Sports Cars

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2014 Audi R8: First makeover means lighter, faster, more powerful supercar

The 2014 Audi R8, a refreshed edition for the first time since the mid-engine, two-seat sports car was introduced in 2006, will feature more horsepower and a new, seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic automatic transmission when it debuts next spring in Canada. Optional on R8 V8 and standard on the R8 V10 Coupe and Spyder, the S tronic replaces the agricultural R tronic autobox that originated from the R8’s sister model, the Lamborghini Gallardo. The new Audi RB will also feature new lighter carbon fiber body components, lighter bucket seats and a streamlined interior. New LED headlights and tail lights will now be standard on the eight- and 10-cylinder Coupe and Spyder cloth-top convertible models. Matched with a 4.2-liter eight cylinder

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2013 Scion FR-S: Not so fast, but country's best modestly priced sports car?

When Scion debuted a decade ago, the idea was to attract younger buyers to Toyota with a funky design, a modest price and a hopeful degree of hipness in lieu of acceleration or state-of-the art technology. The 2013 Scion FR-S is the first sports car for the brand, co-developed by Subaru and thus directly and unmistakably related to its close relative, the Subaru BRZ. The Scion FR-S, like its family members, is still value priced. But as a lightweight, low-center-of-gravity, classic-sports-car-steering, sleek-sport-car-designed machine, the Scion FR-S is a modern-day version of Toyota’s original “Z” cars. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It’s never been my favorite color in cars, but few vehicles attract more attention than red sports cars. My Scion

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Bugatti Veyron Super Sport takes Jay Leno for a ride

Jay Leno has favorite cars for favorite occasions, but nothing in the comedian’s famous garage full of cars got as much attention than the recent arrival of two new Bugatti Veyrons. The combined price of the two models is more than $5 million. Leno begins his discussion of the two cars, saying: “Like a lot of people, we’re huge Bugatti enthusiasts.” But looking a two Veyrons is one thing and driving a new Veyron Super Sport is another thing. After discussing the merits — carbon construction to massive horsepower — with John Hill, Bugatti’s North and South American marketing director, Leno takes the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport on a test drive. It’s all in the video below. While statistics can

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Volvo S60 T6, 2013: Sporty all-wheel drive T6 offers sedan at its best

The five-cylinder 250-horsepower 2013 Volvo T5 sedan I tested was very good. But I soon found the hotter S60 T6 AWD R-Design sedan almost felt like a different car. In fact, the S60 T6 AWD R-Design model is arguably the best high-performance Volvo ever. Both the Volvo T5 and T6 models have slick, virtually identical styling. But the S60 T6 AWD R-Design has a more potent six-cylinder engine. It also has a sport chassis, larger brakes and standard all-wheel drive, besides sportier interior and exterior features. A turbocharged 3-liter 300-horsepower six-cylinder is available for the 2013 S60, which has a standard turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. But the hot rod R-Design does it one better by having a 3-liter turbocharged and

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Maserati issues recall for tire pressure system woes

Even revered luxury cars like Maserati sometimes have problems. The Italian manufacturer is recalling Quattroporte sedans and Granturismo, Granturismo convertible, and Granturismo MC sports cars because of faulty tire pressure monitoring systems. The recall includes 485 cars from the 2012 model year of the exclusive manufacturer whose vehicles have sticker prices starting at about $120,000.In a document filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Maserati said the possible malfunction is the result of a software error and could keep the system from warning the driver when a tire’s pressure is dangerously low. Maserati dealers will replace the TPMS tire pressure system control unit free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in November, and owners may contact Maserati

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Hennessey unveils 2013 VR1200, most powerful four-seat car in U.S.

Hennessey Performance has debuted what it’s describing as the most powerful four-seat car available — the 2013 Hennessey VR1200 Twin Turbo Coupe. Based on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, the team at HPE removes the 556 bhp factory supercharged V8 and replaces it with a de-tuned version of their Venom GT supercar engine. The VR1200’s 7.0L twin turbo V8 engine produces 1,224 bhp. The 2013 Hennessey VR1200 Twin Turbo comes is priced at $295,000 plus shipping costs. This includes the cost of the base Cadillac CTS-V. HPE plans to build only 12 vehicles for the 2013 model year. The VR1200 Twin Turbo is available as a 2-door Coupe or 4-door sedan as well as the ultra exclusive Sport Wagon. Three of

