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 Michael Van Runkle – May 30, 2026

Review: 2026 Ineos Grenadier

When Land Rover killed off the classic Defender back in 2016 with the goal of a thoroughly modernized replacement that caters much better to daily driving, a British petrochemical magnate named Jim Ratcliffe desperately wanted to keep that retro flame burning. So much so, in fact, that he even tried to swoop in and buy out Land Rover’s original tooling, but instead, wound up founding a new automaker called Ineos, as a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate (that shares a name with the professional cycling team it sponsors). When Ineos’s first production model debuted – dubbed the Grenadier after the bar where Ratcliffe cooked up this harebrained scheme – the distinctly retro SUV definitely proved divisive. Styling similar enough to old Defenders inevitably incurred lawsuits (all of which Ineos won). But beneath the skin, Ineos built this dedicated off-roader with the best components available worldwide: engines and transmissions bought from BMW, a Tremec transfer case, Carraro axles, Bilstein shock dampers, Eibach springs, and more. Everything catered perfectly to the off-roading and overlanding crowd, but the steering was, to say the least, strange. Throw in some early foibles with build quality and annoying software, as perhaps expected of any new automaker, and yet now, by 2026, Ineos already boasts a total of 30,000 vehicles sold worldwide. And despite one fewer model year here in the United States, in two years, over 12,000 vehicles will already roam American roads. But Ineos needed to listen to customer feedback in the hopes of attracting more customers beyond the dedicated early adopters who loved the old-fashioned aesthetic and retro- inspired performance. So for 2026, a mid-cycle update improves the steering, overhauls the climate system, fiddles with drive assistance software, and adds a “Black Edition” to the lineup. Ahead of the official announcement, I visited some familiar stomping grounds in Malibu to experience the new model year changes that apply to both the Grenadier SUV and its Quartermaster pickup truck variant. Think of the Quartermaster as akin to Jeep’s Wrangler and Gladiator siblings: the pickup stretches the SUV’s wheelbase by 10 inches and adds a small truck bed, but cuts into second-row legroom by two inches. The original Quartermaster actually drove noticeably better than the Grenadier thanks to the added stability of the longer wheelbase, which counteracted some of the steering system’s vagueness. The truck’s proportions help to impart the impression of a wider stance, too, all of which helped me prefer it to the SUV. In fairness, though, theQuartermaster’s turning radius turned out abysmally wide due to the added length. So, Iwelcomed potential updates, even if I spent most of the day in a Grenadier, starting with a brief on-road stint that included canyon roads, highway cruising, and stop-and-go traffic. BMW’s contribution to the lineup carries over in the form of a very familiar turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six rated for 282 horsepower and a hearty 332 lb-ft of torque. The ZF eight-speed transmission’s gear ratios help scoot the Grenadier along just fine, despite a curb weight nearing 6,000 pounds. And the suspension still rides nice and compliant, just soft enough to absorb bumps but firm enough to reduce body roll as much as possible. <- Gallery -> But more importantly – by a wide margin – the new steering is just so much better. From a mechanical standpoint, Ineos still uses the same recirculating ball system sourced from Bosch, but now with a variable ratio that tightens up the 45 degrees on both sides of the steering wheel’s on-center position. I immediately noticed more resistance to turn- in, more precision at every speed, really just more normal behavior all around. Not quite a night and day difference, but much more than marginal gains, the new setup should be just fine for anyone accustomed to driving more typical cars, trucks, or SUVs with independent front suspension. Because the on-center steering ratios tightens up, Ineos then increased the power assist too. So once the drive routes turned onto some dirt trails, I whipped around all that much more easily, taking advantage of the solid axle articulation, lifted ride height, and locking differentials that made the Grenadier so great off-road from the beginning. Plus, a nifty new hydraulic steering stop when cranking the wheel all the way to full lock provides feedback of the reduced turning radius. Then, after a moment, the system gives way to the full mechanical stop, which even further improves the Grenadier’s ability to negotiate tight switchbacks, narrow obstacles, and any potential driver mistakes while choosing a tough line (surely not!). The tighter turning radius makes even more of a difference for the Quartermaster, which now drives almost as steadily as any truck on the road thanks to the improved on-center feel. Meanwhile, other changes also stood out immediately for both the Quartermaster and Grenadier. Though I never noticed a problem with the climate controls in the four previous Ineos vehicles I reviewed, from the earliest Grenadiers in February of 2023, before sales even began in the United States, to a more recent Quartermaster last year, a new fan blade design makes the blower motor much quieter. Ineos also claims the “auto” function now blends temperatures better, too. Further software improvements include allowing the backup camera to stay on while in Off-Road mode (another welcome helper while reversing to find a better line). And the driver assistance suite intrudes far less, with lower volume for warning beeps and dings, as well as subtler nudging for lane-keep. Plus, the FAV button next to the center console knob now automatically pulls up a menu screen to turn off all the nannies more easily. I did notice that the new eye-tracking camera for the ADAS system struggles to recognize a driver with sunglasses on. And I wished for a few other model-year revisions that Ineos skipped over. For example, the placement of little lights on the roof buttons for drive modes and differential lock means that fingers actually using those buttons always block the lights. The “blade” transmission shifter from BMW clashes terribly with the rest of the retro style, inside or out. And the Grenadier and Quartermaster both deserve disconnected sway bars to further accentuate the capability of solid axle articulation. Still, as is, everything that I already loved about an Ineos as an off-roader survives into 2026. And the noticeable improvements to a few key areas make a big difference – what Ineos called key “attributes” but, understandably, some critical details that potential buyers frequently balked at. In that regard, the new Black Edition comes across as a similar play, hoping to attract more urban buyers with the common trim and wheel package that so many automakers bank on to move units, in this case, for a pricetag of $82,995 over the Grenadier’s starting MSRP of $71,000. Expect more news from Ineos soon, too. Reps on hand confirmed that a portal axle version will hit the American market to more directly compete with the G-Wagen. And the Fusilier EV will likely arrive with a gasoline range extender to ameliorate range anxiety. Until then, I fully expect that the 2026 updates will steadily increase the number of Grenadiers and Quartermasters sold in the United States. Hopefully, expanded visibility and growing recognition can bolster the brand’s original ethos and reinforce the spirit of such a unique SUV that blends classic capability with modern amenities, toeing the line between aspirational adventure and lifestyle choice outside of the already dedicated off-roading and overlanding crowd. View All Ineos Grenadier For Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Kirk Bell – May 23, 2026

