3+ hour, 47+ min ago (469+ words) The 1970s were a wild time in the automotive industry. New technologies, new thinking, and increasing competition meant automakers had to think outside the box to stand out. For BMW, that meant starting a factory-backed race team. The idea, spearheaded by the infamous Bob Lutz, resulted in BMW's first M car, which you can now buy. " This 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL Werks development car was the first car built by the then-newly developed BMW Motorsport division. M built the car, E9/R1, in late 1972 and early 1973, becoming the first of 21 CSL Werks cars, 11 of which the factory team raced. The E9/R1 would also go on to help develop the Batmobile Aero kit. " The car saw some competition, according to the Dylan Miles listing, but BMW Motorsport sold it at the end of the 1973 season to an American racing team for the 1974 IMSA championship. After its one-year…...

1+ day, 32+ min ago (249+ words) Let's just say things have escalated with my 2023 Subaru BRZ project car since the last update. I've been slowly building up the BRZ, first with a track day at Laguna Seca, then with some basic mods like a Recaro bucket seat, new tires, and a Brembo Pista big brake kit to complete the treatment. But it was finally time to put it all together for our YouTube channel, so we took it to a track day and tested all the mods I've put on it so far. We also figured out what mods are really worthwhile. Some mods are great for setting faster lap times. Others are good for simple comfort and consistency. Either way, the mod has to work and improve the experience in a meaningful way. The stopwatch doesn't lie, nor does the driver. More BRZ Project Stuff…...

1+ day, 22+ hour ago (460+ words) When a car looks this good, it's hard to ignore. It's called the SP40 Restomod, and it takes inspiration from the 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster. A low-volume car manufacturer in Argentina called Iconic Auto Sports is responsible for the beautiful build." Under the hood is a third-generation Ford 5.0-liter Coyote engine that makes more than 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, and it features stainless steel long-tube headers, mufflers, and tailpipes. The engine pairs with a five-speed Tremec TKO 500/600 manual transmission, and the car has an independent front and rear suspension. " Mustang GT350R brakes provide stopping power, with six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembo calipers wrapping around 15.5- and 14.9-inch cross-drilled discs, respectively. The car has 20-inch wheels, wrapped with 235/45/R20 and 275/35/R20 tires. " The car reportedly weighs 2,623 pounds. The carbon-fiber body helps make that possible, with the exposed interior featuring a combination of aluminum, leather,…...

3+ day, 13+ hour ago (348+ words) Through its "Icons Get a Makeover" series, Skoda has been reimagining past models as futuristic EVs. The latest episode focuses on the company's first vehicle to reach one million sales. The rear-wheel-drive, rear-engined 100/110 returns as an imaginary successor to the sedan sold between 1969 and 1977. Despite the radical makeover, there are still subtle nods to the classic 100. Even without an engine in the back, the designer added discreet rear-fender vents. After all, even EVs require cooling. The LED light bars at the front and rear reference the original's chrome strip and engine vent, respectively. There's still a fuel cap on the front fender, but it now conceals the charging port. As with previous digital concepts, these reinterpretations of historic vehicles are created by Skoda designers purely for fun, after office hours. They're sadly not indicative of future production models. The 100 wouldn't…...

4+ day, 2+ hour ago (480+ words) How much are you willing to pay for a pristine 2005 Ford GT that Paul Walker once owned? If the answer is anything less than half a million dollars, you'll have to do without this holiday season. Bring a Trailer is auctioning the car right now, and with more than a week left, the bid has already hit $550,000. " According to the listing, the GT was part of Walker's "Always Evolving Collection," but it doesn't detail the provenance. Under the hood is a Ford's supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 engine, which sends power to the rear wheels through a Ricardo six-speed manual transaxle. It makes 550 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. " What makes this GT special is its exterior. It's one of 14 2005 GTs that has the Mark IV Red without the racing stripes. The car is otherwise mostly stock, though it features a Steve Saleen signature…...