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Jay Leno interviews Lamborghini president, gets tour of sexy concept cars

Breaking the tradition of Jay Leno’s Garage, the comedian, talk show host and car collector recently intervierwed Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann at the Concours d’Elegance during Monterey Auto Week in Pebble Beach, California. Leno and Winklemann walk around the Urus and Sesto Elemento concepts, and discuss the Italian manufacturer’s plans for the marque’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2013. The automotive gala will be a Grand Tour of Italy with more than 300 Lamborghini vehicle invited from around the world. Winkelmann provides details about the Urus concept and and SUV production version. Leno mentions his Lamborghini (of course) and the two automotive icons share a few laughs. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has

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Kaiser-Darrin, 1954: Sports car the world has been waiting for

The stunning 1954 Kaiser-Darrin DKF-161 sports car is a rare auto that doesn’t look like anything else. It has a long, sleek hood, a small and exquisite “pursed-lips” grille, sliding doors and three-position folding top. The beautifully proportioned two-seater also has tapering rear fenders and large teardrop taillights that smoothly blended with its lines. The grille looks like it “wants to give you a kiss,” one car designer quipped. Laudau irons let the folding soft top be locked in an intermediate position, leaving the rear section erect for open-air driving without rear drafts. The Kaiser-Darrin’s picture was put on U.S. postage stamps several years ago, an honor shared with only a few other classic American sports cars. Most of the

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Mini Cooper (John Cooper Works) Coupe, 2012: Fast, handsome, expensive

Introduced to the Mini Cooper lineup in 2009, the John Cooper Works (JCW) model is named after the deceased famous racing car guru who founded the Cooper Car Company in 1946. For 2012, the JCW edition of the Mini, now owned and marketed by BMW, retains its place as a niche compact driving machine. It features a 208-horsepower, turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission with larger, now standard 17-inch wheels. In addition to its more powerful engine (87 more horsepower than the standard Mini), The John Cooper Works includes upgraded Brembo brakes and options such as a leather upholstery package and navigation package. Upgrades for 2012 are minimal, but include an aero kit for JCW versions only and floor mats

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Jaguar XKR-S, 2012: Stylish, fastest model of iconic sports car

The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S is likely the last, extremely fast model that retains much of the automaker’s traditional “E-Type” sports car styling. The sensational race-bred Jaguar E-Type sports car arrived for 1961 with a potent inline six-cylinder engine. It was sold as a coupe or convertible and was known to most Americans as simply the “XK-E.” Many still feel that it’s the most beautiful sports car ever built. But the E-Type began to lose some of its luster when government regulations forced it to detune its engine and add such items as clumsier bumpers and smoothly faired plastic covers over the headlights in 1967. The E-Type went from 1971 through 1975 as a heavier-looking car with a potent, but often

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Hyundai Veloster, 2013: turbocharged, faster, fun

The Hyundai Veloster was new for 2012 and immediately drew attention with its unique three-door design. The new 2013 turbocharged version makes the car much faster and lots more fun. Rivals for the turbocharged front-wheel-drive Veloster include the Volkswagen GTI, Civic Si, Mini Cooper/Clubman S, Beetle Turbo and Fiat 500 Abarth. Hyundai notes the Veloster, with such things as its three doors, is “purposefully differentiated from other core vehicles in Hyundai’s lineup, with unique style and function and advanced technologies.” Hyundai experiment means success Hyundai hasn’t become a major sales success without taking chances. The turbocharger is the big news for the latest version of the Veloster. This turbo has a twin-scroll design for quicker response and more low-end torque.

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Fiat 500 Abarth, 2012: Italian, sexy mini car has Ferrari relatives

The sexiest cars arguably long have come from Italy, and the new Abarth version of the 2012 Fiat 500 is such a car. The 500 Abarth follows the colorful tradition of the very small, low-volume race-winning “Double Bubble” Fiat Abarths of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Those cars are valued at $135,000—if you can find one that wasn’t thrashed in races. (They had nifty twin roof humps—or “bubbles”—to clear race driver helmets.) The early Abarths were standard Fiats cleverly modified by Karl Abarth, who made a fortune selling hot rod exhaust systems, mainly for sports cars. If you wanted the greatest sports car sound around and higher performance, it seemed mandatory that you get an Abarth catalog-available exhaust system.

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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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