Review: 2026 Bentley Continental GT S

The sport coupe and convertible appeal to enthusiasts who appreciate performance and a sleek design. U.S. automakers offer only the Ford Mustang to fill that niche. It’s loud and sporty with retro looks and perhaps too much attitude. The Brits sell a car that represents far more taste and a much bigger bank account: the 2026 Bentley Continental GT coupe and GT C convertible, which are newly offered in sportier S trim. Smooth and silent or robust and raucous The fourth-generation Continental GT arrived for 2024, and the 2026 Continental GT S shares its plug-in hybrid powertrain while adding the chassis tuning from the higher-end Conti GT Speed model. You won’t miss the Speed’s 771 horsepower because the GT S still makes 671 extroverted horses of its own from a twin-turbocharged V8 and a transmission-mounted electric motor. The V8 spins up 512 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque, and the electric motor makes 188 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. The two can work together or act on their own. Starting the car defaults to the Bentley driving mode, which in turn defaults to the EV Drive mode that lets this beautiful grand tourer drive on electrons alone unless the car exceeds 87 mph or the driver digs too deeply and too greedily into the throttle. That’s how I began during my drive of the Conti GT S in New York’s Hudson Valley. Had I the patience, I could have driven an EPA-estimated 30 miles without gasoline thanks to the 25.9-kWh battery beneath the floor. I lacked that kind of patience. The Conti GT S is serene when using the whisper-quiet electric power, but it comes alive when running the V8’s robust power. Choose the Sport drive mode and the V8 starts with a low, guttural thrum and moves the hybrid system into a Hold mode to maintain the battery charge. Drivers can also pick a Hybrid mode that runs the powertrain most efficiently or a Charge mode that overruns the engine to charge the battery. With the engine and motor chipping in their full 671 hp and 686 pound-feet of torque, the Conti GT S rockets from 0-60 mph in just 3.3 seconds and, given enough space, tops out at 190 mph. The power arrives immediately thanks to the electric motor’s instant torque, and it only builds from there. Passing is a matter of a synapse firing, a twitch of your right foot, and a check of the rearview mirror to see where that car went. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic shifts smoothly and keeps the power at the ready, especially in Sport mode. This powertrain is EPA rated at 19 mpg combined when the electric range is depleted in the base GT trim, and it should get the same rating in the GT S. Owners can recharge the battery overnight on a Level 2, 240-volt outlet via the 7.2-kW on-board charger. Rumbling or silent, docile or robust, the GT S’s power represents the base level for the Continental lineup, but the handling is a cut above. Upgraded chassis <- Gallery -> While every Continental gets the same suspension and chassis systems, the GT S shares the sportier tuning for many of those features from the higher-line GT Speed and GT Mulliner models. The Conti GT S is heavy, as the hybrid system adds about 500 pounds for a total of 5,421 pounds for the coupe and 5,811 pounds for the GT C convertible. To fight all that mass, Bentley outfits every Continental with several advanced chassis features and gives a sport tune to several of them for the GT S. These features include all-wheel drive, twin-valve adaptive dampers, air springs, active anti-roll bars, rear-axle steering, and an electronic limited-slip rear differential with torque vectoring. The dampers and air springs get a firmer setting in Sport mode, but their Comfort setting is the same as in the base Conti GT. The GT S sits 10 mm lower in Sport mode, and its active anti-roll bars, stability control, rear-wheel steering, eLSD, and torque vectoring also have a performance tune. The rear-axle steering turns the rear wheels as much as 7.2 degrees opposite the fronts for parking lot maneuverability, then at 60 mph begins turning with the fronts for better stability. The active anti-roll bars can apply almost 1,000 pound-feet of torque at each axle to fight body lean. The twisty roads of New York’s Hudson Valley provided the right canvas for the Continental GT S and GT C S to strut their stuff. From the outset, both the coupe and convertible felt hunkered down and stable. The steering had good heft, was stable on-center, and provided good feel for what was happening at the wheels. While the active anti-roll bars did indeed counteract most body lean, Bentley leaves a bit of lean that came off as feel through the grippy 275/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear Pirelli P Zero summer tires. Bentley also stiffens the rear bar more than the front for better front-tire bite and rear-end play. Team that with an AWD system that only sends power to the front when it’s needed, and the Conti GT S has the lively feel of a rear-wheel-drive car. Big 16.5-inch front rotors with 10-piston calipers and 15-inch rear rotors with four-piston calipers had no problem bringing the GT S under control for successive corners in the esses. Topping it all off was a comfortable ride quality. Despite the low-profile tires, the Conti GT S absorbed all but the sharpest potholes without pounding through to the cabin. Variety and beauty As good as the Continental GT S is to drive, it is even better to sit in because Bentley makes today’s finest interiors. Two-tone leather and synthetic suede upholstery come standard, and full leather is an option. The options list is daunting, with more than 46 billion build variations. Buyers can pick from a variety of exterior and leather colors, contrast stitching and piping choices, carpet colors, and interior trims, including wood, aluminum, and carbon fiber. The care Bentley artisans show at the factory in Crewe, England, is reflected in perfect fit and finish. Conti GT C buyers also get a choice of seven colors for the four-layer soft top that shuts out the environment like a coupe’s steel roof. Bentley charges a substantial premium for the droptop, though anyone in the Continental market will shrug that off. The coupe starts at $288,750, including a $4,150 destination fee, while the GT C runs $325,350. Coupe or convertible, the 2026 Bentley Continental GT S is a grand grand tourer that can be driven like a green commuter or a powerful and lively canyon carver. Either way, you’ll show your impeccable taste and just the right attitude by driving it. View All Bentley Continental GTs For Sale Images: Bentley

By Michael Van Runkle – May 16, 2026

Review: 2026 Lotus Emira Turbo SE Racing Line

When Lotus first unveiled the Emira in 2021, a resurgence of England’s quintessential lightweight sports car manufacturer under the Geely conglomerate’s new ownership seemed all but certain. An impeccable design, modern and attractive from every angle, rode on the next evolution of the outgoing Evora’s bonded aluminum chassis. Inside, crisp and contemporary lines throughout included a pair of thoughtfully sized gauge and infotainment screens – and critically, a dedicated two-seater layout offering more room both length- and width-wise. The Evora’s supercharged 3.5-liter V6 carried over, too, but Lotus also sourced a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four from Mercedes-AMG that came mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Especially when optioned with the Sport chassis, versus a softer Tour setup also available, this powertrain effectively transformed the Emira into a legitimate mini-supercar. Pandemic woes then haunted Lotus, however, leading to Emira deliveries in the United States facing heavy delays. When the production cars finally arrived, this wonderfully lightweight sports car seemed a bit underbaked. Now, after a few more years in the Hethel oven, the Emira receives a host of significant upgrades for model year 2026 that include revised suspension tuning, improvements to the dual-clutch gearbox, a thoroughly modern ADAS suite, and a new Racing Line trim package. The changes apply best to the AMG-powered Emira Turbo, so I happily took a loaner in Los Angeles to test whether this underdog can now truly step up into a title fight against an established opponent on the way out of production: Porsche’s canceled 718 Cayman. Model year 2026 makes the Emira lineup a bit more confusing because the SE nomenclature that debuted last year continues on, as well. So, other than paint color and upholstery spec, the choices for an Emira buyer include whether to spec the supercharged V6 SE with either a six-speed manual or torque-converter automatic, versus the Turbo with that eight-speed auto in SE spec (400 hp) or non-SE base (360 hp). Then, a selection between the Sport and Tour chassis. Hence why my loaner’s window sticker stretches out to a hilariously long title “2026 Lotus Emira Turbo SE Racing Line.” The Racing Line package available on all models might sound more hardcore, but unfortunately winds up as more of an appearance package that adds badging, colored brake calipers, and yellow pinstriping – all somewhat reminiscent of, but not quite as extensive as, the limited-production Clark Edition that celebrates 60 years since driver Jim Clark drove a Lotus Type 38 to win at the 1965 Indianapolis 500. My Emira arrived in a brighter green (Eos Green, technically) over a full Alcantara interior.A more restrained British Racing or forest metallic might look better, but I can stillremember the first time laying eyes on an Emira in the flesh – and it’s still easy to arguethat this might be the single best-looking car on the market today from anymanufacturer. More importantly, especially for a Lotus, even the first time driving this 2026 Emira around the block revealed how much of a difference the model year updates made. The DCT gearbox functions better in all scenarios thanks to a full recalibration. Gone is the low-speed shuddering, gone the gearshift indecision at half throttle. And no more abrupt, clunky shifts that upset the chassis while driving hard – again, critical because despite pumping out 400 ponies, the Emira remains all about driving dynamics at all times. The revised suspension tuning also stood out immediately, but any Lotus deserves time to shine on a tight canyon road, so I quickly headed up to my favorite stomping grounds in Malibu. After fires and rainstorms that led to mudslides, the roughed-up asphalt provided an excellent opportunity to suss out the new Emira’s baseline characteristics. And because Lotus decided against slamming the Emira to the ground, bumps and cracks never presented a challenge, instead allowing for easy exploration of the chassis’s communication. The Emira still leans onto the tires, squatting and diving with a telepathic ability to convey tire grip to the driver in the seat and each hand on the steering wheel. Slightly more float and cushion in the mid-range of shock damper travel allows for a bit more body roll, steadily loading up the tires as weight transfer enables more traction. Fingertips on the steering wheel, eyes up in the bright morning sun, I feathered in more and more speed, blipping up and down through the gears while trying to play with the inescapable whine of turbo boost building. The exhaust never overwhelms the cockpit, even with the valving opened up in Sport or Track modes. And letting off the throttle then produced a flutter of wastegate blowoff, seemingly right behind my left ear. The soundtrack becomes eerily reminiscent of a Maserati MC20, since an inline-four and V6 never quite sound great in the modern era of corked-up emissions equipment. So much so that I wound up short shifting regularly, just to hear and feel the turbo spool up through the revs rather than trying to unleash peak power by shifting more frequently. The only peculiar aspect of the 2026 revision started to rear up once I fell back into the Emira’s flow state. Namely, that the Racing Line trim swaps on Goodyear Eagle F1 tires despite the previous Sport chassis that I tested coming with grippier Michelin Cup 2 rubber as part of the Driver’s Pack. Cup 2s can come as an extra-cost option, but this unexpected decision from Lotus shaves off the final few decimal points of outright performance, especially when cornering. On a somewhat dusty day and cold morning, I “only” managed to hit 1.5 g of lateral load with the new setup. And the chatter of ABS tended to activate slightly earlier, too. Few other sports or supercars on the planet can corner at anywhere near 1.5 g. But the falloff against my previous best in an Emira on the same roads, other than tire choice, also likely comes down to the old suspension setup lacking a final few percent of Lotus magic. With less mechanical perfection to rely upon, Lotus then compensated with an aggressive alignment to unlock those hardcore cornering capabilities of the Cup 2 tires. As a result, in the earlier Turbo with the Sport chassis and Cup 2s, I managed as high as 1.7 g – the best of any road car I’ve ever driven. However, that alignment caused darty behavior while driving anywhere short of the absolute limit, harnessing the constant interplay between oversteer, understeer, and slip angles that the Emira’s mid- engineered layout allows. But for most, driving on anything other than the smoothest asphalt, constant tram-lining on cracks in the road, and an unsettled nature while driving at any speed somewhat dulled the fun. With the new-for-2026 suspension setup, Lotus clearly decided to calm the chassis down – even for the Sport – by increasing front rebound while reducing the rear end’s high-speed damping and bump travel. Doing so noticeably improves 99% of driving. This falls in line more and makes better sense when comparing the Emira to Porsche’s most apt competitor, the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. Similarly priced at just under $100,00 to start, the Emira originally attempted to compete against the Cayman GT4’s more aggressive dynamic – the GTS 4.0, despite lacking the finest razor edge, actually provided a more enjoyable drive for the majority of daily life. Now, the Emira vaults up to a new level of all-around-ness, despite, of course, lacking the intoxicating 8,000-rpm redline and the crisp response of a naturally aspirated flat-six engine. And Lotus still could have spent a bit more time ironing out the kinks, too. Now that the DCT runs so much more smoothly, the brakes became a bit of a challenge to modulate at low speeds. I suspect the brake booster system needs some attention to compensate for the gearbox’s improved action, because the initial half or three-quarters of an inch of pedal travel creates minimal bite until the pads suddenly chomp down and bring the Emira to a very sudden stop. Modulating this input requires conscious thought and a delicate toe, and will inevitably lead to some neck-snapping moments. Then again, maybe as the first loan out with under 200 miles on the odometer, this car needed a brake bleed or to have the pads bedded in. I certainly tried my utmost to get the latter done in Malibu, and the unfortunate tendency toward lurchy stops did seem to improve by a slim margin. The braking comes across as more of a bummer because otherwise, with the new suspension tuning and alignment, I relaxed far more quickly in the new Emira, even driving with one hand on the flat-bottom steering wheel a fair amount of the time. Previously, the touchy steering required utmost attention, so luckily, the inclusion of European-mandated driver aid systems makes a bit more sense here. I used adaptive cruise and let the lane keep assist hold my lines more often, because I now enjoyed taking the Emira out for errands or to run around town hunting for restaurants. Of course, a quick widget on the touchscreen to easily turn off the nannies would help, or even a physical button as Aston Martin puts right on the center console to replace an enforced dive into extensive menu options. But such a stark shift toward a more comfortable mindset, rather than relegating the Lotus to weekend runs only, should, if anything, only further bolster the appeal. Of course, even with the improvements, I struggle to make the case for selecting theTurbo (in SE or non-SE output) with the DCT. Maybe with a mild ECU tune and anaftermarket exhaust, the AMG powerplant might hit new high notes – as is, the fact thatMercedes won’t sell Lotus a manual connected to that engine, which borders on corporate sabotage. <- Gallery -> The supercharged V6 linked to the six-speed manual simply fits into the Lotus ethos better, and apparently, improved shifter action for the manual arrived this year, too, though I never minded the original as much as some of my colleagues. Regardless, plenty of aftermarket kits, including the single best gearshifter I’ve ever laid hand to, developed by InoKinetic here in SoCal, can work over the exposed linkages quite easily. As for the Racing Line, I also vote for following Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s maxim to “Simplify, then add lightness” by skipping out on anything unnecessary while speccing an Emira. The Racing Line does neither, and most surprisingly does not include carbon-fiber buckets. My 12-way electronically adjustable seats might weigh a fair amount more, and they’re just bolstered enough for spirited drives yet pleasant enough for everyday life. At six-foot-one with long limbs, I spent my time still shocked by how much the Emiria’s spaciousness and modern design perfectly match the rest of the 2026 updates, all of which combine to make this Lotus even more appealing for the everyday driver and canyon carver alike. View All Lotus Cars For Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Michael Van Runkle – May 05, 2026

