In spite of increasing domestic oil production, four-dollar-per-gallon gasoline remains an on-again/off-again reality in the United States. That’s because oil and gas are global commodities, and the U.S. market isn’t as insular as we might like. The prices we pay, however, still stand out as cheap. Most of our global neighbors see fuel prices at [...]Watching Ford follow Hyundai, Kia, Honda, and GM in getting hit with a class-action lawsuit over its cars’ advertised fuel economy, one wonders if the plaintiffs’ lawyers behind these actions have tried to figure out a way to sue the manufacturers of the metaphorical floodgates that are now open. This isn’t to suggest that Ford’s C-Max [...]
First came retro cars; now wheel companies are mining the past for legendary designs, too. Though these new rims may look just like their ancestors, they’ve grown in size over the years, just as cars have. We chose four retro wheels and put them on what we deemed to be their modern automotive counterparts. The [...]Maserati is in the midst of revamping its lineup and adding new models in order to become a full-line luxury automaker by 2015, and now the company’s plan for all of this has appeared online, first showing up at Carscoop. We already knew Maserati plans to augment its GranTurismo grand tourer and all-new 2014 Quattroporte [...]Formula 1 has trouble leaving well enough alone. It constantly adjusts the rules, keeping engineers, drivers, and team principals on their toes—but the payoff is that it keeps fans glued to the television. The introduction of rules, circumventing of those rules, and engineering around the subsequent regulations is what keeps F1 so fresh year after [...]Ford has announced fuel-economy figures for the 2013 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, which goes on sale in January, and the sedan’s EPA ratings vault it to the top of the plug-in-hybrid sedan fuel-efficiency heap. Granted, that heap is pretty short—it currently includes just the Toyota Prius plug-in, the Chevrolet Volt, the Fisker Karma, and Ford’s own [...]Insiders close to Mercedes-Benz have confirmed a report by Autocar claiming that the AMG version of the next-generation C-class and the successor to the SLS will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. Car and Driver can further reveal that the engine, code-named M177, will produce between 460 and 500 hp in the next-gen C—which will come to market [...]It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to present this week’s shifter. You’ll have until mid-day Wednesday to identify the make and model of the vehicle whence this shifter came. The first person to respond correctly in the Backfires section below will win a Save the Manuals button and sticker.* Good luck! (* Offer open [...]The checkered flag has been put away, the busted connecting rods are being swept out of pools of oil on the concrete at Eagles Canyon Raceway, and the LeMons HQ crew— actually, just Chief Perp Lamm— is on its way back to not-quite-as-butt-freezing California. Earlier this evening, however, the winning teams were glorying in their [...]
As if making any kind of decision at this time of year wasn’t difficult enough, here comes the biggest challenge, the ultimate vote of votes. What is the overall Car Of The Year for 2012? There were tough choices to be made even before the voting started in this year’s Speedhunters Awards; having to whittle [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS: CAR OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.After Friday’s car inspections at the Heaps In the Heart of Texas 24 Hours of LeMons, the smart money said that the Hell’s Treehuggers Toyo-Davidson would blow up within seconds of going “potato-potato-potato” onto the race track. You know what? The smart money also says that Nissan Z Cars fall apart on race tracks, and [...]
You can score a free keychain or lanyard if you buy any Speedhunters EDTN Collection 02 T-shirt (Maximum Attack and SH Army Designs) or Wind-Breaker on the Speedhunters store – just enter one of these codes at the checkout: KEYCHAINC01 or LANYARDC01 The deal starts now, and the special will be valid until January 15. [...]The post IT’S A BUNDLE! GET A FREE SH LANYARD OR KEYCHAIN appeared first on Speedhunters.The 24 Hours of LeMons traveling circus is wrapping up a great 20-race 2012 season at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Texas, and the LeMons Supreme Court and the tech inspectors did their customary scrutiny of the 38 teams that were hardcore enough to spend New Year’s weekend in freezing-cold Decatur, Texas. Your LeMons correspondent is [...]
Now for a new addition to the Speedhunters Awards – Video of the Year. With the vast amount of high quality automotive films being released these days, we only saw fitting to include a category for you guys to pick the video of the year. You can think of it as the Speedhunters version of [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS: VIDEO OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
When Audi’s S5 coupe debuted for 2008 as the first model built on the company’s B8 architecture, we demonstrated little restraint in praising its sexy sheetmetal and the 4.2-liter V-8 nestled between its front fenders. Styled by Italian-born design chief Walter de’Silva, the S5 and its slightly less potent A5 stablemate ushered in a new [...]Hey, so, remember how Infiniti decided to change all of its car names to Q followed by two numbers and its SUVs to QX followed by two numbers? Of course you do, because it was a highly unconventional—one might say “crazysauce”—move. Well, allow us to present the first physical piece attached to one of those [...]Peter Schreyer, who has led Kia’s design efforts as it raises both its reputation and sales on world markets, has been named a president of the South Korean automaker. He will be one of three presidents in the company and the first non-Korean to hold the title. The promotion reflects the impact the Schreyer-led “tiger [...]Honda has announced its lineup for the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon, a tuner-oriented, SEMA-like auto show in the land of the rising sun. The salon focuses on Japanese home-market entries, featuring a lengthy list of metal we’ve never seen here in the U.S. (and likely never will). Here’s our short list of four of the [...]Nissan has announced plans to beef up the warranty on the lithium-ion batteries used in its Leaf EV. The change is being made to address owner concerns regarding long-term durability. Prompted by a vocal group of Leaf owners in the Southwest United States concerned that the heat may be negatively affecting battery packs, Nissan executive [...]
While 2012 has been a year full of great memories for me shooting out in the field, it’s also been extremely enjoyable overseeing the #FeatureThis program and watching the amazing reader-owned machines pop up from across the world. For this portion of the 2012 Speedhunters Awards, it’s time for you guys to select your favorite [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS: #FEATURETHIS appeared first on Speedhunters.Hyundai showcased some of its latest technology recently in a demonstration held near its European headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. Intended to streamline the integration between smartphones and in-car infotainment systems, the Connectivity Concept system also permits users to lock and unlock their vehicle by placing the phone over a Near Field Communication tag—they’re like the [...]The Greek website Autoblog.gr claims to have obtained Alfa Romeo’s proposed product plans for the next four years, a time frame that includes the Italian automaker’s proposed return to the U.S. (Here’s our recent take on which vehicles you can expect here.) The plans are laid out on what appear to be presentation slides, and [...]So what if Christmas is over—you’d be singing “Jingle Bells” 24/7, too, if you had a sweet VW Touareg running snow tracks like the one posted a couple of weeks back to VW of Sweden’s Facebook page. Although our high-school Swedish (the class trips were the stuff of legend!) is a little rusty, the limited [...]Lawsuits have created a warning-label culture, but where are the warning labels on the lawsuits themselves? For the cover of a 237-page settlement proposal that Toyota filed yesterday, we’d propose “Beware: Contains Idiocy and Greed.” Pending approval from a federal judge, Toyota will buy its way out of a class-action lawsuit that claims perfectly functional cars [...]
Some cars are designed simply to be a blast to drive. This is a rather old-fashioned approach to car making given the fact that most manufacturers are now (owing to regulations) obsessing over CO2 figures rather than considering how a car makes you feel. Luckily, Toyota did not ignore this very important aspect of design [...]
If you’re a regular reader of Speedhunters, you will probably be aware that, although small in both size and population, New Zealand has a huge automotive scene. Most of us grew up around car enthusiasts in some form or another and as a lot of you will be huddling together for warmth in colder parts [...]The post NZPC: FEBRUARY ISSUE PREVIEW appeared first on Speedhunters.
The Vatican elects a new pope about once every 10 years. Coincidentally, or not, reborn Corvettes follow the same cadence. Speculation about the next high priest of the Milford proving ground has consumed the faithful for the past few years, only intensifying in the lead-up to the car’s official reveal at this year’s North American International [...]McLaren recently held a private event in New York to show off its new P1 supercar, and the company snuck in a few new details about its F1 successor. The event was first covered by Carscoop, based on video of the New York event from YouTube user Speedracer38. Besides noting that the car at the [...]
As we make our way through the final days of the year 2012, it’s time for the final #FeatureThis reader’s ride shoutout of the year. There’s a little bit of everything this week, from classic projects to brand new machines, and even a JDM dump truck. Here they are! (Above) Sunnyside Racing in Chiba Japan [...]The post #FEATURETHIS: CLOSING OUT THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
There are a significant number of hot hatchbacks on the market ranging from the diminutive Abarth 500 all the way up to the Ford Focus RS. As a shining light of power, poise, performance and ability the Renaultsport Megane 265 stands out from the crowd to take the title of Car Articles Hot Hatch Of [...]
For those of you who might have been encased in amber the past 15 years or perhaps stuck in a universe of flying dirigibles, a golden Statue of Liberty, and Sony Betamax VCRs, we’d like to welcome you to the other side. The bad news: During your absence, all the ten-penny mid-engined sportsters such as [...]Mercedes-Benz has high hopes for its upcoming compact CLA sedan. Based on the brand’s new front-wheel-drive platform, it is a close relative of the third-generation A-class. The CLA’s looks aren’t a huge surprise, as it was previewed by the Concept Style Coupé, our spy photographers snapped a few shots of an undisguised CLA earlier in [...]
Sitting there sullen and alone with nothing but a rock-hard fruitcake and a mug of day-old eggnog to keep you company? Maybe these leaked images of the soon-to-be-revealed 2014 C7 Corvette will restore your holiday cheer. Although now removed, the images were originally posted on Corvette Forum by user Blue Ox, then deleted shortly thereafter. Alas, [...]
We would like to take the time to wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas. May Santa have brought you everything that you could want – and perhaps just a little more. As for the picture, nothing says ‘a very British Christmas’ more than an Aston Martin on a lovely winding road. A DBS [...]
Here we are with round two of the inaugural Photo of the Year award. Each Speedhunter has submitted five of his favourite images of 2012. It’s up to you to choose your favourite image by each photographer, so you will be voting more than once. Remember that you’re voting on the photography, rather than the subject. The [...]The post SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS 2012 :PHOTO OF THE YEAR ROUND TWO appeared first on Speedhunters.
The great Speedhunters Holiday Sale starts today, on Monday December 24th: you’ll be able to pick up Speedhunters EDTN Collection 01 items at sale prices! So treat yourself or a loved one to a late Christmas present on the Speedhunters store. The sale ends on January 15th. The post GET YOUR MERCH ON IN THE SPEEDHUNTERS SALE! appeared first on Speedhunters.
Coolまオタク News Car Features Modified Time Attack Drift Stance VIP Retro Dub Scene Street Drag Performance Classic Supercar Grand Touring Super Saloon Hot Hatch Sport Compact Classic Race Hot Rodding Muscle Hot Rod Lead Sled Sleeper Lowrider Gasser Dragster Event Coverage Drift Formula D D1GP Gatebil BDC International Grass Roots Motorsports Formula One Rally-Rallycross Endurance-GTs Time Attack Land Speed Touring Cars Hill Climb Drag Oval Shows Festivals International Tokyo Auto Salon SEMA Meets Japanese Modifieds Rod Customs Dub Scene Historics Special Features IAmTheSpeedhunter FeatureThis Week in Pictures Weekly Poll Build Car Builder Collectables Dream Drive Museum Retrospective Speedhunting Temple of Speed The 101 Speedhunters Crew Drivers Fredric Aasbo Vaughn Gittin JR Darren McNamara
In a slightly more lighthearted variation of the standard Car Articles posts, here I consider a Christmas letter to Santa for 2012: Dear Santa, I am a car, motorbike and almost-anything-with-an-engine enthusiast. However, my greatest passion is held for transport generally on four wheels (though if you deemed me worthy of the devillishly handsome Morgan [...]
Pure and clean, old school styles, high on drag or low on ride, we now journey back in time to the early ’70s and beyond in search of the ultimate classics and the award for Oldtimer Car Of The Year. The Singer 911 SoCal is becoming a hotbed for 911 builds, particularly strong in old [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS: OLDTIMER CAR OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
Putting the speed in Speedhunters, our motorsport coverage in 2012 was as varied as ever. The nominations for this award have been compiled by taking the top ten most popular motorsport events (based on the largest volumes of web traffic through our doors) and adding in five wildcards which we believed were worthy of nomination. The nominations are ...The post SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS 2012:MOTORSPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
One man. Three legends. You don’t get many opportunities to sit down with a six-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours alongside two of the cars he drove to victory. Then again, it would be a similar privilege to sit down with a winner of the Paris-Dakar. Or a man with eight Formula 1 [...]The post JACKY ICKX: MR VERSATILITY, MR SUPERFAST appeared first on Speedhunters.
Next up in our awards voting – Show of the Year. Now “car show” is a fairly ambiguous term, but for the purpose of the 2012 Speedhunters Awards we are defining shows as the large scale indoor events for the automotive, motorsports, classic, aftermarket industries as well as national level modified and custom car scenes. [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS: SHOW OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
It’s time to break away once more from our Speedhunters Awards voting and year in review stories for the final #FeatureThis Car Spotlight of the year. Today’s submission comes from Joshua Mead of South Bend, Indiana. Josh is the proud of owner of this 1973 Mitsubishi Galant Station Wagon, or Dodge Colt as it was [...]The post #FEATURETHIS: 4G63-SWAPPED ’73 GALANT WAGON appeared first on Speedhunters.
This is the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf – and it is the Car Articles Car of the Year 2012. The seventh-generation Golf was unveiled on 4 September 2012, 38 years and 29 million units after the original model redefined the small family car. Based on the new MQB platform, the new Golf is bigger, lighter [...]
The reasons for choosing a hybrid technology car are clear and well documented. We all know that they are more fuel efficient; we all know that they are kinder to the environment and we all know that they are cheaper to run. As the technology behind hybrid vehicles has advanced, the importance of such benefits [...]
We’ve had a whole lot of awards for cars so far in the 2012 Speedhunters Awards. Racers, street cars, modifieds, crazy builds… So much for the metal: what every car needs is a driver. The proverbial nut behind the wheel. 2012 has been a rich season, with down-to-the-wire fights in most of the major championships. [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS: DRIVER OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
The dictionary defines a festival as a period of celebration. Similar to our Meet of the Year award, we've unearthed the fifteen most popular festivals with you that appeared on Speedhunters in 2012. One of the things that impressed me most about these nominations, is the variety of the festivals. Take a look for yourself ...
The post SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS 2012: FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
As the voting continues for the 2012 Speedhunters Awards, our next category is Street Car of the Year. In this case we are defining street cars as road legal vehicles from the late ’80s to the present that see lots of street use rather than those built for show or track events. Some of these [...]The post 2012 SPEEDHUNTERS AWARDS:STREET CAR OF THE YEAR appeared first on Speedhunters.
Held at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, this year star-studded line-up of drivers at the Race Of Champions included three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, two-time MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo, three-time World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx, eight-time Le Mans 24 Hour race-winner Tom Kristensen, four-time V8 Supercar [...]The post CLASH OF THE TITANS IN BANGKOK appeared first on Speedhunters.