Luxury and Exotic Car Reviews

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Gabriel Vega – October 14, 2022

2023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica First Drive: STO Theatri...

The Lamborghini Huracan may be nearing the end of its life cycle, but it's determined to go out in a blaze of glory. Almost a year ago, I was out at Willow Springs Raceway, getting behind the wheel of the Huracan STO for the first time, eventually becoming one of the most memorable cars I've driven. It's stiff, low, loud, and with a rear wing big enough to serve Thanksgiving dinner on, it's everything a track-focused supercar should be. However, just because I'm willing to live without front cargo space, minimal sound deadening, and a harsh ride doesn't mean everyone else is. This brings us to the Huracan Tecnica. It's a softened version of the hardcore version of the standard Huracan EVO. It's an STO for people who prefer an early weekend drive over breaking track records. And despite having softer springs, usable storage in the front, and more interior options than its track-ready sibling, it loses none of the drama. Like with the STO, my first drive in the Tecnica was out on a race track. This time it was The Thermal Club in Palm Springs. A glance at my phone revealed that the desert had preheated to a toasty 99 degrees. The surface temps at Thermal's South Palm Circuit must've been agreeable only to the devil himself. One of the on-site racing drivers warned me that in this kind of heat, even the car's optional Bridgestone Potenza Race tires would be squirmy, and oh, how right he was. I made my way to pit lane, found a helmet, and settled into a matte green Tecnica at the back of the pack. From the inside, the Tecnica design looks almost indistinguishable from any other Huracan. You've got your vertically-oriented infotainment screen in the center, a big digital dash in front, and fixed paddles. It takes an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach, and that's fine. In many ways, the Huracan's interior has always been ahead of its time. It dove head first into the digital instrument cluster trend ahead of Ferrari and McLaren. However, unlike stepping into an Aventador, nothing tech-wise reminds you that the Huracan has been around for eight model years. This didn't, however, stop Lamborghini from implementing a few new updates, such as upgraded graphics for its dashboard and over-the-air update capabilities. Like the STO, the Tecnica is available with exposed carbon fiber door panels but builds by adding optional Alcantara ones. One press of the red start button in the center console springs to life the Huracan's familiar 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10. It develops 631 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque like the STO and sends all of it to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It also gets the same Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires, rear-wheel steering system, and carbon-ceramic brakes as standard. Flat out, it'll reach 62 mph in 3.2 seconds before continuing onto a top speed of 201 mph. Lamborghini published only its dry weight figure of 3,040 lb, so expect a couple of extra hundred pounds with proper fluids and fuel on board. Despite this, it's still a relatively light machine, thanks partly to its clever use of carbon fiber panels for its hood and rear engine cover. Regarding weight distribution, it has 41 percent in the front and 59 percent in the rear. 2021 Lamborghini Urus Review: A True Super SUV We exited the pit lane onto a long back straight where I opened up the Huracan Tecnica engine for the first time, and immediately it was like revisiting an old friend. Its dual-clutch box rips shifts off quickly and smoothly as the V10 out back builds to its 8,500 rpm redline. Past 6,500 rpm, it's as if the engine gains new life and delivers a whaling scream. Nothing sounds like a Huracan. This note may trace its roots to the early Gallardo, but it never gets old. As I negotiate the last few corners, I get onto the front straight for my first proper run. Lamborghini revised the Huracan Tecnica's drive modes, with Sport allowing for more controlled oversteer while Corsa lasers in to deliver the quickest lap times. For this first stint, I'm in Sport. As I reach the end of the straight, I stomp on those carbon ceramic brakes. Three clicks of the left paddle, and I'm in second gear for the first of multiple tight slow-speed corners. The Huracan Tecnica turns in well, with plenty of front-end agility. Its steering remains far from the most communicative but quick and precise. I roll onto power and immediately feel the rear trying to come around as stability control fights to keep it in check. I add a whiff of countersteer, and I'm pointing in the right direction. The Tecnica is one of the liveliest Huracans I've tested, but easily controllable. Immediately after a short straight, I'm hard on the brakes into dual apex corners two and three. The front wheels grip nicely as the rear starts to dance. I intentionally get back on the power early, and the Tecnica transitions neatly into a short powerslide. I come up on turns four and five, the track's tightest section, and where the Huracan Tecnica's brakes shine. They are easy to modulate, and with plenty of feedback, it's easy to feel when you're reaching their limits. I upshift into third early to settle the car, but as I reach turn six, a large sweeper that leads onto the back straight, it's clear that these track temps are affecting the Huracan Tecnica's r-compound tires. Under these conditions in sport mode, we're in a dance that requires careful inputs to keep the rear in check. Even the slightest bit of throttle before pointing perfectly straight upsets the car. As I see over 150 mph on the back straight, I switch over into Corsa. In many modern supercars, clicking through various drive modes doesn't usually change much. Sure the car may stiffen, and throttle response might quicken, but its overall demeanor remains the same. The Tecnica is a different story, where Corsa properly buttons things down. I went for an all-out lap, and the car was significantly more settled. The Tecnica turns in just as quickly into turn one, while the rear remains far more composed. View More Exotic Car Reviews The Tecnica rewards smooth inputs. Get it right, and it is blazingly quick around a track. Its lively rear proved more exciting than terrifying, even in these high temperatures. Like the rest of the Huracan lineup, the Tecnica isn't scary or daunting. It invites you to push its limits with confidence. First stint over, I finally had time to look a the thing. Lamborghini brought out a surprising amount of cars for this U.S. launch. I must've counted at least eight Tecnica's and four STOs. Seeing the pair side-by-side confirms that the Tecnica is far more than just a softened STO. Its front features a normal hood instead of a carbon-fiber clamshell with ample front storage space, complimented by a Sian-inspired front fascia. The Huracan Tecnica's rear bumper appears quite similar to the STO's, complete with two massive exhaust tips flaking its license plate and tons of sharp lines that play off its tail lights and complement an aggressive diffuser. A fixed wing lives on top and, despite its small size, improves rear downforce by over 35 percent over a Huracan EVO. Out of all the Tecnicas at the event, the dark blue example I drove in my last stint of the day was easily my favorite. The Tecnica is quite color-dependent. Its design is angular, with plenty of small ducts, intakes, and grooves on display. Picking a bright color highlights these and brings them to the forefront, giving the car a sharp and aggressive aesthetic. A darker shade significantly tones things down, resulting in a supercar that leans more on the side of elegance. Pricing-wise, Lamborghini has yet to publish official figures for the U.S. market. However, it'll likely slot in below the STO's $327,838 base price. Given its introduction in 2022, it'll probably be around for a few years as a normal production model rather than a limited run of units. However, Lamborghini did confirm that its first model year is completely sold out. A day at the track, even a scorching one, in the new Tecnica only confirms what the STO proved last year. This engine, in a lightweight body, with power to the rear, is a magical recipe. And I've only seen one side of the Tecnica's claimed dual nature. For my full review, I'll have to spend time puttering around town to see just how well that magnetic suspension feels with its softer springs over Los Angeles' treacherous roads. The Tecnica has everything you want from the STO, such as its engine, sound, and drama, in a softer, more playful, and understated package. Its track-ready sibling remains one of the most memorable cars I've ever driven, but even I can admit it's far from ideal for a crowded city. The STO may be one of the best-driving Lambos of the last decade, but the softer, more usable Tecnica is the one I'd want to own. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – October 05, 2022

