Can An Old Car Be More Fun Than A New One?

    It's pretty obvious that different people have different opinions. I mean, it happens all the time. But, there are some scenarios where one opinions are literally correct, and others aren't. But here's a question that's a bit of both: can an old car be better than a new one? And of course, this completely depends on one's opinion, but also can be a little fact-or-fiction. For example, the soon-to-be-deceased (sadly) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was very popular among many different types of rich people, from middle-Eastern oil sheiks, Russian oligarchs, and even your average Beverly Hills resident. But, there are some car enthusiasts who strongly prefer an original 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL to the SLS, and have even bought one for themselves. But, keep in mind that the SLS's base price was a mere $201,500 (compared to the 300SL, that is), where as a 300SL sells for over $1,000,000! I find that massive difference in price to be a little crazy, and it doesn't make the 300SL seem like a good deal, considering that the SLS is more comfortable, more reliable, more practical, is faster, and is far, FAR cheaper. But that's not the only combination of new and old. There's also the Porsche 356 and 911, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser and S600, the Jaguar E-Type and F-Type, and so on. In fact, a lot of car icons now did have 1940s-1970s counterparts, but it still remains a decision of choice, so who cares if you buy one or the other? It's completely your decision.

Introducing.....The World's Smallest......Caravan?

        I know that this is a blog about cars, and not caravans, but today, I really don't care. I thought it would be fun to something a little different, and I strongly emphasize the word "little." If you're ever stuck in a long queuing line, or just tired from riding your bike or driving your mobility scooter, you have only one option: the QTvan mini camper. It attaches to bikes and scooters, and can hold a decent amount of stuff, which includes an entire human being. It can also hold many "useful" items, such as a 19in. color TV, alarm clock, bookshelves, a single full-sized bed, a kettle, a Tivoli radio, a complete drinks cabinet (like the one you'd find in a Rolls-Royce, but without the hand-made glasses and decanters), a 240v outlet, and to top it all off, a 5-mph top speed. So watch out, Hennessey Venom GT! And that's what I like about this oppose to something like a full-size RV; it's not massive, is really efficient (and by that I mean that it literally has no engine), can fit an impressive amount of stuff, and hardly takes up any space. And of course something like the Becker Automotive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter JetVan would be more comfortable on a long journey, but come on, this is way more fun.

Click here to learn more about the QTvan mini camper

2014 Ferrari F12berlinetta Review

    As you've probably guessed by now, the Ferrari brand is one of the oldest, most prestigious, and honestly, one of the best sports-car manufacturers. Ever since 1947, Ferrari has been cranking out some of the best high-performance cars in the world. Sure, there might be a few that aren't great, but if you look back, you'll find that about 70% of their cars are excellent. Some great examples of this sports-car mastery is the F40, F50, Testarossa, and Enzo supercars. I assume most of you have seen the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which features a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, which is clearly one of the best-looking cars of all time. And that's how I feel about most Ferraris. Sure, I don't love all of them, but I definitely think they have some of the best-looking cars in the industry. Some of their more recent models include the 599, the 612 Scaglietti, and the F430. Personally, I think their most recent supercar, the F12berlinetta (the LaFerrari is a hypercar, so I'm not mistaken), is the best car they've ever made (yes, I like it more than the 458 Italia. Go figure). With a 6.3 liter 730-hp V12 engine, beautiful aerodynamic body features, and performance that could make a Lamborghini nervous, there isn't much the F12berlinetta doesn't do well. And, with a 0-60 time of just 3.1 seconds, and a top speed of 211mph, the F12 is definitely fast enough to keep up with it's rivals, such as the Aston Martin Vanquish and the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.

