1957 Porsche 356A Speedster "Outlaw" Was Built with Parts from the Future

Most people would say it’s a crime to modify a classic Porsche 356 coupe, but what do you do when you have one so full of rust that you can’t restore to its original form? Well, if your name is Chuch Olenyk, then you start transforming it into a Speedster.

Using only original Porsche parts, including from 911 and 912 models, Olenyk converted his rusty 356A into a 356A Speedster “Outlaw” in his home garage, all by himself over a period of seven years.

The car is nicknamed the “Outlaw” because it uses parts that weren’t available at the time it was originally built – you know, from the future.

The result is spectacular to say the least: the car looks more aggressive with its Speedster windshield and lower ride height. And it drives and sounds pretty good too, as Jay Leno found out towards the end of the video.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

How Does the Alfa 4C Stack Up Against the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S and Porsche Cayman?

As the newest arrival and first sensibly priced (affordable might be kind of a stretch) rear-wheel driven Alfa Romeo since, well, the days of the Spider in the 1990s, the new mid-engine 4C has attracted some well-deserved attention from the press and gearheads alike, but does it make the cut against the competition?

That's what Autocar magazine's Steve Sutcliffe set to find out, at least partially, and by that, we mean on a twisty track.

Taking into consideration its mechanical layout and entry price in the UK at £45,000 (equal to $73,900 / €54,600), the 237hp Alfa 4C's direct competitor is a no brainer: the £41,616 ($68,400 / €50,500) Porsche Cayman (you can see how Carscoops readers voted in a poll between the two models here).

Just to shuffle things up and make the video review a bit more intriguing, Sutcliffe also brought along the Toyota GT 86 (Scion FR-S in North America). While not a real challenger to the 4-cylinder Alfa, it does have an excellent fun-to-price ratio that's really hard to overlook.

Since you don’t like spoilers, we'll just let take a look at the video below and then by all means, head to the comments for your thoughts.

Screenshots via Autocar/YouTube

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce 1600 is a Reminder of Italy’s Finest

While Alfa Romeo is gearing up (for the past…10 years) to become a global premium carmaker with the help of all-new products like the upcoming rear-wheel-drive Giulia sedan, it’s good to take a trip back in time to see a bit of the Milan-based carmaker's fabulous heritage.

In 1962, Alfa Romeo launched the Giulia sedan, along with the Giulia Sprint (coupe) and Giulia Spider (roadster). The latter two models were actually rebadged and updated versions of earlier Giulietta models, featuring 1.6-liter engines instead of 1.3-liter units. The Giulia Spider also had a performance version called Veloce (Italian for fast), and that’s exactly the type of car featured in the latest episode from Petrolicious.

The following video serves as a reminder of Alfa Romeo’s special place in the history of the automobile, and it’s also a pleasant way to find out what an automotive work of art like the Giulia Spider is like to own and to drive.

VIDEO

New Ford EcoSport Gets Mixed Review from Auto Express

Ford’s take on the small urban SUV, the EcoSport, embodies an obvious contradiction: although it looks like an off-roader (yes, I’m referring especially to the location of the spare wheel), it only comes with front-wheel-drive.

Ford’s decision to place the spare wheel on the tailgate may have been dictated by practical terms (boot volume), but as the Auto Express review points out, it’s neither good-looking nor practical, adding 200mm (7.9in) of length to the car. Furthermore, the large swinging rear door hinders access to the boot, especially in tight spaces.

On the inside, the quality of plastics used on the dashboard and door panels is not as high as what rivals like the Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur have to offer. It's worth mentioning, however, that the car tested was a pre-production prototype.

There are good things about the EcoSport: it drives well thanks to its Fiesta underpinnings, it has a spacious interior and is quite entertaining when opted with the 123hp 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.

If you’re curious to find out more about the EcoSport make sure you watch the video review posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

MT Tries Out All-Wheel Drive Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG S

Mercedes’ CLS63 is basically an E-Class with a far more tapered, sportier body but with less room inside, and in AMG trim, it ends up costing almost $7,000 more. MotorTrend’s latest review of it tries to find reason behind its purchase over that of the regular sedan, weighing in its pros and cons.

Handling is said to be pretty much identical between the two, and reviewer Carlos Lago is keen to point out that the steering feels very particularly nice and allows for good placement on the road. However, he reports that the car doesn’t really feel that sporty on anything other than a straight road, where in S guise (with 577 hp on tap), it screams to sixty in 3.4 seconds.

Its figure eight and braking performance are also very impressive for a barge of its size and weight, though you can’t get away from physics and the car leans heavily in corners or squats onto its rear tires under really hard launches (the kind you need to achieve the aforementioned acceleration time…).

