Cruising for a vintage Ferrari and a ‘60s Corvette? A classic Aston Martin and a thundering Mopar Hemi? The elegant French lines of a half-century-old Jaguar and a mean, muscular Shelby Cobra? Looking for European class and American muscle in one place? But you don’t have the discretionary time to dial in all of the Web sites, auctions, ads and collections — or walk around events attracting many times the number of gawkers than hawkers? Then drive up to Russo and Steele, a collector car auction designed as a targeted alternative to the others. Formed in Scottsdale in 2001 by […]
KEEP READING >This Lamborghini may be an “entry-level” bull, but it won’t be bullied. Named for the legendary breed of fighting bull, the Gallardo (ga:yàrdo) may not quite rumble out the straight-end and high-end of its distinguished brother, the indomitable Murciélago, but don’t swing your cape too cavalierly its way. Although the name also means “gallant” in Spanish, you may get gored. It’s been featured on film and television, including “Mission Impossible III” and “CSI-Miami”; even “The Simpsons” irreverently dubbed it the “Lamborgotti Fasterossa.” The Italian State Police have a few of them for emergencies such as transporting organs for transplants. Various […]
KEEP READING >Drive out; ask them. That’s what Infiniti did to find out what drives G35 owners. With expected Japanese attention to details and comprehensiveness, Infiniti sent the opinion pollsters to the homes of sedan owners, including those who had purchased the original G35 sedan. Following this, with similar efficiency, the Japanese luxury car marker, a division of Nissan, also drove leading sport sedans such as Lexus and BMW. What the designers and engineers learned they meticulously incorporated into the 2007 G35 Sedan, unveiled April 12 this year at the 2006 New York International Auto Show in Manhattan. This new second-generation G35 will […]
KEEP READING >How do you make the legendary bull stronger? You bore it out, so that it runs faster toward any matador’s capa. You make it sleeker, so that it remains in admirers’ eyes, instilling admiration, even fear. You improve gearing, interior comfort, handling, and offer a ceramic braking system that allows this Italian bull, celebrating the great Spanish bull, to stop and turn on a lira. The new Murciélago LP640 Coupé, unveiled at the 76th International Car Show in Geneva this spring by Italian Automobili Lamborghini, somehow toughens and beautifies the sports car icon — already a leader among alpha automobiles […]
KEEP READING >Meridian Automotive Design, with their stellar reputation and ability to boast “perfection,” has built the foundation of their business on transforming and improving upon some of the most exclusive vehicles by raising the performance standards above and beyond the benchmarks set by many of the finest manufacturers in the world. Their combination of factory perfect product, unparalleled customer service, and impeccable installation all working in concert, allows Meridian to be able to provide the ultimate atmosphere for even the most discriminating automobile enthusiast. Meridian offers the highest level of vehicle enhancements, accessories, safety upgrades, and style refinements for Europe’s superior […]
KEEP READING >Unveiled at the New York International Automobile Show in April, Bentley’s Continental Grand Tourer Convertible is a sleek top-down version of the British luxury car maker’s Continental GT and four-door Continental Flying Spur. The 2+2 Continental GTC follows the wake of the Azure — Bentley’s ultimate Arnage-marque four-seater convertible. The Continental GTC should appear in the Valley this fall and list at about $189,990. The company’s chairman and chief executive, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, calls this elegant car “emotional”: “The GT coupé may be the driver’s car and the Continental Flying Spur the more practical four-door Grand Tourer, but the new […]
KEEP READING >Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting with John and Tarja Panfil, owners and operators of a boutique car dealership specializing in the sales, service and parts of high performance sports and muscle cars – Anthem Motors. It’s hard to believe that this family owned business started only four years ago with just a few cars, and 2,000 square feet of space. Now in 12,000 square feet, Anthem Motors LLC has grown into a full service center for high performance specialty cars that utilizes top-of-the-line equipment – including Dyno and alignment machines – and maintains an in-house fabrication shop and […]
KEEP READING >Of course, you can keep the roof up on your new 2007 XK Convertible from Jaguar Scottsdale/Land Rover Scottsdale. But, assisted by hydraulic actuators and electronic controls, Jaguar engineers boast you can drop the triple-layer top in about 18 seconds Open up, then, to azure desert skies and Arizona sun, easily sliding the fabric under a color-keyed aluminum tonneau cover. Then open this car up. “The all-new XK was designed from the outset to be a beautiful convertible. It is a statement of confident Jaguar design, elegant as well as powerful and with the performance and driving dynamics to match […]
