Awesome Rides

A brief documentary about custom hot rod builder Bodie Stroud and one of his latest masterpieces: a ’69 Mustang fitted with the 777hp engine used in racing legend Mario Andretti’s ’69 Can-Am car.

Whoever shot this video badly needs a tripod, but that’s okay because he caught this awesome combo vehicle in action. Hint: it’s not amphibious. Skip to 1:20 if you’re impatient.

The successor to the 3-Series coupe, the 4-Series concept is wider, longer and more stylized than its predecessor, bearing the sculpted blimp look of the 6 Series. Detail video here.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH took a stock Lexus LS and beefed it up with a turbocharged 5.0L V8 to help this luxury beast punch out 641hp, 524 pound-feet of torque and a top speed of 199mph.

Inspired by the Russian icebreaker of the same name, Ural’s limited edition Yamal is a two-wheel drive motorcycle with a 749cc 40hp 4-stroke engine, a double-hulled sidecar and a witty paddle.

Who says you have to trade good looks and drivability for price? KTM’s 200 Duke is a value-priced featherweight bike at just 285 pounds, powered by a 200cc, 26hp 4-stroke engine.

Jaguar’s most powerful sedan, the XFR-S has the same 550hp 5.0l supercharged V8 as the XKR-S. It has carbon fiber components, upgraded suspension and an 8-speed QuickShift transmission. More here.

Evo editors Tiff Needell and Dickie Meaden track test 10 of this year’s hottest cars – including the Toyota GT86, Pagani Huayra and the McLaren MP4-12C – to determine the magazine’s Car of the Year.

A stunning retro-style bike built by Indiana’s Janus Motorcycles. The Halcyon has a 9.8hp 49.9cc 2-stroke engine, steel frame and rims and aluminum hubs. A lightweight motorcycle built for urban riding.

A research group at Keio University is using optical camouflage technology to make a car’s backseat appear transparent from the driver’s perspective, so they can see everything behind the car.

Dejan Hristov presents an impressive concept study for a Tesla compact he’s dubbed the Tesla C. Some of the eyecatching design solutions include sliding doors and a bumper with a retracting cargo drawer.

The Awesomer picks its top gift ideas of 2012, sifting through our thousands of items so you don’t have to – though if you want to spend the next 3 hours on the site, we won’t complain.

Car and Driver lists their 12 most significant cars of all time, whether because of design, engineering or inventing a new vehicle class (minivans, eesh.) Hosted by Epic Meal Time’s Harley Morenstein.

An awesome – if a bit dramatic – commercial for the Toyota GT 86. Advertising agency Happiness Brussels captures the desire of every man to satisfy his inner child. The song is Heavy Pop by WU LYF.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black series has a 6.3L V8 that pumps out 631hp. It weighs only 3,417lbs, thanks the use of carbon fiber parts and a Li-ion battery in place of the standard battery.

Rickard Nilsson’s tractor looks like an ordinary – and beat up – ride, but once he fires it up you’ll quickly see what sets it apart. Nilsson equipped it with a turbocharged 2.1L 155hp Volvo engine.

Not to be confused with the Speed Racer-like Aventador J, the Aventador LP 700-4 roadster has a removable two-piece carbon fiber roof. It shares the coupe’s 700HP V12 and 7-speed gearbox.

The Donky was designed to be ridden easily and safely with whatever you need to take with you. It carries cargo on the frame so the steering and handling remain light and balanced.

The X132 Hellcat Combat has a 2,163cc V-twin engine that delivers 160hp and 160ft.lb. of torque. It has an aluminum case, steel chassis and fuel tank and carbon fiber rims. Limited to 36 units.

Invented by Dean Benstead, the O2 Pursuit is a prototype motorcycle that runs on compressed air. It has a top speed of 87mph and can go for about 60mi on a single diving cylinder. Field demo here.

Take Google Street View, put it on an F1 car and make the cameras record not just pictures but video and what do you get? This awesome interactive joyride made for Red Bull Norway.

The new Quattroporte goes for a more graceful and smoother silhouette compared to its predecessor. It has an all-new powertrain co-developed with Ferrari that will have a V8 (possibly 530hp) engine.

Elevating the simple city bike into a work of art, Van Heesh Design’s steel frame bicycle is plated with brass, providing it with an elegant, shiny, and rust-resistant finish. Also made in copper and zinc.