Translogic’s Bradley Hasemeyer takes a look at the upcoming electric vehicles featured at this year’s LA Auto Show. He interviews people about the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force offroad fuel cell concept, the Fiat 500E, the BMW i3 and i8 and the Chevy Spark EV. Besides the Ener-G-Force concept, the rest of the cars are scheduled for production in the next 1-3 years.
I have no delusions in thinking that the DIY auto enthusiast crowd will ever be shopping for $200k-$300k cars like these. It is still interesting to see what’s out there, though. Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman pits the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG against the Bentley Mulsanne after Rolls Royce declined to participate in the showdown. He gets it, too. Johnny ends up showing us what is cool about both cars without taking things too seriously as evident by his joke about the “Peasant Crusher” suspension settings while wearing a tuxedo t-shirt. Even if the fancy luxury stuff doesn’t do it for you, both cars make over 700 ft-lbs of torque. They may not be what we usually talk about here at Flux Auto, but these cars are still extreme ways of expressing the automobile.
Have you ever looked at your Jeep and thought, “Man, I sure wish this came as a full size double cab pickup truck.” Fear not, for the aftermarket has you covered. This is the Brute Double Cab conversion from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). AEV prides themselves on doing quality work at an OEM level. Most of their parts are made from stamped steel and are sourced within 200 miles of their factory in Michigan. The double cab Brute has an extended wheelbase, reinforced frame and the composite bed and cab are rubber mounted to the frame to isolate noise and vibration. Engine options run from the base 3.6 liter V6 to the 5.7 liter Hemi V8 with a supercharger. They build the trucks with “Overlanding” in mind which is long trips into the wilderness where the vehicle is your only lifeline. That means special attention has been paid to the Brute’s durability and all day comfort. Check out the video to see more details on this interesting truck.
As we draw close to the end of this year, lets take a look back at one Italian man’s quest to share the exhaust tones of some of the world’s most exotic cars with the world. This is a compilation of the best of the Marchettino YouTube channel from 2012. This is pure car guy music. Just turn it on and leave it playing in the background. Enjoy:
The Chrysler Imperial was designed “for the man who doesn’t seek prestige because he already has it.” I really don’t think there is anybody in the world more appropriate to present this 1967 Chrysler Imperial than Jay Leno. It’s one of the amazing cars that found its way to him just because he’s the world’s most famous car guy. He bought it from a 93 year old movie producer who bought the car brand new along with 2 spares of every conceivable part on the car. It’s an amazing piece of automotive history from an era when the Imperial was the pinnacle of luxury and sophistication.