Review: 2026 Aston Martin DB12 S

This year marks a big step for nearly every model in Aston Martin’s core lineup, as S variants of the DBX super-SUV, Vantage sports car, the more stately DB12, and the flagship Vanquish emerge from cover. Each adds more power, sporty suspension improvements, fine-tuned steering, and a host of visual cues hinting at the updates beneath the skin. The DBX S, in particular, vaulted up to the top of the super-SUV rankings with the bevy of refinements. And the package made even more sense for the Vantage, as the sportiest model in the lineup that somehow undercuts every close competitor in pricing terms. The Vanquish S will likely arrive later in the fall, but more recently, Aston Martin held a media drive program in Malibu to introduce the new DB12 S. As expected, a similar raft of upgrades arrives for the DB12. But I slipped into the driver’s seat of my brilliant blue tester, wondering whether the “super-tourer” in Aston’s lineup truly needed an S makeover, or if sticking with the non-S DB12’s softer character actually makes more sense. The DB12’s design alone represented an impeccable evolution from the DB11 for model year 2024, though the loss of a V12 powerplant came as a serious disappointment (and one with unfortunate timing, given the alphanumeric nomenclature). Now, the V12 remains reserved only for Vanquish one step up the model lineup, as well as some of Aston’s limited-production special editions. At least the AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged V8 powering the heart of the DB12, in a similar fashion to the DBX and Vanquish, received enough of a workover at the hands of Aston Martin engineers to help compensate for at least some of the lost exoticism. Now, that powerplant pumps out the same power gains as the DBX S and Vantage S, for ratings of 690 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque – a bump of 19 horsepower achieved by pushing more turbo boost and installing a freer-flowing exhaust. The eight-speed transaxle mounted between the rear wheels also received attention, and can now shift up to 43 percent quicker than on the non-S. Such a modest gain in vehicles so powerful already winds up making less of a difference than how the suspension and steering can hone in on a sportier demeanor, though. And especially for the DB12, which slots in between the Vantage and Vanquish – and therefore, can’t step on the toes of either. Hence, why Aston undertook the least significant makeover of the three in this case. The shock dampers and steering retain the same hardware, albeit with revised electronic tuning, while mechanical changes apply only to a seven-percent stiffer rear sway bar and slightly more rear camber in the factory alignment specs. Firing up the DB12 S via a familiar button on the center console brings on the thrumming bass of that cross-plane crankshaft V8. And even through normal driving, a healthy dose of turbo spooling whine and blowoff valve flutter creep into the otherwise serene cabin. The gearbox, though not as perfect as the dual-clutch unit on the Vanquish, delivers smooth shifts despite the quicker actuation – regardless of whether I cruised slowly through traffic or started pushing a bit more. And once up into the canyons of Malibu, the DB12 S invited plenty of aggressive driving. The fact that a 2+2 stretching well over 15 feet long can hustle through corners so quickly almost belied comprehension. I figured that the flowing hood, which provides that sensuous “dash-to-axle” ratio quintessential for Aston Martins over the decades, might inevitably lead to the front tires pushing into understeer. But thanks to the rear-mounted transaxle and carbon-fiber propshaft, the DB12 S can dip even further into a wonderfully balanced dance between power, braking, and turning. The S also receives carbon-ceramic brakes as standard, which cut 26 kilograms (57 pounds) of unsprung mass out of the total of 34 kg (75 pounds) total weight savings versus the non-S. The pads never squeal too terribly, even cold, but when called upon to rein in excessive speed, can chomp down and haul the DB12 S to a more sane pace easily – such as when my co-driver and I rounded a corner and discovered three parked cars with the drivers out attempting to corral two sheep off the hillside on Yerba Buena. On clearer roads, I took the chance to fiddle with Aston’s adjustable traction software. Doing so requires holding the stability control button, then spinning the knurled metal drive mode dial. Even at the 5 setting, the DB12 S can quickly slide out the rear tires in a smooth, progressive fashion, something that Director of Vehicle Performance and Attributes Simon Newton specifically called out as a priority for the S overhaul. That rear sway bar and the modestly adjusted alignment clearly make a difference in confidence terms, even if in reality, the DB12 S can go plenty quick enough without pushing up to anywhere near or past the limit. As a larger, longer super tourer than the Vantage without the unbridled aggression of the V12-powered Vanquish, the DB12 shouldn’t necessarily chase all-out pace anyway. The revised damper tuning prevents too much pitch or nose dive, while providing more stability at higher speeds. And yet I wound up preferring the softest GT mode’s suspension compliance best. This not only allows for more body movement to communicate grip, but also a smoother ride when the tarmac gets rougher. <- Gallery -> In that regard, DB12 always played sort of a middle child – neither the sportiest nor the most exotic. But where even the Vantage S still represents a screaming deal versus its competition, in the form of Porsche’s 911 Turbo S or the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, the DB12 S steps up seriously in price. As tested, the many options on my car totaled up to $418,400 over a $272,000 starting sticker. Personally, I can skip the yacht spec interior since the Leather Tritone adds $11,200 while the Cote d Azur Blue upholstery contributes $6,400, and the Dark Knight carpet tacks on another $2,400. At least the dual 2x2 twill carbon packages, for $24,100 combined, delete some of the piano black plastic on the center console. My car’s Ion Blue paint job ($13,600) soaked up light beautifully in the shade, but leaned toward too bright and contrasty under direct sunlight. I preferred another finished in classy gunmetal metallic silver on site, though unfortunately every S now includes the contrasting carbon-fiber roof and spoiler. And in fact, even though I prefer coupes almost 100% of the time versus convertibles or cabriolets, the DB12 Volante with the S package might well stand out as my recommended spec. With a droptop that lets me scoot my seat a little higher without cramping headspace, giving a better view over that sumptuous hood lines – now with added heat extractors to match the more aggressive front side splitters and rear diffuser – putting the Volante’s roof back will also allow an even better soundtrack from that souped-up V8. Throw on the optional titanium exhaust, too (for $14,400) to drop another 11.7 kilograms (26 pounds), and all the S weight savings start to counteract some of the convertible top’s additional 244 pounds. I can imagine the DB12 S coupe floating along the Autobahn at 160 miles an hour, serenely planted thanks to the squared-up suspension and re-tuned steering assist that reduces on-center friction, all as the raring muscle car engine provides endless torque shove. This truly is a spectacular car, and one that I struggle to find measurable faults with, further proof of Aston’s commitment to continued improvements under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll. But conceptually, the DB12’s new S variant significantly ramps up the super side of super-tourer. For most of everyday driving, I wound up wishing for a Volante S variant with another suspension mode on the softer side, to emphasize the grand touring appeal as well. View All Aston Martins for Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Michael Van Runkle – May 02, 2026

