’18 F-150 RAPTOR: FORD’S TWIN-TURBO SUPER TRUCK!

Posted on December 22, 2017 by MartynL

Dan Scanlan introduces the Raptor – Ford’s Gen II ultimate pickup-truck to Florida's wind-whipped dunes, water-covered mud flats and the open road. Ford Performance has had a hot rod truck before – the 1999 to 2004 F-150 Lightning. But it had nothing with horsepower and off-road macho until the Raptor’s first generation began prowling in 2010 with a 6.2-liter V-8 and 411 horsepower. Now Ford’s F-Series has an aluminum superstructure and body, with turbocharged V-6 engines. So the redesigned '18...

GRID GIRLS: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Posted on December 19, 2017 by MartynL

Stephen Cox blogs about auto racing's long-standing tradition of grid girls being the next casualty in the war for political correctness. It was early 2015 when the World Endurance Championships (WEC) got rid of them, and Formula 1 may be next. Director Ross Brawn of Liberty Media, the new controlling group of Formula 1, recently said that the tradition of grid girls is being reconsidered. For the uninitiated, “grid girls” are the pretty women who stand beside the racecars prior to many events ...

’17 MERCEDES-BENZ SL63 AMG: SUNSHINE SUPERCAR!

Posted on December 8, 2017 by MartynL

The iconic SL is no longer the superstar of the Mercedes lineup. But after driving the mighty 577-horsepower SL63 AMG, Road Test Editor Howard Walker blogs: convertibles don’t come better than this. Shed a tear for the poor, magnificent Mercedes-Benz SL. Once the undisputed top-dog of the open-top Mercedes lineup, these days it’s over-shadowed by the likes of the new, whipper-snapper AMG GT Roadster and an endless menagerie of C, E and S-class cabriolets. Oh, and I almost forgot the pint-siz...

2018 AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS: FERRARI DAYTONA!

Posted on December 5, 2017 by MartynL

It's been a half-century since Pininfarina created the timeless shape of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4. On March 11, 2018 that happy anniversary will be celebrated at the 23rd annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance with a special class of the rare and significant Ferrari 365 GTB/4 "Daytona". It was revenge, not Ferrari that gave the 365 GTB/4 its popular nickname. The name of America's first superspeedway clung to the big Italian GT after Ferrari prototypes avenged themselves on American soil followi...

‘18 JAGUAR F-TYPE 400 SPORT: LESS IS MORE!

Posted on December 3, 2017 by MartynL

Even with a V-6, it’s a sleek, powerful and agile update of the sexiest cat around, blogs Dan Scanlan. Power corrupts, the old adage claims. So you would think the latest special edition of Jaguar’s F-Type, called the 400 Sport, would be a supercharged V-8 version of the first-gen cat released in 2013 as homage to the original Jaguar E-Type. But this one-year-only version, done to reveal upgrades coming to 2018 models, proves less is more. The 400 Sport gets an uprated version of the lin...

LT5 CORVETTE: ZR1 CONVERTIBLE!

Posted on November 24, 2017November 24, 2017 by MartynL

A look back at the highly sophisticated, yet underdeveloped, DOHC Corvette, and the one-off convertible Michael Beal had to have. Chevrolet didn’t make a C4 four-cam ZR1 Roadster, but Metalcrafters of California is credited with a singular build. And, Michael Beal is still enjoying this unique high-performance Corvette! For most Corvette fans, there was “that day” when a Corvette stole your heart. For Michael Beal, it was the jewel-like LT5 engine that powered the C4 ZR1 Corvette. The beauti...

’19 CORVETTE ZR1: IT’S GOOD TO BE KING!

Posted on November 12, 2017 by MartynL

America’s sports car morphs into a contender for international Supercar honors. In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, today, Chevrolet introduced the ‘19 Corvette ZR1, a supercar that boosts Corvette’s performance heritage with the highest power, greatest track performance and most advanced technology in its production history. “I’ve never driven a Corvette like this before, and nobody else has either, because there’s never been one like this before,” said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, Glo...

OPTION Z28: CHEVY BUILDS A BOY RACER!

Posted on November 8, 2017November 8, 2017 by MartynL

This is the first Z28 produced and one of the first 16 Z28 Camaros that Chevrolet built specifically to beat Mustangs in Trans-Am road racing. It was Vince Piggins, Chevrolet Product Promotions Manager and keeper of its revolving “backdoor”, who conceived the Z28 Camaro to battle Mustang on the Trans-Am circuit. Once approved by Pete Estes, Chevrolet General Manager and GM Vice-President, he was given the green light to prototype a true four-place sports coupe. Estes had a rich performance car ...

ELECTRIC GT CHAMPIONSHIP: PLUG-IN & PLAY!

Posted on November 7, 2017November 7, 2017 by MartynL

Stephen Cox blogs about the new EGT Championship Series and its ‘Day Of Light’ on November 18th. As racers and motorsports enthusiasts, most of us like to keep our ears to the ground about what's happening in our sport. Who could have predicted the explosion of $500 “crapcan” endurance racing, the declining attendance in NASCAR or the amazing rise of Formula E? What's next in our sport? I must admit that the success of Formula E took me by surprise, especially considering the controversy sur...

‘18 LEXUS LC500: SILVER DREAM MACHINE!

Posted on November 3, 2017 by MartynL

Lexus delivers a flagship two-door luxury super coupe that’s guaranteed to stir your soul, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. For the select few of us who still crave the automotive dinosaur that’s the big-engined GT Coupe, the new Lexus LC500 is one glorious nostalgia trip. See it in the metal and it’s simply beyond gorgeous. It has curves on its curves, rear flanks bigger than Sea Biscuit’s and a windshield so swept back it verges on the horizontal. Its hood is so long, the leading edge co...