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We all know sideways is slow. Kicking the tail out and sending the rear tires blazing may take a heaping helping of skill, but it won’t win you any races. That doesn’t make it any less awesome, however.

Icon has gone through the trouble of crafting yet another drift battle between motorcycle and car, and this time, two specially built Triumph Speed Triple bikes throw down against a 550-horsepower Ford Mustang Cobra piloted by a fictional officer of the law. The trio commence tearing through the rolling hills of mythical High Plains County before facing off.

Admittedly, the drift scene isn’t typically our bag of tricks, but this is one of the more entertaining videos we’ve seen in a good while. Between the bark of the FoMoCo V8 and the wail of the big-bore Triumph Triples, there’s enough audio glory on hand to keep us up at night. Throw in some excellent tunes and better videography, and you’ve got us hooked. Watch the video all the way through to the end for some hair-raising outtakes, including at least one roll over. Hit the jump to check it out.

Continue reading Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 debuts, someone called the cops

Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 debuts, someone called the cops

If top-down motoring is your cup of tea, there are few droptops that could elicit as many smiles per sun-drenched hour than the long-rumored Lexus LFA Roadster. We first saw the V10-powered 552-horsepower machine at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, but the automaker has kept its lips firmly sealed on the potential of a production version since that showing.

Interestingly enough, though, it appears that Toyota’s luxury division may not be done trotting proproduction LFA Roadsters around the auto show circuit. As can be seen in the video after the break, the Lexus droptop stunner made an appearance at the most recent Tokyo Auto Salon, where it took part in an exhibition run for the D1GP Kick Off Drift event.

Here’s where things get a little murky. We have no idea if this is a factory-made LFA Roadster – it could be a custom job, or it could be the same exact car Lexus showed off in Detroit four years ago, albeit wearing a new coat of white paint and an unfortunate rollbar. Whatever the case, you can see exactly how easily the V10-powered machine can smoke its rear tires after the break.

Special Bonus: Watch now and you’ll see extra drifting footage of a Toyota GT 86!

Continue reading Lexus LFA Roadster makes apperance at Japanese drift event

Lexus LFA Roadster makes apperance at Japanese drift event

If you live in the city, you know that the abundance of street lights are so bright that it’s difficult to see stars in the sky even on the clearest of nights. The situation out in the country couldn’t be any more different. The stars are gorgeous, but they’re not nearly bright enough to illuminate rural roads.

The good people of Belgium have a somewhat interesting festive solution to that problem. On a dark, curvy road in a rural area, an organization called Parents of Road Victims put over 5,000 Christmas lights to good use, and the result certainly appears to be very effective. Hit the jump to find out what recycled Christmas lights can mean for motorcycle safety.

Continue reading Watch how recycled Christmas lights are safely put to good use

Watch how recycled Christmas lights are safely put to good use

With 2012 now upon us, BMW has released a series of updates across its ever-expanding range, but the most noteworthy among them are a pair of special editions in the 1 Series.

First up is the Edition Exclusive, which packages a chrome grille, exhaust tips and window frames to contrast with the special grey metallic paint (or one of five standard colors), along with unique wheels and an interior decked out in special black or grey top-stitched leather with aluminum trim, anthracite headliner, chrome-trimmed steering wheel and handbrake and special sill plates and floor mats.

The Edition Sport, meanwhile, includes the M Sports suspension, wheels and aero kit, offset by high-gloss black exterior trim. The interior likewise benefits from some M touches, and grippy textile upholstery with contrasting blue stitching and aluminum trim.

Both packages are available on either the 1 Series Coupe or Convertible, and with a broad range of engines, with deliveries beginning in March. Follow the jump for the full press release and check out the high-res images in the gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading BMW adds Exclusive and Sport editions to 1 Series coupe/convertible range

BMW adds Exclusive and Sport editions to 1 Series coupe/convertible range

The Mini faithful fondly remember the John Cooper Works GP (pictured above). Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006, the GP edition was the fastest version of the first-gen Mini hatchback. It packed 218 horsepower, 180 pound-feet of torque, a beefier suspension and – thanks to the removal of the back seats and air-conditioning – 88 fewer pounds to motivate. The result was a 6.5-second sprint to 60 and a 146-mph top speed. Only 444 examples were made available shortly before the second-gen Mini was introduced.

