CARSCOOP |  |
- Polish Man Builds McLaren F1 Replica with BMW V12 Out of Scrap and Spare Parts for $32k!
- Consumer Reports Rates its Value Picks, Explains Marking System
- Automakers Push for Unified Crash-Test Standards in the EU and US
- New Lamborghini Huracan/Cabrera: Allegedly First Official Photo and Neat Spy Shot Makeover
- CNET Review Finds 2014 Buick Enclave Remains Your Grandparents’ Car
- Opel Gets Playful with 2014 Adam, Showcases New Colors with Toy Models
- Jiminy Cricket! What The Hell Happened To This Ford Mustang?
- Zenos E10 Sports Car to Be Unveiled at the 2014 Autosport International Show
- Spy Shots: Ford's Focus Compact Visits Dr. Makeover
- NYC’s Finest...Taxi Drivers Pose for 2014 Beefcake Calendar
- Ford Rumored to Offer Solid Rear Axle in New Mustang Too, in 2014
- Ferrari Boss Would Like Le Mans Return with LMP1 Racer
- Warning: Oversized Load Coming Your Way
- Kia Bringing a New 2+2 Sports Coupe Study to Detroit Auto Show
- Study Says 42% of Americans Could Use Today’s EVs With no Major Lifestyle Changes
- Spied: New Nissan Compact Hatchback Will Replace Almera, Go on Sale in Late 2014
- Acura Lets Seinfeld Write 8 Commercials for the 2014 MDX and RLX
- Toyota Vows to Keep Drivers in Final Control in its Autonomous Vehicles
- Man Creates Craigslist Ad and Video for His Lousy Maxima, Nissan Decides to Buy the Car [w/Video]
- Aston Martin Says Hola to Mexico, will Open its First Ever Showroom
- TopCar Renders Aero Kit for New Porsche Macan, Prices it from €14,620
- Arkansas Game and Fish Officer Hunts Down and Catches Man in Nissan Sentra
- Subaru Sketches Out its Vision GranTurismo Concept
- Race-Tuned Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Recreation is a True Dream Machine
- Toyota Prius Hybrid Taxi Clocks 1 Million Kilometers in Vienna
| Polish Man Builds McLaren F1 Replica with BMW V12 Out of Scrap and Spare Parts for $32k! Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:50 PM PST  If you're a Carscoops regular, you may remember a story from 2009 about a car fanatic from Poland who was working on a McLaren F1 replica. Well, after eight years of work (!), the car is finally completed with 48-year-old amateur mechanic Jacek Mazur spending £20,000 ($32,862) on spare parts and materials to build the car. Reportedly, it is capable of going up to 200 mph (322 km/h), but we'd advise you to take the last number with a bucket-load of salt. Still, it is certainly a decent and laudable effort, especially if you consider that a real McLaren F1, which can go up to 240 mph (386 km/h), sold for £5.1 million ($8.38 million) at a classic car auction in August this year. A health-and-safety advisor, Jacek Mazur fell in love with the McLaren F1 as soon as he saw it. "I knew I had to have one. I couldn't afford it so I knew I would have to build one myself," he was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. Considering he has also built replicas of the Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 911, his wish seemed pretty legit. Using an BMW V12 engine (like the original, though, yes that one was developed by BMW M), the brakes from a Mercedes-Benz and a lot of improvising, Mazur has come up with his own McLaren F1, and we have to admit it's one of the best-looking replicas we've seen. He built the tubular chassis from scratch, which he said was the hardest part of the job, as well as the positioning of the driver's seat. Compared to the original McLaren F1's three-seat layout, the replica adds a cramped fourth seat behind the driver, which Mazur calls the "Hammond-seat" – because only small people like the Top Gear presenter could fit in it. Scroll down to find out more about the car and its builder from the first video, then take a look at the other videos and photos as well - it looks like he's building more McLaren F1 replicas. By Dan Mihalascu             |
| Consumer Reports Rates its Value Picks, Explains Marking System Posted: 18 Dec 2013 04:51 PM PST  The difference between price and value is a very important one, and it only gets wider the higher the former is. Knowing which cars represent a good deal is gold in a globalized market that spoils us for (solely profit-aimed) choice. That's why this recently uploaded video, courtesy of Consumer Reports, is one you should check out if you're in the market for any sort of new car right now. It ranks its best and worst and explains why each got its place, in the usual CR fashion. Their highest-ranked car here is the Toyota Prius, for its extensive use of technologies and efficiency, plus the reasonable price; the VW Golf is also heralded as a kind-of value-king too. At the opposite end of the scales lie vehicles in the vein of the rugged Nissan Armada and the showy Cadillac Escalade, which are deemed overpriced for what they really offer; Jeep Wrangler fits the bill too, though that may change with the redesigned model. By Andrei Nedelea    |
