Luxury cars

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2026 Chevrolet Corvettes Redefine the Driver-Centric Cockpit Experience

The entire lineup of the 2026 Chevrolet Corvettes introduces a thoroughly reimagined interior that marries cutting-edge technology with elevated craftsmanship, effectively addressing one of the most controversial elements of the C8 generation while maintaining the vehicle’s driver-focused DNA. This significant refresh affects the entire Corvette family-Stingray, E-Ray, Z06, and ZR1-bringing larger displays, fresh colorways, and improved ergonomics that promise to cement the iconic American sports car’s leadership position for years to come. For the 2026 model year, Chevrolet has completely redesigned the Corvette’s cabin, addressing driver and passenger needs with an emphasis on both functionality and luxury. Most notably, designers have eliminated the controversial “button wall” that divided the driver and passenger compartments since the C8’s introduction in 2019. This

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Hello, Goodbye: Next-generation Porsche Panamera Unveiled

Porsche’s unveiling of the new, third-generation Panamera says hello to a new appearance and engineering and goodbye to the Sport Turismo wagon models. The new sedan’s online debut saw the release of a redesigned Panamera and Panamera 4, as well as the current flagship Turbo E-Hybrid. No Sport Turismo models were present as poor sales and a only marginal increase in practicality over its sedan counterpart forced the automaker to cease production. Upon first glance, the Panamera’s most significant change is its appearance. A new front end utilizes enlarged intakes and a sharpened profile but otherwise maintains the original slick styling of the previous generation. Center-lock wheels, a first for four-door Porsches, and a full-length lightbar punctuate the rear end.

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2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 defines EV performance sedan luxury

The 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 is among a small group of luxury electric sedans with good intentions and still trying to appeal to a not-yet-convinced consumer majority. Matched primarily against the Lucid Air, Mercedes-Benz EQS and Tesla Model S, the i7, like its competitors, is a compelling choice for many reasons. It’s electric, fast off the line and further impressive accelerating at highway speeds. It’s plush and spacious and built with top-line material and innovative features. The 7-Series has long been BMW‘s full-sized flagship. The i7 was introduced in April 2022 as a 2023 model to coincide with the nameplate’s 45th anniversary. The i7 xDrive60 and M70 have dual electronic motors and all-wheel drive. The i7 has a single-speed transmission,

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2024 Aston Martin DB12 Volante honors owner icon

Englishman David Brown was a machinist’s apprentice and he was knighted. He raced motorcycles, built tractors, played polo and bred racehorses. He also bought Aston Martin in 1947 and thus began the British automaker’s use of the initials “DB” on its vehicles. Brown died 30 years ago, around the same time of year this year the periodically struggling niche manufacturer unveiled the 2024 Aston Martin DB12 Volante. The industrialist orchestrated models through the James Bond movie heydays when the sports car‘s image was at its apex. It’s also had its share of automotive doldrums when the company’s debts ballooned and a buyer couldn’t be found. Still, brand purists likely wonder how Brown might have assessed more recent models, including the

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2023 LEXUS IS 500 F SPORT DEFINES SPORT SEDAN’S VERSATILITY

Now in its second year, the Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance is a manufacturer outlier. The luxury brand extension of Toyota is geared toward upscale interiors and comfort on the open road. The 2023 edition of the V8 sedan is more focused on performance while maintaining the Lexus reputation. Without much change from its debut offering, the 2023 Lexus IS 500 F Sport is available in Base and Premium trims. The Launch Edition is gone. Powered by a 5.0-liter V8 with 472 horsepower engine, the small luxury sedan’s engine ia paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It has Sport S, Sport S+ and Custom drive modes for customizing the driving feel. Gas mileage averages are underwhelming, with 17 miles

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Porsche 911 S/T commemorates 60 years of 911

The Porsche 911 is among only a handful of vehicles on the product line for 60 years. Porsche commemorated the legendary sports car recently by unveiling the limited-edition 911 S/T. The S/T is best described as two cars in one. It combines fan-favorite elements from the 911 GT3 RS and 911 GT3 Touring models. For the first time, it marries a 992-generation 911 with a manual transmission to a GT3 RS engine as well. Only 1,963 of the S/T will be manufactured, paying respect to the first production year of the original 911 just as Porsche did with the 911 50th Anniversary edition. Designers and engineers at Porsche are able to make purists’ dreams realities by combining the practical usability

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Genesis GV70: new EV SUV worthy of price

Seven models years into its legacy, Genesis added its Electrified Genesis GV70 for 2023. It’s the carmaker’s eighth vehicle and its first built outside of South Korea. With its origins and continuing heritage with Hyundai, the sport utility vehicle hails from Montgomery, Ala., and is available in two trims. The Advance trim is equipped as a base model but it includes more than other brands’ upgraded offerings, a healthy list of technology features. The reviewed Prestige trim adds $6,800 to the starting MSRP of $66,975 and offers, among other upgrades, a head-up display and a Lexicon premium audio system worthy of road symphonies. The top-end GV70 also includes active noise control, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel and Nappa

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Mercedes Vision One Eleven reimagines an icon

Mercedes-Benz has taken a big step back to the future in its unveiling of the Vision One-Eleven concept. The German auto manufacturer gives the nod to a previous iconic design, specifically the 1969 C111 concept, with the appearance of the Vision One-Eleven. Mercedes’ designers didn’t stray radically from the vintage lines of the C11. Retained were the two large, contrasting hood scoops, side vents and, most importantly, gullwing doors that made the C111 so iconic. However, the past ends and the future begins with the Vision One-Eleven’s augmented reality capabilities. Mercedes has integrated an augmented reality headset which can be used by occupants to enhance user experience, combining the car’s physical interior with a digital interface. For instance, AR makes

