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2020 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY VS. FORD GT: A SPECS COMPARISON POWER The GT delivers 647 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque, well ahead of the base Corvette Stingray's 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque when equipped with the optional performance exhaust. That's a huge gap, but  Chevy  will undoubtedly release more powerful variants of the Corvette (perhaps a Z06 or ZR1), so expect the match-up to be closer once that happens. Whereas Ford uses a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, Chevy relies on its tried-and-true naturally aspirated 6.2-liter push-rod V-8. Chevy says this output is enough to propel the mid-engine Corvette to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds, but we'll have to test that number for ourselves. When we  took the Ford GT to the track , we managed to hit 60 mph in 3 seconds flat. SWITCHING GEARS (AND DRIVE MODES) Unfortunately, you can't get a manual transmission on either car. The Corvette routes power through an eight-speed dual-clutch, while the GT has

ACURA'S FUTURE: HOW THE RDX MAY INFLUENCE THE BRAND’S UPCOMING CARS The RDX compact SUV charts a new course to what  Acura  aspires to be. If you've seen RDX sales numbers lately, this won't come as much of a surprise. But during a visit to our office this week, Art St. Cyr, American  Honda 's new vice president of automobile operations, revealed more about what Acura has learned from the 2019 RDX's launch, and how the luxury crossover's sales success will inform Acura's future-car decisions. Here's what we learned. ACURA = PERFORMANCE? "Performance is going to be our luxury," explained St. Cyr, an engineer by education, with leadership stints at Honda Performance Development and Honda R&D. Acura's focus may have been unclear in years past, but performance is said to be a main pillar for the brand moving forward. Lots of brands have similar claims, and in Acura's case, the RDX adds some credibility here. After becomin

THIS IS WHAT THE 2020 LAND ROVER DEFENDER WILL PROBABLY LOOK LIKE Land Rover  has been working on and teasing a  next-generation Defender  for quite some time now—in 2001, the company released  a pair of DC100 concepts  to take the public's pulse on a possible direction for the model. That didn't go well. But with a fresh design executed and development work almost complete, the new Defender is almost here. While the official debut won't take place  until September , a photo posted to the  landroverphotoalbum Instagram account  has given us a very good idea of what to expect. The photo reveals the gauge cluster of the new Defender, ostensibly that of the longer, four-door 110 model, as that's what's shown. (A shorter, two-door 90 model is also part of Land Rover's plan). Modern Land Rover products often show a picture of the vehicle in their instrument panels at startup and for other various displays, and that seems to be what we're seeing here. The

2019 HYUNDAI ELANTRA GT N LINE: WHY I’D BUY IT - ALEX NISHIMOTO "What car should I buy?" It's a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would online editor Alex Nishimoto drive? Keep reading for the answer, and  see other editors' picks here . I've already gone over in detail why I would (and did) buy a  Honda CR-V  for my growing family. But if for some reason I ever left this job and the press car privileges that come with it, I'd need a set of wheels for myself. I'd probably buy something used if that ever happened. But if I had to pick a new car, what would I get? First, a recap of my needs. As a married thirty-something with a child, a mortgage, and one car payment already, I'd want my second car payment to be relatively low to ease the impact on our budget. I'd also want four doors, a roomy back seat, and reasonable cargo capacity to accommodate my son's car seat and other essential baby gear. And because he'l

THIS 1979 NISSAN PATROL WILL GET YOU NOSTALGIC Nissan  only sold the Patrol in the U.S. from 1962 to 1969. It was an outlier during that time, too, because during the 1960s, it wore a Nissan badge when every other model from the company donned the Datsun name. At the upcoming Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction, you can get yourself in a cool gray 1979  Nissan Patrol  that has been well cared for and restored to its original form. Since this particular example is a 1979 model, it's likely that the owner exported it from another country where the Patrol was sold (likely Australia or Southeast Asia). Under the hood is a 4.0-liter I-6 backed by a three-speed manual gearbox. As with all second generation Nissan Patrol models, this one comes with four-wheel drive standard and a has a two-speed transfer case. It even has some creature comforts like air conditioning and the original radio and glove box from the factory. Barrett-Jackson's description of the car notes that this P

2019 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM VIII ROAD TRIP: YANKEE ROLLS Yankee Rose so true, how we all love you, and we're proud to say you belong to the U.S.A.," crooned the First Lady of Radio, Vaughn De Leath, alongside Sam Lanin and his Famous Players in a New York City studio in January 1927. Meanwhile, across town at the Brewster & Co. coachbuilding line in Long Island City, workers fitted a custom body to the just-released  Rolls-Royce Phantom  I flagship that had been driven some 140 miles from a factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, as nothing more than a bare chassis and its mechanical underpinnings. Although the Phantom I was a new entry into the  Rolls-Royce  lineup, American manufacturing of English luxury machines had already been happening for nearly a decade. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, founded in 1904, had only been up and running for 15 years when it set its sights on the lucrative American market. Despite literally hundreds of small-time automakers in existence

