Nother CarGuy

After four years on the market, Lexus is giving its RC coupe a bit of an update. And the revised design clearly and closely follows the lead taken by its stylish big brother in the more up-market LC. Set to be revealed in Paris come October, the revised 2019 Lexus RC announces its presence with headlights that flow into the front bumper, new air ducts in the rear bumper, and a restyled mesh grille – all of which aim to lend a bit of an edgier look to the bruiser form. The manufacturer also says it has improved the vehicle’s aerodynamics, suspension tuning, and powertrain – but it hasn’t disclosed much in the way of technical details to those ends just yet. It does promise new 19-inch alloys fitted with grippier tires and mounted to a stiffer suspension with new shocks to make the revised RC feel “more athletic and responsive than ever.” Subtle enhancements have been applied to the interior space as well. And there are new colors and trim options to be offered inside a...

McLaren hasn’t said much about the Speedtail lately, but that’s changing today as CEO Mike Flewitt has confirmed the model will have more than 987 hp (736 kW / 1000 PS). Speaking at a McLaren owner’s event attended by Top Gear, Flewitt said the car will use a familiar engine architecture. The publication believes this is a subtle hint that the model will be powered by the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that resides in 720S. While the engine ‘only’ produces 710 hp (530 kW / 720 PS) in the Super Series variant, the Speedtail is a member of the Ultimate Series and McLaren has already confirmed the car will have a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. Flewitt talked a little but more about the hybrid system during the owner’s meeting and said the model will have use a “slightly different hybrid application” than the P1. Flewitt didn’t elaborate, but the P1 had a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that produced 727 hp (542 kW / 737 PS). It was backed up by a lightweight electric motor that contr...

After seeing the stylish Renault Arkana Concept at the 2018 Moscow Motor Show, it’s now time to focus our attention on yet another model, this time from Lada. It’s called the 4×4 Vision, and it’s a study with a very bold design that looks pretty much like a Renault/Dacia Duster on steroids. It has the brand’s X-shaped front end, underbody protection and 21-inch rims that don’t look like they belong off the beaten path. The funky styling is being continued inside, where Lada’s designers used bright orange accents, grey details and aluminum trim. The 4×4 Vision has an infotainment system integrated into the dashboard and flanked by a couple of air vents on each side, dual-zone climate control, digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, panoramic glass roof and three-spoke multi-function steering wheel. Said to have been built using “a special platform”, the Lada 4×4 Vision is 4.2 meters (165.4 in) long, which makes it just 10 cm (3.94 in) shorter than the second-gen ...

Renault will become one of the first mainstream car manufacturers to have a coupe-SUV in its lineup once the Arkana show car you see here morphs into a production model next year. For now, however, the vehicle is billed as a concept car — although it’s plain to see we’re dealing with a pre-production prototype. Renault says the Arkana is a fusion “between the elegance of a saloon and the sturdiness of an SUV,” and we have to admit it doesn’t look half bad. The concept car previews a new C-segment crossover that will be sold globally after its introduction to Russia in 2019. However, Renault points out that the Arkana won’t go on sale in Europe. Styling-wise, the Renault Arkana show car sports rugged traits such as the high ground clearance and wide wheel arches filled with 19-inch alloys. However, it also looks elegant thanks to details including the high waistline and sloping coupé-like roofline, not to mention the side chrome detailing and panoramic glass roof. ...

Following an exclusive unveiling of the Pininfarina PF0 Concept to prospective clients at Pebble Beach, the Italian design house has released a single image of the vehicle’s rear. As previous teasers indicated, the PF0 hypercar adopts a unique shape and certainly looks bold enough to compete with the current and future crop of hypercars. Undeniably the most intriguing aspect of the PF0’s rear are the taillights. They can be seen affixed to what look like floating wings which stretch back from the rear wheel arches right to the very edge of the car’s decklid. Not only does this create a unique look but it also probably serves an important aerodynamic function to minimize drag. Elsewhere, the image appears to show off the hypercar’s lack of traditional wing mirrors, a bold diffuser, spacious glass canopy, and potentially, some active aero flaps just forward of the taillights. In a statement, Pininfarina said it received overwhelmingly positive responses to the vehicle’s design...