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Aston Martin Bulldog exceeds 200 mph 44 years after debut

The first and only Aston Martin Bulldog has finally reached the 200 miles per hour milestone it was built to achieve. It took decades. Classic Motor Cars, a United Kingdom-based vintage car repair shop, recently announced the Bulldog reached a top speed of 205.4 mph at a former NATO base in Scotland. Darren Turner, three-time Le Mans class winner and test driver for Aston Martin, piloted the Bulldog. “Bulldog’s 200 mph goal has been over 40 years in the making, being part of that legacy is a fantastic feeling,” said Turner whose previous attempts at reaching 200 mph in 2021 fell short. Classic Motor Cars spent 7,000 hours over 18 months to bring this Bulldog as close as possible to

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BMW luxury sedan thrives on split personality

The 2023 BMW 760i xDrive combines the best of an executive sedan and a luxury car without visible pretentiousness. It’s comfortable and stylish, smooth and quiet. It has a sizable backseat theater screen that unfolds from the headliner with controls embedded like smartphones into the rear seat handles. From its exterior, the new BMW looks more sporty than extravagant, with its aggressive nostrils grille, 21-inch M sport package wheels, brakes and black calipers. The sportiness continues on the interior, mixed with its luxury elements. The cabin design’s upscale quality combines high-scale wood and superior-quality leather. The stainless steel door design adds to the overall classy look, with inlaid speakers and the aforementioned smartphone control panel on the inside of the

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Aston Martin unveils DB12, the world’s first ‘super tourer’

Aston Martin called upon 73 years of heritage to unveil last week not only a new member of its iconic DB line, but a corresponding new vehicle category. In debuting its newest DB12, Aston packed so much “new” into the latest DB it required its own category — the super tourer. The DB12 super tourer — and the simultaneous farewell to the DB11 — offers a lot more. More power, more performance, more timeless styling and more technology are deployed to perfect the hardware used by its DB11 predecessor.  The part-aluminum chassis utilizes a reworked cross brace, undertrays, a crossmember, and strut towers for a 7 percent increase in torsional rigidity. Engine components are also shared between the predecessor and

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2023 Lexus NX450h: SUV plug-in hybrid prowess

One year after its second-generation debut last year, the high-end Toyota relative has introduced the 2023 Lexus NX450h into its lineup returns in 2023 with a collection of small crossover sport utility vehicles, including two hybrid offerings. The 450h+ is the upscale carmaker’s first plug-in hybrid and it joins the NX 350h conventional hybrid. The NX lineup was first introduced nearly a decade ago and is slotted between the subcompact UX and the mid-sized RX. Who knew there was a need for a slew of “Nimble Crossovers,” the meaning of the vehicles’ two-letter identifier? Buyers, apparently. The NX joined two siblings in the top 10 luxury hybrid SUV sales for 2022. The 2023 models are a holdover. The Lexus 450h+

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Lucid Air: a bonafide Tesla rival — finally

In the 15 years since Tesla debuted, several potential competitors have swiftly arrived and departed without any impact. Lucid Motors, less than two years into its luxury electric sedan life, is an exception. The Lucid Air, designed in Newark, California, built in Casa Grande, Arizona, and majority owned by a Saudi Arabian sovereign investment fund, at least equals the omnipresent Tesla in a dozen criteria. It outdoes the EV stalwart in several ways. It’s new, powerful, industry bending and has limited availability, traits Tesla also had in its infancy. Unveiled in October 2021 as a 2022 model, Lucid produced 7,180 vehicles last year, about one-third of the original estimate after industry-wide supply chain issues. The 2023 edition is now also

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Luftgekühlt 9: Beauty at the beast

Luftgekühlt, which translates from German to “air-cooled,” is a pilgrimage for dedicated Porsche fans. It showcases the best of what many consider to be Porsche’s Golden Years — the air-cooled period. Luft 9 highlights the fastest, most prestigious air-cooled products from Porsche’s 1931 founding leading up to the discontinuation of the air-cooled 911 in 1998. For the first time Luftgekühlt, often shortened to Luft 9, offered back-to-back days to commemorate all Porsches without regard to door count, means of cooling, motorsport success, and more. Air | Water exhibits vehicles from the Pre-A era to 992 — Mezger 997’s, Carrera GT’s, GT3 Tourings — alongside their classic counterparts. It did so with the mentality the venue makes the event. Mare Island’s

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Bentley Le Mans collection wears pieced, race-winning engine

Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans is among the most prestigious accomplishments in motorsports. Two decades ago, the Breitling-liveried Bentley Speed 8 finished two laps ahead of the pack, taking the marque’s sixth victory. To commemorate the achievement and the 20 years since that victory, Bentley has produced a limited run of 48 Le Mans Collection Continentals. Each of the Collection’s 48 Continentals keeps the Speed 8 memory alive by incorporating a piece of the 2003 race winner in each of the new vehicles. How is Bentley doing that? It’s as unique as it gets in automotive manufacturing. After the Speed 8’s 2003 Le Mans victory, Bentley removed the 32-valve V8 from its bay and cut 24 of the

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2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 challenges rivals

With the addition of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE lineup, the German manufacturer approaching its centenary now offers more than 30 vehicles. They’re all named with numbers and letters and acronyms requiring code-breaking expertise. The EQE series arriving this year, one year after the debut of the EQS, the carmaker’s first all-electric sedan available in the United States. The EQE 500 4Matic is the mid-level of three available trims. It has two motors, a 90.6-kWh lithium-ion battery, 402 horsepower and all-wheel-drive. Like its siblings, it’s a smaller version of the EQS. Smaller by definition doesn’t mean small. The EQE 500 is a spacious luxury sedan, handsomely styled inside and outside. It’s marketed with seating for five, but like many mid-size sedans,

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