2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II Review

Sir Henry Royce once said, “Accept nothing that is nearly right or good enough.” Rolls-Royce customers agree with that sentiment. Buyers are persnickety with their millions and their opinions, which is why, when they want a fresh look to their 5-year-old Ghosts, they get it. Whatever you do, however, don’t call it a face-lift.

The profile of the Rolls owner is changing, too. The age of the average Rolls-Royce buyer has dropped by 10 years, thanks in large part to the Wraith. Additionally, past buyers were often royalty, celebrities, and heirs. Today, Rolls says, customers are entrepreneurs and “captains of industry.” “Ghost is the car to celebrate making money,” Carter said. “It is the ultimate business tool, and our customers wanted a more approachable but only slightly restyled Ghost.”

Climbing into the nearly 17-foot, 9-inch-long car (that’s 9 inches longer than your 2015 Cadillac Escalade) at first is intimidating. It’s big, pristine, and expensive. Powered by Rolls-Royce’s 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12, with 563 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque, the Ghost II feels amply powerful, making you forget its size at times. Throttle is direct and immediate, and steering adapts to speed to give you a greater feel of control. The Ghost II doesn’t just drive, it proceeds, doing 0-60 mph two-tenths of a second faster than its predecessor, according to Rolls-Royce. It does the run in just 4.8 seconds.

If you, or perhaps your driver, want a more spirited drive, Rolls-Royce offers the Dynamic Driving Package, which includes different front and rear struts, adjusted damper settings, and a tweaked steering system that, according to Rolls, increases the car’s cornering ability and delivers “enhanced feedback” to the driver. We weren’t able to test that package on this drive. Suffice it to say, cruising on the highway in the base model, you glance at the head-up display and realize you’re moving much faster than you’d expected. Lucky for you, those big ventilated brakes take you down to more common speeds quickly and quietly. Though there aren’t any great, swoopy backr
oads in the Dallas area where we drove the car, the Ghost II felt heavy but surprisingly agile on the few occasions we were able to push it.

If you’ve never been driven in a Rolls-Royce, you’ve never felt what it’s like to float above it all. The term “wafting” is simultaneously insipidly infuriating and dead accurate. There is really no other way to describe being shuttled along in the Ghost II. The new, slightly retuned suspension system, including new hydraulic rear-axle bearings, increases stability and reduces noise and vibrations inside the near silent car. With the included “lounge seat” configuration in Ghost II, seats angle toward each other, closing the space between passengers to “create a more intimate setting.” The traditional seats are also available. There’s more than enough room to stretch out and snooze or use the massaging seats. Or, if work must be done, you have more than enough space to pull out a laptop.

While the upgrades to the 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II are mainly subtle upgrades to the looks and technology in the car, the “don’t call it a face-lift” adjustments do give the car a new life, and one that, so far, appears to be very popular with buyers. Deliveries of the $280,000-plus car have begun, and it is currently backordered until March.

2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro: Around the Block

The new Tacoma TRD Pro packs a mix of Bilstein and TRD suspension components, TRD wheels, BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, TRD exhaust, and naturally, some cosmetic touches, in this case blacked-out lettering and optional orange paint. Brad's truck might have an extra inch of lift, longer control arms, two more inches of tire, and the trail rash to prove his truck is no pavement pounder, but I have faith that this factory-fresh Tacoma has what it takes.

Tires aired down, traction control off, stability control off, RSCA (whatever all that is) off. I leave the truck and two-wheel high and put my foot down. The TRD exhaust spits out a throaty V-6 bark and the back end squats. Moment of truth -- I stay on the gas and feel the back end pop to the surface. Now I'm scooting

across the sand, kicking up a healthy rooster tail in my rearview. Who needs a drift car? Just leave the TRD Pro in two-wheel and it's just as chuckable.

Enough impersonating Ryan Tuerck; it's time to get this Tacoma vertical. Leading the way I flip it into four-wheel high and set my sights on the biggest dune I can find.