Not the sportiest of choices, then, but it has head-turning design and a surprisingly bubbly exhaust note for a turbocharged car; if you owned one you’d defend it to the death!

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Chris Harris Finds Reason and Substance in Chevrolet’s Volt Proposition

With 23,094 vehicles sold through 2013 and sustained growth for most of the year, the Chevrolet Volt has clearly won a few people on its side, and their numbers will continue to increase.

Chris Harris is now among those for whom 38 miles (61 km) of all electric driving and a 1.4-liter engine that doesn’t power the wheels make sense, as you’ll notice once you’ve started playing the video posted below.

Harris makes a good case for the Volt, and in the context he puts forward, it really does sound like it could work. He even points to colleague Matt Farah who’s been running one for the last three months, and says it’s an experience which has also turned him into a fan.

This video review is a little late to the party, as it comes some time after the Chevy was launched, but it’s nonetheless welcome if for instance you were already considering buying one, and needed one final motivational push before going to the showroom and taking a test drive.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

First Video Review of New 2014 Nissan Qashqai Is Out and It’s Very Positive

The Qashqai has been somewhat of a phenomenon for Nissan, having sold very well since it was introduced in 2007 and up until it was replaced by an all-new model. That car has not been on the market for long, but it’s already been reviewed by WhatCar, and the conclusion is that it’s still a strong contender for the class laurels.

It’s strong points are the efficient and punchy Renault-sourced diesel engines, the revised interior which looks (and apparently feels) much better than before and is also above average when it comes to shutting out wind and road noise too.

However, while all well and good, the review, which is posted below in video form, recommends that prospective buyers stay away from the dim-witted continuously variable gearbox which “sometimes feels out of sync with the engine.”

Scroll down and click play to watch it for yourself.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

NCG Has its own Breed of Physics Based Automotive Mayhem

There’s an individuality crisis among our current crop of driving games. Very little innovation going on, still, with a whole lot more effort into trying to make things not look like they’re from a different game; actual examples come to mind too, but it’s cool little low-budget productions like Next Car Game (NCG) that really put big money titles in stark contrast, at least when it comes to innovation.

Thankfully, though, its developer, Bugbear Entertainment, knows a thing or two about developing a mass-audience game, as their previous FlatOut series of destruction derby-style racing proved.

Now, NCG adds a little bit of Beam NG Drive into the mix, but keeps the nice polished graphics of a commercial title, and promises a game of reckless action, but with substance.

There will be a physics engine that keeps everything as real as possible, and there will also be a deep modding and tuning part too. Then, all that’s left to do is to destroy your tricked out banger by smashing it against other cars or obstacles…

The game is currently very early in development and looking for backers, but it already looks very pretty and detailed for its state, and the motion of the cars looks really nice and fluid – I’d even call it realistic…

Check out the videos after the jump to see what it’s all about.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Review Finds New Lotus Exige S Roadster V6 not Quite as Mad as the Coupe

Launched last year in Europe but unavailable in the United States, the Lotus Exige S Roadster is one of the most exciting drop-top models on sale today. At least that’s what the folks from XCar said about the car after taking it for a test drive.

The Exige S Roadster is 10 kilograms (22 lbs) lighter than the coupe, as it lacks a metal roof, as well as a rear wing and front splitter. While not quite as hardcore as the Exige S coupe, the roadster is nevertheless a car for driving enthusiasts.

It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds, just like the coupe, but has a top speed limited at 145 mph (233 km/h) – the coupe reaches 170 mph (274 km/h).

Powered by the same 345 hp 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine, the Exige S Roadster feels “marginally more sensible.” That’s not a bad thing, as it’s better suited for road driving.

See what the Lotus Exige S Roadster is like to drive in the video posted below the break.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Audi RS7 Takes on Porsche Panamera Turbo in Latest Head 2 Head

Both are German, all-wheel-drive, turbocharged, V8-powered super sedans. Well, sort of, as none of them really respect the definition of a sedan and can be better described as five-door liftbacks.

The Porsche Panamera Turbo and the Audi RS7 are also from the same automotive group, so the duel staged in the latest Head 2 Head episode is even more interesting.

They’re both staggeringly fast, and that's unsurprising given their powerplants. The Audi is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 560 horsepower, while the Porsche’s 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 unit produces 520 horsepower.

The two models are driven on the test track and a canyon road to see which is better overall and it turns out they are close in terms of performance. However, the Audi RS7 is about $60,000 cheaper than the Porsche, which begs the question: is the Panamera that much better?

You’ll have to watch the video below to find out.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Matt Farah Says Ford Fiesta ST Better Than a Used BMW M3 E46

The debate will probably never stop raging on in regards to which is the best option: buying a new car for a set budget, or looking for different second-hand model that was more expensive when new yet is now in the exact same price bracket and usually better performing.

