10 Cars Men Lust After

MASERATI GRANTURISMO S


The beautiful Maserati GranTurismo coupe was launched in 2007, and in 2010 they made an even more attractive (and more expensive) version – a cabriolet. They announced they would stop making it in 2014. Maserati GranTurismo S was introduced in 2008. This beast has a 4.7-liter V8 and 434 horsepower, reaches 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Its top speed is 183 mph, which is more than great for a vehicle that weighs 1.8 tonnes. It is one of those things that can’t be described with words, so take a look at the photo, or even better – schedule a test ride if you can. It can be yours for roughly $150,000.

PORSCHE 918 SPYDER

This hybrid has a 135 kg 4.6-liter V-8 engine, and 2 electric motors. It develops 887 horsepower (608 coming from the engine and 279 coming from the two electric motors). The Spyder is capable of developing 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds. The battery power lasts about 12 miles. Another innovation was brought in: 4 wheel steering. The starting price is roughly $848,000, and it’s a limited edition. What else do you get for that money? Well, take a look at the photo.

CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1 – THE BLUE DEVIL

This amazing coupe comes with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine, supercharger, the strenght of 638 horsepower at 6500 RPM, top speed of 205 mph, and magnetic selective ride control with 2 modes: sport and tour. This car is fairly lightweight (1.5 tonnes). It does look like a sports car, but at the same time it is elegant and classy. If you want it, you can get it for $112,000 – $130,000.

BENTLEY MULSANNE

Photo by: M93

With its twin-turbo 6.75-liter V8, this machine is truly impressive. It is actually the only Bently model with such engine and rear wheel drive. Despite its weight (2.6 tonnes), it feels light, fast and powerful and reaches 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Quite good for a „heavyweight“ car. For years, Bently has been a symbol of status and class. If you want a luxurious car, you have found it – available at the price of $306,000.

ASTON-MARTIN RAPIDE

Photo: Lukasdesign

The 5.9 V12 engine is just one great thing about this four-door hatchback. With 470 horsepower and capable of reaching 60 mph in 5 seconds, it is powerful enough, no matter how crazy you are. It comes with a six-speed touchtronic automatic transmission. Its interior is as impressive as its exterior: memory seats with heating and cooling, walnut trim, leather, and powerful sound system. This is not just a high quality car. It looks amazing, too. It can be yours for $201,000.

FERRARI 458

They said this one would replace the 430 model, but they made it completely different. Better. Much better. Pretty powerful, with 4.5-liter V8, reaches 62 mph in 3.3 seconds. Driving this lightweight car (1.4 tonnes) will make you feel like you’re flying. Any attempt to describe the exterior would be just a waste of time, so we are giving you a photo to enjoy. This beautiful thing can be yours for $ 237,000. If you can’t afford it, it is best not to look at it, or else you will fall in love and suffer for the rest of your life.

LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR

For a car that only weighs 1.5 tonnes, Lamborghini Aventador is incredibly powerful. With a 6.5-liter V12, reaching 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and top speed of 217 km/h, ‘the fighting bull’ will leave you breathless. And so will its price – $400,000 – $440,000. As for the LP 700-4 model, they announced they would produce only four thousand cars. The production is, of course, very slow, but it’s worth waiting.

CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7

Photo: Stardust39

Beside its looks, the most impressive thing about this car is probably its engine: 6.2-litre V8 LT1 – a small block engine with three great innovations: active fuel management, variable valve timing, and direct injection. It comes either with a six-speed automatic transmisssion or seven-speed manual. Compared to the previous generation, there is one downside – considerably decreased luggage space. However, this car is amazing in so many ways, and if you buy it, luggage will be the last thing on your mind.