4+ day, 4+ hour ago (402+ words) In a surprising but welcome announcement, Audi is ditching the touch sliders mounted on the steering wheels of five cars. The A5, Q5, A6, A6 e-tron, and Q6 e-tron are now receiving physical rollers to adjust volume and scroll through the digital screen's menus. It's a small step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless. This change is unexpected, given that all five cars are still fresh products. In fact, the latest-generation A6 was introduced only a few months ago in both sedan and wagon body styles. The A5, Q5, A6 e-tron, and Q6 e-tron aren't much older, having all debuted last year. So why the rush to bring back physical rollers? We asked Audi what triggered this change, and the company admitted it was responding to customer requests for conventional controls. In an email to Motor1, spokesperson Michael Crusius explained what prompted the steering wheel updates: 'The reason for…...

4+ day, 4+ hour ago (493+ words) It's been two years since Porsche unveiled a one-off Panamera, but we had to wait until now to see the car's lavish interior. Created through the Sonderwunsch (special request) division, this extravagant Turbo model is all business in the front and party in the back. Although it's not a sedan in the traditional sense, it rivals the S-Class, 7 Series, and A8 in terms of luxury. The cabin's party piece sits between the rear seats, where Porsche found enough room for an illuminated champagne cooler and a cigar humidor. The latter has a glass cover so those relaxing in the back can admire the high-end tobacco before choosing which one to smoke. The Germans really thought of everything by installing a removable cigar cutter and lighter. Additionally, the humidor comes with a built-in hygrometer, which measures humidity. Although I'm not a smoker,…...

4+ day, 5+ hour ago (377+ words) Like its more-established rivals, the Aspark Owl is absurd in every metric. Its fully electric powertrain places it firmly within the ranks of electric hypercar greats, while its limited availability means it will be a collector's item for years to come. Now, Japan's first electric hypercar is set to become even more desirable. Meet the Aspark Owl Roadster'the world's quickest electric roadster. The droptop Owl makes 1,953 horsepower, has a "theoretical" top speed of 257 miles per hour (413 km/h), and it can sprint from 0 to 186 miles per hour (300 km/h) in less than 10 seconds. Those figures put it among the most extreme road-legal hypercars on the planet. Naturally, that kind of performance and rarity comes at a price. Early estimates place the Owl Roadster's base cost around $3.5 million (3 million), which means only a handful of very wealthy EV enthusiasts will ever be able…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago (1118+ words) Subaru still refuses to build another WRX wagon/hatchback for the US, and we can't figure out why. The old five-door was hugely popular among enthusiasts before it disappeared for good in 2012. Since then, we've only gotten increasingly worse versions of the sedan'with no hint of a returning hatchback (unless you live in Europe). One WRX fan, though, decided to take matters into his own hands. Stephen Ketslen'who goes by @vb_hatch on Instagram'transformed his stock Crosstrek into a proper WRX hatchback. And we don't mean a lookalike body kit; this is a true FA24-swapped Crosstrek with pieces ripped straight from a modern WRX. And it absolutely rules. The project started with a stock Crosstrek, which Stephen bought new in 2020. He quickly realized that the factory 150 horsepower wasn't exactly what he wanted. It did have a manual, at least, but he immediately…...

5+ day, 16+ min ago (507+ words) Spending the afternoon fiddling with a car configurator is a great way to pass the time on a short holiday week, especially when an automaker gives you hundreds of thousands of options to choose from. Porsche's configurator is usually pretty comprehensive, which is true of the new Cayenne EV's. But there's an interesting detail buried within it: A key fob configurator. For the same price, the personalized vehicle key gives you a few more hues to choose from'but it's still nothing overly impressive. It's not until you select the bespoke vehicle key option for $770 does your cup runneth over with colors, textures, and possibilities. You can choose from three materials for the upper shell: Leather, Race-Tex, or paint. If you opt for paint, Porsche has a range of 16 colors to choose from, including some wacky options like Ruby Star Neo…...