THIS VIPER ACR HAS BEEN PERFECTLY PAMPERED The Viper sometimes gets derided for being crude and low-tech, which may well be true. Its engine sounds like a tractor and cabin ergonomics leave much to be desired. Still, those brave enough to pilot the beast are rewarded with remarkable performance. And, when fitted with ACR trim and the Extreme Aero package, the Viper drives— according to Randy Pobst —like a race car. But sadly,  this Viper ACR Extreme Aero , headed to auction at Barrett-Jackson, has never seen a racetrack. This example was built in 2017, the Viper's final year of production. It's fitted with the signature 8.4-liter V-10, making 645 hp and 600 lb-ft. Behind that block is an old-school six-speed manual, which, in today's world of dual-clutch gearboxes, makes the ACR's portfolio of racetrack lap records all the more impressive. Those include at Laguna Seca, with a time of 1:28.65 set by none other than our man Randy. Exclusive to 2017 was availabl

2020 HONDA ACCORD: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE CLASS-LEADING MIDSIZE SEDAN Fun fact: The compelling  Honda Accord  came close to becoming the 2018  MotorTrend  Car of the Year. The three-time comparison-winning  Alfa Romeo Giulia  was our deserving winner, but  the Accord and Kia Stinger also earned first-place votes from judges . With the  2020 Honda Accord 's arrival right around the corner, we started to wonder how the midsize sedan will fight back against a  Toyota Camry  that now offers Apple CarPlay as well as a newly redesigned  Hyundai Sonata   that looks especially promising . Although  Honda  wouldn't comment for this story, here's how we'd like Honda to update the already solid Accord and, toward the bottom, what we think Honda will  actually  change for the 2020 model year. TONE DOWN THE BELT-BUCKLE BADGE If I bought an Accord , the first dealer-installed accessory I'd consider is a more subdued black chrome grille instead of the regular overc

2020 RANGE ROVER SPORT DIESEL V-6: WHY I'D BUY IT - ANGUS MACKENZIE What SUV should I buy?" It's a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would international bureau chief Angus MacKenzie drive? Keep reading for the answer, and  see other editors' picks here . Mrs. MacKenzie and I love road trips. There's nothing better than heading out of town early morning, bound for the far horizon. And if there's an interesting road along the way, we'll take it, just to see what's over the next hill or around the next corner. In fact, the less time we spend on the interstates, the better. The real America is out there, beyond the soulless neon glare of gas stations and fast food joints and budget hotels. Our ideal road trip vehicle must have genuine all-weather, all-road capability, with the ability to keep going when the road stops. It must have a good ride and low noise levels. And it must have a decent range. Oh, and we like life's li

5 CLASSIC STYLING DETAILS THE 2021 BRONCO HAS TO HAVE Sometimes simple things are the most distinctive—just look at the  Ford Bronco . Over 30 years and five generations, its basic shape didn't change much, always maintaining a squared-off profile that prioritized function over beauty. Still, it worked, and it gained fans around the world. The few aesthetic touches it wore added to its recognition, features that helped build the Bronco legend. If  Ford  wants its upcoming Bronco revival to succeed, it has to include these styling details. Beyond the added practicality of  carrying a spare tire  on the rear cargo door (which might come in handy in the event of a trailside puncture), it just looks cool. Whether or not the driver ever uses it, the spare adds to the Bronco's outdoorsy charisma and has been a distinct design element since the first generation. What's more, it makes space for drivers to personalize their vehicle. Ford would be wise to offer a range of ti

JAGUAR XE SV PROJECT 8 FIRST TEST: EXCLUSIVE AND EXTREME The  Jaguar XE  SV Project 8 has an insatiable appetite for breaking records. First, it shattered the  four-door production sedan lap time at the Nurburgring  with a time of 7:21.23. That's 11 seconds quicker than the  Alfa Romeo Giulia  Quadrifoglio, the former record-holder and our  2018 Car of the Year . Then, just last year,  MotorTrend  pro racer Randy Pobst  set a production sedan lap record  of 1:37.54 at WeatherTech Laguna Seca, eclipsing the 1:38.52 set previously by a  2016 Cadillac CTS -V. What else would you expect from a  Jaguar  XE that looks like it's been injected with massive amounts of steroids and carbon fiber? With a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 cranking out 592 horsepower, the Project 8 is also Jaguar's most powerful roadgoing car to date. But in light of these accomplishments, Jaguar insists that it's a worthy roadgoing car as well. That's right—despite the bespoke bodywork, the pa