HONDA (ACURA) NSX 2015

This beauty is not here yet, but we are looking forward to meeting her. It is planned for 2015. The previous models came with an impressive aluminum V6 VTEC engine that Honda is famous for, and we expect the 2015 NSX to be even more impressive. Honda stopped making NSX in 2005, and after a long break, the production will start again with an amazing new model. Honda lovers are expecting it with impatience, and so are we. They haven’t revealed much about it, but the photo from the International Car Show in NY 2012 should tell you quite enough.

JAGUAR XF PREMIUM LUXURY

If you want luxury, that is exactly what you get – inside and out. We’re talking about fancy interior: leather seats with heating, touch-screen indicators to help you park the car easily (hey, you don’t want to scratch this one!), auto-dimming mirrors to help you at night, turbocharged engine, eight-speed smart stop-start transimition and much more. With top speed of 149 mph and 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, it is a fairly decent car. The price ranges between $45,000 and $95,000.

White Rolls-Royce Wraith with Gold Accents from Office-K Is an Eyesore - Photo Gallery

We don't know if it's down to the steering wheel being on the right or the overwhelming size of the vehicles, but Rolls-Royce models have always been popular in Japan.

This continues to current times, although the reasons Japanese customers spend their tens of millions of yens on them have changed. There's a whole posse of RR owners who like to do weird things to their cars, such as installing wings and oversized tires.

One guy has even turned his brand new Wraith into what we'd describe as a Baroque piece of furniture. Tokyo tuning specialists were tasked with putting this bad boy together. For starters, they installed an aftermarket kit, followed by new wheels and paint.

The new bumpers and skirts are from Wald International. The trademark Black Bison looks like it easily fits the butch persona of the Wraith. After that, the 24-inch Forgiato alloys and MIRACLE exhaust system were quick add-ons. The suspension has also been lowered, and the LED headlights have been subtly played with (that sounds dirty, doesn't it?).

Lastly, we're dealing with a novel color combination that's unlikely to go unnoticed. Scratch that, it's impossible not to notice this Wraith coupe unless it's parked next to other custom Range Rovers.

White paint with gold accents sounds like a combination Rick Ross would dream of. However, we think the transformation may have been inspired by French royal furniture, maybe from the Louis the 16th era. Europe's aristocracy liked to show off their wealth with gold-plated chairs and desks while the people suffered from hunger and disease. You could argue that the same thing is going on with this Rolls-Royce. But it's not bought with child labor and slaves from Africa, so we can't judge the owner.

Office-K employees have detailed even the most minute of components in gold, such as the louvers of the rear diffuser. However, the wheels and grille are the pieces that stand out most.

Dieselgate, Schmieselgate, What About Porsche?

For the past month or so, Volkswagen's Dieselgate scandal has started to transform - some would say to evolve even - from a PR nightmare to a massive and global screw-up that could cause the loss of thousands of jobs and immeasurable economic consequences for a large number of adjacent companies. 

Some see VW as an individual entity, but you should keep in mind that around 600,000 workers depend on the German car giant's health. Not to mention the hundreds of large or small parts suppliers and technological partners that will need to cover their impending losses as well, despite not being directly part of the problem. 

I'm really not trying to sound like Chicken Little, but the sky IS falling for the Volkswagen Group with every passing week. Last week, the carmaker announced that around 800,000 of its vehicles could be involved inanother emissions scandal, partly connected to Dieselgate, only this time concerning CO2 figures exclusively.

“Under the ongoing review of all processes and workflows in connection with diesel engines it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process. The majority of the vehicles concerned have diesel engines.” VW's related press release stated. 

That last bit is crucial for understanding that the Wolfsburg apple has rotted from its very core and that around 11 million cars fitted with emission cheating software are only part of the problem with Volkswagen and its way of doing business.

Sure, you could say that the free market brought by capitalism influenced some companies, including Volkswagen, to try and reach the top by any means, no matter if those means are legal or downright ruthless. Whatever the reason and whoever is to blame, the Volkswagen Group is definitely not heading in a good direction.