Now, word on the street is that Mini is preparing a new GP version. Few details are available at this point, but considering that the current JCW packs 208 hp from its 1.6-liter turbo four, we ought to be looking at 220 horses or more in the new GP. To make things simpler, in fact, Mini could be preparing to shoe-horn in the engine being developed for the JCW Countryman, which is expected to pack more power than the JCW hatchback in order to get its heftier curb weight moving.

Given that the previous GP edition was a two-seat affair, we can’t help but wonder if Mini will turn to the new Coupe for this GP. But for now, we’ll just have to sit tight and see what the Anglo-German automaker has in store for its most hard-core fanatics.

Mini working up new John Cooper Works GP edition

Ferrari factory drivers are used to racing in all sorts of conditions: under the baking sun, in the pouring rain, at night and at sunset. Competing in the snow has historically been beyond their usual purview, but then again, Ferrari never made an all-wheel-drive vehicle before. That’s where the FF comes in.

The Ferrari Four, as you may recall, channels its 660 horsepower to all four wheels through an innovative new all-wheel drive system that ups the traction but ditches much of the weight penalty usually associated with these types of systems systems. Ferrari has taken the occasion of its annual Wrooom event – a pre-season retreat at Italy’s Madonna di Campiglio ski resort – to demonstrate the FF’s abilities by putting its star Formula One drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa behind the wheel for a downhill slalom.

So who won? Ferrari says it was a dead tie. But while we don’t believe that bit any further than we could throw one of their sportscars (light as they may be), there ought to be plenty of time to see which driver is quicker when the F1 season kicks off in a few months. In the meantime, you can check out the video and press release after the jump, along with our high-resolution gallery above.

Continue reading Alonso and Massa slalom Ferrari FF coupes on the slopes [w/video]

Alonso and Massa slalom Ferrari FF coupes on the slopes [w/video]

Robert Kubica has hit an impressive stretch of bad luck. The former Formula One driver with both BMW and Renault saw his chances of returning to the sport dashed in early 2011 when he was seriously injured in the Ronde di Andora rally. After the driver’s forearm was partially severed in an accident, Kubica missed the entire 2011 F1 season. He also suffered a fractured right leg. In November, the racer made it clear he wouldn’t be ready for the start of the 2012 season, either. Now Kubica has fractured the same leg after slipping and falling on ice while walking.

Kubica was taken to a local hospital, where x-rays showed the fractures in his right leg. He’ll require surgery to install a single metal screw above his ankle.

Previously, rumors had circulated that Kubica would replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari, though team boss Stefano Domenicali has been quoted as saying there are currently no plans for the Polish driver to join the team.

Robert Kubica’s road back to F1 blocked by another broken leg

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Audi looks like it’s accidentally let slip the exterior design of its upcoming 2013 A3.The German automaker set about showing off the hatchback’s cabin with a static display at Las Vegas’ CES ahead of the vehicle’s expected unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The display gives the world a sense of what to expect from the luxury compact’s front seats, center console and dash, which features a stand-alone LCD display that rises out from above the instrument panel’s center air vents. Like other Audi displays, the screen features various vehicle menus, including two that show off the full exterior of the three-door model.

Judging from these two quick glimpses at the hatchback, the three-door will feature a new, more aggressive face. From the looks of things, buyers can expect to continue to find a large, signature Audi single-frame grille flanked by more purposeful headlights and sporty air intakes set low int he front fascia. Head over to Audiboost.com for a closer look at the vehicle inside and out. Don’t get too attached to what you see, however. Past reports have suggested the vehicle will only debut as a sedan here in the States.

Audi accidentally(?) previews 2013 A3 design at CES

Saying the Toyota 2000GT holds a special place in our hearts is akin to calling oxygen and water kind of important to our survival. The long-nose two-door was envisioned as a suitable competitor to the likes of the European sports cars rolling out Italy and the UK at the time, and in many ways, the Toyota was far superior. Built at a time when Japan Inc. wasn’t exactly known for beautiful automobile designs, the 2000GT may have been influenced by European cars of its day, but it has stood the test of time as one of the country’s all-time design greats. The low-volume coupe is a piece of automotive legend, which is exactly why choosing to use a 2000GT as a platform for an electric conversion strikes us equal parts blasphemous and awesome. But that’s exactly what Japan’s Crazy Car Project has done.