| Automakers Push for Unified Crash-Test Standards in the EU and US Posted: 18 Dec 2013 04:10 PM PST  In order to sell their cars in the European Union and United States, automakers have to comply with two different crash-test procedures coordinated by the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program) and IIHS (The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), respectively. Naturally, that means more money spent on re-engineering cars to satisfy the two different crash-test standards, and automakers believe they could save hundreds of millions of dollars in costs if the crash-test standards were unified through a free-trade deal. According to an Autonews report, to help them press their case, car manufacturers are asking academics to find common ground between US and EU standards. Lobbyists for carmakers from both sides of the Atlantic asked the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and SAFER, a transportation research group at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden, to help convince authorities of the benefits of unified safety standards. "Regulators tend to believe that their standards are the best. They have 'not-invented-here syndrome,'" said Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an US lobbying group whose members include General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen. "We want to show them that our standards may differ in some modest ways, but the ones that we're looking at harmonizing are essentially equivalent," Bergquist added. The Michigan institute and SAFER will gather data and come up with a methodology by late April or early May. The academics would then conduct an analysis and finish their report by the end of 2014, when the US and EU are hoping to finalize the free-trade deal. By Dan Mihalascu Story References: Automotive News             |
| New Lamborghini Huracan/Cabrera: Allegedly First Official Photo and Neat Spy Shot Makeover Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:35 PM PST  Moments ago, a little bird tweeted to us that this is the first official photograph of Lamborghini's replacement for the Gallardo, which the press has named Cabrera, Huracan and Demios, but don't be surprised if the Italians choose a different name altogether. Our readers know how fidgety we get with photos, renderings and sketches labeled "official" without proof and we're going to leave a big question mark on the claim for the opening image above, especially since it does look like a computer rendition (see the wheels, for example). Perhaps it is from Lamborghini, as automakers have shared digital images before, but until we make sure, we prefer to not jump into conclusions. As for the other three photos in the second row below in the gallery, there's no question about their origins, as they were created by a member of the LamboCar forums, who did a wonderful job dressing up in colors the spy picture we showed you of the new Gallardo prototype parked next to an Audi at a gas station last month. Lamborghini itself has been teasing the V10-powered supercar through a web-series, with the new Gallardo believed to debut early next year, possibly making its first public appearance at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March. Thanks to Raphael from Autofilou for photo tip, Lamborghini renders via Lambocars        |
| CNET Review Finds 2014 Buick Enclave Remains Your Grandparents’ Car Posted: 18 Dec 2013 03:10 PM PST  You need only take one look at the 2014 Buick Enclave, a seven-seater crossover, to see that it's not the kind of car you buy with your heart. It's kind of bulbous-looking from any angle, despite all of the creases it sports, with lots of chrome details and an interior from the early 2000s. CNET has now done its full tech-oriented review of the vehicle, and has quite a bit of information to add about it; a lot more than first meets the eye, though nothing of particularly positive value. It focuses on what the user can do at arm's reach while in the driver's seat, and finds that while the dash design is quite dated, the gadgets it offers are not, and it comes with all of the ones you really need – the trajectory-calculating rear-view camera, in this case. However, the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment unit looks like it responds to fist smashing, rather than finger-prodding – it's not of the new capacitive kind (from the looks of it) and seems to lag. The drive, like the looks and the interior, is reportedly nothing to shout about either, and despite packing 288 hp from its V6 engine, its performance is not the most spritely in its class. In order to get the complete picture, scroll down and click play on the video. By Andrei Nedelea    |
| Opel Gets Playful with 2014 Adam, Showcases New Colors with Toy Models Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:47 PM PST  Opel announced that it will be offering five new body colors, four roof colors, fresh interior design highlights and three new seat fabrics for its 2014 Adam city car. To showcase these refreshments, Opel chose a rather unusual approach, releasing a photo gallery that only includes 1:43 scale models. The unique photo project made by Axel Wierdemann from Wiesbaden features the micro Adam together with small characters of the same scale in outdoor surroundings – more specifically, near Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim. The new colors expand the model's customization options to 16 shades that can be used for both body and roof, plus six different roof colors that can be combined with the exterior. The new body colors include a new silver hue