Sports Cars

Adam Carolla: Driving, performing at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Comedian Adam Carolla, the avid sports car enthusiast, former host of The Car Show and current host of the weekly podcast Carcast, will perform August 17 during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Carolla, who will be competing in the event while driving two of his vintage Datsuns, will perform at 8 p.m. at the The Sunset Center in Carmel. A package deal that includes a ticket to the show and a two-day pass to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is available in person at the Sunset Center Theater box office for $150, a savings of $25. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 17-19 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, celebrates the life of Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012,

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Rare Ferrari sells for $35 million, assumes most expensive car record

A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO made for race driver Stirling Moss and one of 39 of the rare vehicles manufactured during its three-year run, has become the world’s most expensive car. It sold in a private transaction in May for $35 million. Bloomberg News reports the apple-green Ferrari is listed among May’s high-end sales on the classic car dealers website, anamera.com. The sale was confirmed, according to Bloomberg, by two sources. The car was sold by the Dutch-born businessman Eric Heerema, owner of the Nyetimber vineyard in Sussex, southern England. American collector Craig McCaw is the new owner. Neither seller nor buyer could be reached for comment. The green GTO was acquired by Heerema a decade ago for about $8.5

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Scion FR-S, 2013: Long time coming for Toyota sports car

Toyota’s first production sports car was its tiny 45-horsepower 1965-69 Sports 800, followed by its dazzling limited-production 150-horsepower 1967-70 2000GT, which was built with Yamaha’s help. Toyota’s last sports car was the 1985-1995 MR2. “Sports cars have become boring. They are overpowered and expensive, only for the wealthy,” said the FR-S’s chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada. Scion wanted a light, compact, agile, “intuitive” sports car at an “affordable price.” Ironically, speaking of affordability, a left-hand-drive 2000GT in top shape is valued at $485,000 to $675,000, if you can find one for sale, according to the Sports Car Market price guide. It’s been a long wait for a new Toyota sports car, but the automaker’s Scion division has come up with its

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Scion FR-S, 2013: Performance-oriented, mean sports car machine

The 2013 Scion FR-S, with its affordable $24,000 base price packed with value, is a true rear-wheel drive sports machine, not some vague imitation with front-wheel drive pretending to be a sports coupe. I test drove the Subaru BRZ and walked away thoroughly impressed. If the FR-S is anything close to performing like its Japanese cousin, we can look forward to seeing a lot them being picked up by the enthusiast crowd. Just the Numbers The FR-S is powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder boxer engine that can crank out 200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,400-6,600 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic, with paddle shifters and Dynamic

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2013 Nissan GTR vs. 2012 Audi R8 vs. 2012 Jaguar XKR-S

By David Colman It isn’t often one has the opportunity to sample three of the fastest sports cars in the world back-to-back on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. But such an opportunity occurred during the recent Western Automotive Journalists’ 20th annual Media Day at Laguna Seca Raceway. The urge to compare the Nissan’s GT-R to Audi’s R8 and Jaguar’s XKR-S proved irresistible. 2013 NISSAN GT-R Even though this supercar has been on the market for a while and is in its second detail revision, I never had a chance to drive it. “That’s why we brought them out” said Nissan PR chief Tim Gallagher, “Because we know many of you haven’t been in one yet.” Gallagher requisitioned two GT-R Black Edition

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Subaru BRZ, 2013: Toyota, Subaru team to offer gifted sports coupe

The 2013 Subaru BRZ is the real deal. After two days of driving the 200 horsepower rear-wheel drive sport coupe on the street and at the race track, there is no doubt Subaru's new sport coupe is gifted with exceptional balance and poise. The BRZ is a rear-wheel drive sports coupe that came about as a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru. The manufactuers' design focus was to engineer a sports coupe with a low center of gravity, light weight and precision handling. The results are two affordable sports coupes that attain their design goals and exceed expectations. The BRZ (like the Scion FR-S) is propelled by a 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter direct-injected horizontally opposed ('flat') four-cylinder engine, with rear-wheel drive and a

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Bubba Watson, Carl Edwards talk golfer's 1969 Dodge Charger (Video)

Unlike other pro golfers who drive and sometimes arrive at PGA Tour events in Mercedes-Benz sedans to motorhomes and vintage Porsche coupes to Cadillac Escalades, Bubba Watson prefers Chrysler — a 1969 Dodge Charger, General Lee edition. Only slightly more than 300 of the 1969 Dodge Chargers were modified and used in the television program, The Dukes of Hazzard. In the program, cousins Bo and Luke Duke drove the cars in chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode. The doors were welded shut, leaving the cousins to climb in and out through the windows. Watson purchased his Dodge Charger at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January for $110,000 and calls the General Lee his "dream car." It's called

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Volkswagen up! one-ups 33 rivals for World Car of the Year honors in New York

The Volkswagen up!, the car with arguably the most unique name in automotive history and a vehicle not expected to be available in the United States, has won World Car of the Year honors as selected by international auto journalists at the New York International Auto Show. The minicar defeated 33 other nominees in the competition judged on merit, value, safety, environmental impact, significance and emotional appeal. "This award shows once again that in the up! our designers and engineers have created a vehicle that has been thought through in minute detail, said Volkswagen Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn. The Volkswagen, up!, also called the SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo in various markets, is a 3-door and 5-door hatchback "city car."

