originally handcrafted by Meisenhelder’s Sheetmetal and Autobody Works to attract buyers of ultra-expensive luxury cars as well as call attention to the c...
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BALDWIN-MOTION & MOTION: MCACN 2013!

MOTION MADNESS III hosts some of the finest documented examples of  dealer-marketed Chevrolet Supercars. Not the largest by sales volume, but certainly the most prolific of all niche-market Chevrolet super-performance builders-marketers of the 1960s-1970s, Baldwin-Motion was well represented at this year’s MCACN (Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals), showcasing a  dozen examples of Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen’s prize offerings at MOTION MADNESS III.  Adam Tuckman's '70 Phase III ...
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LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN LP 610-4: FIGHTING BULL!

Named for the legendary Spanish Huracán fighting bull known for outstanding courage and strong sense of attack, Gallardo successor is worthy of its badging! Powered by a 610 horsepower V10, Lamborghini’s latest “raging bull” has a top speed in excess of 200 mph with 0 to 62 mph sprints in 3.2 seconds. Loaded with technology and luxurious appointments, the Huracán refines the category benchmark for luxury sports cars. Designed and engineered from scratch with a hybrid carbon fiber and alum...
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CALDER’S BMW BATMOBILE ART CAR: AMELIA ISLAND

BMWs first Art Car, Alexander Calder's 3.0 CSL Batmobile GT racer, will headline  2014 Amelia Concours' Batmobile Class. BMW's Art Cars debuted to the public in Paris at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs at the Louvre in May 1975. It was an elegant creative alliance of racer and art auctioneer Herve Poulain and American sculptor Alexander Calder mixed with the foresight of BMW Motorsport chief Jochen Neerpasch. Calder started with a scale model of the Batmobile, cloaking it in broad swat...
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STEVE KINSER, OUTLAW: SPRINT CAR CHAMP!

Stephen Cox talks with the short track racing legend who plans on hanging up  his helmet after 2014 season. If you haven’t see the Beatles in concert, your opportunity is gone forever. If you missed Elvis when you had the chance, you never will. And in a few decades from now, the auto racing world will be sharply divided among two classes of people: those who remember watching Steve Kinser race, and those who don’t. Make sure you’re among the former, because those who had a chance...
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HOT RODS & CUSTOMS: ART OF THE BUILD!

The AACA Museum celebrates handcrafted cars, and their builders who dare to be different. It’s a brand new day at the AACA! Normally, the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) prides itself on promoting the preservation and restoration of showroom stock cars and other vehicles to the exact way they left the factory according to historical documentation. The automotive hobby has been going through major changes, and so has the AACA Museum. Today, many new car dealerships offer in-house ...
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L88 CORVETTES: RAREST OF RARE AT MCACN!

Close to half of the 20 multi-million-dollar ’67 L88s, plus a few ground-pounding 1968-’69 Corvettes, were at one place at one time: MCACN 2013. Bob Ashton has a reputation for assembling the quickest, fastest, rarest and most valuable muscle cars and Corvettes at his annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) in Chicago. This year he outdid himself. Working with Kevin Mackay at Corvette Repair, Valley Stream, NY, they assembled a mind-boggling number of L88 Corvettes, including seve...
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SANTA POD DRAG RACING: STUDENTS WELCOME!

Santa Pod Raceway (UK), home of drag racing in Europe, hosts the FIA European  Drag Racing Championships. Drag racing at Santa Pod, the fastest and loudest motorsport on earth showcasing everything from door slammers, beetles and bikes to 300-mph Top Fuel dragsters, will be for the third year supporting the Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI) Autocity careers and teaching resources. They will be offering free passes to groups from schools and colleges at the 2014 FIA European Drag...
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