Category: My Blog

[ad_1] Briggs & Stratton is best known for making lawnmower engines, but the company has experimented with cars. One of those cars was recently featured on "Jay Leno's Garage." Decades ago, Briggs & Stratton built a one-off, six-wheeled hybrid. Work on the car began in 1978 and was completed in 1980—long before hybrid powertrains became mainstream. But fuel economy was still an important issue in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which is why this car exists. Jay's guest from Briggs & Stratton, Engineering Technician Craig Claerbout, says the car was built to show that Briggs & Stratton engines could power a car on the highway, they just needed a little help to get there. The car can be driven using its air-cooled gasoline engine (essentially a lawnmower engine), electric…

[ad_1] Nissan's R35-generation GT-R has now been in production for more than a decade, and while many believe it's time for the Japanese giant to give way to a successor, Nissan is content to make the current car better with each passing year. The 2020 Nismo GT-R is the latest and greatest, and Nissan says it's 2.5 seconds faster around its development track than the 2019 was. So, what makes this $210,000 Nismo GT-R even better than the lizards that came before it? We turn once again to Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained to give us an in-depth look at just what makes the 600-horsepower 2020 Nismo GT-R the fastest Godzilla produced to date. The first ingredient is weight reduction. Compared to the 2019 model, 2020 Nismo lost nearly 50…

[ad_1] If you bought a Ford Mustang Mach 1 back in 1969, you spent around $3,125 for a souped-up pony car powered by a 351cid carbureted V8 engine that pumped out 250 horsepower. Or for another $26, you could opt for a four-barrel intake rated at 290. Or, for $357, you could equip your Mach 1 with a 428cid Cobra Jet V8 with Ram Air setup good for 335 horsepower. That was a hot set up 50 years — yes, half a century — ago. But that was then and this is now, and while you might still like the look of that vintage fastback Mustang, even 335 horsepower just doesn’t cut it. There are, however, folks out there eager to provide you with the vintage look but with modern…

[ad_1] The 1980s were a time of excess, and brought with them the rise of BMW and Mercedes-Benz as the cars of choice to project success. It should come as no surprise, then, that German automakers and excess overlapped more than once. This V-16-powered 1987 BMW 750iL is one of the best examples of the intersection between "Why would they build that?" and "Why not?" Dubbed the Goldfisch (yes, it means goldfish), this one-of-a-kind 7-Series featured a 6.6-liter V-16 engine derived from BMW's existing V-12, BMWBlog reported in November. The resulting mill was so large it wouldn't fit under the hood of BMW's long-wheelbase sedan without significant modifications.  1987 BMW 750iL “Goldfisch” To find that space, BMW elected to move the radiator to the trunk. In fact, BMW mounted two…

[ad_1] Aston Martin's next limited-edition car looks to the past as the brand enters the future. On Tuesday, the British automaker announced the Aston Martin V12 Speedster, a limited-edition topless supercar that will make its formal debut later in 2020. Designed in-house by Aston Martin's personalization division known as Q by Aston Martin, the V12 Speedster is said to be a driver-oriented two-seat open cockpit sports car. Its design will honor the the 1959 Le Mans-winning Aston Martin DBR1 and the CC100 Speedster centenary concept car from 2013. The teaser image doesn't give away much, but there's clearly a duckbill spoiler, deep sculpting on the sides with large strakes from the front wheel wells into the door panels. A large front splitter juts out from the front bumper, which has…

[ad_1] After a big round of updates last year, Ford's Mustang Shelby GT350 soldiers on into the 2020 model year with only minor tweaks. Among these is a new heritage package announced this week that sees the muscle car adopt the iconic livery of Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes. 2020 JRM GT23 A company responsible for building Nissan GT-R race cars this week unveiled a wild version of the Japanese icon designed for the road. It's called the GT23, and it packs over 650 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, and enough downforce for 2 g of lateral acceleration. 2020 Audi RS Q8 first drive Audi just launched the RS Q8 and we've just had a chance to drive it. The vehicle is unassuming but wicked. How so? It looks similar to…

[ad_1] The Jaguar F-Type's design is art on wheels, and for 2021 the British sports car moves forward. The refreshed 2021 Jaguar F-Type coupe and convertible made an online debut on Monday with tweaks to its sleek design, new in-cabin technology, more power, and a focus on fine details. 2021 Jaguar F-Type2021 Jaguar F-Type2021 Jaguar F-Type It won't be hard to pick out the 2021 F-Type at Cars & Coffee next year. The LED headlights are now slim horizontal units (previously they were vertically oriented) to match new, slender LED taillights that are similar to those found in the all-electric I-Pace crossover. A wider, deeper grille gives the F-Type a wider appearance than before. A new design for the clamshell hood features air vents positioned closer to the front bumper…

[ad_1] Semi-official BMW tuner Alpina has given the world some fantastically tweaked cars over the years, the latest of which are the 600-horsepower B7 based on the 7-Series and 462-hp B3 based on the 3-Series. As you may have noticed, Alpina often steps where BMW's own tuner, the M division, doesn't dare tread, and it looks like the next offering will be based on the X7. The latest spy shots and video show prototypes for an Alpina X7 being tested hard at the Nürburgring and on some of the German racetrack's surrounding roads. Signature Alpina cues include the horizontal slats of the lower front fascia, the multi-spoke wheels, and the quad-exhaust tips. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IVsoufBboE[/embed] Alpina's X7 will likely be badged an XB7 if it's powered by a gasoline engine, though if…