ANTI-AGING: TOYOTA AVALON TRD

Posted on July 17, 2020 by MartynL

Someone dunked the ANTI-AGING: TOYOTA AVALON TRD AARP sedan in the fountain of youth, says Road Test Editor Howard Walker! Imagine grandpa strapping a turbo to his walker. Or your great-aunt Mildred taking her Buzzaround EX mobility scooter into the shop and getting it back with 19-inch rims and a racy body kit! Not gonna happen? Think again, because I've just been piloting a version of Toyota's normally somnambulant, Prozac-infused Avalon luxury liner with tuning by Toyota Racing De...

McLAREN 720S SPIDER: SUNSHINE SUPERCAR

Posted on July 5, 2020July 7, 2020 by MartynL

Drop the top on the new 710 horsepower McLAREN 720S SPIDER: SUNSHINE SUPERCAR and revel in some explosive pyrotechnic fun, says Road Test Editor Howard Walker. No Fourth of July fireworks for you this year? No worries, I have fireworks for you. Lots of fireworks. Pyrotechnics in the shape of this rolling 710-horsepower bottle rocket with more bang than a truckload of M-80s! Light the touch paper on this incandescent ‘20 McLaren 720S Spider I've been scaring myself silly with this week, and the ...

ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE: AD-VANTAGE ASTON

Posted on July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by MartynL

The latest Vantage coupe may be Aston's entry model, but it might be the most fun version you can buy, ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE: AD-VANTAGE ASTON, says Road Test Editor Howard Walker. OK, enough with the James Bond quips. I promise I’ll try. Yet to drive a new Aston Martin, any Aston Martin, and not make reference to the indelible 007 connection is something of a challenge. Especially as the latest ‘20 Aston Martin Vantage rocket ship I've been piloting, never failed to leave me shaken and stirred,...

‘20 BMW M8: SUNSHINE SUPERSTAR

Posted on June 5, 2020 by MartynL

Think of the ‘20 BMW M8: SUNSHINE SUPERSTAR as a 600-horsepower tanning bed, writes Road Test Editor Howard Walker. Trust me, you don't need a BMW M8 Convertible. You don't need its 600 hellacious horsepower, or its ability to carve curves like Dale Jr. at Daytona. And while its ease at catapulting you from standstill to 60 mph in, gulp, three seconds may seem a great way of social distancing, it'll make no difference in a Starbucks drive-thru! But, but, if you have $145,000 searing a ho...

ASTON MARTIN DBS: TRIPPING THE SUPER-LIGHT FANTASTIC

Posted on June 2, 2020June 2, 2020 by MartynL

The ‘20 DBS Superleggera Volante delivers hair-raising, open-top V12 excitement, writes Road Test Editor Howard Walker. Ponder this bijou factoid for a second: The top speed of Aston Martin's new, breathtakingly gorgeous, 715 horsepower DBS Superleggera Volante convertible is 211 mph. That in itself is mightily impressive. If my math is correct, at that velocity the thundering Aston is covering the entire length of a football field in a hair over one second. No, what's really impressive is Asto...

LAST SHELBY COBRA: DRIVING MISS DAISY!

Posted on November 19, 2019November 19, 2019 by MartynL

Project Daisy was the thundering 600-horsepower V10-engined Shelby Cobra Concept intended to succeed the original Ford GT. It never happened. But with a new book about the car just hitting the bookshelves, CGC's Road Test Editor Howard Walker gets behind the wheel of this forgotten Cobra for an exclusive drive. You can feel the ghost of Ol’ Shel still swirling around the cockpit. Listen closely and you might just hear his belly laughs at hearing the tortured scream of fricasseeing rubber after...

2019 CADILLAC XTS V-SPORT: GOING FAST!

Posted on January 21, 2019 by MartynL

Grab it while you can; Cadillac's 410-horsepower luxury sports sedan might not be long for this world, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. Don't get me wrong, I love SUVs. Love the high-up, nosebleed command driving position, love the versatility of all that load-carrying space, love the thought of being able to four-wheel-drive up Mount Kinabalu if I felt the urge. But once in a while, I'll slide behind the wheel of some sleek, high-luxe sedan with a ton of power, and remember how I miss the...

ROLLS-ROYCE CULLINAN: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH!

Posted on January 15, 2019 by MartynL

The all-new, ultra-luxe Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV will take you off the beaten path in real style, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. Eleanor is leading the way. Head forward, gossamer wings outstretched, that iconic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament providing the perfect sight-line as we claw our way up Snow King Mountain. Considering her surroundings, maybe Ms. Eleanor should have traded the flowing gossamer for a Patagonia puffy jacket and a pair of Merrell hiking boots! This is surreal. ...

‘18 MCLAREN 570S SPIDER: FAST & FURIOUS!

Posted on December 9, 2018 by MartynL

McLaren's magical open-top 570S Spider simply redefines the term 'sportscar', blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker We're cruising for caffeine. Carmel, south of San Fran, down Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur. God's driving road. Thirty-odd miles of serpentine twists and turns. Frothy Pacific to the right, towering rock faces to the left. We'll be ready for that cappuccino on the deck at Nepenthe. This should be a tourist sightseeing meander. Speedo stuck at 30, ready to dive into every scen...

‘19 MERCEDES-AMG GT C ROADSTER: CRUISING ON ISLAND TIME!

Posted on December 5, 2018 by MartynL

This $157,000 rocketship is the perfect drop-top to drive to the slice of Florida paradise that's Boca Grande, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. When you have a stupendous sportscar for the weekend, like the 550-horsepower Mercedes AMG GTC Roadster I'm driving, you need a great destination to cruise to. Sebring or Palm Beach Raceway come to mind. But if you prefer not to wear a helmet or burn rubber for your weekend drive, there's this tiny sliver of paradise, seven miles long, maybe half a...