Review: 2026 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid

When Porsche first launched the Cayenne for model year 2003, customer response proved doubtful SUV critics wrong immediately. And for good reason: combining Porsche panache with serious performance and borderline unbelievable off-road capability arguably put both the “Sport” and “Utility” in an SUV for the first time ever. More recently, though, the Cayenne started trending more in the sporty direction – and especially the top-spec Turbo GT that essentially swaps a Porsche badge onto a Lamborghini Urus super-SUV. The Urus SE then added hybrid power to Lambo’s SUV lineup, though Porsche paved the way for hybrids as far back as 2010. Now, despite lacking much in the way of off-road cred anymore, the new 2026 Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid can stack up in almost even terms to the Turbo GT (or Urus SE) by throwing EV utility into the mix as a daily driver, commuter, and family hauler. And one that still absolutely snarls when the times comes for aggressive driving, too. Much the same as that original hybrid Cayenne in 2010, as well as the Urus SE today, my tester uses a single electric motor between the engine and transmission. In this case, the e-motor can pump out 174 horsepower and a prodigious 339 lb-ft of torque, the latter of which takes some load off the familiar Volkswagen AG twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. In total, Porsche rates the combined powertrain at 729 horsepower and 700 lb-ft, good enough to log a 3.5-second sprint to 60 miles an hour. For 2026, the Turbo E-Hybrid’s battery steps up in capacity to 25.9 kilowatt-hours, or 45% more than the previous model year. That translates to plenty of range in fully electric mode for this plug-in hybrid. In reality, the estimated 24 miles paled in comparison to what my Cayenne showed on the gauge cluster regularly, at well over 30 miles with the battery fully charged. I spent plenty of time driving around silently and stealthily, as much to save my neighbors from early morning wakeups as to test the overnight charging capabilities. Once I purposefully drew down enough juice, I also plugged the provided charger into a standard 120-volt outlet. With only 3% charge by that time, the Cayenne showed a graphic on the center touchscreen predicting about 21 hours to fill up all 97% remaining. But I unplugged early the next morning, after a little under 15 hours plugged in, and the state of charge already sat above 75%. Not bad, since that means any Level 2 charger running on 240V should top up the battery overnight with ease. The gasoline engine itself can also charge the battery, which I regularly tried to do by spinning the drive mode dial on the steering wheel to Hybrid, then selecting E-Charge mode on the center touchscreen. This only works while driving at higher speeds, though, rather than in stop- and-go traffic or neighborhoods, when the hybrid system best contributes to efficiency rather than all-out performance. Luckily, despite the variable settings, Porsche makes figuring out the Turbo E-Hybrid’s many modes quite intuitive. The Cayenne always fires up fully electric to start, though, and I sometimes noticed a bit of lag when dipping into the gas pedal without the gasoline engine already running. So, I stayed in Hybrid mode for most drives with the engine lazily chugging along, prioritizing the seemingly endless wellspring of low-end torque until the time came to head up into Malibu and spin the dial further to the right for Sport and Sport Plus. As usual in Sport, the burly V8 unleashes a deep crescendo of exhaust grumble as valves open up and the suspension tightens down. Paddles on the steering wheel let me rip through gears, but in reality, Porsche’s typically impeccable shift logic stayed in the proper rev range at all times anyhow. In a similar fashion to the Urus SE, the Cayenne’s curb weight of well over 5,500 pounds results in a fair amount of wallowing and wafty over rough roads. The suspension clearly works hard to manage body roll and prevent understeer, but even the wizards of Weissach can only combat sheer physics so much. Rear axle steering, meanwhile, allows for a tremendously tight turning radius, though the interplay between PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control) adjusting the air springs, the active sway bars, and that rear-steer system sometimes results in some ungainly and unpredictable moments. For the majority of driving, though, the Cayenne simply rides so smoothly that this tradeoff seems absolutely worth any bit of confidence lost at the very limit. Porsche quality control on full display; every touchpoint feels so solid, with no creaks or rattles anywhere in the serene cabin. Turn up that Burmester sound system, stretched out in the front or rear seats, and the Cayenne turns into a wellness retreat. The trunk even fits a substantial 21.9 cubic feet of cargo, despite the battery pack below the cargo floor eats modestly into that volume versus non-hybrid Variants. For this reason alone, I’d argue against choosing the Cayenne’s Coupe roofline for the Turbo E- Hybrid – since allowing a bit more room for hauling grocery, luggage, or sports gear versus a station wagon pretty much inspired the whole genre of the SUV in the first place. In fact, the prospect of owning a true “one-car solution” that perfectly combines sport and utility inspired me to buy a first-generation Cayenne Turbo years ago. Of course, I then modified it for off-roading with knobby tires, skid plates, and a swingout spare tire carrier – which only dulled down the lateral cornering by a small margin. And when so equipped, this luxury German Autobahn stormer then hit some heavy trails with surprising ease, too. I still recommend first-gen Cayennes quite regularly, but it’s nice to get a chance to experience how Porsche’s pioneering SUV ethos carries on today. Some similarities hit my memory bank hard: the angular grip handles on the center console, a familiar hood bulge out the front windshield, the shape of the headlights, that trunk sill made out of brushed metal. <- Gallery -> Other than leaping up in horsepower by just about another two-thirds versus my old Cayenne, the new generation also steps up in price quite quickly when diving into Porsche’s infamously extensive options list. The Turbo E-Hybrid comes fairly loaded already at $162,500 to start, but my tester ran to $210,140 with a laundry list of add-ons. I can skip the passenger touchscreen for $1,580 since everybody travels with a smartphone anyway. And that rear-axle steering costs $1,310 for those who believe the reduced turning radius sounds necessary. And though Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) make sense on a GT3, on an SUV, an additional $10,580 for braking seems a bit excessive. The Burmester 3D High-End Surround System, on the other hand, absolutely amplifies everything spectacular about the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid and should be mandatory for $5,940. And I need the Premium Plus Package because it includes ventilated seats – that’s another $3,450. Just $730 for a trailer hitch seems reasonable, given that this Cayenne can tow easily with all the torque in the known universe. More realistically, that trailer hitch will probably hold a bike rack, though roof rails and a box always look good on almost any Porsche, too. Few other cars on the market today can compete with the Cayenne’s impressive breadth of abilities. At least Porsche still retained a bit of adventure potential, too, given that the air suspension can crank up in Off-Road mode – not to mention the dedicated off-road gauge Screen. Unfortunately, the huge brakes necessary to rein in such a prodigiously powerful and heavy SUV dictate 22-inch wheels (PCCB or not), which rules out the big knobby tires that my old rig fit on its 18-inch wheels. Even without hitting any trails and truly torture-testing the Pirelli Scorpion tires, my week with a Turbo E-Hybrid revealed just how far the Cayenne has come in refinement terms as much as anything. Equal parts EV, efficiency hybrid, and supercar, this plug-in absolutely excels at living well day in and day out, and still truly approaches about as close to a one-car solution as possible. View All Porsche Cayennes for Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Michael Van Runkle – April 25, 2026

