Spy Shots: Ferrari

When I was driving on 190th I was luckily enough to pull up behind a $1 Million Ferrari Daytona Spyder. This iconic Ferrari has a front-engine V12 that pumps out 350 horsepower. The body is timeless with lines from Pininfirina. Excuse me for the poor quality as I only had my brother's cellphone camera.

New Fuel-Efficient Mercedes Vehicles

While BMW is trying to create silly "efficientdynamic" vehicles that still cannot get above 20 mpg, Mercedes is developing luxury cars that have around the same efficiency as subcompact cars. The first vehicle Mercedes created was the E-class Bluetec which could get around 26 city mpg and 37 highway mpg. These amazing figures were especially astonishing since the diesel engine puts out 210 hp and nearly 400 ft-lbs of torque. This car has been out for a few years, so Mercedes is adding a couple more fuel-efficient vehicles to the line-up. Mercedes placed that same engine in the R-class, and the M-class and a slightly larger Bluetec V6 in the GL-class. More recently, however, Mercedes is going in the direction of hybrids to add greater efficiency to some of its vehicles. The M-class is receiving hybridized drivetrain that will help the vehicle achieve 21 city mpg and 24 highway mpg. These figures are pretty good considering this is a two and a half ton vehicle. In addition, Mercedes is adding a hybrid drivetrain in the most classy and luxurious Mercedes, the S-class. With the same drivetrain as the system in the M-class, the S-class can achieve 19 city mpg, and 26 highway mpg, a 26% increase over the S550. These efforts by Mercedes to build fuel-efficient vehicles will definitely pay-off as buyers now need fuel-sipping vehicles.

Top Gear: Ford Fiesta "Traditional Test"

Jeremy Clarkson shows how fun and cool a small, economical hatchback can be.

Nissan Leaf May Lead the New Industry of Electrics

With the Chevrolet Volt continuing to have its release and production date pushed back, Nissan is stepping in with the all-electric Leaf to hit production must sooner. The Leaf is expected to his U.S. dealers by the end of 2010, this year. The design looks like a smoother, sleeker version of the Versa that should greatly improve aerodynamics. The drivetrain is a fully electric EV-IT system that is powered by a compact lithium-ion battery that supplies the car with a range of 100 miles. The electric motor develops 80kW of power and 206 ft-lbs of torque. Despite the steep price most likely being in the low $30,000 I am very excited about this car, because Nissan's charge into the market with the Leaf shows that an automobile manufacturer does not have to take more than five years to get a car to hit production-"Ehem [cough].. Ford."

Sunday Wrap-Up

Now that you have followed the articles and videos this week of all of the off-road vehicles, I suggest if you have a 4X4 that you use it to the limits it was built to do. Rather than making your massive vehicle the soccer mom or dad car, occasionally drive it out of the city and find an off road route to really have fun and test the capabilities of your SUV. After a rainy season, muddy ditches and shallow rivers will turn into playgrounds to put your vehicle to the test. In California there are many roads just outside of the city that are OHV vehicle approved and would give 4X4 owners great pleasure. A site for off road trails in Southern California is http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/socaltrails/

So just get out of the house and reward your 4X4 the fun it deserves by taking it off the asphalt and drive it out of the city onto some pleasurable, beautiful trails.

Top Gear: Range Rover Sport vs Challenger II Tank

Jeremy tests the fantastic Range Rover Sport Supercharged by trying to outrun a Challenger II Tank.

Top Gear: Bolivia Special Part 3

Top Gear: Bolivia Special Part 2

Top Gear: Bolivia Special Part 1

Jeremy, James, and Richard travel to Bolivia for another death-defying expedition. The four each choose a 4X4 vehicle and must travel from the middle of the Amazon rain forest to the Pacific Ocean.

Land Rover LRX Concept

The LRX Concept from Land Rover is a completely new design and automobile that previews the direction Land Rover will take for future vehicles. As Land Rover currently is tremendously successful, the company needs to continue developing new revisions and models to maintain prosperity in the market. This is where the LRX Concept vehicle will come in. The design is definitely very slick for a cross-over SUV with its wrap around wind shield, sloping roof, and rear end similar to the Range Rover. The difference between this model, though, is that it is slightly smaller than the LR2, the smallest vehicle in the line-up. It will be extremely light and efficient for a vehicle of this nature as it will be powered by a 2-litre turbo diesel hybrid with a biofacility, which could offer 49.9 mpg. Since it is a concept vehicle, Land Rover has not announced whether or when the company plans to place the vehicle into production.

Cars & Coffee Show in Irvine

A couple of weeks ago I went to an informal Cars & Coffee Show at the Mazda Center in Irvine. The show takes place every Saturday and anyone can bring their own car or just come to be a spectator. Cars range from the most exotic Lamborghini's to the classic Mercedes SL's. Here are some of the highlights from the show.

Official Mercedes SLS AMG video

This is a video of the Mercedes SLS AMG on the track. The sound from that naturally aspirated AMG V8 is fantastic.