KEEP READING >On the professional basketball court, the 6’-5” Minnesota Timberwolves guard spins high to the rim, often making his points more affirmative with a slam dunk over taller players. And, when he’s not in the paint, the three-time NBA All-Star is behind the line, effortlessly dropping down three-pointers or simply stealing the ball from flat-footed opponents. Off the playing floor, he’s on the showroom floor, with Sprewell Motorsports in San Gabriel, Calif. Formerly Dazz Motorsports, Spree’s high-horsepower playroom has become one the largest high-performance tire and wheel shops anywhere, with more than a million dollars in showroom inventory alone. The website, […]
KEEP READING >Fisker Coachbuild, based out of Orange County, California is building on one of the world’s greatest hand-crafted experiences in car design – coachbuilding. They are crafting a line of automobiles that will redefine automotive performance, elegance and exclusive luxury. Founding partners Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler launched Fisker Coachbuild in January 2005 combining their decades of experience in the automotive industry to craft an exclusive line of automobiles. The objective of Fisker Coachbuild is to combine beautiful design with existing world-class engineering. Their focus is on designing and manufacturing exclusive high-end sports cars, which will be limited in production. The […]
KEEP READING >After record-breaking first year sales of the Elise roadster, British sports car builder Lotus unveiled the production version of the Exige, a limited production, hand-built coupe aimed at dedicated driving and track day enthusiasts. Based on the same 150-pound extruded and bonded aluminum chassis found in the featherweight Elise, the Exige takes the extraordinary roadster’s performance and handling characteristics one step further. Aerodynamic features generate substantial downforce at speed that provides the Exige additional handling confidence that allows the driver to extract additional performance from the car. Although the Elise and Exige look similar, only the door and rocker panels […]
KEEP READING >Back by popular demand, classic Jaguars are quickly becoming some of the most highly sought after collector vehicles on the planet! Fortunately for us, Arizona is home to World of Jaguars, considered by many to be the leader in Jaguar restoration and service. Also known as Doc’s Jags, World of Jaguars is considered the leader in purchasing and selling these fine automobiles and have contributed to many of the most prestigious car collections in the world. Their main Showroom is located in Northeast Phoenix with corporate offices in Scottsdale, AZ. Doc’s Jags has been dedicated exclusively to the Jaguar trademark […]
KEEP READING >The Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder was debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show two years after the Coupé version. The Spyder increases the Lamborghini supercar offerings to four. The Gallardo Spyder is a completely new model not just a Coupé minus the top. It has many unique new features including engine and performance enhancements. The 10-cylinder engine now develops 520hp at 8,000 rpm. The 6-speed gearbox also has lower ratios for increased performance. The steering is more precise and includes a fluid cooler. The suspension has been recalibrated and the Spyder also benefits from aluminum bodywork and four-wheel drive. The performance modifications […]
KEEP READING >The Range Rover Sport, an all-new sports tourer SUV from Land Rover, is the best-performing and best-handling vehicle that the renowned sport-utility manufacturer has ever built. Powered in top-line form by a supercharged 390hp V8 engine, the Range Rover Sport is designed to combine invigorating dynamic ability with outstanding comfort and refinement. The top-line Range Rover Sport uses a specially-developed version of Jaguar’s acclaimed 4.2-litre supercharged V8 engine. Maximum power is 390hp and maximum torque 410lbft with an electronically-limited top speed of 140mph. Power and torque are delivered to all four wheels through a ZF six-speed ‘intelligent shift’ automatic gearbox […]
KEEP READING >From Bentley’s very earliest days, open-top cars have been an intrinsic part of the company’s heritage. Over the decades that followed many revered convertible or ‘drophead’ models were created, both by notable Bentley coachbuilders such as Mulliner, Park Ward, and later ‘in-house’ at the company’s Crewe headquarters. From the 1955 Continental Drophead Coupé, through the later Corniche and Continental eras, up to the magnificent Azure of 1995, an entire portfolio of unashamedly glamorous and wonderfully desirable cars meant that Bentley retained its reputation as the creator of the world’s most elegant convertibles. Now that reputation has grown once more with […]
KEEP READING >The Koenigsegg CCR is powered by a bespoke supercharged eight cylinder engine, developed by the Koenigsegg engineering crew for use in the CCR. Its pure racing performance power and torque have been achieved while still maintaining the low weight and superb drivability of the car. The 806 hp Koenigsegg CCR holds the Guinness Record for the most powerful car in series production. The CCR engine delivers 806 hp at 7000 rpm and 920 (550 ft-lb) Nm of torque at 5,400 rpm. It is a state-of-the-art Quad Cam semi-stressed V8 construction with a 4.7 litre displacement and 32 valves. The CCR […]
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