Review: 2026 Land Rover Defender Octa

When Land Rover axed the classic Defender SUV in 2020 after 37 years of production – depending on how one interprets the model’s extended timeline – the controversial next generation entirely overhauled the iconic SUV’s characteristics. No more solid axle suspension, no more clattering diesel and underpowered gasoline engines, and no more boxy steel body panels. Instead, the new Defender takes a solid step into the modern luxury arena, with a playfully plasticine exterior design hiding plenty of tech on the inside and underneath the hood. The Defender then reached entirely new heights with the 2025 debut of a range-topping Octa trim, which swaps in a 626-horsepower BMW V8 and supercar-derived suspension. Fender flares over bigger tires and a wider track bulk up the Octa’s beefy stance, hinting at perhaps even more off-road capability than the venerable Defender Classic. And then, Land Rover entered an even more hardcore variant of the new SUV into the grueling Dakar Rally, as a testament to this newfound performance. While the Dakar raged in Saudi Arabia, I took an Octa loaner in Los Angeles, curious to discover where in the spectrum between luxury SUV, supercar, and rock-crawler the Octa winds up, especially after an admittedly disappointing first experience in a base Defender 130 from the new generation just over two years prior. As good as the Octa looks, with the improved proportions playing up that rally-racing aesthetic, the powertrain proved impossible to ignore. Land Rover actually sourced the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 from BMW, where the internal-coded “S68” engine motivates the current M5, X5M, and X6M. Paired to the same ZF eight-speed automatic, in this case 626 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque unlock a claimed 0-60 time of four seconds flat – not bad considering the Octa weighs in just shy of 6,000 pounds. Every time I pushed the start button early in the morning, I felt a twinge of pity for my neighbors as the grumbling exhaust fired up. Any sense of sorry immediately evaporated when I punched the gas pedal, though, which inevitably sends the rear suspension into a strong squat. Suffice to say, I fully believe rumors that with enough grip for a hard launch off the line and the airbags set to Comfort, the Octa can actually wheelie the front two tires off the line. Luckily, an enormous set of six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes can haul down that speed and weight with surprising ease. Now imagine a Defender Classic trying to rip around like a supercar. Guess again. At the moment, the Octa package only comes on the 110 chassis, not the longer 130 (which unlike the Classic, actually shares the same wheelbase but adds a longer trunk for increased cargo capacity and a third row of seats). Nor on the short-wheelbase Defender 90. Using the 110 as a base results in impressive approach and departure angles of 40.2 and 42.8 degrees, respectively, or a steep line from the tires to the Octa-specific front and rear bumpers – all the better for conquering obstacles without scraping. <- Gallery -> To test the Octa’s off-road cred, I headed out to familiar trails in the Southern California desert for some high-speed ripping and low-speed rock-crawling. Unlike the Defender Classic, the new generation switched to independent suspension all around, which typically means less articulation and reduced traction when the trail gets tough. But the Octa’s model-specific hydraulic roll control system, which Land Rover dubbed “6D” because it manages body motion in all directions by replacing the sway bars used on lower trims, maxes out potential wheel travel as much as possible. Especially with the air suspension pumped up to the tallest ride height, I rarely noticed a tire lift off the dirt. Though in fairness, doing so lifted the body so much that even at six-foot-one with long legs, I often struggled to climb in and out of the driver’s seat. Unlike my legs, the Octa never struggled too much going up a steep incline with plenty of ruts and rocks exposed after recent Southern California rainstorms. Provided that is, I found the proper mode and setup. But that was easier said than done, because in typical British automaker fashion, the user interface left me more than frequently frustrated. For one thing, physical switchgear for off-road settings inexplicably hide within the climate control panel. Other settings can only be accessed via the central touchscreen. But sometimes, to activate off-road modes, playing around in the gauge cluster via the steering wheel controls becomes necessary – including to adjust the tire pressure monitoring settings to then turn on Octa mode via the big button at the bottom of the steering wheel. The logic loop of so many settings and features will boggle the minds of even experienced off-roaders who know what every term means. Why not use dedicated buttons for each individual mode? Or at least make everything accessible via the touchscreen, rather than prompting to other menus that take forever to find? Well, Land Rover seems to want to inspire trust in the machine – no matter how much I wanted to control each individual setting without having to stick in Custom Terrain mode and fiddle through the menus constantly. Best practice, instead, was to give up on trying to lock the rear differential via the icon that looks just like a button. Just set it and forget it via the drive modes, and let the powertrain do the work. That made me a little nervous while trying to find the four-wheeling limits of a $170,200 SUV (as tested). But even though the computer needs to react to changing terrain, traction, and driver inputs, the powertrain and suspension do work together to get the job done. If not particularly pleasantly, precisely because the driver’s ability and vision get entirely removed from the equation. Also, because the stiff hydraulic pressure in the suspension and the overall weight resulted in plenty of clunks, crashing sounds, and unwelcome trundling up harder aspects of the climb. I barely needed low range, which improves the crawling capabilities thanks to a shorter 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, because the BMW V8 simply puts out so much torque. The transmission refused to stay in first gear when in four-low anyhow, which kind of makes the exercise futile in the first place. And the whole rig seemed much happier at higher speeds to completely unlock the booming BMW engine’s horsepower. Still, we’re a long way off from Land Rover’s D7X-R Dakar racecar, which skips out on the hydraulic 6D suspension in the name of custom Bilstein shock dampers and coilovers all around. The D7X-R also gets a roll cage, an absurdly enormous 145-gallon fuel cell, and steps up to larger 35-inch tires, too. On my tester, a set of Khaki and Ebony “Ultrafabric” seats played up the off-roady theme, and the same for the optional 20-inch wheels that I believe should be mandatory versus the larger 22-inchers that then rule out BFGoodrich’s mid-tier Trail Terrain A/T tires. I found the suspension actually preferred running the tires at slightly lower pressure, 42 psi front and 44 psi rear, but personally, on my own Octa I figure a set of bigger and beefier KO3s should do much better. Just don’t ask about fuel economy – I averaged almost exactly 13 mpg over the course of a week and a few hundred miles, which sets this Defender into solid full-size pickup truck territory. At this level of aspirational adventure SUV, the Octa more accurately splits the gap between Mercedes-Benz’s stalwart G-Wagen and Ford’s impressive Bronco Raptor. But the base G only comes with a hybrid inline-six now, and stepping up to the AMG G 63 in the name of a V8 engine then ups the price tag nearer to $200,000. The Bronco Raptor, meanwhile, stickers well below six figures with a bit more rugged and truly hardcore trail-ready capability thrown in. Yet both the G and the Bronco feature similar interior volume issues as the Octa, which never feels roomy or comfortable despite the larger footprint compared to the “base” Defender 110 that start at a much more reasonable $63,500. For the 2026 model year, Land Rover will add a 1.7-inch bigger central touchscreen across the lineup, a blacked-out exterior package, and new headlights. When those options arrive, they won’t change too much of the Octa’s character as mall-crawler extraordinaire. For those who truly know what they’re looking at, the Octa might pique the right amount of interest from 4x4 fans, too. It can certainly do the off-roading capably, if not enjoyably – and from style points alone, clearly takes the cake in the Defender lineup. Now, if only Land Rover took the next logical step to bolt those fender flares and the bigger tires onto a short-wheelbase Defender 90 with the supercharged V8, the more traditional suspension, and a starting price tag more reflective of true capability, then the Octa might occupy a more appealing and unique slot in the off-road market. View All Land Rover Defenders For Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Michael Van Runkle – April 18, 2026

