Navigation+rear Camera+heated Seats+sportive Interior+callistos on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ukrainian man turns Eclipse into quasi-Reventon

The Mitsubishi Eclipse may very well be the Pontiac Fiero of our time. Whereas the old Poncho formerly served as the go-to platform for every Ferrari and Lamborghini replica gone awry, the Eclipse seems to have usurped that crown in the modern age. Need an example? Look no further than this crafty Eclipse owner from Ukraine recently uncovered by our friends at EnglishRussia.com. Using nothing but some very impressive fabrication skills, some sheet metal and his ingenuity, the guy turned his budget Japanese cruiser into an homage to the Lamborghini Reventon.
Sure, the proportions are a little off. And yes, the front end looks a bit wonky, but the finished product is better than we could manage. Besides, this project turned out far cleaner than other Lamborghini tributes we've seen. You can head over to EnglishRussia.com for a closer look at the build process. You'll be amazed.

Ford Mustang challenges Lamborghini in amazing drift battle

Engines scream and tires billow with smoke as Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Daigo Saito stage a drift battle through an abandoned Japanese resort that looks like a Russian village in this stunning clip. The high-performance ballet of these amazing machines sliding around makes this one of the best videos of the year. To fight this duel, Gittin straps into his 550-horsepower Ford Mustang, and Saito meets the pony car's challenge with a drift-prepped Lamborghini Murcielago. The drivers hit a curving road and show expert car control as the men slide these very different vehicles just inches from each other. Eventually, night descends, and they add some fire to the scene to give the stunts a more apocalyptic look. The production values for this short clip are phenomenal, and the editing makes the viewer feel right in the middle of the action. If you want to get behind the scenes of this impressive display of drifting, Speedhunters did a great job capturing the event in photos. Related Video:

Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.