called "Silverwalker", a warm grey ("Pink-Kong"), a dark brown ("M. Darkside"), a vibrant blue ("Let it Blue") and a lime green ("dancing Green") and. The last three are also available as exclusive roof colors. On the inside, the 2014 Opel Adam brings three new seat fabrics, three new decors, two new colors, a new headliner, two new interior mirror colors, three new exterior mirror cap decors, as well as one new logo bar color and two new sets of exterior decals. In addition, Opel also launched two special models called Adam Black Link and Adam White Link, which feature a black-white smartphone design with aluminum accents, as well as the IntelliLink infotainment system and Siri Eyes Free support as standard. Prices start at €16,190 ($22,260) in Germany, including VAT. By Dan Mihalascu                       |
| Jiminy Cricket! What The Hell Happened To This Ford Mustang? Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:01 PM PST  To some, like the author over at Jalopnik's Oppositelock who discovered this custom 2007 Ford Mustang on Craigslist, it reminds them of an insect (Jerusalem cricket), while others may see a Lotus Elise looking at itself in a circus mirror. Whatever it is, it's not pretty and you can't but raise both of your eyebrows upon learning that the asking price for this defamed Mustang is a shocking $32,500 (equal to €23,700 today). The Craigslist poster says it was built by a company named "Sheetmetalhappens" (please be careful how you pronounce…'sheet'). Since the car also appears on 'Sheetmetalhappens' website with an even higher asking price of $42,500, which is a steal if you consider that the builder itself appraised this creation for…$75,000, we're guessing that Craigslist poster and the company could be one and the same. Here's what the classified ad says: "2007 Ford Mustang with HAND FORMED STEEL BODY, except for the door skins and roof. Hand formed grille, 2008 Lotus Eliese headlights and 1989 Cadilac tail lights. Lambo door hinges. A Vortech V-3 supercharger. Appraised at $75,000" Photos: Craiglist, Sheetmetalhappens                           |
| Zenos E10 Sports Car to Be Unveiled at the 2014 Autosport International Show Posted: 18 Dec 2013 01:31 PM PST  The ultra-light Zenos E10 sports car will finally be unveiled next month at Europe's largest dedicated motorsport trade show, the Autosport International that runs from January 9 to 12. The first model from Zenos Cars, a company started by former Caterham Cars CEO Ansar Ali and COO Mark Edwards (both former colleagues at Lotus), is an open-top track focused yet road legal sports car powered by a mid-mounted naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter Ford engine mated to a five-speed transverse transmission. The unit produces 200 hp at 7,200 rpm and 210 Nm (155 lb-ft) of torque at 6,100 rpm. As the car only weighs 650kg (1,433 lbs) and subsequently has a power-to-weight ratio of 300 hp/ton, it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 135 mph (217 km/h). The car's chassis consists of a single, aluminum extrusion "backbone" that spans the length of the E10, accompanied by an aluminum rear sub-frame and a safety cell incorporating twin roll hoops and side-impact protection. The driver and passenger sit either side of the spine in an integrated carbon composite monocoque, constructed from recycled carbon fibre as a skin with a thermoplastic core. This unique architecture also gives the name of the company, as Zenos is a combination between "zen", representing purity, and "os", loosely Latin for "vertebra". The E10 will enter production in late 2014, with deliveries to begin in the first quarter of 2015. Further technical details, as well as pricing, will be announced next month at the car's premiere in Birmingham. Zenos Cars also plans two further models for the next five years, a Roadster (Project E11) and a GT Coupé (Project E12). By Dan Mihalascu         |
| Spy Shots: Ford's Focus Compact Visits Dr. Makeover Posted: 18 Dec 2013 12:50 PM PST  In a few months' time from now, Ford's global Focus compact will enter its third year in the market and as we all know, it's approaching that age when automakers spruce up their cars with light or heavy facelifts to stay relevant to customer demand. We have seen prototypes of the Focus before, bit now, Ford has applied a lot more camouflage on the car hinting at a deeper cosmetic makeover for both the front and rear ends. Keep in mind that the head- and tail lamps on this prototype aren't the final production pieces. A look in the interior suggests that Ford will possibly make some changes to the center console with a bigger screen, and as pointed out by our photographers, newer buttons and trim pieces as well. While this car was spied in Europe, since the Focus is a global model, we expect most styling updates to be common in all markets. The revised Focus should make its appearance toward the end of next year or in early 2015. Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS           |
