2014 TopSpeed Year in Review

2015 is almost upon us, car lovers, and TopSpeed has one last post to close out the year that was 2014! As this little blue green ball we all inhabit completes yet another revolution around that warm spot of fusing hydrogen hanging in the sky, we tend to revert back to the time-honored tradition of summarizing a few of the big events that transpired over the course of the year. It’s a crossroads, a time to bask in the glory of past wins, as well...

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Donkervoort D8 GTO Bilster Berg Edition

Apart from Caterham and a varying number of British kit car manufacturers building the so-called Locosts, there aren’t many people out there who can brag about offering a somewhat modern take of Colin Chapman’s Lotus Seven. Among them is Joop Donkervoort, a Lotus fan who founded the Donkervoort car brand back in 1978, transforming it since then into a bona fide family business.Donkervoort’s latest offering in terms of ultra-lightweight sports cars...

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Video: Aston Martin DB10 Live Unveiling

We’ve all seen and drooled over the 2015 Aston Martin DB10, which will make its on-screen debut in the new James Bond flick: Spectre. Unfortunately, we’ve already learned that the car will not become a production vehicle, nor does it preview the next-generation DB9, but it is a real car as you can see in this video of its official reveal (above).The fact that it has no production future is a crying shame, but at least it will have a starring role...

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Chevrolet Corvette SR-2

A chronicle of Corvette’s success in motorsports could fill several books, but the nameplate’s first contact with the world of racing is often forgotten. It all began in 1956, when Zora Arkus-Duntov set a 150-mph speed record at Sebring driving a Corvette roadster. The experiment would soon spawn the Corvette SR-2, a modified C1 Vette that featured a lengthened front end a massive, Jaguar D-Type-like wing on its trunk. Legend has it the SR-2 was...

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Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

The 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider has made its official debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show today and has quickly found itself atop our wish list. Based on the current 4C, the updated 4C Spider gets a host of upgrades as it moves into 2016.The most obvious change to the car is its removable top and additional bodywork rising from the rear decklid. A naked carbon fiber roll bar hoops over the occupant compartment, as does a similar windshield brace....

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Lexus GX 460 - Driven

The Lexus GX 460 feels like a dinosaur on the road. Much of its underpinnings are shared with the 4Runner and have been around for more than a decade. The second-generation SUV debuted in 2009 with a new and more powerful engine as well as some revised suspension and equipment pieces, but it still retained the same body-on-frame chassis that the model debuted with way back in 2002. For 2014, Toyota has taken the second-generation machine and slapped...

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Shelby 50th Anniversary Cobra 427

The iconic Shelby Cobra — based on the British-built AC Ace roadster — first left Carroll Shelby’s shop in 1962 with a 4.3-liter, V-8 engine under its hood. It took the Cobra name only a few months to become famous and Carroll quickly turned to making it equally popular on the race track. Although the 4.7-liter version was unbeatable in the U.S. racing scene throughout 1964, Carroll also wanted the Cobra to become competitive in the FIA GT class,...

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Mercedes Concept Car

Mercedes-Benz may have introduced the stunningly beautiful AMG GT at the Paris Motor Show, but it seems the sports car is not its last vehicle to be revealed in 2014. With the Los Angeles Auto Show less than a month away, the Germans are readying a brand-new concept car. The news just arrived in our inbox alongside a batch of spy shots sent by paparazzi stationed in Germany. The outlandish vehicle was spotted driving around a Mercedes facility...

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Report: By 2017, Fewer Than Half Of U.S. Cars Will Run On Conventional Gasoline Engines

If we've learned anything from the rosy, sci-fi predictions that emerged from the Space Race of the mid-20th-century, it's that human beings can be very optimistic when thinking about their future. Decades after The Jetsons forecast flying cars and 2001: A Space Odyssey promised interplanetary travel for the everyman, we've awoken to the sobering...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1rAdZ0evia IF...

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GMC Acadia

The GMC Acadia is the truck brand's minivan substitute, a three-row crossover utility that is aimed at families who don't need a true full-size SUV. It's closely related to today's Buick Enclave and Chevy Traverse, as well as the discontinued Saturn Outlook crossover. The Acadia can seat up to eight passengers, but it's more accurately described...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1rsaqUOvia IF...

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GMC Yukon

The GMC Yukon is a full-size SUV that’s based on the same architecture ad the GMC Sierra pickup truck. The Yukon shares most of its components with the Cadillac Escalade and the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe. The Yukon competes with those other GM SUVs, as well as the Ford Expedition, the Lincoln Navigator, the Toyota Sequoia, and the...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/11khmXPvia IF...