Matt Farah of TheSmokingTire recently put two of these apparently mismatched contenders to the test, in order to find out which side of the argument would win based on the important criteria of fun and usable performance; he chose a brand new 2014 Ford Fiesta ST and pitted it against an all-time favorite, the E46 M3 from BMW.

[ed. Note: Spoiler Alert] Surprisingly, it’s the smaller car that wins out in the end, helped by the easier access to its turbocharged performance, as well as the multitude of newfangled gizmos and options that allow you to connect your gadgets to it. The M3 needs to be revved much harder to access its performance, plus it’s more difficult to drive fast. Granted, when you do manage to get into a rhythm with it on a moderately twisty road, it will still outpace the Fiesta…

However, Farah says that with better steering feel than the M3, more supportive seats and the aforementioned ease of access to the performance of the 1.6-liter turbo engine make it the better all-rounder, even with the extra-stiff suspension that it comes with and the less supple ride compared to the BMW.

The latter would still make for an excellent choice for those who do visit the track regularly, though.

Check out the video below.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Place Your Bets: Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series vs Jaguar XKR-S GT vs Aston V12 Vantage S

The following video comparison reunites some of the most hardcore coupes one can think of: the 542hp Jaguar XKR-S GT, the 565hp Aston Martin V12 Vantage S and the 510hp Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series.

Autocar reviewer Steve Sutcliffe makes no secret of the fact that the Mercedes is one of his all-time favorite cars, so the comparison is all about finding which of the two British cars comes close to the AMG-flavored C-Class Coupe.

On paper, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is the fastest, hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) from a standing start in just 3.7 seconds – 0.2 seconds faster than the Jag and 0.5 seconds faster than the Merc. But what happens on the track? You’ll have to hit play on the video posted below to find out.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Take a Ride Along in a Fully Original 1980 Maserati Merak SS

Despite being a rare car, with around 1,800 examples ever made, the Maserati Merak pops up surprisingly often on the web, proving that there are still a lot of them being looked after and driven, even if it’s known that you need a lot of the former to even enjoy a bit of the latter…

The engineering behind the Merak was not shabby, though, and if you have the wallet and patience, you can still run a fully original one today, like the man in the video below, Bruce Wagner.

He owns a rare 1980 Merak SS, which gets more power and badging than the basic model, by using larger carburetors (of which it has three for the 3-liter V6) and a different cam. The sound it makes is glorious, and the way it looks compliments that perfectly.

Even the tires are fully original, and the exact compound that the car was designed to run on originally – they are stickier than average and offer good handling (according to the owner).

It’s a real peach of a classic that definitely deserves to be kept on the road, as the industry whisks us further and further away from the romantic early image of the automobile. Admire its shape and engine rumble in the Hagerty video posted below.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Consumer Reports Says New Luxury K900 Is Not Kia’s Best Foot Forward

Venturing into a new section of the market where prior experience is limited and the competition very stiff is exactly what Kia is doing with the K900 in the US, where it goes up against the likes of the new Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 or Jaguar’s XJ among others.

Having only been sold in its native Korean market until now, it arrived on North American soil with very few modifications, and Consumer Reports had a go to see what it’s like.

They found it to be a soft barge that leans in corners and lacks steering feel, with an interior that is austere and lacking in originality, yet well-built and comfy. It is conceded that the optional V8 engine with 420 hp does move it in a straight line fairly quickly, driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox; no all-wheel drive is offered, though.

Overall, the review doesn’t end on a negative tone, but it doesn’t make a compelling case for choosing the K900 over any of its rivals either.

Scroll down and check it out in full.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

See How Updated 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Fares in Swedish Moose Test

You probably remember that in summer of 2012, the Jeep Grand Cherokee almost rolled over in Swedish magazine Teknikens Värld's moose test.

The SUV went up on two wheels, with the ones on the left lifting above the ground at 61 km/h (37.9 mph). At 63.5 km/h (39.5 mph), the SUV was about to roll over, with neither the electronic stability system nor the anti-rollover system doing their job.

To see if the 2014MY Grand Cherokee has improved in this respect, Teknikens Värld took the new model to their moose test track in Sweden. Using a Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD fitted with summer tires and loaded according to their Swedish certificate of registration (2,949 kg/6,501 lbs), passengers and luggage included, the magazine concluded that Jeep engineers have done their homework this time and eliminated the old car’s dangerous behavior.

The SUV’s traction control system now kicks in really early and slows the car dramatically, even at an entry speed as low as 61 km/h (37.9 mph). When the entry speed was increased, Teknikens Värld concluded the system worked even better.