Click here to learn more about the Ferrari F12berlinetta

2015 Mercedes-Benz S600 Review (150th Post!)

    If you haven't noticed, the market for big, luxurious German land-yachts is becoming larger and larger, and for good reason. One of the most popular choices for buyers is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is good because it has a variety of engine choices, all with different price tags. One of the higher-end S-Classes is the S600, which features a 6.0 liter "biturbo" 523-hp V12 and sadly, a $166,900 price tag. Now some might say that while it is comfy, why not spend your $166,900 on something a little sportier, like a Porsche 911 Turbo S, or an Audi R8 V10? But the truth is that the S-Class is more well-rounded than those Nürburgring lap-time breakers. It is more comfortable than your house, it has more power than most planets, and is surprisingly involving to drive. Who knew that a 2.5-ton luxury limousine could do 0-60 in about 4.5 seconds? And that isn't even the full-out S65 AMG model, which does it in 4.1 seconds, and has 621 hp! The interior of the S600 is everything you'd expect from a $170K German luxury sedan, with soft and supple Designo leather, beautifully made wood veneers, and some rear-seat options that will have you never wanting to drive, such as the "executive rear-seat package," which loses the middle seat, but replaces it with a center console that houses fold-out airline-style business trays, heated and cooled cupholders, and an optional refrigerated beverage compartment.

Click here to learn more about the Mercedes-Benz S600

2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Review

    The Porsche Cayenne is, in my opinion, not as good as the Range Rover Sport, but is still a good car. Even if it doesn't look as good, ride as nice, and feel so upscale inside (and out), it still remains the sportier alternative to the R-R Sport. The Cayenne got a bit of a refresh for 2014; mainly the removal of some of my favorite models, such as the GTS, which slotted in-between the Cayenne Turbo and Cayenne S. Now, the Cayenne Turbo and Cayenne S make up half of the range, and the S ditches the old 4.8 liter V8 and receives a new 3.6 liter V6. But, the Turbo remains the fastest and most powerful Cayenne, and that's partly thanks to the 520 hp 4.8 liter turbocharged V8, which rockets the Cayenne from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, and on to a top speed over 160 mph. To be honest, I don't really like the interior. I find it too button-heavy, and not very comfortable and not nearly as well-built as the interior in the Range Rover Sport. Even when equipped with over $20,000 worth of Porsche's ridiculous options, it still isn't as nice of a place to spend time in as the Range Rover. And with the upcoming 550-hp Range Rover Sport SVR, I can't find a reason to take the Cayenne over the Range Rover.

Click here to learn more about the Porsche Cayenne Turbo

2015 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Review

    Some of you reading this might have different opinions about the American car industry. Some of you might say that they aren't really American, and they're built in Mexico, while others might say that the American car industry has really been improving in the last 15 years. But there is one thing you can all agree on; and it's that nobody does muscle cars better than Detroit. That might seem stupid, because most muscle cars come from the U.S., but that's not entirely true. There are several muscle cars from Europe and even Australia, such as the HSV (Holden's special vehicle division) GEN-F Clubsport R8 (which shares the engine from the ZL1 and Corvette), the Jaguar F-Type V8 S (a little more refined, but still great at burnouts), and the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG (also, a little more race-car than drag-race car, but still worth looking at if you're in the market). But, inevitably, the best come from here, and one of the best has been made by Chevy for several decades. Everyone knows the Camaro, but not everyone knows about some of the more performance-oriented versions, such as the Z/28 and the ZL1. The ZL1 is more powerful, faster 0-60, and is cheaper, so why buy the Z/28? But, with a supercharged 6.2 liter LSA V8 engine cranking out 580 hp and 556 pound-feet of torque, it does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. Even if similar cars like the Ford Shelby GT500 and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat are faster and are more powerful, the ZL1 is still one of the best muscle cars in the industry. 

Click here to learn more about the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Definitely looks like a muscle car, and does a great job of it

2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Edition Review

    In late 2011, Aston Martin released the DBS Carbon Edition, which was essentially a slightly modified version of the now defunct DBS with some carbon fiber pieces and a few color choices: Flame Orange, Ceramic Gray, and Carbon Black. I found this completely redundant, because the point of the car was to be "all black," so the Carbon Black color should have been the only color available. Shortly after, they released the DB9 Carbon Edition, which was a DB9 with the exact same treatment, except this time they got the whole color thing right and only offered the existing black or white, which was much classier than the ridiculous "Flame Orange" paint. But now, the Vanquish has received the Carbon Black treatment, and honestly, it looks great. The Vanquish Carbon Edition will be offered a a coupe and a convertible, or a "volante" as A-M call it. They haven't changed anything under the hood, mainly because they didn't need to. A "6.0 liter" (actually measuring 5.9 liters in displacement) naturally-aspirated V12 produces 567 hp and 465 pound-feet of toque, resulting in a respectable 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of 201 mph. The interior is black-on-black-on-black, which seems appropriate for the name (what a coincidence!), and has A-M's signature the-worst-navigation-in-the-world system, borrowed from Volvo (can't you do a little better? This is an Aston Martin, not a Volvo). Aston hasn't named a price for this limited-edition Vanquish, but it will probably have a $20K premium over the regular Vanquish's hideous $279,000 base price.  

