Autos

During the Moab Easter Jeep Safari event earlier this month, Jeep revealed six different concept vehicles with two of them stealing the thunder.  And based on the feedback Jeep has received, I’m not the only one that has two favorites.

The first vehicle that caught my attention is the Jeep Mighty FC which is inspired by the Jeep Forward Control which was built between 1956 and 1965. The Mighty FC is loosely based on the Wrangler Rubicon but the cabin has been repositioned over and in front of the front axle as well as receiving a lengthened wheelbase.

Aston Martin made a surprise appearance at this weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2012, a prestigious car show that takes place annually at Lake Como in Italy, with the Aston Martin Project AM 310 Concept.  The AM 310 Concept is a pre-production version of the car that will be replacing the Aston Martin DBS, the final production model will be unveiled later this year with sales starting in 2013.

I’m not sure how much of this car’s styling will make it into the production DBS replacement car (which is yet to be named) but judging by the pictures, the new car is more of a styling evolution than a revolution, the basic shape of the car is the same.  There is a bit of styling borrowed from the One-77 supercar with the rear end being more curvaceous and there is a sleek looking spoiler.

When I think of old restored cars, the cars that come to mind are either muscle cars, sports cars, or some sort of limited production cars that were pretty rare even when they were new.  A mass-produced Mercedes-Benz sedan is probably the last car I’d think of restoring but that’s exactly what German car tuner VÄTH has done.

VÄTH is known for tuning newer Mercedes-Benz cars with some very powerful engines.  The car they’ve worked their magic on this time is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3, which the tuning firm is calling W109.  The 300 SEL was the predecessor to the world-famous S-Class and was produced from 1967 to 1972.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of writing about the Land Rover Defender and if the Defender has aftermarket modifications, it puts an even bigger smile on my face.  British car tuning firm A. Kahn Design, formerly known as Project Kahn, has tuned the Land Rover Defender called the XS 90 under the Chelsea Truck Company, a sub-brand of Kahn Design that specializes in off-road vehicles.

You could ask just about anyone to name a famous race event and in all likelihood their answer would be the Indianapolis 500. Held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on every Memorial Day long weekend since 1911, the Indy 500 is a huge spectator event. Thousands of racing enthusiasts love this race for its history, traditions, format, and of course, to see the most technologically advanced open-wheel Indy race cars, the Indy pace car, and the world’s best drivers in heated action.

It’s the job of the Indy pace car driver is to lead the race field for a 2 ½ mile lap around the track to warm up engines, tires, and to allow the entire field to position themselves correctly while reaching a prescribed speed so that the race can be started from a flying start. As the field comes to the starting line the pace car peels off into the pit lane and the race is under way!

Lexus, the company known for making luxurious cars that are extremely well built and mostly driven by old people, has been trying to reinvent itself by showing us some exciting new products lately that would appeal to a younger crowd.  Their latest creation is the Lexus LS TMG Sports 650, based on the Lexus LS luxury sedan.

The car is the brainchild of Toyota Motorsports GmbH (TMG) and is much more aggressive looking than any stock Lexus sedan.  The TMG Sports 650 sports sedan is powered a 5.0 liter twin-turbo V8 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.  The turbocharged engine produces a massive