Awesome Rides

Indian Motorcycles released its first variation on the Scout this fall. It looks and rides fantastic. Shortened fenders, blacked out trim, and a low seat make it stand out in a crowd. With this bike, Indian is giving a whole new set of riders a reason to come into their showrooms.

We recently hit the road from Palm Springs to test drive Land Rover’s new mid-size SUV. We were duly impressed with the styling, handling, and comfort of the Velar, which offers a smooth ride, slick new tech, off-road capabilities, and much more. Read our full review on 95octane.

Strider is known for making scoot or balance bicycles, which help teach kids to ride a bike without resorting to training wheels. Its new 14X bike is a balance bike that can be transformed into a normal pedal bike, so it’ll grow with its rider.

Volvo’s Polestar spin-off is showing off their first standalone vehicle, a fantastic looking sports coupe powered by a 600 hp hybrid drivetrain with 737 lb-ft. of torque, a lightweight body made from carbon fiber composite and steel, and an Öhlins adaptive suspension.

Launching first in Atlanta, Porsche Passport is a vehicle subscription service that lets you use one of up to 22 different Porsche model variants. You can keep your rental as long as you want or switch anytime. The fee already includes maintenance, insurance and taxes.

Aston Martin’s luxurious and powerful DB11 sports coupe gets a new convertible variant, a grand tourer that’s sure to muss up your hair as its 503 hp V8 engine kicks in. It can drop its top in 14 seconds, at speeds up to 31 mph, and is substantially lighter than the car it replaces.

The Mako Slingshot is a compact motorized wakeboard. It has a carbon fiber deck, a 100cc 2-stroke engine, and an alloy impeller. It comes with a wired throttle that lets you go at a leisurely pace or zip at up to 34mph. A full tank gets you about 40 minutes of running time.

The world’s first hands-free interstate cruising system is here, and we were one of the first to test it out on a trip from Cleveland to Memphis via Chicago. We were left thoroughly impressed by this “Super Cruise” setup, and what it means for the future of highway travel as we know it.

General Motors’ SURUS (Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure) is a universal truck platform that has autonomous capabilities and is powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Modules include a cab for human drivers, an ambulance and a mobile generator.

Auto Fabrica’s Gaz and Bujar Muharremi are masters of elegant silhouettes – even at small scale. Made for Gaz’s son, the Type 0.1 has an old Franco Morini engine, a frame and wheels from 1970’s minibikes, and custom rear shocks, seat and exhaust. More on BikeEXIF.

Judge not the Tj Cruiser by its cover. Except for the driver’s seat, all of the 4×4 van’s seats can be folded down completely flat. The seat backs are covered with scratch-resistant material and have lots of tie-down points, making it one of the most versatile vehicle interiors we’ve seen.

This electric motorcycle is only a proof of concept, but Honda is keen on using its Riding Assist technology on production models. The self-balancing hardware takes up only the bike’s front end. Honda hopes to first launch it on its touring motorcycles.

We recently spent a day on the drag strip behind the wheel of the absolutely bonkers 840 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. We didn’t have the skills to get near its 9.65-second 1/4 mile record, but it still was the fastest accelerating car we’ve ever driven.

Europe’s most popular plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is headed to the US. The Outlander PHEV has both a 2.0L gas engine and dual motors for 4WD, the ability to make short trips on pure electric power, and SUV versatility at a sedan price. Full review on 95octane.

Think your car is fast? Check out this footage of a Koenigsegg Agera RS going from 0 to 400 km/h (~248 mph) and back down to 0 mph in just 36.44 seconds, proving good brakes are are just as important as a good engine when it comes to supercars. Full run starts at 1:57.

Bureo makes skateboards with decks that are made from waste fishing nets that are retrieved and processed with the help of locals in fishing communities in Chile. The decks have a fishtail and grippy scale patterns that are both thematic and functional. Available in two sizes.

British Olympic Skier Graham Bell had the brass balls to skitch behind a speeding Jaguar XF Sportbrake on the ice in Arjeplog, Sweden, setting a new record for fastest towed speed on skis – an average of 189 km/h or about 117 mph.

The TANK is a 4WD extreme utility vehicle designed to handle just about anything. It starts out with a 6.4 liter HEMI V8 engine, making 500hp, and can be kitted out with everything from an off-road suspension, to Kevlar armor, bulletproof glass, and thermal night vision.

We recently spent a day with the fine folks from Michelin and TireRack.com to see why winter tires are critical in colder climates. Those all-seasons your car came are okay down to about 44º F, but below that, you’ll be much safer and better controlled with true winter tires.

When it comes to racing around a track, they say “smooth is fast,” and that’s most definitely the case in this record-breaking, yet cool and calm 6:47.3 lap of the Nordschleife, set in the shockingly fast new Porsche 911 GT2 RS, by driver Lars Kern.

Lexus‘ all-new luxury flagship gets a choice of dramatic interiors, with materials like Kiriko art glass, laser-cut woods, and origami-pleated fabric. Its new chassis handles great, and its 3.5L twin-turbo V6 makes 416 hp, launching it to 60 mph in 4.6s. Full review on 95octane.

Stunt and rallycross driver Ken Block tears up Pikes Peak in the latest build of his Hoonicorn RTR – a 1965 Ford Mustang kitted out with a 1400hp engine, and shod in sticky Toyo Proxes R888R tires. He doesn’t take the fastest route, but he burns plenty of rubber on the way.

Motor Trend held its annual quarter-mile drag race on Vandenberg Air Force Base’s 15,000ft.-long runway. The 12 competitors are the site’s favorite cars for 2017, including the Mercedes Benz AMG GTR, the Ferrari 488 GTB, and the Tesla Model S P100D.