Review: 2026 Ford F-350 Tremor – a Godzilla-Powered Beast

In the world of American pickup trucks, the Ford F-150 sells more units every year than any other truck from any other automaker – and has done so for 49 straight years. For good reason, too, as Ford’s expanding lineup of configurations caters to every potential buyer, from construction and farm work to luxury urban life and hardcore desert runners. The Super Duty models, F-250 and F-350, then up the size and capability with bigger engines, more towing capacity, and beefier components that can handle a lifetime of abuse. Admittedly, West Los Angeles might not top the list of greatest places to drive a Ford Super Duty pickup truck. But I recently spent a week adjusting to life with an enormous F-350 equipped with just about every option possible: the beastly “Godzilla” V8, a cowboy-inspired King Ranch interior, and the off-roading Tremor package. Short of a Raptor R or Ram TRX, my F-350 at just into six figures represented just about the most expensive pickup truck available for sale right now in the USA. The King Ranch package prioritizes luxury living in pickup truck form, far more than dune charging in the desert. But the Tremor treatment also introduces fairly legitimate off-roading features, including 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires, a suspension lift, and skid plates, plus a 12,000-pound Warn winch snugged into the front bumper. So naturally, amid my daily driving, I also headed out to a tough trail that I know well to test whether such a huge, kitted-out truck can keep up with a rugged, adventurous lifestyle. At over 22 feet long, the F-350 with a spacious Super Crew can fit five adults comfortably. But the solid axles and suspension components lean toward heavy-duty towing just as much as the King Ranch package smartens up the interior. All as the gargantuan 7.3-liter Godzilla V8 bellows and roars at any rpm, never needing turbos or a supercharger to thump out ungodly torque everywhere throughout the rev range. Though 430 horsepower and 485 lb-ft of torque might not seem too impressive on paper, especially in a truck that weighs well over 7,000 pounds, the 10-speed automatic transmission’s gear ratios keep the powerplant right in its happy place. As specced – without a “dually” rear axle – this truck can tow up to 19,500 pounds or haul just under 4,000 pounds in the 6.75-foot bed. Luckily, my tester’s classy shade of greenish-grey, which Ford calls Marsh, helps to tone down the sheer presence, if that’s possible given the size. From the inside, resplendent in rich Java leather contrasting hides and plenty of knurled metal, all the tech and creature comforts help to make life in such a behemoth much more palatable. I spent every minute behind the wheel with the ventilated and massaging driver’s seat running. But almost more importantly, Ford clearly hopes to help anybody just climb right in – stepping on those automatically retracting running boards – and actually drive this titanic truck with ease, so steering and suspension setup purposefully reduces truck-like driving dynamics by keeping body roll and front-end trammeling to a minimum. <- Gallery -> Utilizing tech seamlessly also makes negotiating tricky environments a cinch. I fit into surprisingly tight parking spots, after a few tries sometimes, by using the multiple camera views available on the 12-inch center touchscreen as well as the large side view mirrors. Really, the only reminder to the mammoth size was constantly looking down upon the roofs of every mid-size SUV creeping through LA traffic. The F-350’s front hood also slopes forward more generously than many 1500-class American pickups, even, which further contributes to more confidence while driving – either on-road or off. At six-foot-one, I typically scoot a full-size truck’s driver seat a bit forward and up anytime I go four-wheeling, to better keep an eye on upcoming obstacles. But once I arrived at my usual test route north of LA, in the F-350, I never needed to. With the gauge cluster set to a dedicated Off-Road Mode screen, pitch and roll readouts flank tire pressures, the latter of which I spent most of the morning watching quite closely. I only aired the Goodyears down to 30 psi in the name of safety and a bit more compliance, which helped the suspension eat up the worst of ruts and bumps, but still, I drove slowly and steadily rather than hauling up the hill as quickly as possible. After all, not too many other rigs would have been able to help me out if anything went wrong! Picking the right line in the F-350 meant keeping the rear axle path in mind, but generally, if I pointed the steering wheel at an obstacle and let a front tire climb up and over, the rears followed in track. This trail lacked any truly tight pinch points, though. Instead, I spent most of the ascent looking for increasingly difficult places to pose with a wheel (or two!) off the ground. To my great dismay, the Tremor’s suspension lift and those big tires meant I never got a chance to hop out (again, via the running boards) and shoot that perfect dramatic moment. I also kept a close eye on Godzilla’s fluid temps while climbing up the steepest aspect of the trail. A cold morning, as I headed up into a cloud bank, likely helped, but the Godzilla engine never showed a sign of strain, staying right in the center ranges for coolant, engine oil, and transmission temps. I never even needed to activate low range because sticking in first gear via the gear selector stalk kept me right in the power band while trundling right up the hill. Only the deepest rut I spotted, and where I purposefully tried to dip tires into, full of orange and grapefruit-sized stones, required turning on the rear locking differential to escape. Hence why so many off-roaders love solid axle articulation, which worked wonders for such a monstrous truck despite the relatively firm ride. Solid axles typically require a tradeoff in driveability terms, though. But on the F-350, perhaps less than expected. Back at highway speeds, and with the tires inflated to 60 psi, the suspension worked more smoothly to keep the F-350’s driving manners civilized. Navigating through the midday lunch rush required no extra thought; in fact, I mostly reveled in the surprising fidelity of the Bang & Olufsen sound system while cruising around town. If only a few days let me fully adjust to driving a truck this sizable, I figure Ford nailed the brief. Fuel economy, which I definitely should have expected, stands out as the F-350’s major Achilles’ Heel – especially with the Godzilla V8 and given the current global climate. In my week with the truck, I never cracked into double-digit mpgs. And the truck’s onboard computer reported a lifetime of just below 12 mpg average, which comes pretty close to the consumption of the 720-horsepower Raptor R. But compared to that high-performance and head-turning machine, the F-350 with King Ranch and Tremor packages comes across as a much more restrained, rational choice. With options, my truck totaled up to an MSRP of $100,630. But either with or without the King Ranch package (which starts at $78,075 versus a base Crew Cab Lariat at $63,035), or even doing away with the Tremor’s off-road goodies ($4,450 plus another $4,375 for the 12,000-pound winch), I wound up very impressed by the F-350 as a whole. Little details like retracting foot steps at all four corners of the truck bed, lane keep assist that gently nudges the tires back into line, camera views that don’t turn off as quickly as those from most other manufacturers – everything purposefully makes life with the F-350 much more approachable. The fact that the Super Duty trucks don’t come with Ford’s semi-autonomous BlueCruise hands-free driving software likely comes down to the liability of letting such a heavy rig pilot itself. And unfortunately, the Warn winch in the front bumper appears to (for me, anyways!) block the sensors for adaptive cruise, too – a feature that would make road-tripping in the palatial F-350 even more palatable. For anyone who drives long distances, I’d definitely recommend splurging for the Power Stroke turbodiesel ($10,495) for the improved fuel economy, plus the absurd 1,050 lb-ft of torque and improved potential for toy hauling. Either with the Godzilla or the diesel, though, the F-350 stands out as the absolute pinnacle of American pickups, ready for anything the world can throw at a truck. View All Ford F350s For Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Michael Van Runkle – April 04, 2026