| NYC’s Finest...Taxi Drivers Pose for 2014 Beefcake Calendar Posted: 18 Dec 2013 12:28 PM PST  If firefighters can show their muscles in pin-up calendars, why couldn't taxi drivers do the same thing? Well, they can, as you can see from this unusual calendar created by Philip Kirkman and and Shannon McLaughlin. While ladies won't see a lot of muscle in the photos, the taxi drivers surely don't lack attitude. The photographers searched the streets of New York City for the best-humored taxi drivers and apparently found enough of them to fill a funny calendar. We'll let you take a peek at the preview photos, but not before we tell you that all proceeds from the calendar (each priced at $14,99) will go to University Settlement, America's oldest settlement house established in 1886. Based in New York City's Lower East Side, the settlement serves over 30,000 immigrant and working individuals and families every year with basic services like education, housing and literacy programs. By Dan Mihalascu            |
| Ford Rumored to Offer Solid Rear Axle in New Mustang Too, in 2014 Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:54 AM PST  While some were weeping on the sidelines of the 2015 Ford Mustang launch earlier this month at the loss of the trademark truck-like solid rear axle setup that all of its predecessors used, the rest of the car-loving world rejoiced at the idea of its modern solution. However, for those 'Stang purists who may have found it to be a bit of a turnoff, we have news that Ford Racing may offer a traditional 9-inch diff-based setup in a "body in white car," as of next year. The information comes courtesy of Gas2.org. The source article goes on to suggest that once the racing parts become available, it will be only a matter of time before kits will start being offered based off of it. That's only if the 2015 Mustang can accommodate it, an aspect that has neither been officially confirmed nor denied up to this point. I think that if customer demand is strong enough for these kits that are bound to crop up, Ford may look to find a way to offer the setup for non-racing applications too, though it still sounds like a bit too much trouble for what it's worth and the ride and comfort compromise that you have to make with it… By Andrei Nedelea             |
| Ferrari Boss Would Like Le Mans Return with LMP1 Racer Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:03 AM PST  Not too long ago we posted a report about a possible Le Mans comeback for Ferrari in the top LMP1 category starting with the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). While until now it was all speculation, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has given hope to Le Mans enthusiasts by saying he would like to participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours with an LMP1 racing car. "We have won with the 458 GTE, but I also quite like the idea of racing at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the highest category," he said during his Christmas address to the factory. "Who knows, maybe one day we can return and win, say thanks and come home. Maybe we should give it some serious consideration," di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by ESPN. His words come a week after Antonello Coletta, head of Ferrari's non-Formula 1 sporting programs, told Autosport that the company is analyzing the new energy-based P1 rulebook that applies from next season. Ferrari is said to consider building an LMP1 car powered by its upcoming turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 Formula 1 engine and its dual energy recuperation systems. However, Coletta said right now Ferrari focuses on Formula One. "At the moment we are concentrated on F1, so it would not be possible to do something else. That means that we cannot say Ferrari will be in LMP1, but we can also not say that Ferrari will not be in LMP1. We can also not say if our vision is for 2015, 2016 or beyond," the engineer added. Nevertheless, he confirmed that if Ferrari is to get involved it would do it as a full-fledged works team. I'd say these statements point more toward an yes than a no, which would be a great thing for Le Mans racing and its fans. Ferrari's last participation in the top category of the Le Mans 24 Hours was in 1973 with the 312PB (pictured). By Dan Mihalascu     |
| Warning: Oversized Load Coming Your Way Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:29 AM PST  You will have to excuse the Russian lady screaming her head off behind the wheel of this dashboard camera-equipped car; as you will soon find out for yourself, her reactions were completely and utterly understandable. But don't worry; she was lucky enough to make it out alive and unhurt. While waiting for a red light on a Russian road, a large lorry with a heavy load came turning around the corner. It's not so much about the truck's speed – okay, the driver should have dialed it down a few notches, if we want to be fair, as it was what it was carrying, a large piece of machinery, and how well it was tied down and secured; apparently it wasn't… Video can be found below.    |