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Dodge Viper, 2013: V10, 640 horsepower and new interior technology (video)

The 2013 Dodge Viper, the third generation of the elusive supercar, is debuting in the New York Auto Show and will be welcomed by power hungy fans of the iconic massive machine. The new Viper, anticipated since the new beast's pending arrival months ago, features its signature long hood, short deck and double-bouble roof as well as twin air extractors, fender vents and side exhausts. The 8.4-liter V10 produces 640 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via its only transmission option, a six-speed manual. The body is made lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum. Chrysler detailed that the Viper's interior features improved materials, an LCD performance monitor, infotainment system and a grab handle. The Viper is returning

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2012 Mazda Mazda3: Functional, versatile, handsome

The 2012 Mazda Mazda3 has been the most popular car in the Mazda fleet for several years. Consumers love the sportiness, versatility and value, but many bemoan the 3’s less than chic fuel efficiency. By the 2016 model year, cars are expected to average 39 mpg and trucks are expected to get an average of 30 mpg. Mazda decided the best way to meet government standards, while maintaining their trademark “Zoom-Zoom” experience, is improve its existing technologies with SKYACTIV. There’s confusion over what SKYACTIV actually is; It’s not a single piece of technology but a complete set of technologies and improvements that come together to achieve, according to Mazda, “an exciting, sustainable future for cars, people and the Earth.” In

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Flying car Terrafugia flying to the public soon (maybe) for $279,000 (video)

About six years after the company started, flying car manufacturer Terrafugia has announced its prototype has completed its first flight and it now hopes to begin selling its Transition model within a year. The vehicle has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. Last month, it flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes. Around 100 people have paid a $10,000 deposit to purchase a Transition, which will be introduced this week at the New York Auto Show. The vehicle is expected cost about $279,000. Five years ago, Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Mass., was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision create a separate and less restrictive set of standards for

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Mercury no longer rising, Rachel Veitch stops driving her 1964 Comet 'Chariot'

Five years after becoming an international celebrity at age 88 as the sole owner and sole driver of a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, Rachel Veitch has stopped driving. Veitch, who recently turned age 93, told FoxNews.com that she is legally blind and will no longer drive the yellow Comet she called "Chariot." "They don't have to take it away," Veitch said of the car with about 576,000 miles on its chasis. "I would not dream of driving that car again." After running a red light in March, Veitch volunteered to stopped driving the car she bought new on Feb. 17, 1964 for $3,289. The four-door Caliente has a tan interior, a 164-horsepower/260-cubic-inch V-8, automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering and

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Volkswagen lineup, 2012: sports cars, station wagons and a Bug

By David Colman I have never experienced a press roll out like this in more than 20 years of attending Volkswagen events in the United Sates and Germany, Usually, the occasions focus on one or two new models with long, complex drive routes scheduled to foster a maximum driving experience. This year, there were multiple models available, but in a three-hour window. Here are my brief impressions from either a 15-mile or 25-mile Northern California loop that encompassed flat and hilly driving conditions in the Half Moon Bay and San Mateo areas: 2012 VW GOLF R This baby is a “little bomb.” The Golf R replaces the Golf R32, which has come and gone in several iterations during the past

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Rare Ayrton Senna F1 Toleman set for UK auction

A Toleman TG184-2 Formula One car driven by Brazilian Ayrton Senna in his debut F1 season will be auctioned May 16 at The Spring Sale to be hosted by Silverstone Auctions in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. Senna, who died at age 34 in 1994 while leading leading the San Marino Grand Prix, finished second while driving the same Toleman in the rain-soaked 1984 Monaco GP. Senna, a three-time world titlist, also raced to 3rd in the British and 7th in the Canadian Grand Prix in the Toleman, which has been privately owned for the past 16 years. Senna's life was portrayed in the 2011 documentary, SENNA. A 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 will also be part of the auction. For

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Scion sets prices for 2013 compact FR-S sports car

Scion has announced its 2013 FR-S compact rear-wheel drive sports car will have a $24,200 when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and $25,300 when equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. The high-performance coupe is the fifth model to join the Scion family and will go on sale this spring. The FR-S, which stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport; is Scion’s definition of an authentic rear-wheel-drive sports car with exceptionally balanced performance and handling, compelling style, flexible utility and surprising fuel efficiency. The FR-S will be available in seven colors including Raven, Asphalt, Hot Lava, Argento, Ultramarine, Firestorm and Whiteout. FR-S comes standard with six airbags, including dual-stage advanced driver- and front-passenger airbags, front-seat-mounted airbags and side-curtain airbags. Like all

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Audi A4, 2012: Beautifully built, fast and firm

Sorry you gave up your sports car because you needed more room? You won’t feel bad after driving the 2012 Audi S4 — the hot rod sedan version of the automaker’s popular A4 sedan/wagon. The 2012 A4 has a remarkably strong turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder engine with 211 horsepower and is fun to drive. But the S4,which I tested, has a 3.3-liter supercharged V-6 with 333-horsepower and considerably more torque. All models are compact sports sedans, except an A4 station wagon also is offered. The A4 was redesigned for 2009 as a third-generation model, and the S4 arrived for 2010. All have minor trim changes for 2012. No A4/S4 is inexpensive. Prices start at $32,500 for the A4, and the S4

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