Just like the Jeep Renegade earlier this year, the Fiat 500X has reached the point of a mid-cycle refresh, headlined by subtle styling tweaks, new engines, and updated tech in Europe. On the outside, the most obvious changes regard the light units, with the facelifted 500X gaining new standard LED DRLs and LED taillights, as well as optional full-LED headlights developed in partnership with Magneti Marelli. Fiat says those units shine 20 percent brighter than the Xenon technology of the previous model. A new city-oriented Urban trim level joins the Cross and City Cross, bringing all-new front and rear bumper designs. The Cross and City Cross have been refreshed as well with new-look protective skid plates. Inside, the main update is the restyled cockpit that adds a new instrument cluster with easier to read graphics. It maintains the three circular elements and combines two analog dials with a configurable 3.5-inch TFT display in the middle. Also new is the steering wh...

What do you get when you give the designer of the iconic Mazda Furai Concept a Lamborghini Gallardo and free reign to create a bespoke supercar? The answer is this: the Salaff C2. Unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, it is the brainchild of Carlos Salaff, an American automotive designer responsible for recognizable Mazdas like the Nagare, Furai, Mazda3 and MX-5. After working for a number of established automakers, Salaff has decided to go it alone in creating his own supercar company, and the C2 is his first production model. Using the Gallardo as its base, the vehicle has been outfitted with bespoke interior and exterior parts. Starting with the exterior, it bears absolutely no resemblance to the Gallardo. Up front is a very square fascia complete with long, triangular headlights that stretch along the very edges of the bodywork. The front also incorporates a gaping-wide grille and in this configuration, receives some gold-painted accents. The side...

The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider has unexpectedly launched at Pebble Beach, offering customers all the driving thrills of the regular Pista but with the added experience of a removable hardtop. Like the 488 Pista coupe, the Pista Spider is powered by a truly brutal twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8 engine delivering 711 hp and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. Consequently, the Pista Spider achieves the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 2.85 seconds, exactly the same as its sibling. If drivers have enough room, the car can reach 124 mph (200 km/h) from a standstill in 8 seconds, 0.4 seconds slower than the coupe and continue through to a 211 mph (340 km/h) top speed. The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider tips the scales at just 3036 lbs (1377 kg) dry and is roughly 200 lbs (91 kg) heavier than the coupe. In the scheme of things, it is still a light car and is assured to offer much of the same driving thrills of the fixed roof model. The car happens to be the 50th convertible model in Ferrari’s...

SSC North America has used the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to unveil the 2019 Tuatara. Looking virtually identical to the concept that was unveiled over seven years ago, the production Tuatara has a sleek carbon fiber body that allows the model to have a drag coefficient of 0.279. The company says this is significantly lower than competitors such as the Bugatti Chiron (0.36), Koenigsegg Agera (0.33) and Hennessey Venom F5 (0.33). Overall, the car measures 174.4 inches (4429 mm) long, 78.4 inches (1991 mm) wide and 43 inches (1092 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 105.2 inches (2672 mm). The extensive use of carbon fiber also allows the model to have dry weight of 2750 lbs (1247 kg). SSC North America hasn’t released detailed specifications, but the company confirmed the Tuatara will be powered by a twin-turbo 5.9-liter V8 engine which features an 8800 rpm redline and an 8.8:1 compression ratio. The company went on to say the engine will produce 1350 hp (1006 kW / 13...

Presented during Monterey Car Week, the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow Concept has been created as a homage to the record-breaking Mercedes W125 from 1937. Penned by Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gorden Wagener, the EQ Silver Arrow Concept epitomizes the firm’s ‘Sensual Purity’ design philosophy and provides seating for just one person. The vehicle’s entire body is made of lightweight carbon fiber and all up, it measures 5.3 meters (17.3 feet) long and is finished in a shade dubbed Alubeam Silver. Up front, you’ll notice a strip of light attaching the two headlights as well as an illuminated EQ badge at the front end. A lighting strip is also found stretching the length of the side skirts where another EQ badge is located. Other intriguing design elements of the vehicle include wheel covers that cover just the front half of the wheels, a rear wing that deploys outwards and upwards like the Mercedes-AMG Project One’s wing, and a large shark fin stretching back from...