Click here to learn more about the limited-edition Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Edition

Click here to learn more about the Aston Martin Vanquish

2015 Volkswagen Golf R Review

    In the August 2014 issue of the British car Magazine Car, author Chris Chilton gathered up a bunch of "hot-hatches" around a track to see which was best. Out of the nine competitors (including many reputable names, such as the Renault Megane RS 265, the Ford Focus and Fiesta ST, the Mini Cooper S, and several others), he decided that the best hot hatchback of the moment was the V-W Golf R. Initially, he thought the GTI would be the best car, but after a while, fell in love with the Golf R's all-around appeal. It does make a lot of sense, with a 296-hp four-cylinder, a large trunk, good looks, and an Audi-spec interior, so you can't blame him for liking it more than the others. I think the thing that impressed me the most was the interior. I have never seen such a luxurious, upscale, and modern interior on a V-W besides the Phaeton. before. The navigation system looks like an iPad, the leather looks like it belongs on an E-Class, and the simplistic and modern look of it remind me of the new Range Rover. They've basically done the same thing: think to themselves how to remove more buttons and make the layout more appealing. Another impressive stat: 296 hp. Now you might say that the Subaru WRX STI has more power, but do you really think the Subaru is any better? 0-60 takes a sports-car fast 5.1 seconds, which is good for a car that can fit a bicycle in the back.

Click here to learn more about the Volkswagen Golf R

Looks like an Audi to say the least

2014 Ferrari 458 Spider Review

    The Ferrari 458 is considered to be one of the best-looking cars on the market, so how could Ferrari possibly make it better? Two words: open-top. All they've done to the base 458 Italia is remove the regular roof and replace it with a first for Ferrari: a power-retractable metal folding roof, which is similar to what you'd see on a Mercedes SL-Class or even a Mazda MX-5 Miata. It isn't a very new idea, but in Ferrari's case, they've never done a convertible like this, which is surprising, because that's what most supercar convertibles have now, such as the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster and the McLaren 650S Spider. Other than that' little has changed on the 458; the 4.5 liter V8 still makes 562 hp and 398 hp, and does 0-60 faster than a SRT Viper. One thing that's a little sad to have taken away is the glass engine cover, so instead of seeing the pure-bred Italian 4.5 liter V8, you get a metal folding roof. Even though I really, REALLY want a 458, I still would rather spend my $257,412 on something with a better combination of luxury and sport, like a Bentley Continental GTC Speed, which is far more comfortable and luxurious inside, has more power, and in my opinion, looks a little better*. 

Click here to learn more about the Ferrari 458 Spider

The center of the dashboard looks like it melted in to the instrument cluster (a.k.a it looks terrible)

*And please don't hate because of that comment, I just think it looks better, and it's just an opinion, not a fact.

2014 Morgan Aero Supersports Review

    Morgan is mainly known for one car: the Three-Wheeler. It's a little strange, but isn't at all bad at all. It's also a good track car, and it has a busy little engine, as well as good (but a little strange) looks. But what a lot of 3-Wheeler fans don't know is that Morgan also makes not exactly normal, but definitely less-weird cars, such as this one: the Aero Supersports. It looks like a modernized 60's coupe, but that's essentially the point. The point is to be different, and not be like every other sports car on the market, and to not have a $150,000 price tag and a 600+ hp V12. The Aero Supersports is simpler, but at the same time more complicated. It doesn't have as much tech or as good performance numbers, but it does have a 4.8 liter BMW-sourced V8, which produces 367 hp and 370 lb-feet of torque, which results in a 170-mph top speed. But it does get a moderately good 23 combined mpg, which isn't ground-breaking, but is still better than a Lotus Exige or a Porsche Cayman GTS. And that's what I love about Morgan; they don't just copy what every other car company is doing, they keep to themselves and come up with great ideas that they put in to equally great cars.