Review: 2026 Polestar 4 Performance Pack

Until the highly anticipated Polestar 5 arrives later this year, the 4 reigns at the top of the Volvo spinoff EV company’s lineup. This performance-oriented crossover with dual-motor all-wheel drive and 280 miles of range began international production as far back as 2023, but now arrives for model year 2026 here in the United States. Stylistically perfect, the 4 straddles a line between sporty and simple, with a healthy dose of futuristic Scandinavian minimalism plus some subtly muscular proportions reminiscent of the Ferrari Purosanguge. But that futuristic minimalism critically hits the market with one enormously controversial design detail: the complete elimination of a rear window. Polestar claims this allows for more headroom in the luxuriously spacious rear seats, but this bold stylistic choice truly begs the question of whether one single design decision can entirely detract from everything great about the 4. Admittedly, the lack of a rear window dominated my attention when I first drove the 4 at its international launch in Madrid nearly two years ago – though less so last winter during a full day of sideways ice drifting on a frozen lake above the Arctic Circle in Sweden. But now that the 4 has hit dealer floors here in America, I took a loaner for a week of daily driving in West Los Angeles, eager to learn whether more time might give me a chance to adjust to the Polestar 4 and that blocked-off rear end. Polestar builds the 4 on a chassis shared with the Chinese conglomerate Geely, in contrast to the 3 that is more directly related to its Volvo siblings. The 4 therefore sits 3.7 inches lower than that larger, more traditionally designed crossover alternative in the lineup, preventing too much direct competition between the two models. In this case, my Long range Dual motor 4 arrived fully specced with the Pilot, Plus, and Performance packs. The Performance pack in particular emphasizes handling, braking, and style with retuned suspension, 22-inch wheels over Brembo brake calipers finished in gold paint, and both gold seatbelts and valve stem caps to match. If gold seems anathema to Scandinavian minimalism, in fact the aesthetic actually complements the stellar interior and exterior design well. I love Polestar’s colors and textures in general, and especially my loaner’s lightly metallic “Electron” blue paintjob and pale white “Zinc” Nappa leather inside. But unlike the 2 and 3 before it, the 4’s Performance pack does not add any extra power as part of the $4,500 option. That means the same pair of 200-kilowatt front and rear motors combine for peak ratings 544 horsepower and 506 lb-ft of torque, which Polestars claims results in a 0-60 time of just 3.7 seconds. Punching the 4’s go pedal brings on the brutal gut-punch of torque typical from high-performance EVs. Without exaggeration, the acceleration almost borders on absurd, whipping this four-door up to highway speeds – and well beyond – in the blink of an eye. And yet, the Performance pack’s chassis tuning and larger wheels prioritize handling more than anything else. Such a lowslung design with 6.5 inches of ground clearance contributes to the impression that surely, this EV that whips around so easily simply cannot weigh more than 5,000 pounds. Of course, the 100 kilowatt-hours of batteries account for most of that mass. Polestar’s somewhat anesthetized steering helps to reinforce the mild resistance to cornering, allowing the 4 to absolutely rip through traffic or up tight canyons at borderline unbelievable pace. And despite the sporty aspiration, interior spaciousness does stand out as one of the 4’s greatest attributes. At six-foot-one with long limbs, I never even scooted the driver seat all the way back. And even if I had, I still would have never impinged on rear seat legroom – clearly, that rear window, or lack thereof, comes into play. <- Gallery -> The whole point of deleting the back window, as Polestar justifies the decision, was to scoot the roof’s internal safety bracing rearward and thereby improve second-row headroom. The second row seats do fit full-grown adults comfortably, and all without sacrificing too much trunk cargo volume behind the seats, either. But from the outside, looking at the outline of the blank panel where a window should be does somewhat defeat the purpose – somewhat ironically, various sensors for the safety equipment made necessary by deleting the rear window now exist there, so Polestar cannot reinstall a window retroactively. Really, in a car this quick, I never check the rear view all too often anyhow! And at this point, after years driving supercars and large pickup trucks, I’ve adjusted to digital rearview mirror systems. Polestar pairs the main rearview mirror camera with multiple other angles that activate in reverse or when using the turn signals, to help compensate for the massive blind spot. It’s still not nearly as great as clear glass, but not too terrible. Instead, most of my doubletakes happened while negotiating LA’s tough traffic, when I might glance over the shoulder before a quick lane change and my brain balked at the dark area in my peripheral vision. I needed to learn to trust the tech, and Polestar employs redundancies in the system, a quintessentially Volvo level of safety engineering. However, a few other critical decisions that Polestar made for the 4 attempt to unnecessarily reinvent the technological wheel, as well. Mainly, I learned the key. A small black rectangle, the key has zero buttons. Like many modern cars, the default setting should recognize whenever the key comes into proximity of the car, then unlock the doors and extend the retracting handles. But mine worked maybe half the time, with no backup plan (in the form of buttons) available other than to pull the key out of my pocket and wave it near a dedicated place on the B-pillar for a while. Again, I needed to trust the tech. Or more accurately, in this case, download Apple CarKey to my iPhone to enable a better way of locking and unlocking the 4. Apple CarPlay, on the other hand, connected only about half the time too. Luckily, Polestar’s large 15.4-inch central touchscreen functions with Google apps in reasonable fashion. I saved my seating position preferences in the memory settings, configured shortcuts in the home page, and also flipped the 10.2-inch gauge cluster to show navigation – a critical choice because the 360-degree surround camera views popped up whenever I used the turn signals, blocking any directions I might be relying upon in the center screen. My most commonly accessed menu page? The drive settings, where Polestar allows for extensive selection of various characteristics that entirely adjust the 4’s power delivery and handling capability. I played around extensively, trying to find the best combinations for both daily comfort and more aggressive canyon carving. For city life, I wound up preferring the lightest steering, softest suspension, full one-pedal regenerative braking, and max range—perhaps as expected. But even for my sporty combo, after setting the power to full bore, I still kept the steering in the lightest mode, with the suspension then in the most taut configuration. This helped to emphasize nimbleness, counteracting the direct impression of EV mass that dulled the finer edges with the steering set to firm. The whole time, I kept one-pedal regen on and creep set to off, if only to maximize range because the 4 Dual motor does only get an EPA estimate of 280 miles. That’s entirely sufficient for city life and occasional weekend fun, even if a bit shy of the Tesla Model Y Long Range that many potential Polestar 4 buyers will no doubt cross shop against. Over the course of my week, I can report the onboard range estimate appeared very generous, even if I avoided one longer drive to San Diego and back just to skip out on potentially needing to stop and charge. So, I never tested the claimed 10-80% charge time of 30 minutes, in full disclosure. And as always, I only recommend an EV purchase to anyone who can rely on charging at home or at work, instead of depending upon inconsistent public infrastructure. When the halo Polestar 5 arrives later this year, both power and range will improve significantly thanks to an 800-volt architecture replacing the 4’s 400-volt system. The 5 will therefore compete more reasonably with the upper end of the Lucid Air models, which means expected pricing well into six figures. By contrast, my 4 with every option box checked ran up to $80,800 over a $62,900 base MSRP for the Dual motor layout and the no-cost Pilot pack. My Plus pack added $5,500 for excellent massaging front and reclining rear seats, three-zone climate, a power tailgate, and more, in addition to the Performance pack. I’d also highly recommend the optional electrochromatic tinting roof glass ($1,500), which can darken at the touch of a button, as an absolute must-have for any EV that eats into range by using the air conditioning. As a theme, Polestar clearly believes in the power of technology such as this to help owners adjust to the EV lifestyle. So, for now, even if the larger 3 stands out as the workhorse in the lineup, anyone accustomed to cutting-edge tech or supercar performance will likely enjoy the 4 most out of Polestar’s steadily growing electric lineup. View All Polestar For Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Kirk Bell – March 21, 2026

Review: 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport

by Kirk Bell In the world of six-figure automobiles, the badge on the nose is often the main purchase consideration. Buyers want to be associated with brands that can represent their style, refinement, and social status. Infiniti doesn’t enjoy that kind of cachet, so when Nissan’s luxury brand wants more than $100k for an SUV, it has to deliver with luxury, technology, and little details. The 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport makes every effort to offer the details to play with the big boys. The 2026 model year is the second for the redesigned second-generation QX80 and the first for the new Sport model. The Sport sits one rung below the top Autobiography model, and while it adds no sporty features, it comes loaded with luxuries as well as dark interior and exterior appearance tweaks. Infiniti QX80 Performance Work Details The QX80 is a hulking full-size, body-on-frame SUV workhorse that can carry seven passengers and their stuff while towing a trailer. Every QX80 uses a front and rear double-wishbone suspension, and all but the base model get air springs and adaptive dampers. The Sport in QX80 Sport is a misnomer. It’s just too hard to make a 6,127-pound SUV sporty. However, the direct and weighty but somewhat slow steering’s heft gives it stability in corners where this lumbering beast, which has a standard ground clearance of 7.9 inches, has notable body lean. The adaptive dampers and 275/50R22 Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S tires soak up road imperfections well, though it still has some body jiggle over bumps. In Sport mode, the ground clearance drops to 6.7 inches as the ride becomes disruptive on broken pavement, with abrupt up-and-down motions. The steering also gets artificially heavier but no longer as direct. A Personal mode programs the steering, suspension, and powertrain. I’d stick with the Normal settings for the steering and suspension and set the powertrain to Sport for when I want more pep without the harder ride. <- Gallery -> That pep comes by way of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-V6 that makes 450 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque. Infiniti routes that power through a nine-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels for standard full-time four-wheel drive that lacks low-range gearing for this generation. That’s OK because this really isn’t an off-roader, even though the air springs can raise the ground clearance to 10 inches. The V6 doesn’t rumble with a rich baritone like a V8, but it has a refined howl that suggests ready power. And that power delivers. It’s strong from a stop and easy to access for passing. In Car and Driver testing, the QX80 posted a quick to 60 mph time of 6.1 seconds. The nine-speed is well matched to the engine, shifting to keep it in its power band when called upon, especially in Sport mode. The sturdy structure and strong powertrain allow the QX80 to tow up to 8,500 pounds. Predictably, fuel economy is mediocre, with EPA ratings of 15 mpg city, 19 highway, 17 combined with the Sport’s standard four-wheel drive. That doesn’t make the QX80 a wise pick for the average family. It drinks too much fuel and handles too lethargically to be as pleasant as a large luxury crossover like the Mercedes-Benz GLS or Land Rover Range Rover. Infiniti QX80 Interior Luxurious Cabin Details The QX80 Sport has the upscale cabin to go with its price. Its standard Dusk Blue semi-aniline leather is complemented by dark ash open-pore wood trim. Stitched leather adorns the doors, dash, and center console, and it’s all assembled with precision. At 211.2 inches long on a 121-inch wheelbase, the QX80 is a monster with lots of room inside for you and your little monsters in comfort. The front seats have the usual adjustments, plus controls for the lumbar support and side bolsters. Heating and ventilation come standard in the QX80 Sport, as do a massage function and a heated, power-adjustable steering wheel. If you can’t find a comfortable seating position, you’re not trying hard enough. Second-row passengers have heating and ventilation, reclining seats that slide forward and back, and their own climate controls. The third row will fit a pair of average-size male adults (I fit well at 5’9” with only a slightly knees-up position), or a trio of tweens, and they also get reclining seatbacks. The second-row captain’s chairs and three-passenger rear bench can be folded from the cargo area or from the center touchscreen, though their touchscreen controls, as well as the controls for the massaging seats, require digging deep into screen menus. Cargo space is cavernous, with 101 cubic feet behind the first row, 59 cubes behind the second row, and 22 cubes behind the third row. That maxes out at about 20 cubic feet less than the standard-length Cadillac Escalade, but it’s still a very useful space. Tech details Screen real estate is generous, with dual 14.3-inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen, as well as a lower touchscreen to handle climate controls, drive modes, 4WD settings, and ride height. The infotainment system runs Google Built-in and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Amazon Alexa. It’s generally easy to use and quick to react to inputs, but it lacks the front passenger screen that rivals are adding these days. Surprise and Delight Details The cabin luxury and screens are expected in a $100,000 vehicle, but Infiniti offers some unique features to draw in buyers. The most notable is a 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system with speakers in the front headrests that let the driver and front passenger hear navigation directions or a phone call while the radio plays for the rest of the passengers. Also quite unique is biometric cooling, which automatically directs air toward second-row riders when it detects they are getting too hot, cooling them down in half the time of a standard climate control system, according to Infiniti. The QX80 Sport also gets a standard dashcam that lets occupants take selfies inside and record road incidents outside. The standard surround-view camera system has nine camera views, with two helpful options. The Front Wide View projects a wide-angle view across both 14.3-inch screens and allows the driver to see around objects to spot potential hazards about to cross the QX80’s path. An Invisible Hood View detects the surface ahead, stores it, and projects a view of it under the front of the vehicle as you move forward. It’s perfect for avoiding obstacles you can’t see over the hood. 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport Price The 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport starts at $103,945, including a $1,995 destination fee, and my tester ran $107,965 with two-tone paint, a lighting package, and additional black exterior trim. That’s a lot to spend on an SUV that won’t garner admiration at the country club, but for the family that tows regularly, the QX80’s Sport’s details can provide a compelling reason to choose it over the big dogs. View All Infiniti QX80s for Sale Images: Infiniti