2021 Lamborghini Urus Review: A True Super SUV

To say that the Lamborghini Urus' arrival back in 2018 was controversial would be a massive understatement. With its SUV form factor and controversial styling, the Urus splits opinions quicker than a political hot take over Thanksgiving dinner. However, as with most things, time goes by, views mature, and minds change. All Lamborghini Urus For Sale I, for one, didn't love the Urus at first glance. A big bulky SUV from one of the most recognizable supercar manufacturers didn't make sense from a casual observer's perspective. However, as Lamborghini has found out over the last few years, debuting the Urus was one of the best financial decisions the carmaker has ever made. After spending some time with the latest 2021 Lamborghini Urus in Los Angeles, I finally understand why. Does the 2021 Lamborghini Urus look like a super SUV? The super SUV market has exploded in recent years. For the first time, you have dozens of 500+ horsepower SUVs on sale. As a result, standing out in this emerging market takes more than just impressive stats on paper. In this department, the Urus is in a lane of its own. Despite it sharing its architecture with the Audi RS Q8, the Urus looks like nothing else on the road. Whether you're a fan of its design or not, the Urus is intentionally controversial, garnering attention in ways that even some supercars can't. However, how good its design looks is mainly dependent on how a customer orders it. Pick a dark color, and you'll hide most of the Urus' wild design lines across its fenders, doors, and front hood. Pick a bright color, and you'll accentuate these details, directly adding to this SUV's wild factor. There are hints of other Lamborghinis throughout the Urus' design language. For example, we have bits of Aventador in the front hood and rear taillights that take inspiration from those on the Huracan. We also can't forget the abundance of hexagon shapes throughout the exterior and interior. Throughout my time with the 2021 Lamborghini Urus, I found myself warming up to its design not because I found it beautiful, necessarily, but instead because it's a genuinely unique take on a big SUV. Big Speed With A Big Body All of that power is routed to all four wheels via a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. While the Lamborghini Urus lacks a full-on dual-clutch box, the tuning on the ZF unit is fantastic, delivering quick upshifts and snappy downshifts while moving at speed. Additionally, the Urus counts on an adaptive air suspension system with all-wheel-steering, making this big machine manageable around crowded cities. The driver can control the Urus' demeanor by toggling any of its six available driving modes. These significantly affect the SUV's on-road comfort and driving performance. Switch it into Corsa, the most aggressive mode, and the whole thing hunkers down to eliminate body roll and provide additional stability. One of my first drives in the Urus was a canyon run, where I first encountered its savage acceleration. However, with the largest carbon-ceramic brakes ever fitted to a production car, the Urus immediately proved that it had the right ingredients for immense performance. Despite its massive capabilities, the Urus doesn't feel very exciting to drive once you start to push it around some bends. Thanks to its significant curb weight, the front tends to understeer, and the steering doesn't provide accurate feedback of what's going on at the front. This is likely a drawback of the Urus prioritizing on-road comfort over outright performance, a justifiable tradeoff. Tech And Leather Overload If you like digital screens, you'll love the 2021 Lamborghini Urus. That's because there are three main screens in the dashboard. A 10.1-inch unit houses the primary infotainment system, while a smaller 8.6-in screen hoasts all of your HVAC controls. In front of the driver, you'll find a massive digital instrument cluster that is highly configurable and changes dramatically depending on your driving mode. While it's clear to see the Audi roots in this Lambo's infotainment system, it works well. Its layout is easy to navigate, and making changes on the fly is a breeze. Additionally, you get smartphone compatibilities such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As standard, you get a Bang & Olufsen 1,700-watt sound system with 21 speakers that are surprisingly powerful and impressive. As you might expect from a six-figure SUV, the finishing in the 2021 Lamborghini Urus is done exceptionally well. Pretty much every surface is covered in leather with contrast stitching, elevating the feel and aesthetic of the cabin. Despite its Audi roots, the Urus is hand-stitched and assembled in its own factory. As a result, it feels drastically different than the lower-value SUVs whom with it shares many components. Is The Lamborghini Urus Worth Over $220,000? If you want a 2021 Lamborghini Urus in your driveway, you'll face two main hurdles. The first is its price because the Urus commands a base sum of just under $220,000. However, throw in some optional extras, and that number can quickly climb well past $250,000. Whether this SUV is worth that sum or not is entirely up to what its potential buyer is after. The Lamborghini Urus price and specs on paper don't sell the Urus. Instead, having something truly unique does. The second hurdle is the wait times. The Urus has been such a massive hit for Lamborghini that they literally cannot build them fast enough. As a result, adding an Urus to any collection will require a healthy dose of patience. Admittedly, this also works to the benefit of Urus buyers as this enormous SUV has seen tremendous value retention over the years, even selling over MSRP well after it has left the dealer floor. Regardless of what draws you to the Urus, this super SUV makes a case for itself in many ways. For me, I'm glad to see that the Urus still has that classic Lamborghini charm, except now you can take your family along for the ride. Sell My Lamborghini Urus: Get a Cash Offer All Lamborghini Urus For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – September 21, 2022

2022 Porsche 718 Cayman T: 1,000 Mile Car Week Companion

For luxury-oriented magazines like duPont REGISTRY, Monterey Car Week is one of the industry's most important events. It's one of few times a year that large-scale manufacturers and boutique carmakers get to debut their latest creations in front of the media and a sea of potential buyers. However, while the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Bugatti W16 Mistral, and Lamborghini Urus Performante stole the show, our car week revolved around a little red 718 Cayman stashed in a parking lot less than a mile away. It's the 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman T, and it was our companion for Car Week, covering nearly 1,000 miles from Los Angeles and around the Monterey Peninsula. The T represents a real sweet spot in the 718 Cayman lineup. It combines the base Cayman's 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-four with a plethora of standard equipment. These include PASM Sport Suspension, Sport Chrono Package, mechanical limited-slip differential, sport exhaust, sport seats, and 20-inch Carrera S wheels, to name a few. It combines the model's entry-level engine option with all the go-fast bits to fully utilize it. The result is one of the lightest Porsches for sale. Cars equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, like our tester, tip the scales at 3,058 lb. PDK-equipped cars weigh an extra 62 lb at 3,127 lb, but more than make up for the added heft with lightning-fast shifts. There's no wrong answer to the transmission question when it comes to the 718 Cayman, but we were thrilled ours had three pedals. With the stick, the T will reach 60 mph in 4.9 seconds versus 4.5 seconds with paddles. Between Los Angeles and Monterey sit a mix of flat open highways, twisty canyon roads, and stunning coastal drives. The first allowed us to open up the taps on the T's flat-four. It may have two fewer cylinders than its predecessor, but it loses none of its character. Peak power still lives at the top of the rev range at 6,500, urging its driver to work for top speed. However, peak torque now comes in at 1,950 rpm allowing the T to feel both quick off the line and around town. There is, however, no getting around the fact that the T is turbocharged. When in boost, it's a pocket rocket, but until you get there, you're fighting a fair bit of lag. At no point were we left feeling like the T needed more power. 300 hp at just over 3,000 lb is a mighty combo. More importantly, its total output is usable all of the time. The T doesn't require a wide open road or ideal conditions, it begs to be redlined and enjoyed, and despite lacking a flat-six, it sounds great. At idle, its mechanical sound is something reminiscent of a 912. You get more than just exhaust noise. You can physically hear the engine sitting just behind you. Push the gas, and the T delivers a strong impression of a Subaru WRX STI. With plenty of woosh noises and blow-off sounds, the T is far from dull. Its extensive suspension improvements shone through as the road got twisty. It's already a light car, meaning its agility is far from surprising. It was its stability through tight corners that impressed most. The adaptive suspension stiffens considerably for sporty driving without turning it into a back-breaking experience. This mid-engined sports car proved very approachable, inviting us to test its reachable limits. We noticed ourselves enjoying the drive more than some modern supercars. It's how you interact with the 718 Cayman that makes the experience. From the talkative and direct steering to the notchy shifter, the T constantly provides feedback. Every aspect of the 718 Cayman is lively and involved, making a stronger case for itself as you rack up more miles. Once in Monterey, not even the hilly streets made us wish we had PDK. Thanks to a light and easy-to-modulate clutch, the T is more than up for daily-driver duties. Its flat-four was also surprisingly efficient, averaging 27.4 mpg during our near 1,000-mile trip. As we ran from event to event, the T's small footprint proved a blessing in disguise. It dominates as a little city car as it's easy to maneuver and fits just about anywhere, and despite its small size, it's also relatively easy to get in and out of thanks to a sizable door. From a visual aspect, the T doesn't do much to differentiate itself from a standard 718 Cayman. The dead giveaways are its larger wheels and added badging. Otherwise, its bumpers, side skirts, and small rear wing remain unchanged. It's a pretty thing, albeit a bit conservative with its flare. It's sleek but not aggressive, in line with the car's overall ethos. Inside, the 718 Cayman benefits from excellent Porsche build quality, everything feels premium to the touch, and there's not a stitch out of place. If there is any drawback to its cabin, it's the outdated infotainment system. Navigating menus and maps proved challenging, and the screen wasn't very responsive. Thankfully, you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity which essentially solves the problem. However, it's worth mentioning that our phone disconnected itself randomly at times, even with a wired connection. Pricing-wise, the 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman T presents fairly good value as long as outright speed and power are not the goals. It starts at $72,500 plus a $1,450 destination charge. However, our specific car and its few options increased the as-tested price to $78,550. Its base price falls just short of a Cayman S yet includes many go-fast bits as standard. Optioning these on an S would result in a much higher price tag, and the GTS 4.0 starts at over $90,000. In this case, the T is a car that handles just as well as cars that cost significantly more but sacrifices raw power. As a car for tackling a crowded city during the week and canyons on the weekend, the Cayman T is nearly faultless. Even on our lengthy road trip, it proved comfortable and more than up to the task of covering long distances. Sure, a big comfy GT would've been ideal for highways, but we would've given up fun in the canyons. The T proved the best of both worlds, easily at home on the open road and the twisty stuff. Given its price point, capabilities, and overall appeal, the Cayman T and its standard kit carve a tempting lane amongst its more expensive GTS 4.0 and GT4 siblings. After a week in so many different scenarios, it's clear that the T is ready to shine no matter where it goes. See All Porsche Caymans For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – September 09, 2022

2022 BMW M5 CS Review: M Performance At Its Best

Since its introduction in 1985, the BMW M5 has stepped on the toes of giants. Quicker than a supercar in a straight line and agile enough to keep up in the corners, but with enough room for a family, the M5 is a sports sedan swiss army knife. However, as the decades pass, raising that bar has required bending the laws of physics and morphing our perception of what a big-body sedan can do. With its latest attempt, BMW pushes these boundaries even further, producing the quickest and most powerful car ever. It's called the BMW M5 CS, which stands for "competition sport," and it's what you get when you take an M5 Competition, boost power, upgrade its suspension, and reduce weight. On the street, this car is nothing short of an apex predator. No Lamborghini, Ferrari, or McLaren is safe on a canyon road. After a week behind the wheel, numerous minor changes add up to a driving experience that confirms that the M5 CS is BMW M at its best. Styling/Design The "standard" BMW M5 is already a distinctive sedan with its flared wheel arches, quad exhaust tips, and aggressive body lines. The M5 CS dials things up by focusing on the details. Bronze finished details replace the typical chrome bits around the kidney grilles, side markers, and badges. These complement a set of standard 20-inch forged wheels wearing the same shade of paint. Unlike the standard car, the CS is only available in three finishes, Brands Hatch Gray Metallic, Frozen Deep Green Metallic, and Frozen Brands Hatch Gray Metallic. Our matte gray tester absorbed light beautifully, which made it a peach to photograph and allowed all of its bronze details to shine. To the untrained eye, it's just another fast BMW, but those who pause for a closer look can quickly tell they're looking at the special one. The M5 CS isn't just marginally lighter than an M5 Competition. Its 230-lb diet is significant. This is mainly due to the extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Large items such as the hood, front splitter, rear diffuser, and roof feature the material utilizing a mixture of the body color and unpainted carbon fiber. Alone the changes are small, but together they add up to significant weight savings. In front, the headlight design remains the same. However, the CS gets LEDs that feature yellow accents during the day and switch to white at night. While BMW cites these lights as "racing-inspired," their true benefit is how well they match up with the car's plentiful bronze accent pieces. You'd be wrong if you thought BMW was done adding bronze pieces. That's because the quad-exhaust setup also features the color and genuinely shines in the sunlight. BMW could've easily slapped a CS badge on a normal-looking M5, but their extensive changes add up to a sports sedan that looks truly unique. Performance/Handling While the BMW M5 CS is a lovely thing to look at, it's far better to drive. As mentioned in the intro, it's the brand's quickest and most powerful production vehicle ever. Its twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 delivers a supercar-slaying 627 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque. It puts that power down to all four wheels via an eight-speed Steptronic transmission and a rear-biased AWD system. As it fully uses its output, it sprints to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and continues onto a top speed of 190 mph. The CS feels even quicker on the road than its stats suggest. Peak torque comes at a very low 1,800 rpm, allowing you to rocket out of corners and instantly pick up the pace on the open road. Turbo lag remains virtually nonexistent as the M5's engine remains eager to rev. As you work your way up the RPMs, those quad exhaust tips start to sing their guttural, although thanks to over insulation, most of what you get inside the cabin comes through the car's speakers. In 4WD Sport mode, the M5 CS sends most of its power to the rear wheels with minimal to the front. The grip is immense. Unlike some of its closest competitors, it doesn't default to understeer as you test its limits. Switch over to 2WD, and all power goes to its back wheels, allowing the rear to rotate when provoked. Our tester benefitted by not having the optional Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, which have historically needed quite a significant pace to get up to temperature. Instead, it wore a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S shoes that delivered all the on-road drivability and grip required for a quick canyon drive. Aside from just clinging on for dear life, the M5 CS remained totally planted and neutral as we chucked it into corners. Despite tipping the scales at 4,114 lb, body roll was virtually nonexistent. BMW's main improvements for the CS include 10 percent stiffer springs, 0.2-in lower ride height, increased front negative camber, and firmer anti-roll bar and toe link ball-joint mounts. The result is a car has incredible front-end agility. Point and the CS will follow. However, like many modern sports sedans, this is a double-edged sword. The M5 CS is a massively capable machine, but it's a victim of its success. It's so easy to drive at brain-melting speeds that there isn't much driver involvement. Sure its steering is heavy, but it doesn't communicate much, and with Mercedes S-Class levels of sound isolation, there isn't much natural sound for your ears either. You don't wrestle this car around corners. You're more so along for the ride. Thankfully, when it's time to stop, the M5 CS serves up tons of stopping power from its standard carbon ceramic brakes. They may take a bit to warm up, but once they're up to temperature, there's a solid initial bite that doesn't let up. Thanks to generous pedal travel, they're easy to modulate as well. Even around town, they don't prove too eager to stop. Despite their high performance, they're more than up to daily duties. So far, the M5 CS has proven a capable canyon carver, but it hasn't forgotten its luxury sedan nature. Around Los Angeles, even its stiffened suspension soaked up bumps, well, all things considered. Perhaps even better than the X4 M Competition we tested a few months ago. Leave it in its normal mode, and this large executive supercar hunter is equally happy on a drive to the office as it is up in the canyons. Interior/Tech Inside, the BMW M5 CS sets itself apart as it's the only model variant to feature four bucket seats. Although you lose one seat in the second row, all your passengers will remain in place as you pick up the pace. Surprisingly, even these aggressive chairs proved more comfortable in the CS than in the M4 Competition we tested a few weeks ago. The larger door opening makes ingress and egress old-folk-friendly. While they're still stiff as rocks, they're tolerable for a quick daily drive. Just like with the exterior finish, the CS' cabin features few available options. All cars feature a combination of black leather and Alcantara with contrasting red accents. Like the exterior, there's plenty of carbon fiber reinforced plastic in the dashboard, center console, door cards, and on the seats themselves. At no point does the CS let you forget you sprung for the special model, a major upside considering its price tag. More on that later. The rest of the cabin is standard M5. You get the same digital instrument cluster, infotainment screen, and smartphone connectivity (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.) Since the base car nails these basics and build quality is on par for the segment, there's not much to report here. If anything, we wish BMW had taken a Porsche 911 R approach and removed sound deadening to increase driver involvement. For those looking for a purely luxurious experience, there's the standard M5, but this is the CS. Let it have its own personality. Pricing The 2022 BMW M5 CS has a base price of $142,00 plus $995 for destination charges. However, they're limited to one model year, and they're all sold as the model year comes to a close. According to BMW, there isn't a limited number of these cars out there, so we'll have to wait and see just how many they actually produced. Given the limited amount of available options, our tester has an as-tested price of $148,995. Closing Thoughts The more miles we racked up on our M5 CS tester, the clearer it was just how much of an engineering achievement it was. As a sports sedan, it is a master class on how to build a capable supercar slayer. It's quick, composed, and outrageously easy to drive. It is a genuine canyon carver despite its size and weight. The CS is light on its feet in ways its competitors aren't. However, as a driving experience, the M5 CS isn't as electrifying as we had hoped. Given its clever suspension updates and extensive use of lightweight materials, we really expected this car to set our hair on fire. All things considered, though, the M5 CS achieves precisely what it sets out to do, deliver tons of performance for the price with on-road capabilities that'll leave exotic car buyers wondering why they spent so much just to see the CS' tail lights. See All BMW M5s For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – September 08, 2022

