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

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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

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Meet the World’s First Drivable Pickup Truck Made of Ice

To demonstrate that its Motomaster Eliminator Battery will resist temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit), retail chain 'Canadian Tire' mounted the battery on a pickup truck made of blocks of ice.

The truck was built by Hensall, Ontario-based Iceculture, a company specializing in ice sculptures, using a real truck chassis and running gear. The team then welded the suspension solid and used 11,000 pounds (4,989kg) of blocks of ice to shape the bodywork.

What’s interesting about the ice pickup truck is that it’s drivable – or at least it was before it melted…

On December 12, 2013, the truck set a world record for “the first self-propelled ice creation to drive”, covering a mile (1.6 kilometers) at an average speed of 20 km/h (12.4 mph).

Scroll down to see the commercial and then to watch an interesting behind the scenes documentary on how the truck was built. There’s also a video of the truck’s testing, another of its world record attempt, and, finally, a reverse video of it… melting.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: Canadian Tire via Autoblog-com

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Porsche Flaunts New 911 Targa in Latest Promo Video

There’s no doubt that the roof of the Porsche 911 Targa will be the main reason people will buy the car. Why would anyone bother with the 911 Targa when the 911 Coupe promises to offer a sharper driving experience and the 911 Cabriolet a lot more open sky above the passengers’ heads?

A homage to the original 1965 Porsche 911 Targa, the new model really nails it in terms of design – not to mention the sophisticated, but let's be frank, rather pointless roof opening mechanism.

And since you know all the details about the 991 Targa, Porsche released a promotional video whose single purpose is to make you want to buy a 911 Targa. Well, as long as you have set aside $101,600 in the U.S. (the price of the base 911 Targa 4 model) or €109,338 in Germany, Porsche would be more than glad to have you in their showrooms.

Scroll down to watch the Porsche 911 Targa in action.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Low Rider or Broken Rider? Squatted Lada is Unfit for Dagestan Village

Hey, there's nothing wrong with lowering the stance of your car even if you decide to follow Japanese extremes, as this is purely a subjective matter of personal preferences and taste, but if you're going to go that way, you just might want to take into consideration the condition of the roads you'll be rolling around on.

The owner of this low-riding Lada from a village somewhere in Dagestan, which is a federal subject (a republic) of Russia, found that out the rathe, hard way…

To the amusement of the lad holding the camera, he had to remove the front bumper and lay some wooden planks on the ground to get the vehicle moving up the dirt road.

Watch how it played out for yourself in the following video.

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Mayor Boris Johnson Takes a Ride in New Range-Extender Cab Proposed for London

Thankfully, the seemingly Mitsuoka-styled Nissan London Cab won’t be the only way for future tourists and locals to travel the city, as it will not be the sole next-gen taxi to be used. The new Metrocab, that borrows its name and shape from the old British-built Metrocab (1987 – 2000), is a range extender that has been in the works since 2007.

Developed by UK-based Frazer-Nash subsidiary Ecolive Ltd., it uses two electric motors driving the wheels at the back, plus a petrol engine of unspecified capacity to top up the battery when almost out of power. It will be even cleaner than the Nissan NV200, with its 1.6-liter petrol engine, offer seating for six and excellent all-round visibility for all passengers (including a panoramic glass roof).

Moreover, its looks are nowhere near as ridiculous as those of the bug-eyed Japanese van and actually kind-of work as a design proposal that also serves more of a practical role (of being cavernous inside).

Reports suggest that it could hit 75+ mpg UK (62.5 mpg US or 3.76 l/100km).

The video posted below shows the current mayor of London, Boris Johnson, having a go in one of these new Metrocabs that are said to begin working trials this month, and getting the tour from those who created it.

Check it out by scrolling down to after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

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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.

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Seriously, Overload is a Huge Understatement with Public Bus in Cuba

After watching the following video, purportedly recorded in Cuba's capital city of Havana, you'll have a very good idea of what the phrase "packed like sardines" means when it comes to public transportation.

People are literally pushed and shoved on each other to fit as many passengers as possible, with some even jumping through the side windows – forget about safety and other such trivial considerations…

At least in Cuba, it's not like the people can go out and buy a car and avoid public transportation, even if the government supposedly liberalized the market.

You see, four out of five people work for the state averaging just $20 a month when at the same time, the cost of vehicles is prohibitive, not only for Cubans, but even for your average Westerner in North America, Europe or Japan, as a subcompact model like the older generation Peugeot 206 retails for almost $80,000 (€58,000)!

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Frazer-Nash's Range Extended Electric Metrocab Wants to Reinvent the London Taxi [w/Video]

Following Nissan’s NV200-based London taxi, Frazer-Nash and Ecotive have revealed their Range Extended Electric (REE) Metrocab taxi, also designed for the UK capital.

Designed, engineered and built in the UK, the Metrocab is a range extended electric-powered taxi for London inspired by the silhouette of the iconic black cab. It has six passenger seats plus an optional front passenger seat.

The vehicle has been in development since the mid-2000s with several prototypes built and over a million kilometers of engineering tests completed.

Powered by two 50kW electric motors mounted to each of the rear wheels, the Metrocab sources energy from a 12.2kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. It also has a Euro5-compliant 1-liter petrol range-extender engine coupled to generator unit for when the battery is depleted, with combined range exceeding 560 km (348 miles).

Frazer-Nash and Ecotive claim the Metrocab averages more than 75 mpg UK (3.77 l/100 km), making it over three times more fuel-efficient than comparable current London taxi. CO2 emissions are rated at under 50 g/km, which is 75 percent less than comparable current London taxi. Despite a kerb weight of 1,750kg (3,858 lbs), the cab can reach an electronically-limited top speed of 80 mph (129 km/h).

The Metrocab fully complies with London Public Carriage Office (PCO) regulations, including the 7.62m (25ft) turning circle.

Frazer-Nash aims to sell the vehicle to taxi companies in London and other key cities in the UK and internationally.

By Dan Mihalascu

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See the New Lexus RC F's Digital Gauges in Action with Bonus Sound Track

You may be tempted to believe that the following footage was shot outside with the new 2015 Lexus RC F thrashing its 5.0-liter V8 on the road, but it was, in fact, filmed at the brand's Detroit Auto Show stand.

We assume the sounds we hear were pre-recorded and coupled to the instrument panel, which is two-thirds digital, and one third analogue with backlighting, the latter limited to the speedometer.

Lexus says the RC F’s combination meters that differ from the regular RC coupe are a further development of those used in the V10-powered LFA while also referencing aircraft cockpit instruments.

On the center you'll find a large tachometer that alters according to drive mode and which incorporates a digital speedometer and lap time recorder, while on the left hand side, there's a screen that shows differential torque vectoring monitor, G-Force meter, oil and water temperature gauges, mileage information and a stopwatch.

Pretty impressive stuff, don't you think?

You can watch the video, which comes to us courtesy of YouTube user Kaizen Factor, right below the jump.

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2015 Nissan Micra Lands in Canada, Only Available with 1.6-Liter Engine [w/Video]

As previously announced, Nissan launched the 2015 Micra on the Canadian market at the Montreal International Auto Show (January 17-26). The Micra returns to Canada after a 20-year hiatus.

The 2015 Micra for Canada is the same car offered on European markets. Available in three models, the Micra S, SV and top-of-the-line SR, the Micra will be offered with a single engine, a 109hp 1.6-liter 4-cylinder unit mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission, or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine is the same used by the related Nissan Versa sedan.

Nissan says it has no plans to bring the car to the U.S. adding that it has been “extensively tested and perfected for the Canadian driver”. The car features heated outside mirrors, rear heater ducts (…to keep backseat toes warm), 60/40 split rear seats and either 15- or 16-inch wheels (sizes that are widely available as snow tires). Pricing has yet to be announced.

“Micra will truly be a car for every Canadian. It's been specifically designed for this market and has been thoroughly tested right here in Montreal in driving conditions Canadians typically face,” said Nissan Canada president Christian Meunier.

Alongside the Micra, Nissan’s stand at the show includes two other Canadian debuts: the 2015 Juke Nismo RS and the NV200 Taxi.

By Dan Mihalascu

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