Obviously, my string of thought is overly simplistic and is only based on a couple of hunches and poorly made calculations, but there is no way things will improve anytime soon. In fact, the entire Dieselgate and CO2 scandals smack of an impending doom, at least financially-wise.

Still think I'm an alarmist that is full of hot air? I would actually like to be that, but unfortunately, the numbers kind of agree with me. Apparently, just those CO2-affected cars (whose number could be higher than 800,000 if my hunches are correct) will cost Volkswagen around 2 billion euros. That's not an absurdly high amount of money for what was briefly the largest carmaker on the planet, but piling it on top of dozens of other billions needed to clean up the Dieselgate scandal it's definitely not good news either.

Let's leave Volkswagen as a carmaker aside for a minute, and focus on the most successful, regarding profit, sports brand under the big VW Group umbrella: Porsche. In 2015, the Zuffenhausen sports carmaker managed to best its 2014 sales with two months to go and it's still the most profitable carmaker on the planet when it comes to each vehicle sold.

That said, not even Porsche is safe from the fallout brought by Dieselgate, since the EPA also alleges Cayenne Diesel models in the U.S. were fitted with defeat devices to trick emission tests.

Since the Cayenne Diesel is only one model in a somewhat huge lineup, it's actually Porsche's smallest problem, both from an image and a sales point of view. No, the larger problem lies elsewhere, and it's related to Volkswagen's death grip on the sports carmaker.

Some of you probably remember that back in 2009, Porsche was this close to taking control of Volkswagen in a classic scenario of David versus Goliath, but sadly the scheme didn't work and the exact opposite happened. Nowadays, it is largely VW AG that pulls the strings in Zuffenhausen, with all the ups and downs that this move has brought. 

On the upside, Porsche now has access to a larger pool of architectures in case it ever wants to expand more in the… people's car market. Unfortunately, there are many more downsides, and the biggest one of all is the fact that when VW catches a cold, Porsche will also start sneezing. 

To put things into perspective, even though Dieselgate went official at the end of September and only about 10,000 Cayenne Diesels are allegedly affected in the U.S., Porsche's 2015 profits will receive a severe dent just because VW's shares went down. If the going gets even tougher - and I repeat, the Dieselgate prognosis isn't very good - Porsche's financial future may become even darker. 

The saddest part is that it can't even do anything about it, since Zuffenhausen is connected to Wolfsburg via a pretty resilient umbilical cord. In short, if VW rises back to the top - which it won't, at least not anytime soon - so will Porsche, but the current trend is starting to have a negative curve. In a way, it's like in a Formula 1 championship where a driver becomes world champion before the end of the season - no matter if the second best-placed driver wins all remaining races, he still can't win the championship.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, though. Porsche is still in a very good place as far as its finances go, so good in fact that it still has the cojones to make cars for its slowly diminishing number of purist Porsche aficionados. Heck, there are rumors that the next GT3 may even offer a manual transmission once again, while the upcoming 911 R will most definitely be a purist's delight. 

Then again, if we look 3 to 5 years into the future, the situation may not be as rosy. If I were in charge of Porsche's marketing department, I'd probably try and distance the brand as far away as possible from its VW hat in the upcoming years, no matter the technical synergies between the two companies. Something not unlike what Ferrari did under FCA with its recent IPO. The trouble is that it can't actually escape from the clutch of the Volkswagen Group, since it can't sell itself and become independent again, but it can at least do it from a presentation point of view. 

Since some people no longer associate Volkswagen with flawless German engineering, courtesy of the string of lies that encompassed Dieselgate, they should at least not put Porsche in the same boat, especially since the sports carmaker has a very talented pool of engineers that have never designed a Volkswagen. 

Can Porsche make it with only a couple of flesh wounds, or will it succumb in the same death pit as Volkswagen? It's hard to say.