| Kia Bringing a New 2+2 Sports Coupe Study to Detroit Auto Show Posted: 18 Dec 2013 09:58 AM PST  Kia has released a teaser photo of a new concept car that will debut at the Detroit Auto Show (January 13-26, 2014). The Korean automaker didn't provide many details about the study, other than it's a 2+2 sports car concept conceived and designed by its California-based team at Irvine. According to the automaker's press release, the unnamed study "is aimed at delivering head-turning looks whilst providing superb driving enjoyment whether on the road or at the track". The "aerial" photo only reveals that the car is a two-door fastback coupe with bulged wheel arches. That's enough to keep us interested, we'll give them that. The study's world premiere will take place on Monday January 13 at the Kia stand. Let's just hope Kia won't keep us waiting until then and will provide some more information about the study soon. By Dan Mihalascu     |
| Study Says 42% of Americans Could Use Today’s EVs With no Major Lifestyle Changes Posted: 18 Dec 2013 09:38 AM PST  In September of 2013, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), along with the Consumers Union, set out to do a survey into the driving habits and needs of drivers in US households. Their findings reveal that a whopping 42 percent of all could in fact, cater to the use of electric vehicles in their current form, with minimal changes in their lifestyles. This big chunk is the rougher estimate, but it includes those households that can easily adapt to using something like a plug-in hybrid or range extender (the Chevy Volt). A lower, but still significant slice of 25 percent, would also qualify to run a battery-powered EV (Nissan Leaf), despite the fact that that only less than 1 percent do so now. Another important area of the study focused on drivers' need for daily range. It discovered that 69 percent of households would be okay with what current EVs running only on batteries can provide, while 65 percent of them thought these cars were "essential part of our nation's transportation future for reducing oil use and global warming pollution." You can check it all out in the UCS infographic posted in the gallery below, as well as going to their official site and reading the in-depth information provided there. By Andrei Nedelea Story References: Green.Autoblog    |
| Spied: New Nissan Compact Hatchback Will Replace Almera, Go on Sale in Late 2014 Posted: 18 Dec 2013 09:01 AM PST  You may remember that our spy photographers caught up with a lightly disguised tester of Nissan's upcoming European compact hatchback last summer, which was clearly based on the car American buyers know as the Sentra (called Pulsar in Australia and Sylphy in other markets). Here we again with a new round of scoop shots only this time, Nissan engineers wrapped up the Almera's successor from top to bottom. Whether this means that Nissan will heavily modify the appearance of the hatch for European consumers is something we cannot tell from these pictures. What we do know is that Nissan's Ford Focus and VW Golf contender will be produced at the brand's Barcelona plant in Spain from July 2014, with European deliveries to commence in the fall of the same year, meaning that a 2014 Geneva Motor Show debut next March is very likely. The diesel and petrol engine lineup for the compact model, which may or may not keep the Almera name, will mirror the new Qashqai crossover. Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS          |
| Acura Lets Seinfeld Write 8 Commercials for the 2014 MDX and RLX Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:35 AM PST  Acura released a fresh batch of commercials that will debut on Season 3 of Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" web series, premiering on January 2, 2014. Written in a retro 1960s-style as a spoof of old-time advertising, the eight ads were directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, famous for his work in the Men in Black movies. While Jerry Seinfeld starred on camera in Acura's 2012 Super Bowl commercial, this time his role was behind the camera, as writer and creative collaborator. The ads are for the 2014 Acura MDX SUV and 2014 Acura RLX sedan and emphasize the cars' qualities in a funny way – in one of the spots, the voice-over mentions the MDX's easy-grip door handles and real nylon carpeting as highlights of the car. "Acura has enabled me to extend the concept by creating ads that fit the comedy tone of the show. I can't think of a similar situation ever occurring anywhere and I am enormously grateful to Mike Accavitti for his vision and confidence in us. This could not be more fun," said Jerry Seinfeld. I don't know about you, but something in these ads reminds me of the Dodge commercials featuring Ron Burgundy. I can't put my finger on it, but maybe you can after you watch them. By Dan Mihalascu    |
| Toyota Vows to Keep Drivers in Final Control in its Autonomous Vehicles Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:15 AM PST  Toyota's conclusion after more than two decades of research on autonomous and automated driving is that the driver must remain the most important decision-maker in the car. It's an interesting point of view that leaves room for interpretation on the degree of autonomous driving future Toyota vehicles will have. The Japanese company seems to go against the tide on this issue, as its rivals are determined to bring self-driving vehicles to the streets by 2020. "We believe that it should be the driver that is at the center; the driver should take the initiatives," Toyota's managing officer for vehicle control systems, Moritaka Yoshida, told Autonews Europe. "Think