By Charles Bradley – March 14, 2026

Review: EMC Mercedes-Benz 620 GE

Few vehicles embody utilitarian toughness like the Mercedes-Benz 250 GD. Known as the “Wolf” in service with the German military, this variant of the rugged Mercedes-Benz G-Class spent decades enduring punishing conditions in NATO fleets, emergency services, and combat environments. But in the hands of Expedition Motor Company, these battered workhorses are reborn as meticulously restored luxury off-roaders – now available with an unexpected twist: a 430-horsepower LS3 V8 engine. Founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Alex Levin, the New Jersey-based firm began with a singular mission: restoring the Wolf beyond the original factory specification. “The original goal was to build period-correct, authentically restored Wolfs,” EMC product director Paul Stehn tells duPont REGISTRY. “For a long time, we were doing the original inline-five that originally came in the Wolf, the OM602 2.5-liter single overhead cam diesel.” That engine, produced between 1985 and 2002 and often referred to as a “million-mile” powerplant for its durability, established the tone for EMC’s early builds. Soon afterward, the company began offering more modern Mercedes diesel upgrades. “Then we started introducing some of the more modern engines – the OM605 and OM606 turbo diesels – which are great,” says Stehn. “It kind of fell right in line for us because you still get to maintain the Mercedes-Benz engine under the hood. It’s still a diesel, so for the purist – the person who wants to keep everything Mercedes – that’s great.” But the clientele for these restored G-Class icons began asking for something different. “What you see here is really the result of too many people asking and us saying no too many times!” Stehn admits with a laugh. “People have been asking for the LS V8 for a very long time for a number of reasons. A lot of folks who buy our trucks are coming from Defenders or Broncos, so it’s a platform where they’re familiar with the LS. They know it and they like it.” The result is EMC’s most powerful Wolf yet: a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 producing 430 horsepower, paired with a GM-sourced 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission. From Military Survivor to Bespoke Luxury Every EMC build begins with a carefully sourced donor truck. “All the builds we do are actually ex-military,” Stehn says. “This model is the 250 GD from 1990 to 1993… the W461. The 461 was the nomenclature that the military vehicles got – emergency services, NATO militaries, things like that.” The trucks arrive after years of hard service, requiring extensive rehabilitation. EMC dismantles each vehicle down to its bare frame before beginning a painstaking rebuild. In the company’s shop, every Wolf is disassembled completely – down to the final bolt. Body panels are stripped to bare metal and treated with EMC’s Advanced Corrosion Armor Treatment, while specialists repair years of wear, corrosion, and even combat damage. “Let’s just say we have gotten really good at patching bullet holes,” the company’s website jokes. From there, the body enters a climate-controlled paint suite where anti-corrosion treatments, primer, and premium finishes are applied. Meanwhile, mechanical and electrical systems are rebuilt from scratch, ensuring every truck emerges essentially new beneath its vintage skin. The cabin is equally transformed. Veteran seamstresses craft bespoke interior elements using weatherproof materials designed to balance durability with comfort. The result blends classic G-Class utility with subtle luxury touches. “It’s taken down to the last bolt,” Stehn explains. “The body is taken down to bare metal, and it’s built from the ground up. What we’ve tried to do is keep it authentic and maintain that analog vintage character while also making sure people are comfortable and have some modern luxury.” Those luxuries include air conditioning, heated seats, and wireless Apple CarPlay – deliberately chosen additions that elevate usability without diluting the truck’s spartan appeal. A Carefully Curated Production Unlike many restomod builders, EMC controls its entire supply chain of donor vehicles. “We source all the donor vehicles ourselves; we don’t take any outside vehicles,” Stehn says. “At all times we try to maintain about a four- to five-year pipeline of donor vehicles. We have about 150 that are just waiting to be restored.” Clients commission each build through a bespoke ordering process, specifying powertrain, exterior finish, and interior details. Because bodies are continuously being restored in advance, new orders often slot into builds already underway. “Realistically, when someone secures a build slot, their body has probably been in production for two or three months already,” Stehn says. Despite growing demand, EMC remains deliberately small. “Over 175,” Stehn says when asked how many trucks have been completed since the company’s founding. “We do 24 a year. It really was a passion project for Alex, and we don’t have any plans of scaling to 50 a year.” The Appeal of V8 Power Under the hood of the LS-powered Wolf, the swap looks surprisingly natural. The compact dimensions of the small-block V8 fit neatly into the G-Class engine bay. “It’s funny because when you hear ‘V8,’ you think it’s going to be this monstrous thing, but the small blocks fit,” Stehn says. “Wiring harnesses are new – everything. We strip everything out and rebuild it.” Performance gains are substantial. While the OM605 produces roughly 225 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque – and the OM606 increases output to 275 horsepower and 350 pound-feet – the LS3’s 430 horsepower represents a dramatic leap. “There’s quite a climb through all the engines,” Stehn notes. The drivetrain receives similar upgrades. “The original manuals – since they’re military vehicles – pretty much first and second gear are shot on every single one we do,” Stehn says. “You have to think about it: you have young guys beating them in the military.” The solution is a new transmission altogether: “a GM engine and GM transmission – a 6L80 six-speed automatic.” A New Life for an Old Warrior Each completed Wolf undergoes around 400 miles of testing to ensure everything – from piston rings to camshafts – settles in properly before delivery. After roughly six months, the truck is ready for its new owner, who receives regular updates throughout the process from founder Levin. In the end, the appeal lies in the unlikely fusion of extremes: a battle-hardened military vehicle reimagined as a luxury off-road companion. For EMC, that balance is the entire point. “We try to keep that analog vintage character,” Stehn says, “while making sure people are comfortable.” I take Paul’s Wolf for a quick spin around Wynwood, Miami’s famously graffiti-splashed arts district, where brightly painted murals compete for attention alongside plenty of supercars and customs. Even here, our China Blue short-wheelbase G-Wagen draws attention. As we pause at a junction, admiring glances drift over from the alfresco coffee shops and bakeries lining the street on this crisp Friday morning. One local crosses the road in front of us, nods appreciatively, and offers a simple verdict: “Cool car.” In a neighborhood not easily impressed, that counts as high praise indeed. View All Mercedes-Benz G Class For Sale PHOTOS COURTESY OF EXPEDITION MOTOR COMPANY, CHARLES BRADLEY

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