BMW Motorcycles and Brand History

Everybody knows that BMW was at first an airplane engine manufacturer and that after the first World War they were forced to switch to manufacturing car and motorcycles. On that period, the company was no longer permitted to produce its six-cylinder, 19-litre engines and in 1920 began to produce something else. Their first real two-wheel motorized effort was the R32, released in 1923. This bike had an 486cc engine that developed up to 8.5 horsepower and was able to reach 100 km/h. Max Friz, a great engineer before the first World War had the task of building BMW’s first motorcycle. He had became part of BMW's team in 1917 after having worked on that four-valve, OHC Mercedes which won the Grand Prix. Talking about achievements, we have to mention that Friz also designed the Type IIIa aircraft engine, the most progressive power unit of that time. The R32 became the basis for almost all the BMW motorcycle models to come, such as the R36 which developed 24 horsepower. Another notable thing from BMW was the M2B15 engine, based on the British Douglas design, engine used on the Helios models. BMW also tried to make a small 2 stroke bike but they failed to succeed when they launched the Flink and in 1935 they introduced the first production bike in the world which used telescopic forks. Because of a growing demand in the market, BMW expanded its range, touring models and sport machines being released in the street. Even if there was an economic crisis in the country, BMW was succesful in the 200cc entry-level class in 1931 with the R 2. A 400cc single-cylinder engine was put on the list too. BMW was the first manufacturer to produce a telescopic front wheel fork with hydraulic damping. The year 1935 brought new motorcycles, the R 12 and R 17. One year later an entirely new model entered the market – the R 5. 
The new BMW could now keep up with the fastest British bikes, yet was far superior in riding comfort, especially when the R 51, with straight-travel rear-wheel suspension, entered the market in 1938. Two years later, the world speed record was set by Ernst Henne who rode a supercharged 500 cc BMW bike and managed to reach a top speed of 279.83 km/h.  Another BMW record was set in 1959, when John Penton rode a R69 from New York to Los Angeles in just 53 hours and 11 minutes, stealing the crown from Harley-Davidson, that had a record of 77 hours and 53 minutes.

Then the second World War came and BMW motorcycle sales increased because of the large demand from the German army. When the war was over, BMW was left with the plant outside Munich destroyed from bombing and the the engineers had to start from scratch, so they came up with the R24, model which surpassed 17,000 units by 1950. The first sporting bike from BMW had to wait until 1951, when the R 68 was introduced. This particular model had a 594cc single cam engine and helped to the bankruptcy of three of BMW's main German competitors in 1957. By the time the 1960s came, BMW was going through some financial trouble even tough sales were not that bad. They had to sell their aircraft engine division, but their salvation came because of the BMW automobiles division. In 1967, BMW released the last single-cylinder mode, the R27, and in 1970 a whole new line of 500, 600 and 750cc models was introduced. These models were called the R50/5, R60/5 and the R75/5 but they were replaced by another model line in 1974. The new models, the R60/6, R75/6 and R90/6 were very much similar to their predecessors but they saw some improvements to the electrical system and frame geometry. By introducing the R 45 and R 65 in 1978 the company expanded its range with the addition of the smaller Boxer models. BMW had eight models on the market with capacities of 473, 599, 649, 797, and 980cc. In 1975, BMW presented a sport model called the R90S, which has become a genuine collector's piece nowadays. Two years later, the R75 line was introduced and this line included a 1000cc model called the R100S. As the 80s were just getting started, in 1983, came another 1000cc model from the German manufacturer, the K100, but unfortunately it didn't have the wanted success. 1985 marked the return of the R line, with the introduction of the R100RT. The BMW F 650 Funduro was another important model of the company. Launched in 1993, the new single-cylinder machine was an appealing model, and helped BMW to win new customer types, including female riders. On the same perion, BMW  expanded the R series, the R 1100 GS enduro model being a star at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Soon, the R 1100 R roadster, without fairing, was released along with the smaller R 850 R. One year later, the R 1100 RT tourer, full fairing was launched. Year after year, new models were available for the public: K1200 RS in 1996, R 1100S in 1998.