about airplanes. They have an autopilot, but when it comes to important operations, the pilot will always take over and the system will support the pilot's maneuvers. So the same with the cars, the driver should be at the center," Yoshida added. The executive said Toyota's research in the field will continue at a "very high level", with the very significant distinction however – the company will offer automated, not autonomous, driving systems. It's a very different strategy than Google's, which promises to bring autonomous driving technology to the market within five years. By 2020, Daimler and Nissan said they will offer autonomous cars, while GM said its cars will have a self-driving feature that can be switched on and off. However, GM doesn't expect fully driverless cars to be a reality "for many years to come", according to Michael Robinson, a GM vice president who oversees global regulatory issues. Let's just hope that when autonomous cars do become a reality for the consumer, they don't have any…electric/software glitches. By Dan Mihalascu     |
| Man Creates Craigslist Ad and Video for His Lousy Maxima, Nissan Decides to Buy the Car [w/Video] Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:36 AM PST  Luke Aker, a movie industry professional and founder of Ikonik Films joined the pantheon of crappy used-car owners with imagination to spare when it involves selling their rides. But unlike other private sellers, the Orlando, Florida-based filmmaker not only managed to draw the attention of the web, but the brand of the car itself, in this case, Nissan, which says it had such a blast with Aker's Craigslist ad and professionally made YouTube video for his 1996 Maxima V6, that it decided to purchase the vehicle. "We saw Mr. Aker's video ad yesterday and couldn't pass it up, once we finally stopped laughing," said Nissan's Director of Interactive & Social Media Marketing, Erich Marx. "We know a good deal when we see one, especially on such a classic, so we jumped on it. We commend Mr. Aker for his creativity and wanted to celebrate it by taking him up on his extraordinary offer." Marx pointed out that Nissan, which will also pledged to donate $1,000 to the Wounded Warriors Project (Aker's charity of choice) in his name, is not sure what it will do with the car next – aside from winning more attention from the internet, that is… "We're currently exploring several possibilities for what the future holds for this majestic vehicle," he said. "Right now, we're making arrangements to pick it up from Mr. Aker, and it will be housed temporarily at a local dealership." Nissan Maxima Craigslist Ad Description: There is luxury in a Bentley, speed in a Ferrari, comfort in Bugatti. For everything else, there's this 1996 Nissan Maxima; aged 17 years. Appropriately named, never before in history has a car had the words "time-tested" engraved into its lone spirit. Being offered up for sale I present to you a car that will make magic happen. It not only brings more admiring stares than any other car I have driven it also has seatbelts! Amazing! This pavement-yacht has a ride as smooth as a Pegasus' backside. Its such a massive and impressive land-yacht it requires the use of steering fluid that has been designed to leak out from underneath the car when it has been exhausted from the majestic work that it has done, released into the wild when the great Maxima when it has decided its time has come. This Maxima no longer needs to let the odometer tell it how far it has gone - it has chosen a path of greatness and valor and refuses to let silly numbers determine its life! Only moments after sitting it its comfort of properly weathered leather you will hear the squeals of glee that the powerful V6 motors makes as it groans to life. You are at the command of a great ship, a warrior land-ship-yacht with scars to prove that it has indeed been to war and back! This steed of sorts will carry you from here and only by its grace will it allow you to get to where you are going at the mercy of its majesty! Few have ridden its glorious wheels, and few more may see its greatness. The orange Unifying Grasp and Lift safetY (aslo known as U.G.L.Y.) restrains the front hood to the maxima degree!         |
| Aston Martin Says Hola to Mexico, will Open its First Ever Showroom Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:10 AM PST  British sports car maker Aston Martin is opening its wings and expanding its reach in the New World with the establishment of its first ever retail site in Mexico. Located in Mexico City and scheduled to open for business in the first quarter of 2014, the new 4,500 sq.ft showroom will be capable of housing six Aston Martin cars. Aston Martin Mexico City Dealer Principal, Martin Josephi commented: "We are confident that Aston Martin will be very well received by the sophisticated luxury automobile clients in our market; customers that will truly appreciate the power, beauty and soul of each Aston Martin." The upcoming Mexico City showroom, which will also cover the servicing needs of Aston Martin owners throughout the country, will bring the company's total dealerships to 41 across the Americas.         |