The engineers behind the exercise ditched the standard 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine in favor of a 161-horsepower electric motor. A 35kWh lithium-ion battery provides the system with power, and the hood has been covered with photovoltaic cells to help keep the car going. Likewise, the back glass is covered in a transparent solar panel. All told, the system can propel the vehicle to around 124 mph.

Inside, the 2000GT SEV features a modernized interior with plenty of tech-laden gadgets. The vehicle was built in cooperation with Toyota and debuted at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon. Let’s hope they started with a real basket case, eh? Hit the jump to see a video of the car in action.

Continue reading Classic Toyota 2000GT turned into solar-powered EV

Classic Toyota 2000GT turned into solar-powered EV

With press days for the Detroit Auto Show now behind us, our focus is shifting eastwards. Make that Far East, as the tuners have rolled in for the Tokyo Auto Salon, where Nissan performance tuning arm Nismo has taken on its third compact and given it an attitude adjustment.

Following the recent debuts of the Leaf Nismo and Juke Nismo comes this March Nismo, based on the small hatchback also known as the Micra or (in Taiwan) as the Verita. Nismo has given it a enhanced sportiness through lightweight wheels, updated grille and aero kit, new door mirrors and sportier seats and steering wheel inside.

It’s all capped by a pearl white finish with red highlights, but while the Nismo parts catalog is sure to offer bolt-ons for the March, this particular configuration is strictly a concept. Check it out in the pair of high-resolution images along with the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Nissan March Nismo concept debuts at Tokyo Auto Salon [w/video]

Nissan March Nismo concept debuts at Tokyo Auto Salon [w/video]

The second generation of the Kia c’eed is a dramatic rework five years after the C-segment fighter was introduced. It is fronted by Kia’s now-familiar design elements, attempting to go upmarket along its flanks with chrome trim around the windows and “styling typically found on a sporty coupé with the space and functionality of a five-door hatch.”

We don’t know what its innards look like, but Kia says it has a “driver oriented dashboard and refined interior, with a strong focus on quality of materials.” Other reports suggest it will be offered with a choice of two gasoline and two diesel engines, which would be a reduction in choice from the five powerplants offered now. However, that same report says that one of the engines would be a turbocharged, 1.6-liter T-GDI making 250 horsepower, more than doubling the most powerful current option. On sale in Europe only, it will take on the Volkswagen Golf, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Seat Leon.

It will be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in two months and go on sale in the UK in June. You’ll find a press release that’s rather light on details after the jump, and you can click on the image above to enlarge.

Continue reading New Kia C’eed unveiled, will debut at Geneva Motor Show

New Kia C’eed unveiled, will debut at Geneva Motor Show

There’s no doubt a stock Lamborghini Gallardo doesn’t have the guts to go toe-to-toe with its more powerful sibling, the Aventador. But make no mistake: That’s nothing a couple massive turbochargers can’t fix.

The twin turbos come courtesy of Heffner Performance, and they turn the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera into a monster with more than 600 horsepower force fed through the V10 engine and to all four wheels. For the sake of comparison, the naturally aspirated Aventador offers up 691 horsepower straight from the factory.

There’s no data on which Heffner kit this Gallardo has been fitted with, so we can’t say exactly how many horses it’s hiding underhood – it could be as many as 1200. At any rate, after watching the video, all we know is that it’s more than 691. See for yourself… and keep the racing confined to the racetrack, please.

Continue reading Watch a twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo race an Aventador

Watch a twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo race an Aventador

Let us count the ways in which this stunt fails:

1. No Dodge Charger.
2. No Waylon Jennings.
3. No Daisy Duke.

Need we even continue?

Listen kids, if you’re going to pull off a successful Duke boys stunt, you need more than a J.C. Whitney horn. While we give these guys credit for the staging and the timing of the Dixie blast, there’s a lot of work that remains to be done. (Try brushing up on your Dukes of Hazard opening credits, for starters.)