Click here to learn more about the Morgan Aero Supersports

2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Review

    As you all know, the Jaguar F-Type V8 S is one of the most exciting sports cars on the market, with incredible looks, a wonderful-sounding 5.0 liter supercharged V8, and Corvette-beating performance. But the question arises: what do I buy? The F-Type V8 S; or the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG. Both are great performance cars, but one is loud and brash; and the other is not exactly quiet, but isn't nearly as maniacal, and is a little more subdued. But it all comes down to opinion: do you prefer a crazy burnout-spec road rager; or do you like a more quiet and understated sports car. The M-B SLK55 AMG is definitely fast, but has much less hp (almost 100 hp less than the F-Type V8) and isn't nearly as good-looking. Even if the hand-built 5.5 liter twin-turbo AMG V8 makes 415 hp, it's still not enough to keep up with the F-Type, which is more powerful, and has a much better overall engine feel. 0-60 takes 4.5 seconds, which is quite fast for a car this size, but still could be faster. The interior follows suit with the rest of the car; not very exciting, and pretty subdued styling.

Click here to learn more about the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG

2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport Review

    If you haven't realized by now, I'll just tell you: Land Rover's "non-Range Rover" SUVs and crossovers have become, well, boring, pointless, and almost defunct. But recently, Land Rover revealed its all-new replacement for the small, inefficient, and definitely stupid LR2. It's called the Discovery Sport, and it looks like a more bulbous version of the smaller Evoque 3 or 5-door hatchback/crossover. It will have a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine with 240 hp and 250 pound-feet of torque, which isn't even close to the Jaguar-shared 5.0 liter supercharged V8 in the "Supercharged" Range Rovers, but that's not really necessary in the Discovery Sport (it isn't necessary in the Range Rover, but soccer moms in Greenwich won't care about averaging under 18 mpg). The interior looks like a less posh version of the interior in the Evoque, except with less bling and more space. The base price will be a surprisingly affordable $37,995, which is only $1,395 more than the old LR2, even though it will get much more expensive when you put options on it, which you will inevitably do. 

Click here to learn more about the 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport 

2018 Toyota FT-1 Review

    Toyota is a very well known brand, and not just by car enthusiasts, but by most people, mainly because a lot of people drive Toyotas. But they aren't known for making high-performance cars, but for making practical, reliable, and relatively inexpensive family vehicles, like the Sienna minivan and the Highlander three-row SUV. Well, that's not entirely true. One of their latest concepts is this: the FT-1 sports car. It will probably have a BMW-sourced 4 or 6-cylinder engine, since Toyota's V6 and V8s would be too sluggish (no offense to all those proud Sienna owners) and wouldn't really fit in the BMW-shared platform, which will be used in the next Z4. The price will be almost $60,000, which is way too much for a Toyota, even if it shares a lot of F1 components and is pretty quick. It's the same problem with the Land Cruiser; it is pretty good off-road, but why offer it for $70,000 when you can buy a much more luxurious Lexus LX570 for only $10K more? It seems a little (actually, a lot) stupid of Toyota to price the Land Cruiser not much less than the LX, which is way nicer and is more comfortable, as well as a better engine, better looks, and a better badge on the front (if you're the kind of person who cares about that kind of thing). 

Click here to learn more about the upcoming Toyota FT-1

2016 Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG Review

    In 2012, Mercedes-Benz released the facelifted version of the decades-old G-Wagon, or as it's called now, the G-Class. Along with it, the AMG versions, which are some of the best off-roaders in the world, and also some of the craziest cars that Mercedes makes. The G65 AMG, which is the full-out 6.0 liter biturbo V12 G-Class, was only available for a couple of years, thanks to such a large engine, terrible mpg, and the fact that basically no-one bought them. But Mercedes has released that they will be bringing the G65 back for 2016. I don't find this particularly exciting or even that great news, mainly because the G63 is already powerful and expensive enough for your average Beverly Hills housewife, so I don't think a $250,000 base price and a 612 hp V12 is really necessary. But anyway, the G65 is still bought by tuning companies like Brabus, which turn them into crazy 800+ monsters with Apple TVs and even crazier prices. But even though those are quite impressive, the regular G65 is still quite a performer, inside and out. The interior has many amenities, like swathed Designo leather, a relatively intuitive COMAND navigation system, and several buttons for locking the three differentials, which are a huge help for off-roading on rocks and mud. 

Click here to learn more about the 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG