Awesome Rides

Lighter, faster, louder. Carfection sums up the history of Mercedes-AMG’s Black Series. The lucky bastards also got their hands on three of the five Porsche-hunting cars: The CLK 63, the C63 and the SLS Black Series.

What happens when you take one of the world’s most powerful hypercars and make it off-road ready? This. Sadly, Rain Prisk’s rendering is just a concept, but hopefully some billionaire will make it real some day. For now, we’ll have to settle for a Rally Fighter.

Some entertaining footage from the 11th running of the Côte de Holtz hillclimb which included a wide assortment of cool sports cars of all types, from formula racers, to rally racers, to muscle cars, to tractors, to the fabled Green Monsterchicken.

Our friends at Drive With Dave found some open road and decided to see what the Ferrari 599 GTO could do. A howling, shrieking beast of a car, this Ferrari used the latest F1 technology for mind blowing performances and is definitely not for the faint of heart.

An accessible off-roader. The Desert Sled has the same 803cc 75hp engine found in all Scramblers, but it’s surrounded by all new parts, including longer forks and suspension, a reinforced frame and Pirelli tires custom made for the bike. Drops 3/2017 for about $11,400.

To promote its high capacity batteries, Kreisel converted a Mercedes-Benz G 350 d into a fully electric vehicle. It has two motors that produce up to a total of 360kW and goes from 0 to 62mph in 5.6s. Its batteries last up to 186mi and can be quick-charged to 80% in just 25min.

Harley developed the MT500 in the ’80s for military use, hence its camo paint, gun case and ammo panniers. But it never took off, and only 500 were made. This particular bike has never been driven. It’s expected to fetch at least $20K when it hits the auction block on 1/26/17.

This electric jet-drive surfboard is designed for zipping along waves, lakes, lagoons and more. The Lampuga Boost is made from carbon fiber and aluminum, while the Lampuga Air is inflatable for easy travel. Both have a 15hp motor, and can hit speeds around 30 mph.

The new Mustang convertible gets all the same cool enhancements as the fastback version, and looks particularly brilliant in Ingot Silver with its top dropped. We can only imagine how good it sounds with that more powerful new 5.0L V8 and active exhaust.

From the factory, the Tesla Model S P100D can do 0-to-60 in 2.5s in Ludicrous mode. But this race-prepped version will do it in 2.0s flat, thanks to an 1100 lb. weight loss, a boost to 778hp, an aero body kit, and race suspension. The cars race in the new Electric GT series.

Our friends at Drive With Dave spent an afternoon with the McLaren 570S and it’s everything you could ask for in a luxury sports car, but is the “entry level” McLaren enough to stay ahead of the competition? Read on and find out.

On 1/21/17, Barrett Jackson is auctioning off one of 15 known surviving Cheetahs, the flawed but powerful and beautiful race car designed by Chevrolet tuner Bill Thomas. This specimen has been completely restored and still has its original chassis, engine, transmission and body.

Warped Perception built a custom transparent acrylic head for a four-stroke engine so we can see what internal combustion looks like as it happens. He fed the engine with different types of fuel then captured the results in slow-motion. Amazing stuff.

Our friends from Rides & Drives discover what makes the 650 horsepower McLaren 650S so much more than just a great track car on the mean streets of the Windy City. Make sure to watch the video and listen to that motor!

The new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman gets a zesty new engine with 228hp and 258 lb-ft. of torque, as well as standard AWD, sport suspension, Brembo brakes, and 18″ alloy rims. Inside there’s more space than ever, with seating for five, and sweet JCW sport seats.

Timeless Kustoms‘ tricked out 1965 Ford Mustang is one of the coolest cars we’ve seen on Jay Leno’s Garage yet. The retro-modern fastback beast has a 5.1L turbo/supercharged 1000hp V8 and a badass red interior with a roll cage. Here’s some testing and dyno footage.

Ford’s pony car gets a wider and sleeker grille, new LED headlights, and other tweaks up front. The GT gets quad-exhaust, and options include MagneRide suspension, active exhaust, and a 12″ digital dashboard. There’s a new 6-speed manual and 10-speed automatic, and more.

Chevrolet took wraps off its latest car – the Batmobile from the LEGO Batman Movie. They’re marketing it just like their other cars, and we bet if you did pay them $48 million, they’d figure out a way to make you one. For now, we’ll just have to settle for this. Or THIS.

A one-of-a-kind luxury boat from automaker Lexus, designed to provide its passengers with an extravagant seafaring experience. It’s powered by a pair of 5.0-liter V8 engines from their RC F, GS F and LC 500, producing a total of 880hp, and has a carbon fiber composite hull.

Bentley’s latest sports coupe has a 710 hp 6.0L W12 engine that can launch its 5000+ luxury payload from 0-to-60 in just 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 209 mph, making it currently the fastest production 4-seat car. Also available as a convertible.

The Volkswagen microbus gets a 21st century remake. The pure electric is spec’d to offer 270 mi range, dual motors w/369hp total, and autonomy features. A reconfigurable interior is designed to provide maximum versatility for passengers and cargo.

Lexus’ latest exec sedan offers much more aggressive styling, drops 200 lbs, and gets a new, stiffer chassis, and a 415 hp twin-turbo V6. Luxe interior options include a Mark Levinson 3D surround sound system, and 28-way power seats with heat, cooling, and shiatsu massage.

YouTuber Florian George collects old Volkswagens. He heard of a Kombi that was rotting on a mountain near where he lived. He bought it and was about to tow it back down when it struck him how awesome it would be if it could make the trek on its own. More here.