Fiat 500 Rally Car Has an R Kelly Moment, Comes Back Down with a Bang - Video

It’s hard to compare the level of skill involved in two so very different disciplines like rallying and Formula One, for example (or any other type of circuit racing, for that matter), but we have to agree on which of the two is more spectacular.

The moment you’ll see a Formula One single-seater jump a few good feet in the air is when we’ll reopen this argument, but until then, the prize goes to the people driving rally cars. And they don’t even need to be top-of-the-line WRC affairs - a prepped-up Fiat 500 is all you need to produce some pretty impressive stunts.

There’s a reason why reconnaissance is allowed in rallying, where the driver and co-driver go through the stages before the competition and take pacenotes, which are then relayed to the driver during the race by the co-driver. There’s a jargon meant to transmit the information as clear and as fast as possible (“right five over crest into left four don’t cut”), but stuff like “jump” should be self-explanatory to anybody.

We will never know exactly what happened, but look at this video with R Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” song in the background and it’s probably the only way you can make any sense of it. 

The little Fiat comes flying off the crest like it were a missile launching pad, does some hangtime before the nose dips down under the weight of the engine and slams into the pavement. The driver goes off-road trying to rescue the out-of-control car, but by the sound the clip ends with, he didn’t manage a clean recovery and probably drifted or even spun. He might have carried on afterwards, though.

There’s just one more thing that’s worth pointing out: credit to whoever installed that front bumper there - I would take my car to the shop where he works without a second of doubt.

Dubai International Motor Show highlights luxury trends

Over recent years the Dubai International Motor Show has grown from a regional curiosity to one of the most important automotive events for car companies that offer comfort, luxury or exclusivity. This year's event, which draws to a close this weekend, was the biggest in history, attracting everyone from Rolls-Royce and BMW to Mercedes, Land Rover, Lexus, Infiniti and McLaren.

"It is one of the most important and significant auto shows in the Middle East. It is trend setting," said Christopher Buxton, the Lexus Al-Futtaim Motors general manager. "The customers here are very savvy. They know as much about the product as you do."

Buxton was showcasing the RX premium crossover, a very popular segment at this year's show with everyone from Jeep and Cadillac to Ford and BMW out in SUV force.

Infiniti launched its smallest crossover yet, the Q30, in an attempt to offer more luxury to potentially more clients.

"This car is aimed at the compact luxury segment -- the most difficult to break. It is a big battle field," said Infiniti Design director Taisuke Nakamura, pointing out a challenge that Mini was also getting ready to meet with the four-door Clubman estate.

"Our customers like to have some fun with the car and make a statement in terms of lifestyle," said Mini's Daniel Schmit.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) created its Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division to build flagship models and to help clients make any type of bespoke statement they liked. Eight of the cars on its stand hailed from the SVO division, including the Range Rover SV Autobiography, the most expensive Range Rover ever built.

"It is important for us to showcase our premium products here," said Bruce Robertson, head of the firm's Mena operations.
Competition in the luxury SUV market is about to get very hot. While unveiling its new hypercar, the Fenyr Supersport, W Motors said its next car will be the world's fastest and most exclusive SUV and will be revealed in Beijing in 2016.

Rolls-Royce is also readying its first SUV but at this year's show focused on its bespoke capabilities with two unique cars -- the Phantom Coupé Tiger and the Ghost Golf Edition.

McLaren also went bespoke with the 650S Spider La Sahara 79. A special model that will be exclusive to the Middle East, it features a paint scheme that includes real 24-carat-gold particles to give it a real pearlescent shine.

"Since launching the brand back in 2011, McLaren Automotive has built extremely close links with the Middle East region," said Ian Gorsuch, Regional Director Middle East & Africa, McLaren Automotive. "This truly unique project -- our first in the Middle East -- is inspired by a region that is home to some of our most loyal customers."