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Acura MDX

The sporty Acura MDX crossover is one of the oldest nameplates in the luxury and near-luxury utility-vehicle category. Among U.S. large luxury crossovers, the competition includes the Infiniti QX60, the Lexus RX, the Lincoln MKT, and perhaps the Buick Enclave. While it can seat up to seven passengers, it remains a driver's car with family-friendly...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/16xRBHqvia IF...

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Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

The Mercedes-AMG GT is a two-door, high-performance luxury coupe. It’s the second car the AMG brand has built completely on its own, without a Mercedes-Benz production car as its basis, and it aims to take on the Porsche 911. The AMG GT follows the SLS AMG in terms of timing, but it is not considered a successor. The GT uses some of the...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1sKqwwfvia IF...

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Kia Sedona

The Kia Sedona is one of the handful of minivans still on sale in the U.S. It has also just been through a major model change--for the 2015 model year, the Sedona was completely reworked, with a new sliding-seat system and a stiffer, safer—not to mention more stylish—body. The Sedona is built in South Korea and sold as the Carnival in...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1ps9rGevia IF...

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Kia K900

The Kia K900 is the biggest, most expensive sedan the Korean automaker has yet offered in the U.S.--and its most luxurious offering to date, too. A new model entry for the 2015 model year, the K900 shares its architecture with the Hyundai Equus, though the base model comes with a six-cylinder that is only available in Hyundai's shorter Genesis...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1ps9qSuvia IF...

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Rolls-Royce Wraith

The Rolls-Royce Wraith is the newest model from the venerated British luxury marque. It is the most powerful car Rolls-Royce has ever built, and the first fastback coupe from the company in decades. Launched for 2014, the Wraith has a shape and price that suggest it's a competitor for the Bentley Continental GT that really defined the ultra-luxury...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1vBxENbvia IF...

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Video: A Pair of Ferrari Enzos Rev Their Engines in Monaco

While I agree the Ferrari Enzo is a fantastic car — basically a Formula 1 racer for the road — I find it downright ugly. If you ask me, the only mainstream supercar that’s uglier than the Enzo is the Bugatti Veyron. I’m aware that the Enzo wasn’t built to win beauty contests and that looks are a matter of personal taste, but I just wanted to get that out in the open. Styling aside, the Enzo is pretty high on my "100 cars I have to drive before I die" list. The Enzo was a marvel in the world of supercars when it was released in 2002 and very few...

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Fiat 500L

The Fiat 500L, introduced as a 2014 model, is a compact tall wagon that's the first of several vehicles that will extend the popular Fiat 500 line into new segments. Remarkably roomy inside for its footprint, it actually shares almost nothing but a powertrain with the Fiat 500 minicar that brought the brand back to the U.S. market decades after it...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1zIB4Novia IF...

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Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is one of the best-selling, most widely recognized car lines in the world. Across almost a dozen generations, the Civic has included hatchback and wagon styles as well as the sedan and coupe now offered. With its enviable reputation for longevity and durability, the Civic also has had another trump card in its hand for most of its...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/Z4B0qCvia IF...

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Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline is the Japanese brand's first and so far only attempt at a large pickup truck. It shares underpinnings with cars and SUVs alike, making it somewhat of a hybrid-crossover truck in its construction. It may have a pickup bed, but it's less concerned with hauling lumber than it is hauling toys. The Ridgeline's unusual set of bona...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/YRH1mNvia IF...

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Honda Accord Hybrid

The Honda Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-In Hybrid were both added to the Honda range for 2014. This represents the second time the mid-size sedan has offered a hybrid option, and the first for a plug-in model. The new versions are much more mileage focused than the original, which should resonate better with green customers. The Accord Hybrid was...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1rsasMzvia IF...

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Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is a five-passenger, compact crossover utility vehicle--and one of the top sellers in its niche. Powered by a four-cylinder engine alone, the current CR-V has good crash-test scores and reliability, making it a formidable rival for vehicles like the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Chevy Equinox. Adapted from the same...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1ut0MGGvia IF...

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Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV with a mission in mind: to carry big families or to tow and haul their belongings in a way today's crossover vehicles simply can't. The Expedition is one of a small set of truly big utes; it competes with vehicles such as the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon, the Nissan Armada, and the Toyota Sequoia...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/ZNTzyrvia IF...

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Toyota 4Runner

The Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size SUV that is spun off from some of the same running gear that underpins the Tacoma mid-size pickup truck. That helps make it a true sport-utility vehicle, as opposed to a car-based crossover. It's not like you'd ever mistake it for a family wagon, though. The 4Runner's brutish style and rugged off-road gear make no...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/15zrNqQvia IF...

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Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser is the most luxurious, and most rugged sport-utility vehicle Toyota sells today. As one of the brand's longest-running nameplates, the Land Cruiser is in a class with other globally known SUVs, like the Range Rover and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. While the plus-sized Land Cruiser that's sold in the U.S. is no longer the...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/XdxVlhvia IF...