| TopCar Renders Aero Kit for New Porsche Macan, Prices it from €14,620 Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:50 AM PST  Tuners just can't wait for the market launch of the brand-new Porsche Macan SUV that's set to hit dealership Spring next year, and are already sharing their thoughts and ideas for how to customize the car. In fact, Russia's TopCar has done more than that releasing pricing (!), even though what you see here are renderings of what its aero package will look like. The wide-body styling kit will include new bumpers on both ends of the German SUV along with a front lip spoiler, front and rear wheel arch extensions with matching side skirts and air vents, a rear diffuser complete with quad exhaust tips, and a tailgate spoiler. TopCar said that the visible carbon-fiber kit will start from €14,620, with the painted version set at €18,270, or US$20,100 and US$25,100 at today's currency rates respectively. ADV.1 alloy wheels will also be on offer when TopCar releases the complete package in April of 2014. Story References: TopCar via Wolrdcarfans   
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| Arkansas Game and Fish Officer Hunts Down and Catches Man in Nissan Sentra Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:44 AM PST  The name may sound a little quirky and even funny to the ears of many readers, but Game and Fish Officers are actually authorized to make arrests, searches and seizures for violations of State game and fish laws and regulations. And yes, their work may even involve chases, as this dramatic POV (Point-of-View) footage shows. We don't have specific details about the incident other than that it happened on August 2012, with the footage uploaded a couple of weeks ago – if you do know more, share with us in the comments. From what we understand, the Game and Fish Officer assisted in making the arrest of the…freaked out man (you'll see what we mean by that in the video and we might even forgive you for giggling at the man's expense...) running in the Nissan Sentra sedan on the side of an Arkansas highway. Watch the footage in the video after the jump.    |
| Subaru Sketches Out its Vision GranTurismo Concept Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:05 AM PST  You can add Subaru to the growing list of carmakers and other unrelated companies (i.e. Nike's Jordan brand) that have either released a concept car (see Mercedes-Benz) or teased their participation in Sony's new PlayStation 3 game, Gran Turismo 6 Vision. If you ask us, the silhouette of Subaru's sporty study for the racing game somewhat reminds us of an evolved BRZ racer with a shooting-brake style roofline. What do you think? Those of you who own console and the new game will be able to drive the Subaru concept early next year after you install the (free) special downloadable content (DLC) that was created to celebrate the game's 15th anniversary.     |
| Race-Tuned Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Recreation is a True Dream Machine Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:45 AM PST  There are many ways in which you can modify a Jaguar E-Type to suit your needs. You can even make it longer to grant the interior more space, and it still won't ruin the timeless look – if anything, the extra inches make it look even sleeker. However, Jason Len of XKs Unlimited is fond of racing classics, so his transformation of a regular 1964 coupe into a lightweight race-spec machine is one that should definitely grab your attention, if only for how clean and period it looks; he says it also goes pretty well on the road. The owner admits that the modified straight-six it still uses is not the most powerful unit to begin with, but with its current state of tune it's plenty-powerful and also highly reliable. Power is fed to the wheels via an adapted racing gearbox and a magnesium differential at the back – this is a car that's meant to be regularly raced and take a bit of a beating. But enough said; scroll down and check it out in all its geeky glory in the Petrolicious video below, then snap out of the mindset of selling your house to buy an Eagle afterward. By Andrei Nedelea    |
| Toyota Prius Hybrid Taxi Clocks 1 Million Kilometers in Vienna Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:25 AM PST  When it comes to the Toyota Prius hybrid, we mostly hear about its fuel economy and emission numbers, but the Japanese carmaker is now highlighting another one of its qualities and in particular, its reliability after a taxi-version of the car topped the 1,000,000 kilometer (621,504 miles) mark in Vienna, Austria. The Prius Taxi is owned by local cab company "EcoTaxi" and has been in service since 2007. "As the name suggests, our company aims to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. For this, the Toyota hybrid vehicles with environmentally friendly technology and extreme durability are the perfect cars, "said managing director Milan Milic. The taxi brand, which has more than 200 Prius hybrids in its fleet, said the record-breaking model had no "defects or glitches" and that it only performed the regular maintenance on the car during its 1 million km run. The car will continue to be used with its owners saying they look forward to hitting the second million km mark in the near future.     |
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