Volkswagen sales dip in wake of emissions scandal

Frankfurt: Volkswagen's flagship brand saw global auto sales fall 5.3 per cent in October in the wake of a scandal over cars equipped with software that let them cheat on US diesel emissions tests.

It appeared that economic downturns in Brazil and Russia caused as much or more damage than the scandal to the month's figures. Volkswagen has been trying to limit sales damage in the United States by offering existing Volkswagen owners $2,000 off if they trade their old car in for a new VW model.

Figures released Friday showed sales in the US — where the scandal first broke on Sept. 18 — were up 0.2 per cent. Sales in North America including Canada rose 3.5 per cent from the same month a year earlier.

Sales fell 26 per cent in Russia and 50 per cent in Brazil.

The US Environmental Protection Agency says Volkswagen equipped 482,000 cars with software that turned off emissions controls and enhanced performance when the cars were not being tested.

The company says up to 11 million cars have the deceptive software, and adds that it has uncovered "irregularities" in measurements of how much carbon dioxide the cars emit. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas blamed by scientists for global warming, and faces increasingly strict limits in Europe.

For all of Volkswagen's brands — which also include SEAT, Skoda, Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini — global sales fell 3.5 per cent to 831,3000 in October compared with a year earlier.

2015 LA Auto Show: What to look forward to at the annual auto exhibition

From supercars to SUVs, in all some 50 new vehicles are scheduled to make an appearance at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. For some, like the Jaguar F-Pace, the show will mark a first glimpse on US shores, but for 30 of that number, including the Ferrari F12tdf, LA will be the venue for the car's first-ever appearance anywhere in the world.

But despite its brand appeal, Ferrari will have to fight for attention. Porsche will be bringing a racetrack-ready version of its Cayman, the GT4 Clubsport, to this year's show and Lamborghini is prepping a new, more dynamic version of its Huracan supercar.

For those who want supercar performance with extra comfort and elegance, Mercedes will be unveiling its latest generation SL coupé complete, as always with folding hard top, and although it's yet to confirm or deny rumors, McLaren could be showing off its 570S Spider too.

SUVs and crossovers are also going to be huge draws at this year's event, especially as the West Coast is the unofficial world capital of the offroader. Range Rover is bringing its Evoque convertible -- the world's first premium compact SUV drop top. It will be doing battle, so to speak, with the Cadillac XT5, a new crossover that proves US carmakers can do luxury as well as any European brand, while Infiniti will be taking the wraps off the production version of its sub-compact X30 premium crossover.

Moving up the scale, Mercedes will be debuting its GLS-Class uber-luxury seven-seat SUV, a car it's marketing as an S-Class with better ground clearance, such are its comfort and technological capabilities.

At a special event ahead of the show's press day on November 18, storied Italian marque Alfa Romeo will be honored and a precession of past classics and current models will be on show, making the event the perfect occasion to finally reveal the brand's first SUV after nearly two years of teasing.

Away from new cars, there will also be a huge supply of new technology, new announcements and new strategies at this year's show. The Connected Car Expo will be showcasing 100 of the brightest tech start-ups with designs on the future of personal mobility and Volvo will be showcasing something called the 'Time Machine Concept,' believed to be a raft of autonomous driving features that won't allow drivers to correct past wrongs or check up on their children's future career choices, but could save drivers a huge amount of time.

The 2015 LA Auto Show opens to the press on November 18 and to the public from November 20-29.