2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport First Drive

If it feels like we get a new hypercar unveiled every other week, it is because we damn near do. Manufacturers bank on more successfully selling a few cars for a lot than a ton of cars for less. For the most part, these seven-figure machines follow a similar formula. Big power, outrageous performance stats, and sleek styling with clever aero. All good things, except with so many new special editions debuting back to back, hardly any of them genuinely are anymore. French carmaker Bugatti sits at the other end of the spectrum as a whale in the small pond. It essentially created the modern hypercar space with the introduction of the Veyron back in 2005. Since then, it has continued to push the bar higher the only way it knows how by over-engineering its cars to unbelievable degrees. It is the only carmaker to offer a W16 engine, one of few to produce more than a few dozen units, and perhaps the only brand to produce a hypercar that's genuinely usable by almost anyone. We recently went out to Malibu to get behind the wheel of one of its latest creations, the 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, for an afternoon coastal drive. Although our route was relatively short, it was enough to learn that the Super Sport is not only outrageously quick but that it also looks absolutely stunning in the California sunshine. The Chiron Super Sport is an imposing vehicle. At 7.4 inches longer than a standard Chiron, the Super Sport sets itself apart with its lengthened tail. Since most of the added bodywork lives at the car's rear, it also slightly shifts its weight distribution further back. Before we stepped in, the folks from Bugatti urged us to treat it like we would a Porsche 911. The second note was around the car's positioning within the lineup. The Super Sport is all about top speed. Its styling revolves entirely around high-speed stability and reducing lift as it approaches its 273 mph limit. It also doubles as a GT car, while the Pur Sport sits at the top of the food chain as the track-focused variant. Styling-wise, the Super Sport is the sleekest Chiron yet. Thanks to its lengthened bodywork, it benefits from a more streamlined design that flows quite well and retains excellent proportions, given the car's size. The goal behind the long tail is to keep the air flowing over the car attached to the bodywork as long as possible while simultaneously reducing drag. Unfortunately, a drive through the California coastline was not enough to put this to the test, so we will have to take Bugatti's word on it. Step closer, and the Super Sport rewards with intricate styling details, such as the nine exhaust holes in the front fenders that aid in reducing air pressure from the front wheels. Even the headlights are slightly inclined, flanked by modified lower intakes that help channel air evenly into the front wheel arches and flow out via new outlets just behind them. The Super Sport may appear quite similar to a standard Chiron, but a detailed look reveals far more differences than similarities. The rear end is a similar story where the Super Sport wears a new set of stacked exhaust tips housed in an aggressive diffuser. An active rear spoiler remains hidden in its tail until summoned at higher speeds. It dips back down as you go for top-speed runs to reduce as much drag as possible. Five-spoke lightweight wheels come standard, although the Pur Sport's magnesium wheels are available as an option. After a thorough look at the car, it was time to drive. Fittingly for a Los Angeles afternoon, we started in slow-moving traffic, an ideal scenario while covering our first miles in a 1,578 hp 1,180 lb-ft vehicle that costs $4.3 million as tested. Even at crawling speeds, the Super Sport's 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 delivered a noticeably louder growl than a "standard" Chiron. It emits a deep, low-frequency tone supplemented by endless wooshing turbo noises. It is an experience for its driver as well as everyone around. As we inched through the gridlock, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission delivered smooth, quick, and seemingly imperceptible gear changes. During this first portion of the drive, the Super Sport may have well been any other modern car. It proved surprisingly easy to drive and almost faded to the background. It was surprisingly easy to forget we were in a hypercar. As traffic thinned out and our speed increased, that sentiment quickly changed. Unlike the Pininfarina Battista we tested before, the Chiron does not limit power as we move through its various drive settings. It offers up full power all of the time. Also Read: Pininfarina Battista First Drive Review: More Hyper Than GT One flick of the left paddle was all it took, and the Super Sport was ready to stretch its legs. It will hit 62 mph in 2.4 seconds flat out, but that is not even the most impressive part. We pinned the pedal to the floor at around 60 mph, and after a whiff of turbo lag, we took off, blasting deep into three-figure speeds in mere seconds. Despite the figures climbing in the Chiron's semi-digital dash, the Super Sport remained unbothered. Comparatively, other hypercars with similar outputs will get squiggly as the sheer might of the engine tries to rip the tires off the wheels. However, this Bugatti replaces terror with confidence, urging its drive to push deeper into triple-digit speeds. The Super Sport remained a willing dance partner as the road got twisty. Despite its 4,398 curb weight, it is light on its feet. There is tons of front-end agility, and with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires on all four corners, it remained stable and offered tremendous grip. If anything, the Chiron's most significant drawback is that it is too composed and a bit anti-climactic. Sure its straight-line speed is heart-stoppingly quick, but the Super Sport does not require its driver to work for it, reducing overall driver involvement. Inside, the Chiron Super Sport is by far the best-built vehicle we have tested thus far. With not even a stitch out of place, the carbon-fiber and leather-filled interior defines what a premium cabin should be. While two screens flank the central analog tachometer, their graphics are limited and closely tied to the rest of the interior's overall theme. The lack of overt tech also carries on to the dashboard's center, which is missing the industry-standard screen and infotainment system. According to Bugatti, this is to prevent the cabin from appearing aged prematurely. Comfort-wise, Bugatti offers a standard and wide seat. Our tester featured the standard seat, which offered plenty of comfort and support but was slightly stiffer than expected. Regardless, the Chiron Super Sport joins the lineup as yet another daily-drivable hypercar, although unfortunately, most of these cars will hardly rack up miles throughout their extensive lifespans. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is part of the Chiron's total production run of 500 units. The vehicle we tested came in at $4.3 million thanks to extensive carbon-fiber options. The French carmaker is expected to build a total of 60 units plus an additional 30 units of the Super Sport 300+. Built for a corner of the market that can have anything they want, the Chiron Super Sport sets itself apart by banking on how it makes you feel. From its ominous look to its sculpted interior, the Chiron is an experience from the moment you lay your eyes on it. As a high-speed GT car, the Super Sport defines its segment. Given its size, the fact that it still accelerates, stops, and steers as well as it does is a testament to its extensive engineering. While it was not the most electrifying driving experience, a hyper GT car does not need to be. In a world where its list of competitors seems to grow weekly, the Super Sport excels at what it was designed to do by delivering excessive speed wrapped in a stunning shape with enough road presence to remind all newcomers who invented the segment nearly two decades ago. See All Bugattis For Sale Images via Bugatti