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Audi S8

The Audi S8 is the quickest, if not the most expensive, version of the German automaker's A8 sedan. Unlike other variants of the big A8, the S8 is offered only in short-wheelbase form. Audi added the S8 to its lineup in the late 1990s, and the current car is the third iteration. MORE: Read our 2015 Audi A8 / S8 review The first Audi S8 was...from The Car Connection http://ift.tt/1vmqElbvia IF...

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Kawasaki Ninja H2

The Ninja H2 is the newest addition to the Kawasaki’s lineup and incorporates the latest technologies developed by the Japanese manufacturer.The biggest news is the introduction of the all-new liquid-cooled, 4-stroke in-line four cylinder turbo engine with a displacement of 998 cc. The engine is mated on a six speed transmission and is mounted on a trellis, high-tensile steel frame with swingarm mounting plate.As far as wheels are concerned, the...

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BMW Isetta

You would think that BMW would feel a bit embarassed at having such a humble means of transportation as part of its history, but that has never been the case when talking about the Isetta bubble car. After World War II, the Bavarian car maker was not exactly in tip-top shape in terms of financial success, with Herbert Quandt being close to selling the entire company to Daimler Benz under the pressure of management. Thanks in small part to the prosperity...

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7 most fun to drive cars of 2014

1.) Polaris RZR XP 900: Well it isn't really a car, but it has four wheels, a motor and has without doubt been one of the most fun to drive vehicles we have got out hands on this year. Reason? It has been built just for that purpose. Under its all of its muscle and rugged engineering, the Polaris RZR XP 900 is a beast within, and that is thanks to an 875cc 4-stroke engine that pumps almost 90PS and somewhat similar levels of torque. And that much...

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Tata Motors rolls-out 123 new AC buses in India

Homegrown automajor, Tata Motors, has flagged off the first batch of 123 AC buses equipped with automatic transmission in Ahmedabad under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)- phase II scheme.With a floor height of 900mm and a length of 12 metres, these buses are equipped with electronic display boards and pneumatic door operations which makes them comfortable for commute in an urban transport set-up. The company claims that...

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Excise duty sops to be rolled back from January

With signs of the economy recovering and auto sales getting back to the pink of health, the Finance ministry has decided to roll back the excise benefits it was offering to carmakers till now. According to ET, a senior finance ministry official said, the Government would allow interim relief, announced in February and extended once in June, to expire on December 31.How does it affect you? If you are planning to purchase a small car (read sub 4-metre),...

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Hyundai India celebrates 50 lakh Facebook fans

Hyundai India has received 50 lakh fans on the popular social networking website, Facebook. The official page of the carmaker was launched in the year 2011 to directly engage with Indian customers, and the company managed to achieve this 50 lakh fans milestone within a short span of three years.To celebrate this achievement the carmaker has announced an initiative on its official Facebook page which allows fans to meet its brand ambassador, Shah...

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Video: Walter Röhrl and Mattias Ekström Flog an Audi S1 EKS RX

Not too many people can say that they’ve won the Monte Carlo Rally no less than four times, each time with a different car maker, but Walter Röhrl is truly one of a kind. A living legend by most accounts, the German driver has been retired from professional racing since the late 1980s, but that didn’t keep him from being active in the field of awesome driving and becoming the head test driver at Porsche. Swede Mattias Ekström is almost half Röhrl’s age and a driving legend as well, winning two German Touring Car (DTM) championships and no less...

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What The Top Automotive Stories Of 2014 Mean For You In 2015

If you stop by an auto dealership this week, it’s likely you’ll find it bustling. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always one of the busiest of the year. But as sales continue to reach record levels, it’s a good reality check to remind us how far the economy and our consumer confidence has come versus just five...from The Car Connection http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheCarConnection/~3/LMN-xa6F2xc/1096097_what-the-top-automotive-stories-of-2014-mean-for-you-in-2015via...

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The car industry: 2014 for dummies

Here's Paul Horrell with the instant expert's capsule guide to twelve months of trends and dead-ends, of comings and goings… from Top Gear Car News http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/426/f/417510/s/41e76432/sc/38/l/0L0Stopgear0N0Cuk0Ccar0Enews0C20A140Ecar0Eindustry0Eroundup0E20A140E120E310Dutm0Isource0Frss0Gutm0Imedium0Frss0Gutm0Icampaign0Fongoing/story01.htmvia IF...

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2016 Opel Astra Spy Video

The sister to the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze, Opel’s new Astra, has been spotted in prototype form ahead of its launch in late 2015 or early the following year. The prototype is for the hatchback version of the new Astra but expect to see in the near future prototypes for additional versions like a sedan, Sports Tourer wagon and GTC...from MotorAuthority http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motorauthority2/~3/GKOB4eWP1i4/1023095_2016-opel-astra-spy-videovia...

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