Mercedes-Benz SL

Hot new cars revealed at Los Angeles Auto Show

Audi A4 SE Technik

In this trim, the Audi A4 SE Technik is a more appealing option than the standard SE on which it's based. The 'Technik' part is meant to hint heavily at what's been added to the standard equipment list. Other than that, there's very little to tell if you put the entry-level SE alongside the Technik edition.
The reason why there's more appeal to the SE Technik is due to the fact that, along with other features, two very desirable options are thrown in. Full Milano leather is draped across the seats and satellite navigation with 3D mapping is included too. The Technik also escapes Audi's rather firm sports suspension setup, and is treated to larger alloy wheels. Metallic paint is free too, which is rather rare for a car of this class.
The SE Technik can be equipped to one of four diesel engines, ranging from a super-efficient 134bhp Ultra to a 188bhp quattro, and a solitary 1.8-litre petrol engine that develops 168bhp. The 2.0-litre diesel 134bhp Ultra engine can return up to 68.9mpg. Emissions can be as low as 108g/km, meaning road tax of just £20. Benefit-in-kind tax is 19%.
Just like any Audi A4, the SE Technik's interior is impeccably well built. The switches are robust and the dashboard just oozes quality. The SE Technik's "standard" suspension setup should mean it's more comfortable than Audi's usual sports version. 

Good points 

The SE Technik's addition of sat nav and leather seats add a huge chunk of extra luxury to the A4, which should make it a very comfortable business express.
The A4's engine range delivers a lot of choice. They're all strong performers (even the more efficient Ultra models) and yet all manage to return very good levels of fuel economy and reasonable emissions levels.
The Audi A4's interior and dashboard is impressively well put together. In fact, Audi in general score well for interior build quality.

Bad points 

The A4's design is becoming a little forgettable. That may not necessarily be a bad thing for some, but it means that the A4 isn't a saloon for those who want to stand out.
Although it's not exactly bad to drive, you'd be better off with a BMW 3 Series if you want a sharper driving experience.
The A4 in general is getting a little long in the tooth now. It's due a facelift that's set to arrive towards the end of 2015.

Our choice 

We'd go for the lower powered Ultra diesel. Fuel economy will be great for company car drivers and its 0-62mph time will still be good for most buyers, at 9.3 seconds.

All features 

Alloy wheels

Metallic paint

Folding rear seats

Tyre pressure sensors

Passenger & Driver airbag

Front side airbags

Curtain airbags

Auto climate control

Leather steering wheel

Full leather seats

Front electric windows

Rear electric windows

Bluetooth

Single CD player

AUX stereo input

DAB Radio

Cruise control

Sat nav

Stop/Start

Automatic wipers

A most violent Vette: 2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible is a supercar hunter wearing a Chevrolet bowtie

A car nicknamed the “big nasty” had better be good. Or, at the very least, it should be really, really nasty, in all the right ways.
The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible represents the pinnacle of speed and power when it comes to cars wearing a Chevy bowtie emblem. This is the fastest production Vette the world has ever seen, after all.
Even more to the point, the Z06 is, quite simply, one of the fastest cars anywhere in the world, no matter the pedigree of a badge, or how many commas are in the price-tag.
The Z06 is staggeringly quick. Acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour takes about 3.0 seconds – slightly less if you opt for the 8-speed automatic, versus the 7-speed manual transmission. Yes, the automatic is quicker than the manual when it comes time to launch this 650-horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque monster machine down the road.
That’s hardcore and absolutely supercar-levels of fast! It means the Z06 can easily take a straight-line fight to the world’s most exotic machines, like the Lamborghini Aventador and the brand new, twin-turbocharged Ferrari 488 GTB.
Possibly the only car within a shout of the Z06’s combination of performance and price is the hugely capable, turbocharged and all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R. Even then, the Z06 Convertible starts at $83,995 (including destination fee), versus the more than $100K asking price for the GT-R.

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Nick Kurczewski

The backbone of the Corvette Z06 is a lightweight hydroformed aluminum chassis. Conceived from the outset as a convertible, the Z06 drop-top did not require additional support or bracing when it lost its roof.

Now take a step back, and realize we’re talking about a Corvette in the same breath as Lambos, Ferraris and, well, alright, a Nissan too.
It’s also worth mentioning that top speed of the Z06 is well in excess of 200 miles per hour, though I opted not to achieve terminal velocity with the top down on the highways surrounding New York City.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Palm trees and beaches are pretty, but some cars demand a tougher, grittier, and more come-and-get-it kind of backdrop.
That’s why I took all 3,582 lbs. of thoroughbred 2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible to the streets of Newark, New Jersey, for photos to match this car’s mighty musculature. From the famous ‘Top’s Diner’ (sorry NYC, Jersey has you beat when it comes to diners) and to the heart of the bustling “Ironbound” neighborhood, when it comes to Z06 photos, give me brick walls, graffiti, oil tanks, and perhaps an over-sized veggie omelet.

Get your engines revving: New York Daily News announces improved and expanded Daily News Autos section

Keep it simple, conversational, and always educational when talking about cars. That has been the mantra of the Daily News Autos section from day one, and the site has rapidly grown to become a highly recognized digital resource for car enthusiasts and car shoppers around the nation.
The Daily News Autos has now formally entered a new phase of its development, one that makes the site an even more intuitive tool for car buyers, along with being a trusted source for news, reviews, and timely automobile-related coverage both around the country, and across the globe.
In combination with the site launch, Daily News Autos announced a partnership with Jumpstart Automotive Group to maximize relationships with automotive clients to bring high-quality advertising to the site.
“New York Daily News has been very successful capturing readers’ attention with engaging, timely editorial. We’re excited to see them continue this momentum with a new site that will help consumers through the car buying process and entertain and educate automotive shoppers,” said Jumpstart chief executive officer, Nick Matarazzo.

Dodge

Get ready, because the Daily News Autos is getting revved up to deliver more reviews, news, and automotive features for car shoppers and car buyers everywhere.

In a digital world full of content and choices, the Daily News Autos will set itself apart with its unique voice, scope of coverage, and informative features that deliver timely, no-nonsense stories about all aspects of the car world.
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Autos on display: Maserati heaven in L.A.

Toronto entrepreneur Michael Taylor went on a motoring holiday in California this spring. One stop was to see the largest collection of Maseratis in North America. As well as taking all the photographs, here is his report:

The sad news is that the 55-year-old who put the Riverside International Automotive Museum together, Doug Magnon, died from cancer in February. Doug and his father, Ray, built this collection over the past several decades. We met Doug’s widow, Evonne, and took a tour of the museum in Riverside, east of Los Angeles.

Doug Magnon built the 20,000-square-foot facility that opened to the public in 2007. It is unique in that it features examples of every Maserati model sold in the United States since 1951.

Of the more than 40 cars in the collection, 26 are Maseratis, including a 1951 Pininfarina-designed A6G 2000 coupe; a 1965 Mistral coupe and Spyder; a 1968 Ghibli coupe; two 3500s from the early 1960s — one owned by the late actor Dan Blocker, best known for his role as Hoss Cartwright in the ’60s TV series Bonanza — a 1973 Bora; two 1970s Meraks; a 1980 Kyalami; eight Quattroportes from the 1960s to 2005; and a 90th anniversary 2005 Spyder.

There are also three Ferraris and two Alfa Romeos, including the most vibrant red 8C Competizione I’ve ever seen.

According to Evonne, Doug was always asked which car was his favorite. His response was always the same: They were all like children to him and he loved each one equally, for different reasons.

Of all his children, you can’t help but be instantly drawn to the impressive white and blue 2006 Maserati MC12 Stradale. This model is currently changing hands in the $2 million range.

Doug was known for not letting his cars collect dust. All are in working order. Each street-legal car is driven on a regular basis, including the extremely rare MC12 — one of only 50 road-going examples ever built.

Evonne’s goal is to try to keep the museum going.

“It was one of his passions and has become mine as well. I’ve grown very fond of Maseratis. They are my absolute favorite car,” she said.

“We would like to get the museum more exposure and plan more events. The goal is to get a full-time manager/curator to help with the tours and event planning, so we can continue Doug’s legacy and what he created. We’re trying to put a board together comprised of Doug’s friends who were all car guys and very supportive of the museum.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to make it happen to see this place flourish.”