By Gabriel Vega – August 25, 2022

Pininfarina Battista First Drive Review: More Hyper Than GT

Throughout its 92-year history, Italian design house Pininfarina has worked alongside brands such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia to pen some of the world's most influential designs. In 2018, the Turin-based company launched Automobili Pininfarina, formally stepping into the ring as a manufacturer of high-end electric vehicles. The Battista is the young subsidiary's first production car, and it's breaking into the hypercar space with outrageous performance stats, sleek looks, and a price tag to match. (Images by James Lipman) We recently went out to the canyons above Malibu for our first drive in the Battista and learned that Pininfarina calls it a "hyper GT." In theory, this means a car that would be equally at home on a track or the open road. However, with nearly 1,900 horsepower on tap, enough luggage space for a pack of Hanes T-shirts, and a genuinely brain-melting driving experience, the Battista proved that it is significantly more "hyper" than "GT." Despite counting on four electric motors for propulsion, the Pininfarina Battista looks like a "traditional" mid-engined car. It shares its architecture and electric powertrain with the Rimac Nevera, which has a 120-kWh "T" shaped battery pack, housing most of its weight behind the passenger compartment. However, the Battista doesn't share a production line with its Croatian mechanical sibling. Instead, the Italian carmaker receives a rolling chassis and completes the assembly in Turin. Stepping back to the outer skin, the Battista's styling appears to draw inspiration from the design houses' past work with Ferrari. It's sleek, low, and substantially wide. Its main active aero element is a retractable rear wing that sits flush with the bodywork when not used. It also doubles as an air brake when necessary and changes as you move through the car's drive modes. While there is a rear glass compartment to fit the available luggage set, cargo space remains at a premium. The trunk also blocks rear visibility, so you don't get a rear window. Instead, the Battista relies on rear-facing cameras for visibility. Dimensionally, it's about as long and wide as a Ferrari LaFerrari, so maneuvering it around tight spaces depending on cameras proved challenging. There's no denying that the Battista has the presence you'd expect from a hypercar. It takes one glance to know you're dealing with something truly special. However, it impressed more due to its technical innovation rather than outright beauty. Firing up the Battista proves more interesting than expected. In response to the lack of an idling engine note, Pininfarina opted to include a low-frequency hum. Its double purpose serves to warn pedestrians that the vehicle is on while adding to its overall mystique. If it sounds gimmicky on paper, we thought so too. However, it is a genuinely fun noise that leans on this car's techy nature. To the left of the steering wheel, you'll find the car's mode selector, which includes Carattere, Calma, Pura, Energica, and Furiosa. Carette serves as the car's individual mode with selectable settings. Calma, which translates into "calm," is the car's most efficient mode while limiting power and retaining a softer suspension setup. Pura steps things up slightly but still limits power to around 1,000 HP. It also keeps the smooth suspension setup while delaying pedal response to improve around-town drivability. This is the "daily driver" mode, in which the Battista proved no more challenging to drive than any other EV. Also Check Out: TheStradman's Car Collection Is As Cool As It Gets Stepping up to Energica boosts power up to around 1,400 HP while retaining all of your traction and stability control. Around the Malibu canyons, even this mode proved to be quite the handful. Pushing down the right pedal past 50 percent immediately pins your head to the seat and propels the car forward with incredible force. However, unlike most EVs that lose steam as you get up in speed, the Battista continues to build to seemingly no end. Despite already leaning on overwhelming, there's still one mode to go, Furiosa. Meaning "furious," this mode is aptly named as you get the full force of the Battista's max 1,874 hp and 1,726 lb-ft output. Flat out, it'll hit 60 mph in less than two seconds before continuing to a top speed of 217 mph. Accelerating in this mode feels like poking an angry bear with a stick. Give the go pedal too much input, and you'll teleport to the next corner as all the road signs blur around you. This car is not for this world, it may be street legal, but almost no roads come to mind where you can even begin to test its limits. If there was ever a poster child for "how much power is too much?" this is it. The Battista's standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires work overtime to find traction as the car shimmies under hard acceleration. Its clever torque vectoring system does a stellar job of controlling the power sent to each wheel through the corners. It's the only way that a substantial power figure is manageable in the real world. Check Out More Automotive Reviews While the Battista tips the scales at over 4,000 lb, it doesn't feel so in the bends. That torque vectoring system does a great job of hiding the car's overall weight while prioritizing grip. If that's not enough, sticker Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires are available for track use. In Furiosa, the car's suspension also tightens up, allowing it to crush corners with excellent stability. Steering feel is somewhat lacking. Although its weight increases as you move through the modes, it isn't all that talkative, and you'll hear the tires losing grip before you'll feel them doing so. For us, the ideal drive mode would be comfort steering and suspension and the 1,400 HP power setting. It's the point right before the car goes from thrilling to terrifying. In terms of efficiency, the 120-kWh battery pack has an estimated range of around 300 miles. Unfortunately, our time with the Battista was short and insufficient for proper range testing. Still, we did score a few hours of quick driving without losing substantial amounts of charge, so we're inclined to believe those estimates. In keeping with Pininfarina's claimed hyper GT status, the Battista's cabin proved a roomy place to spend a few hours. There's plenty of space to spread out and enough headroom so that even the tallest among us won't feel claustrophobic. Unlike any hypercar we'd driven before, the Battista's doesn't feature virtually any buttons. Instead, you navigate the car's settings by two screens that flank the driver on either side. On the left screen, you have your vehicle settings, such as your climate controls, seat adjustment, steering wheel alignment, and any setting that previously required a physical button. The screen on the right is where your onboard infotainment system lives. It offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity while housing a slick UI. Even during our short stint, the screens were intuitive to use and offered the benefit of cleaning up the cabin's interior design. The last screen sits directly in front of the driver and houses vital information such as your speed and state of charge. It's small but visible through the steering wheel. While its seats offered good bolstering for a drive in the canyons, they weren't nearly as aggressive as a bucket seat. The chairs in the car we drove were comfortable enough for a good long road trip. There was support in all the right places while retaining generous padding. For the lucky 150 owners, the Battista will prove a car they don't have to wait for a special occasion to drive. This could easily double as one of the world's most expensive daily drivers. Aside from its limited production run, each Battista starts at $2.2 Million. However, the sky is the limit in terms of customization. From exposed carbon fiber with various hues to virtually any material available for the interior, the only limit to this hyper EV's customizations are its customer's wallet and imagination. Following a few hours of driving through the Malibu canyons, it's clear that the Battista is not just another hypercar. It and its mechanical sibling, the Rimac Nevera, redefine what we thought peak public-road speed could be. Anyone purchasing one of these cars should immediately sign up for a performance driving school to hone their skills. In its full-power Furiosa mode, this car can quickly overwhelm its driver with its instantaneous power delivery. This car's greatest strength is a double-edged sword. While its brutal acceleration is intoxicating and shoots your heart rate to the moon, it gets to a point where its driver is managing the car more than outright enjoying it. The Battista is a wolf in wolf's clothing and a proper hypercar. However, while it may be more "hyper" than "GT," there are remnants of the latter. Slow things down, set the suspension in its softest setting, and you can settle in for a comfortable ride in a massive technological achievement that gives us a glimpse of what the future holds for the world's quickest and most expensive machines. Browse Through Supercars For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – August 11, 2022

2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible Review: Lone S...