"At 71 km/h (44.1 mph) the car reaches its limit, the car cannot master more than that," said Teknikens Varld in its report. "But it is a good result for a SUV vehicle, no doubt about that. It is also a clear sign that Jeep understood the seriousness of the previous generation's severe flaws and did something to it."

You can watch the test in the video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

Thanks to Rabe for the heads up!

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

McLaren MP4-12C Compared with Gardner Douglas T70 Spyder Kit Car

How about this for a comparison; a McLaren MP4-12C versus a Lola T70 replica or a civilized, sophisticated supercar going against a raw, back to basics machine. The Lola T70 is one of the most recognizable sports models, thanks to its beautiful timeless shape and was also one of the world’s fastest racecars in 1966.

That’s why Gardner Douglas decided to build a street-legal Lola T70 replica, with one significant difference: it made it a roadster instead of a coupe. Weighing in at just 850 kg (1,874 lbs), the GD T70 Spyder is powered by a 6.2-liter Corvette engine that delivers between 450 hp and 700 hp, depending on the state of tune chosen by the customer.

With its power-to-weight ratio of 530hp per ton, the GT T70 Spyder is quite a handful and requires maximum concentration from the driver when pushed hard.

So how does this explosive mix compare with the McLaren 12C, one of the most advanced production supercars on the market. Scroll down to find out in Autocar’s video.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

CNET Ranks the Cars of 2013 Based on their Tech

If your sole goal with the purchase of a new car is to get the largest number of cutting edge toys with it, then CNET’s 2013 rankings will definitely interest you. They rated all the cars they tested throughout the year according to their usual tech-centric criteria, then made a video about the top five ones they chose.

All the cars on their list definitely deserve their place on it, like the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Tesla Model S and even the Jeep Grand Cherokee makes sense in this companionship, when pitched in a suitably techy way.

We won’t tell you which one was crowned king, though, and for that you’ll have to scroll down to until after the virtual jump to find out.

Feel free to have your say, if you think they omitted a certain noteworthy model, or if you don’t agree with the selection.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

The [NSFW] Reason Why You Want an Older Lotus Elise

The Lotus brand has always carried deep and positive significance for driving enthusiasts, and the Elise launched in 1996 is thought of by many as being one of the best and newest examples of why that is.

It was never the fastest sports car to begin with, nor was it well made or comfortable, yet it still offered petrolheads something they craved, as the video posted below tries to point out; it’s a… different review with some NSFW moments of bad language, but it may help you make more sense of what the Elise is about, if you have not done so already.

It’s a tricky car to peg down, as it has few direct rivals that could match it for lightness and the precision of its controls, but then again, it’s not hard to go faster in a straight line, for less second hand money, even if you insist on using rear-wheel drive to do it.

Outright power is not key here, yet the car still looks like it goes 200 mph, particularly the post 2005 model that had a notable style update.

Scroll down and click play - just make sure no kids are watching…

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Shotgun Ride in Porsche Macan Discovers On- and Off-Road Capabilities

Porsche’s new sub-Cayenne SUV, the Macan, makes no sense from a monetary value standpoint, as in its current form, it’s priced at the same level as the larger SUV. However, with its Audi Q5 platform underneath, more pleasing aesthetics, better efficiency and all-round capability it’s not necessarily a good idea to dismiss it.

Autocar was recently treated to a shotgun ride in the new Macan, on courses that put both its on- and off-road credentials to the test. What surprised us was just how easily it went up steep muddy and rocky inclines without a hitch, going back down again through the use of hill descent control – a must-have in this class and price bracket.

Street behavior is also promised to be of the excellent kind, and given the manufacturer’s excellent track record in this area, we believe what’s said in the video about it being agile and easy to thread through corners at speed; it’s also praised for its stability too.

Check out the video after the virtual jump, but don’t go thinking it’s a review, because it’s not.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

2015 Subaru WRX with New CVT Transmission Video Reviewed

So here we have the new 2015 Subaru (Impreza) WRX, the all-new version of the road car that used to whet boy racers’ appetites around the world. Now all grown up and modern looking, it’s more refined and comes with an available CVT gearbox that promises to be sporty yet still efficient at the same time.

Only just out, and one model-year ahead of everybody else, the WRX has fallen into the hands of YouTube reviewers, and on first impressions it seems like a decent evolution, even with the snowmobile transmission option – a crisp new six-speed manual is available, thank goodness, and to me, that’s really the only available option.

Strangely, the reviewers talk more about this new Lineartronic transmission than the actual driving dynamics of the car, so we’ll have to wait for some other drivers to take it on track and document their findings there.

Until then, the street test videos for it lie after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO