Cars

McLaren’s street car offerings have doubled (to two) with the introduction of the all-new MP4-12C Spider.  The car features a retractable hard-top, making it the second mid-engine car with a retractable hard-top (the 458 Italia Spider was the first).

The McLaren MP4-12C Spider transforms from a coupe to a convertible in less than 17 seconds with the flip of a switch on the lower center console.  The roof can be raised and lowered while the car is traveling at speeds of up to 19 mph (30 km/h).

I wasn’t aware Land Rover was working on an all-new Range Rover lineup for the 2013 model year, but thanks to our Russian comrades who got a hold of some unofficial pictures of the 2013 Range Rover, we can now see the luxury SUV in all its glory.  I’m sure Land Rover will be releasing a full press package soon with more pictures and full specs, and I’m also sure they’re not very happy with autowp.ru for ruining the surprise.

The first thing you’ll notice with the 2013 Range Rover is how similar it looks to the Ford Flex, but with design elements from the Evoque – especially in the front of the vehicle.  I’m guessing the Rover looks like the Flex because in these pictures, the Land Rover’s suspension is in the low position, giving it the same long look of the Ford Flex.

All eyes are on the 2012 Paris Motor Show and car manufacturers from all over the world are bringing out all their secret little toys they’ve been working on. The ultimate driving machine, BMW, is showcasing their new BMW M Performance Power Kit at this year’s show in Paris. The power kit is only for the 2.0-liter diesel variants in the 1, 3, and 5 Series.

Reprogramming of the ECU and a larger charge air cool boost helps the 2.0-liter motor increase horsepower from 184 to 200. The maximum torque is also improved from 280 ft-lb to 310 ft-lb of torque. These performance enhancements allow the 120d, 320d, and 520d to improve their acceleration of 0-100km/h by up to one second compared to the standard models.

The Toyota Avalon is a car that we normally wouldn’t write about because it’s ugly, boring, not luxurious enough, and mainly because it’s driven by people who are over 100 years old.  Toyota is trying to change the Avalon’s image by introducing a sportier new model for 2013.

The 2013 Toyota Avalon does look like it will appeal to younger buyers, buyers who are in their 60’s, which is a big step forward ;).  But seriously, it doesn’t look too bad and is a major improvement over the previous bland models.  I like the side view and the rear end is pretty sexy (as sexy as an Avalon can get)

The all-new 2014 Porsche Cayman Mk3 Coupe was unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.  As expected, the new Cayman coupe is virtually identical to the Boxter roadster (because that’s what it’s based on) released earlier this year; and that’s a good thing.

The 2014 Cayman coupe is a lot more elegant than the car it replaces and the roof doesn’t look like an afterthought, it goes well with the rest of the car.  According to the German car maker, the new Cayman is a 3^rd generation car; I guess they considered the minor facelift they gave the Cayman a few years ago, the 2^nd generation.  We don’t really care what generation it’s called, all we care about is the specs, which can be found below.

Since the economic turmoil of 2008, Ford has been leading the domestic market in re-branding itself and giving the company a fresh start. Ford has survived the recession without the threat of going bankrupt (as far as we know); they’re finally showing their true colors and are ready to compete with the European and Japanese manufacturers.

In my opinion, domestic vehicles are boring and very unattractive compared to their European and Japanese counterparts. The recession in 2008 was a wakeup call for the domestic manufacturers that they really needed to step up to the plate. Ford has performed that feat flawlessly with the revamp of their entire vehicle lineup.

It’s a sunny day outside, and you’re out enjoying the day just cruising around; perhaps even headed to a local show and shine or other auto enthusiast event. First you hear it… then, as your head swivels towards the sound, you catch a glimpse of a boulevard brawler. You know your sixties muscle cars: you recognize the silhouette, and easily ID the make and model. But wait- your brain has just sent you an additional message… something doesn’t quite fit with that initial recognition. Now the realization sinks in. There were indeed some subtle  (maybe even some not so subtle) differences from the muscle car that first popped into your head and the car you actually saw. Muscle car customization and personalization means that there were a lot of sweet street lookalikes that had a little something extra.