How do you judge a car that has no competitors? This seldom happens in the auto industry as fierce rivals create carbon copies of each other's work to get their slice of that segment's pie. However, in the case of the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible and its tongue-twisting name, it seemingly stands alone. As of writing, you can't order a Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet, and Audi never produced a drop-top variant of the current-gen RS 5. Despite a running start, the convertible M4 doesn't take its early lead for granted. With an as-tested price of $107,095, including a $995 destination fee, this sporty Bavarian falls in a performance sweet spot. More than an Audi S5 Convertible or AMG C 43 Cabriolet, but less than an SL Roadster or R8, the M4 Convertible's top competitor is its coupe sibling. With the same 503 horsepower straight-six under the hood, engaging driving experience, but with the added benefit of glorious exhaust noises, this drop-top proves the coupe shouldn't immediately be your top pick. Styling/Design For the most part, the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible is a big handsome-looking thing. While its controversial nose is still a point of contention for some, strong sales figures suggest that the folks actually lining up to buy an M3/M4 become quick fans of the design. As our week with the M4 Competition closed, its unusual front-end styling still hadn't worked its magic on us. Luckily, its appeal does seem to be quite dependent on color. For example, the Brooklyn Grey Metallic finish on our tester highlights the front's large intakes, while stealthier finishes such as Tanzanite Blue II Metallic, Isle of Man Green Metallic, and Black Sapphire Metallic allow them to hide in plain sight. View All BMW M4s For Sale Front-end aside, the M4 Competition xDrive Convertible has a menacing presence. Its generous dimensions may convince you it's a GT at first sight, but its widened bodywork, strong shoulder line, and low stance scream sports car. Its staggered set of 19/20-inch M Double-Spoke wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber is a particular highlight as their two-tone finish helps them appeal larger, visually filling out the large wheel wells. The main focal point of this car's rear end is its enormous carbon-fiber diffuser housing four large exhaust tips. Supplemented by aggressive lines in the rear bumper, these elements combine to widen the car visually. There's no mistaking an M4 for a standard 4-Series. While its predecessor counted on a folding metal roof, this newest version returns to the soft tops of old. According to BMW, this has profound weight benefits as the new fabric top is 40 percent lighter than the outgoing hard-top. From a visual standpoint, the black roof provides a nice contrast against the lighter paintwork, matching darker carbon fiber elements and the two-tone wheels. It takes 18 seconds to retract and can do so at up to 31 mph. Fans of the nose will find no other gripes with the rest of this car's styling. It's sleek and imposing while drawing on styling elements of previous generations while looking squarely at the brand's future. However, it'll take only one drive to have even the harshest critics forgiving its looks. Handling/Performance Over the last ten years, performance cars have become astronomically fast. Supercar-quick is an understatement, and the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible is no exception. It is a proper powerhouse, powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine delivering 503 hp and 479 lb.-ft of torque. Despite a curb weight of 4,306 lb, 327 lb more than its coupe equivalent, it still reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The 0-60 penalty is only 0.2 seconds compared to an equivalent coupe. In the real world, however, these slight differences are imperceptible. No one climbing out of the drop-top can tell its straight-line performance apart from its lighter sibling. Its xDrive all-wheel drive system is to thank for this. While it remains a rear-biased system, it helps the M4 put all its power down. In contrast, a rear-drive M3 Competition we tested last year proved eager to light up its rear tires during a launch. Hit the canyons, and the M4 Competition Convertible's all-wheel drive nature comes to the forefront. There's significantly more grip through the corners, and its limits proved higher than its rear-drive counterparts. While you sacrifice outright front-end agility, you get a higher level of composure as you try and test its limits. Dialing back stability control is an excellent example of this. Where a rear-drive M4 may become squirrely, its xDrive sibling seemingly claws its way out of corners. The onboard eight-speed ZF automatic transmission proves that a dual-clutch box isn't necessary to make an engaging sports car. While we have yet to drive a three-pedal M3/M4, this ZF unit proved incredibly quick in its most aggressive settings while neatly fading into the background around town. Its only downside is that you won't get those crisp downshifts you got in the previous model. It's quick, just not razor sharp. Also Read Our Lamborghini Huracan STO Review: A Proper Race Car for the Road Although chassis flex is a common topic when dealing with 2023 convertibles, there's none to report here. Within that 327 lb gain between an xDrive coupe and the convertible, you get all the additional strengthening BMW implemented to retain rigidity. Even after multiple runs in the canyons, we couldn't detect any unusual movement. Sure, at 4,306 lb, the drop-top is a chunky thing, but wobbly it is not. With the top down, its active exhaust delivered a wonderful throaty note. As its predecessor was far from the best-sounding M car, this was a welcomed addition. This will be the most significant deciding factor between this and its coupe counterpart, as this drop-top sports car matches its sibling in every other performance aspect. Its steering is hefty. In traditional BMW fashion, it goes from weighty to downright heavy as you move up to the most aggressive drive modes. While the wheel is willing to communicate, it only seems to do so when you're really pushing this car. If you're cruising along, it's more weight than actual feedback. As a result, you're only properly connecting with this car when tackling corners faster than you probably should. Our tester did not feature the optional carbon-ceramic brakes for $8,500. However, the standard compound brakes proved strong, even after multiple spirited drives. Given this car's heft and tremendous pace, we were glad that they were not only effective but very consistent throughout a full day of testing. So then, the BMW M4 Competition Convertible is a proper M car, even without a roof. However, if this car has any flaw, it's that it doesn't ever dial itself back. Sure, a stiff, planted two-door is ideal for a Sunday drive, but during the week around town, its adaptive suspension never entirely leaves stiff mode. Around Los Angeles' poorly maintained roads, it proved bouncy while translating even the smaller road imperfection into in-cabin discomfort. However, one key interior option may make all the difference. Tech/Interior Inside, the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible feels like a premium product, even with a six-figure price tag. Our tester featured carbon fiber seemingly everywhere and an ultra-bright shade of Kyalami Orange leather with a contrasting shade of black. This interior is not for everyone. It is a true love-it or hate-it scenario. In our case, it was a major win, especially on an otherwise executive-friendly car. While their leather finish is a winner, the seat's ergonomics are not. Our tester featured the optional $3,800 M carbon bucket seats. While they are stunning to look at with a full carbon back and pass-through sections around your torso, sitting comfortably in them proved challenging. The main culprit is the side bolstering, which holds you in quite tightly if you're of any size and makes ingress and egress a struggle. In the canyons, their track-focused nature means you won't shift around through high-speed corners. However, around town, you may find yourself searching for personal space. Add a sizeable carbon-fiber centerpiece between your thighs, and you'll need to be properly slim to sit comfortably. Combined with the M4 Competition's stiff suspension, you'll have a sports car that can't double as a cruiser. However, the move here is to leave the M4's standard seats. They offer excellent bolstering, plenty of padding, and work to offset some of the suspension's harshness. The rest of the interior proved well-built and nicely laid out. In front of the driver, a configurable 12.3-inch instrument cluster relays all the relevant information with stunning graphics. At the same time, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen in the center houses iDrive 7.0 and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It's worth mentioning that during our week, the M4 never made a strange rattle or had even the slightest trim misalignment. With the top up, interior noise remained minimal, even on the highway. While it may not be exactly as quiet as its coupe sibling, it delivers the sound-deadening you'd expect from a premium product. Pricing Our tester comes in at $107,095, including a $995 destination fee. It starts at $86,300, but costly options such as the M carbon bucket seats for $3,800, M carbon exterior package for $4,700, and M driver's package for $2,500 quickly get us to that elevated as-tested figure. Looking through the configurator, our tester was only a few available options, such as the $8,500 carbon-ceramic brakes. Closing Thoughts As the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible proves that it can go toe-to-toe with a comparable coupe in handling, speed, and enjoyment, the main deciding factor will be the drop-top experience. With this latest iteration, BMW has eliminated most of the common drawbacks associated with convertibles, leaving customers to decide solely on the type of experience they'd like. However, while this specific M4 proves to be an excellent sports car, its price tag makes it not the one to get. At $107,095 as-tested, this M4 has nearly every available optional extra. We'd have no problem recommending them if they genuinely altered the driving experience. However, this M4 Competition Convertible xDrive comes with everything you need right out of the box. So if open skies on a Sunday drive are a must, avoid costly options, and you'll have a properly priced sports car that won't disappoint. View All BMW M4s For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – August 01, 2022

2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Review: Underappreciated Overach...