To watch the video, click through the jump. Just be careful to stick the landing.

Continue reading Turns out a Dixie Horn doesn’t ensure a smooth landing

Turns out a Dixie Horn doesn’t ensure a smooth landing

Nissan has good news for anyone weeping about the fact that the 2013 Pathfinder has abandoned its body-on-frame ways. The company isn’t completely ditching legitimate SUVs for the crossover crowd. According to Car and Driver, the Nissan Xterra will continue to shun a unibody design for the conceivable future. The magazine spoke with engineers familiar with the development of the Xterra who said the vehicle will share its DNA with the Nissan Frontier for years to come.

That means buyers will still be able to enjoy the vehicle’s truckish charm and legitimate off-road chops. Those who want something a little softer or smaller can turn to the automaker’s Rogue, while the 2013 Pathfinder will now offer mall-goers a suitable alternative to the Ford Explorer. The times may be changing, but for now, the Xterra isn’t.

Nissan Xterra to continue as traditional SUV

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has big plans for the Ram Dakota. Inside Line spoke with Marchionne at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, and the besweatered executive said there is a good chance the next-generation Dakota will likely ride on a unibody chassis. That would mark a serious departure from the vehicle’s past, as well as the rest of the models in the compact pickup segment (save the at-the-margins Honda Ridgeline), but ditching the frame could give the vehicle a fuel-efficiency edge. If that wasn’t a large enough bombshell for you, Marchionne also made mention of the kind of powertrain we can expect to see from the new Dakota.

According to the executive, it only makes sense for the next-generation Ram Dakota to come equipped with a diesel engine. With the Jeep Grand Cherokee set to receive an oil-burning powerplant of its own, spreading the cost of engine development across multiple models only makes sense. We like the sound of a small, lightweight, diesel-powered pickup.

Meanwhile, Ward’s Auto reports the Dodge Durango may receive a diesel engine of its own. Marchionne reportedly stressed that Fiat knows diesel technology, and that since the Grand Cherokee is being engineered for a diesel engine in European markets, it wouldn’t seem to be that much of a stretch to translate the work into the Durango.

Marchionne: “Better than 50% chance” next Ram Dakota going unibody, diesel Durango coming

Audi had plenty to announce at CES, including the debut of its new Audi Connect system and Touchpad-integrated MMI knob, modular entertainment platform, NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset and its planned expansion of both infotainment and active safety systems.

On the safety front, Audi execs announced plans to introduce a new system dubbed Traffic Jam Assistant, which recognizes when a driver is stuck in start-and-stop traffic and can be switched into an autonomous mode that takes complete control of the steering, acceleration and brakes.

The system uses the front-mounted adaptive cruise control sensors combined with wide-angle video cameras to detect lane markings, other vehicles, barriers and pedestrians, and can control the vehicle without any driver intervention up to 37 mph. Eight ultrasonic sensors also keep tabs on what’s in front of and at the sides of the vehicle, with the front sensors not only tracking the vehicle ahead, but – like Nissan’s latest Predictive Forward Collision Warning System – several vehicles ahead.

If this all sounds familiar, it should. And so should the name. Mercedes-Benz has been working on a similar system called Traffic Jam Assist, which we sampled in an S-Class last year.

Like Mercedes’ system, Audi’s implementation should make it to market sometime next year, likely in its refreshed range-topping A8.

Next Audi flagship will drive autonomously in traffic jams

Motor Trend reports Hyundai has confirmed that its next-generation Santa Fe will bow at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The third-generation Santa Fe is expected to hit dealer lots by the end of the year as a 2013 model. Hyundai hasn’t disclosed exactly what we can expect from the vehicle when it arrives, though spy shots suggest a vehicle more in-line with the automaker’s current design language. MT believes the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe will continue on with the same powertrain options found in the current vehicle, which means buyers can look forward to a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Hyundai may squeeze a bit more performance or fuel efficiency out of those engines, however. Some reports have also suggested the 2013 Santa Fe may bow with a new turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood as well. That engine is currently found in the likes of the Hyundai Sonata 2.0T where it produces 274 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque.

Finally, our intelligence still suggests that Hyundai will eventually market a stretched three-row variant of the Santa Fe as the de-facto replacement for the slow-selling Veracruz, but it isn’t clear whether that vehicle (or strategy) will be disclosed in New York.

Next-Gen Hyundai Santa Fe will debut in Big Apple

Porsche may have just unveiled its new 2012 911 Carrera Cabriolet at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this week, but the German automaker is wasting no time before showing off its next bit of overhauled hotness, the 2013 Boxster. The mid-engine roadster won’t make its official debut until the Geneva Motor Show in March, but we’ve been given some preliminary details ahead of the new Box’s primetime unveiling.

Much like the 911, the new Boxster’s design is more evolution than revolution, and that’s a-okay with us. The redesigned roadster is extremely handsome, and most of us on the Autoblog staff think it’s the best-looking Boxster yet. We like the revised headlamps and more svelte running lamp/air intake setup, and the wider stance and longer wheelbase are nicely masked in the new design. The 2013 Boxster’s all-aluminum skin also helps the new model shed a few pounds compared to its predecessor, which will not only make it that much more engaging out on the road, but also improve fuel economy.

But really, the Boxster is all about performance, and under the hood behind the seats are two flat-six engines with direct injection, thermal management and start/stop functionality. The base Boxster uses a 2.7-liter flat six, good for 265 horsepower (10 hp more than its predecessor) while the Boxster S is powered by a 3.4-liter six that produces 315 hp (an increase of 5 hp versus the 2012 model). The standard Boxster will run to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds with the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, while the Boxster S will do the same jaunt in just 4.7 seconds. A six-speed manual gearbox (what, no seven-speed?) is also available with either engine. Porsche will offer a Sport Chrono package that further enhances performance, adding things like dynamic transmission mounts and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV).

Look for the 2013 Boxster to hit United States showrooms this summer, priced from $49,500 for the base car or $60,900 for the Boxster S (not including $950 for destination). Now, about that Cayman…

Continue reading 2013 Porsche Boxster unveiled with more efficiency, performance and maturity

2013 Porsche Boxster unveiled with more efficiency, performance and maturity

No matter what you think about the BMW brand or its vehicles, you’ve got to admit that it’s got the greatest slogan of any car company, ever. “The Ultimate Driving Machine” is one of those timeless phrases that ad execs dream about and companies pay millions to come up with.

According to The New York Times, the best-selling luxury brand in the U.S. will again be embracing the phrase, formerly just its tagline, but now BMW’s slogan. (What’s the difference? We’ll have to ask Don Draper and get back to you.) More importantly, the German automaker has ditched its “Joy” campaign, that touchy-feely series of ads that downplayed the brand’s enthusiast appeal in favor of lots of smiling, happy people. According to the report, BMW will be introducing 14 models in 2012, its biggest-ever product rollout, hence the need to launch a new series of ads with an overarching theme. Not that “Joy” didn’t work, but we’re much happier seeing BMW’s sliding sideways on a track than people jumping into their cars.

The first ad, from the company’s new agency, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners, debuted during the NFL playoffs this past weekend, and featured a rather clever voiceover saying, “We don’t make sports cars. We don’t make SUV’s. We don’t make hybrids, and we don’t make luxury sedans,” then paying it off with, “We only make one thing: The ultimate driving machine.”

Bravo, BMW.

Click past the jump to see the new commercial.

Continue reading The ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ is back

The ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ is back

Automakers have been integrating wind deflectors into convertibles for years now, though in many cases, they’re a do-it-yourself, manual affair. The idea is to disrupt the wind enough to eliminate that obnoxious swirling effect that kills conversations and hairstyles in equal measure.

That said, we’re not surprised that Porsche has fitted its 2012 911 Carrera Cabriolet with just such a device, but we like the car’s unique power execution here (manually erecting or folding a wind deflector can be a chore and eat into storage space). The 911 Cabrio’s new assembly is massive, which might not do the car’s aesthetics any favors, but the size should help it be more functional.

Hit the jump to watch the 911 Cabriolet drop its top in only 12 seconds, followed by the big wind deflector that arrives on the scene in the blink of an eye.

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet gets unique power wind deflector

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet gets unique power wind deflector