Awesome Rides

Featuring sporty looks and a revamped front end, the new Optima offers improved driving dynamics and handling, smoother acceleration, and a spacious cabin with quilted Nappa leather, an awesome Harmon Kardon audio system, and tons of tech. More on 95octane.

The new BMW M2 could be the ultimate driftmobile. The rear-wheel drive sports coupe is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 that makes 370 hp, track-tuned suspension and brakes, and either a manual or dual-clutch gearbox. It also rounded the Nürburgring in 7:58.

The Liberty Trike has a 750W electric motor that lets you go up to 7.5mph, or you can also use just the pedals, or both. Its removable battery lasts up to 24mph per charge. The frame can be folded and even split in two for storage or transport. And no, it’s not just for old folks.

The Supercar Driver has pulled off the impossible: gathering the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder in one place. They were able to pull it off thanks to Paul Bailey, the high roller who owns one of each hybrid supercar. Place your bets!

A tribute to the Can-Am race-winning McLarens from the ’60s and ’70s, this special 650S hase a retractable carbon fiber hard top, custom forged alloy wheels, quad exhaust, carbon fiber hood and rear wing, and of course the 650 hp, 3.8L turbo V8 that the 650S is named for.

(PG-13 Language) Jalopnik’s Jason Torchinsky manages to cram his butt into a little known vehicle called The Hoffman, a hideous beast of a car that’s horribly uncomfortable, drives terribly, looks worse than a Pontiac Aztek, and seems hellbent on killing its driver.

Lexus UK worked with design agency NVDK, Laser Cut Works, and Scales & Models to create a full-scale, driveable replica of the Lexus IS sedan, using from 1700 laser-cut pieces of cardboard. We’re guessing it’s not as much fun to drive as the actual IS, but it’s still really cool.

There’s nothing stodgy about this sporty Buick sedan. Powered by a 259 hp turbocharged engine, and packing Brembo brakes and adaptive damping, it handles like a dream, has modern, athletic looks, and is fun to drive. Find out how well it drives over at 95octane.

This very special edition of the BMW M4 has been outfitted with a water-cooled, turbo inline-6 that pushes out 500 hp. It’s fitted with track aero bits, OLED taillamps, and had as much weight stripped out as possible for track day perfection. Top speed is 189 mph.

Mighty Car Mods and their friends attempt to mod a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle L and give it 10 times its measly ~30hp with the help of a 2.5L turbocharged engine, while keeping its classic look. Skip to 34:10 for the result, including a drag race with the mighty Porsche 911 Carrera.

Redshift Sports’ ShockStop is a shock-absorbing bicycle stem that gives you a more comfortable and less tiring ride. It has interchangeable elastomers to adjust the stiffness and is available in low-rise and high-rise variants.

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing shows the amount of energy can be captured from regenerative braking as it connected its 1000hp TS040 hybrid race car to a roomful of appliances to cook breakfast for 171 people by driving the equivalent of a single LeMans lap. More here.

YouTuber ChrisFix attached a camera to the underside of his truck to explain the basics of vehicle suspensions and shock absorbers in particular. Then he replaced his truck’s rusty shocks with a new one to show the difference.

Honda’s bestselling bundle of joy might become this century’s Mini Trail 50. The Grom 50 Scrambler Concept One and Concept Two are both 50cc bikes. The One has a sporty look while the Two has a retro street design. More details at Car and Driver.

Tucked in a dusty garage in Gowanus, Brooklyn are 58 rare classic cars and hundreds of car parts owned by Lenny Shiller. Lenny finds it relaxing to take apart and maintain his collection, aware that he’s just taking care of them for their future owners.

Motor Trend’s drag race tradition is back, this time pitting a whole new batch of supercars and sporty daily drivers against one another in an epic shootout for 1/4-mile supremacy. Our money’s on the Corvette Z06, but you’ll need to watch to find out the winner.

The Tesla Model X is finally in production. The base model 90D has a total output of 518hp, while the P90D has 752hp at its disposal. It has a top speed of 155mph and rockets from 0 to 60mph in 3.2s with an optional upgrade.

A compilation of spectacular wheelies, flips, spills and tumbles from Norway’s NEZ Formula Offroad championship, as these sturdy off-road buggies climb loose piles of sand and dirt. All we can say is, thank goodness for roll cages.

A slightly more affordable version of the crowdfunded electric bicycle. The Porteur S has a 5-speed internally geared hub, a chain drive and steel fenders as opposed to the Porteur’s 8-speed drivetrain, belt drive and bamboo fenders.

A tamer and more affordable variant of the Ariel Atom-based street-legal track car. The Beast Speedster sees the car’s 2.4L supercharged engine toned down from 500hp to 300hp. The car also gains a bit of leather padding on the interior. Starts at $139K.

Mercedes-Benz’ newest show car, the Concept IAA (“Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile”) is packed with futuristic tech, the most notable of which is its ability to adjust its body and wheels to take on a more aerodynamic form when it reaches 50mph.

Animator PES’ latest stop-motion film takes a different approach from his other shorts. This promo film, which shows Honda’s evolution, was created entirely from pieces of paper, each hand-illustrated, and arranged by a team of animators. BTS footage here.

Unlike most folding bikes, Helix doesn’t fold in the middle of its frame. Instead, it uses a unique hinge mechanism where the front and rear wheels fold inwards. The result is a more compact and durable bike, but that opens up to a normal size.