Surrounded by controversy, the world first saw the highly-anticipated fifth-generation Toyota Supra in January 2019. BMW bones and a German heart left many die-hard fans saddened that this once-iconic model had gone west for its engineering. Despite this, the Supra won over some of its harshest critics thanks to its small size, formidable performance, and sleek styling. However, this sporty two-door has fallen entirely out of the spotlight three years from its unveiling. Sales figures back this sentiment as Toyota sold fewer Supras month over month this year than in 2021. A big reason could be that the sub-$60,000 sports car segment has grown considerably, including the latest Nissan Z, BMW M240i, Audi RS 3, and Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. With more options available, it became easy for the Supra to fall from the spotlight and into the shadows as it struggled to connect with its target demographic. However, skimming over the new Supra is a mistake. Watching the Supra go up against the newest metal only highlights its true strengths. It may not be the quickest or most powerful, but this sporty two-door delivers an exciting driving experience, surprising performance, and a distinct aesthetic. After a week behind the wheel, it's clear that this car is not only worthy of praise but your attention as well. 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Styling/Design Toyota seriously messed up by unveiling its FT-1 Concept back in 2014. Low-slung, aggressive, and with hips that would have even the best plastic surgeons taking notes, the FT-1 got us all properly excited about the Supra's future. Seeing the real thing then felt like a bait and switch. Gone were the sleek, stretched-out proportions in exchange for a much smaller, shorter, and narrower body. BMW is largely to blame as the Supra had to make do with the Z4's structure, which meant morphing and downsizing. While it may not be exactly its designer's original vision, that doesn't stop the Supra from being properly beautiful. You can tell just by looking at it that its creators tried hard to keep the FT-1's greatest bits. From its pointed nose, sloping roofline, and widened hips, the Supra proves that great things can still come in small packages. There's even more, to see as you step closer. Its enormous front hood effortlessly blends onto the front arches, removing shut lines and visually widening the front end. A small integrated kick-up spoiler contrasts nicely against the rear arches at the back, leading your eyes upward and away from the downward curves. The Supra needs no additional aero trickery to deploy its appeal. It's well thought out and instantly recognizable as something special. The tester I've been driving around for the past week is a clear example of this. It sports no exterior options. Even its Renaissance Red 2.0 paint comes standard. While this is for the better, it isn't despite many choices. The most significant option is the carbon fiber mirror caps for $925. Its classic sports car proportions, widened bodywork, and endless curvy lines are enough to keep your eyes happy. 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Engine/Performance There's more to the Toyota Supra's performance than what you see on paper. Sure, its turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six delivers a healthy 382 horsepower and 368-pound feet. But that still places it behind competitors like the 400-hp Nissan Z and the 401-hp Audi RS 3. Despite the on-paper deficit, the Supra feels no slower than its competitors in the real world. An eight-speed automatic transmission quickly dispatches all available power to the rear wheels, resulting in a run to 60 mph of 3.9 seconds. Behind the wheel, you'd swear the Supra pushes out over 400 hp. It feels that quick, both off the line and at speed. Its inline-six is already an overachiever in the AWD M240i, but it has a few hundred pounds less to lug around in the Toyota. Thanks to a sporty exhaust system with enough pops and bangs to rival even the sketchiest backyard tune; you can also hear it roar. Like most inline-sixes, its song is silky smooth, contrasting the Z's high-pitched V6. Lift off the gas, and the pops roll in. Thankfully, they're not overdone and fit the Supra's sporty nature. Also Read Our 2022 Audi e-tron GT Review: Electric Grand Touring Done Right In the canyons, the Supra proves that age has done it well. I recall driving the 2020 model year car, and it left much to be desired. It was less powerful, and its suspension didn't inspire confidence. This 2022 version is much improved. Not only does it remain stable through the twisty stuff, but it also retains a fair amount of comfort around town. There's still plenty of body roll here as it's not entirely flat in the bends. However, this aids the overall driving experience by adding a bit of fun and drama to an otherwise serious-feeling car. BMW's take on the same platform is much more restrained and composed, so this is the sibling that's eager to play. The Supra isn't a handful to drive. Tight bends at high speeds result in slight bits of understeer from the front end, but it easily transitions into controllable oversteer at the rear. With all the safety systems on, the Supra never steps out of line, inspiring confidence behind the wheel. Speaking of which has decent feedback. Under load, you'll be able to feel what the front wheels are up to, even if it can get artificially heavy in the sportiest modes. On-center feel isn't great, but at least the steering lets you know it's alive from time to time, unlike some of the Supra's closest competitors. Stepping on the brakes reveals one of the Supra's limitations. You won't find enlarged brakes bringing this coupe to a halt. They seem to be standard BMW brakes. While these perform as intended around town, brake fade isn't uncommon during a very sporty drive. 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Interior/Tech The Toyota Supra's interior lets you know just how tight it is, even before you step in. If you're not careful, you may bump your head on its aggressively sloping roof while trying to crouch in. Ask me how I know. Instead, you'll want to treat it almost like a supercar, requiring a careful maneuver to avoid any impacts. Once inside, you're met with the Supra's tiny windshield that doesn't do much in the way of visibility. The same can be said for the rear window that'll have you praising the excellent reversing camera. At 5'10, I found there wasn't much headroom left, so drivers pushing over six feet will likely struggle. The seat is a different story. Its placement is spot on and offers ample adjustment to score the ideal positioning. While you won't find aggressive side bolsters, the front chairs do an excellent job of keeping you in place through the corners. An added benefit is that they don't squeeze you around town, making them perfect for daily driver duties. Ergonomics aside, the leather and build quality are spectacular. This is one of the main benefits of the partnership with BMW. It may be standard for something like a 3 Series but is well above the norm in a Toyota. Tech-wise, the Supra benefits from BMW's best bits. It includes a digital instrument cluster and a wide central infotainment screen featuring the latest iDrive system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also come standard. However, the native infotainment system is polished and easy to navigate. 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Pricing With a base price of $51,640 plus a $1,025 destination fee, the GR Supra 3.0 is priced right in line with its closest competitors. Our Premium trimmed tester brings that base price up to $55,815. Even at this price point, the Supra remains appropriately priced. Thanks to a lack of a long options list, that base price won't balloon by selecting extras. All of the Supra's best bits come standard. 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Closing Thoughts After a week and a few hundred miles in the 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0, it's clear that it still has plenty of fight left in it. Thanks to its engaging driving dynamics that are easily controllable and exploitable, the Supra delivers fun at all speeds. It may not have a massive power output on paper, but real-world miles reveal it has more than enough grunt. It may also be the best-looking vehicle in its segment. Sure it isn't FT-1 pretty, but it offers sleek lines and curves its rivals can't compete with. For those of you shopping in the sub $60,000 range for a sports car, there isn't a clear winner amongst the crowd, but the Supra makes a strong case for itself as one of the top contenders. View All Supras For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – July 22, 2022

2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Review: Improving A Best-S...

Nearly three years after its official launch in 2019, the Land Rover Defender has proven itself a top-notch product. Whether crawling rocks or malls, this swanky off-roader has ultimately won the hearts and wallets of its target demographic. The secret behind its success comes mainly from its dual personality, effortlessly delivering terrain-conquering abilities without on-road comfort drawbacks. The question is, then, how do you improve a vehicle that already offers so much? According to Land Rover, the answer involves extra cylinders, a supercharger, and a re-tuned chassis. Enter the 2022 Land Rover 90 V8 Carpathian Edition. As its lengthy name suggests, this trim is the most luxurious and expensive variant of the two-door Defender. After a week of tackling off-roading trails and city streets, it's clear that this version of the Defender won't be for everyone. Defender owners that use these SUVs exclusively to commute won't be sitting in rush hour traffic patting themselves on the back for shelling out an extra $19,000 over the top I6-powered model to get the biggest engine. However, for the folks that will put all 518 horsepower to use, either tackling off-roading trails or big open highways, the addition of the new engine is a proper game changer. 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Design/Styling Most of the changes introduced for the 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 live under its hood. From afar, it looks like any other Defender. Only minor details such as the quad exhaust tips, trim-specific 22-inch wheels, and Xenon Blue brake calipers set it apart. I'm glad they didn't mess around with the styling. Thanks to its baseline good looks and distinctive boxy shape, it doesn't lose any of its original appeal. Plus, considering it is a proper off-roader, it would've been a huge mistake to widen its body and potentially limit its ability to conquer tight trails. While only the eagle-eyed among you will be able to distinguish it from its siblings, my Carpathian Edition tester is an exception. For starters, it's finished in Carpathian Grey, with a contrasting Narvik Black hood roof and tailgate. However, its stain look doesn't come from the paintwork itself. Instead, Land Rover installs a satin protective film that changes this SUV's finish and protects against scratches and off-road debris. This should incentivize owners to go out and explore without worrying too much about their six-figure ride. Final touches such as the Carpathian Edition badges, Carpathian Gloss finished skid plates, and front grille bar rounds up the list of changes. While this unique trim doesn't revolutionize the Defender's look, it gives it a darkened aesthetic that is equal parts sleek and aggressive. It may cost $7,000 more than a standard V8 model, but its unique look and factory-installed PPF soften the upcharge's blow. 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Engine/Performance The 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 doesn't change much in the styling department, but its powertrain is a different story. Under its hood lives JLR's well-known supercharged 5.0-liter V8, developing 518 horsepower and 461 foot-pounds of torque. It sends power to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Despite its 5,445-pound curb weight, this two-door SUV hits 60 mph in 4.9 seconds before continuing to a top speed of 149 mph. If that sounds sports car quick, it's because it is. The V8-powered Defender rockets off the line, leaning back as its suspension tries to keep its high-riding body in check. With peak torque at a relatively low 2,500 rpm, this off-roader pulls hard to redline with peak power at 6,000 rpm. There is no situation where this Defender feels slow, and its transmission is quick during hard accelerations and smooth the rest of the time. Around town, it feels like any other Defender, civilized, refined, and quiet. However, one blip of the throttle reveals a nasty bark from those quad exhaust tips. Just like in the F-Type R and the Range Rover Sport SVR, this engine is eager to deliver a guttural growl leaving passersby to wonder if that cute boxy SUV really just made that sound. After leaving a congested Los Angeles behind, I took my tester out to Hungry Valley to hit some off-roading trails. This included rock crawling, sandy dunes, and plenty of tight maneuvering. This two-door example did great, fitting in almost anywhere. Thanks to its larger engine, it's eager to power out of any situation and delivers the occasional controlled slide. With the engine blaring in the background and ample power on offer, the V8's appeal becomes apparent. It's just a far more exciting vehicle to drive than its siblings. Thanks to its retention of all the standard off-road modes, you don't lose on capabilities to score the added fun. To handle all of the added power, Land Rover implemented new suspension tuning with new springs, damper rates, and an Electronic Active Rear Differential. In practice, these help the Defender V8 deliver a driving experience that is exhilarating but not out of control. A new Dynamic setting within the onboard Terrain Response system firms up the suspension, sharpens throttle response and puts the engine in its most aggressive setting. While the updated tuning doesn't turn this off-roader into a sports car, it has all the necessary tools to handle the added power. At no point does it feel like the powertrain overwhelms the rest of the vehicle. 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Interior/Tech Step inside the Defender 90 V8's interior, and a host of new materials will meet you at the door. The Carpathian Edition takes the standard Ebony Windsor leather seats and adds Miko Suedcloth and Robustec accents. There's also a new Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and illuminated tread plates. While these new materials add plenty of luxurious textures to the Defender's interior, they don't quite make sense in a serious off-roader. As mentioned in the intro, my specific tester isn't for everyone. For those who want to do a bit of serious off-roading in their new Defender, materials such as suede and Alcantara won't do well once you introduce ordinary dirt and grime from the outdoors. In contrast, this version of the V8 would do great in city environments. Its interior feels decidedly upscale, well put together, and aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps most importantly, this Defender is exceptionally well insulated, adding to its luxurious vibe. On the tech side, the Defender V8 has plenty to offer. In front of the driver, you'll find a 12.3-in digital instrument cluster that's both highly configurable and easy to read at a glance. It's supplemented by an updated 11.4-in screen in the center of the dashboard powered by the latest Pivi Pro infotainment system. Navigating its many menus is a breeze as the system is excellently laid out and offers high-quality graphics. While there's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard, the central screen's primary purpose is to help the driver interact with the various off-roading modes and camera systems. While off-roading multiple camera angles will populate the display, assisting the driver in tackling challenging trails without needing a spotter. Digging through the menus reveals further fine-tuning options of the standard drive modes to best use the available hardware. Overall, this onboard system delivers a sleek user experience with a surprisingly low learning curve. 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Pricing The Land Rover Defender 90 is a premium product with a price to match. The standard V8 starts at $104,200. This is $19,000 more than the most expensive I6-powered variant. Stepping up to my Carpathian Edition tester brings that price tag up to $111,200 before destination and additional fees. The two Defender 110 V8 trims start at $107,500 and $114,400, respectively. 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Closing Thoughts After a week with the new Land Rover Defender 90 V8, it's clear that the British carmaker's formula to spice up its latest best seller is an effective one. By shoving an enormous engine under its hood, Land Rover has given the Defender a more aggressive personality with looks to match. It's quick, loud, and engaging to drive. However, it remains to be seen whether or not this will be enough to sway buyers. In most scenarios, the V8 Defender behaves just like its I6 and I4 siblings, blending comfort, luxury, and convenience in a properly off-road capable package. When you leave congested roads behind, this newest Defender makes a case for itself, delivering excitement its siblings can't match. It will be up to potential buyers to determine if they will often be in these environments to allow this SUV to shine. To commute, an X-Dynamic HSE with the efficient I6 engine is ideal. However, for a blast through the desert or an open road, the Defender 90 V8 is tough to beat. View All Land Rover Defenders For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – June 27, 2022

Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe Review | A Proper Muscle SUV

In the late 1990s, SUV buyers weren't nearly as spoiled for choice as they are today. Most offerings were either serious off-roaders or large people movers. The formula for the modern SUV wasn't clearly defined, and potential performance variants weren't even in the conversation. That is until 1999 when Mercedes-Benz introduced the ML 55. AMG's first SUV changed everything, ushering in a new era of high-horsepower high riders. Stuffing a big engine under the hood of a plush off-roader did not make a track star out of a couch potato. It did, however, mean that speed, comfort, space, and refinement didn't require multiple vehicles. This week's tester is a perfect example of this formula. It's the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe 4Matic+, a big, high horsepower, top dollar SUV, and the ML 55's direct descendent. In an unusual twist, this vehicle isn't currently available for sale. Due to a slowdown in engine production at AMG, the twin-turbocharged V8 that lives under the hood isn't available for the 2022 model year. The good news is that production should resume for future model years, and after a week behind the wheel, it's definitely worth the wait. Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe Performance/Handling Two decades ago, the idea of a 600+ horsepower SUV was unthinkable. Today, there are about as many high-horsepower SUVs as there are supercars. The GLE 63 S is no exception. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 pumps out 603 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 627 foot-pounds of torque at 2500. But the GLE has more than turbos up its sleeve to make power. It also features a small electric starter-generator called EQ boost. Essentially, it combines the starter and alternator into one electric motor and sandwiches it in-between the engine and transmission. The result is up to an additional 21 hp and 184 lb of torque. However, this power isn't used for straight-line speed. Instead, it's sprinkled along the power band to fill areas where the turbos lag. In the real world, this results in instantaneous acceleration. At no point is the GLE sluggish. It's quick off the line and quick at speed. Something this big shouldn't be able to move so fast. Also Read: 2021 Lamborghini Urus Review: A True Super SUV Not to mention that opening up the taps reveals a proper ferocious bark from those gloss black exhaust tips. It may not sound as good as its 6.2-liter predecessor, but it's still damn good. Like its dot-com-bubble great-grandpa, the GLE 63 has all-wheel drive as standard, supplemented by a nine-speed automatic transmission. This is one of its weak points as the auto's tuning favors around town comfort rather than all-out performance. Switching to manual shifting remedies this, but it is still not all that sharp on the downshift. But let's face it, this isn't a canyon carver, and around town, it's more than responsive enough. At no point does the GLE 63 let you forget that it weighs nearly 5,500 pounds. It's quick to understeer, and despite having surprisingly little body roll, it's not eager to turn in. None of that matters in the driving the GLE 63 does. In a crowded city, its air suspension is tuned to near perfection, delivering a firm and AMG-appropriate ride that's still comfortable. Not even the massive 22-inch wheels spoil the ride. While it's far from a track star, its dominance throughout the city proves that the GLE 63 is a masterclass in knowing precisely what your audience wants. Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe Design This GLE is a coupe-style SUV with the now-infamous sloping roofline. Enough people love this style for Mercedes-Benz to adopt it across the GLE and GLC classes. In a body this big, it works because it helps de-boxify it. The GLE is already a bit of a big bertha, but thanks to the way its roof seemingly melts onto the rear three-quarters, it still looks sleek despite its size. Large tail lights that wrap around the rear emphasize this effect as its lighting elements are proportional to the extensive body. Like the ML55, the GLE 63 S has flared wheel arches sharing the same color as the rest of the bodywork, and while they may not be as aggressive as on the old-timer, they work to visually widen the 63 and separate it from a standard GLE. Must Read: 2022 Hennessey VelociRaptor Review: Just The Right Amount Of Excess On the hood, two prominent lines run almost parallel to one another. This isn't new. It's a design trait shared with the ML55 and what Mercedes originally called "power domes." They go back to the 300 SL Gullwing of the 1950s. Darkened elements such as the diffuser, wheels, and front intakes help create contrast and neatly tie in its aggressive aesthetic without being over the top. Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe Interior Any and all criticisms of its size vanish once you step in, a big body immediately turns into immense comfort, and when you're lugging a family around, extra space is a godsend. Not even the sloping roof spoils the size. Your 5'10 author fits in the back with plenty of headroom to spare, so passengers young and old should have no complaints during long drives. Throw in a pair of highly adjustable heated and cooled front seats, and there's more than enough comfort to go around. Comfort aside, interior quality is also spectacular. The GLE wins on the tech front as well. With two 12.3-in displays that seemingly melt into one another, the cabin feels forward-thinking and nicely laid out. The onboard MBUX infotainment system is a pleasure to use and easy to learn. However, smartphone connectivity such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 63 S commands a heavy price delta over a 53 model, but the material use is night and day different. You'll see either leather, suede, or carbon fiber everywhere you look. Stark reminders of how well you've done in life. The GLE's interior feels every bit its price tag. Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe Pricing $117,050. That's how much the GLE 63 starts at. However, you can't currently buy one because there is no 2022 model year option available. This one is a 2021 model year press vehicle with over 9,000 miles on the clock. As tested, it comes in over $130,000. For a bit of context, that's not enough to get you into a Cayenne Coupe Turbo, which starts at $133,500, and you can forget about the $167,800 Turbo S. Its direct competitors then are the BMW X6 M and Audi RSQ8, two SUVs that also nail this tried and tested formula. And that's become a double-edged sword as these three German rivals deliver practically the same experience. For now, this isn't a problem as these SUVs are huge money makers. However, as time goes on, these giant family haulers will struggle to stand out. Closing Thoughts The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S nails its intended purpose, fast as a sports car in a straight line but comfortable enough for a family road trip. It is a proper Swiss Army knife. However, the trade-offs in the performance department are significant, and if on-road comfort isn't a priority, the GLE leaves a bit to be desired. However, as an expensive object to putter around town surrounded by expensive materials with more power than a nuclear power plant at a moment's notice, it's damn near perfect. To the people that will inevitably fork over large sums to get one once production ramps back up, you won't be disappointed. View All AMG GLE 63s For Sale

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