With the Tacoma TRD Pro's long wheelbase and lack of a long-travel suspension, I have to ease up on my speed at the base of the dune. Once past the point of full compression, I feather the upper end of the throttle and feel the tires fighting and clawing their way forward.

Off-roaders can endlessly debate tire choice and suspension setups. But when it comes to out-of-the-box fun and performance, it really doesn't get much better than the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. At the end of the day, there wasn't a dune left unclimbed.

Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron concept

When the Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron concept made its debut at the Tokyo auto show in 1999, it marked the beginning of an era which would see the French sports car brand atop the performance automotive heap. The Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron concept was the starting point for the Bugatti’s world-record-setting Bugatti Veyron 16.4, and the design study will now be displayed publically for the first time since its original reveal.
The eighteen-cylinder Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron concept, scheduled for display this summer at the 2014 Salon Rétromobile in Paris, was created as an homage to Pierre Veyron, who was a decorated driver for Bugatti during the 1930s. Bugatti’s shocking design was nearly as dramatic as the car’s reported performance capability, an unbelievable 252 mph top speed that Bugatti announced in 2001. The 1001-hp, quad-turbo, W-16 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 took the world by storm when it first made delivery to customers in late 2005, complete with its staggering $1.3 million sticker price. Only around fifty units were scheduled for delivery per year, and production of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and even-battier 1200-hp Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, unveiled in 2010, totaled just 300 units—now completely sold out. The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport had a 258 mph top speed and a dizzying 2.5-second 0-62mph sprint.
Bugatti claims that around forty Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Vitesse roadsters are still available, which would ostensibly be the final new Veyron models available in the world. For those of you wondering why Bugatti picked now of all times to show its original Veyron concept, it probably is not in order to give the Veyron a swan song as it warp-speeds off into the sunset. News recently broke that Bugatti has canceled its planned Galibier luxury sport sedan in favor of a Veyron successor, which could be the rumored 1600-hp “SuperVeyron” powered by either a retuned 8.0- or 9.6-liter W-16 engine. Sources estimate that the ultra-performance Bugatti could reach 60 mph from a dead stop in 1.8 seconds on its way to a 288-mph top speed. Yikes.
It’s been nearly 15 years since the Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron took the stage in Tokyo in 1999, and it's high time for some big news out of Molsheim, France. The exhibit in Paris will also feature a display detailing the original configurations of the 300 Veyron coupes, which could provide the context for a major reveal. Check back for more updates about Bugatti and the Salon Rétromobile as more information becomes available.

2014 Mini Cooper

On sale: March 2014
Base price: $20,745
Engine: 1.5-liter I-3 turbo
Power: 134 hp @ 4500-6000 rpm
Torque: 162 lb-ft @ 1250 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic
Drive: Front-wheel
Curb weight: 2605/2675 lbs (manual/automatic)
Cargo volume: 8.7 cu ft
EPA fuel economy: 30/41 mpg city/highway, 30/42 mpg city/highway (manual, automatic)
As one journeys further into adulthood, extra pounds and inches are harder to avoid. Friends and acquaintances retain their same physical features, but the proportions are a little off. So it is with the new Mini. Certainly, the design has been ever so carefully evolved to maintain the now-iconic look. All the key elements are present and accounted for: the large round headlights, the hexagonal grille, the upright taillamps, the floating roof. But they have been applied to a body that has morphed into something noticeably different than the first of the new Minis, which debuted back in 2002.
Sophisticated new equipment, a nicer interior, more rational ergonomics, and a quieter ride are some of the more pleasant effects of a Mini that has grown up. It has done so while maintaining its driving character and—in the base Cooper particularly—increasing its responsiveness. It may not have quite the same wrapped-around-the-driver feel of its smaller predecessors, but the Mini enters adulthood with its personality intact.
Mini engineers have had more success fighting weight gain, the true scourge of adulthood. Despite the new car’s significantly larger size and increased level of equipment, the third-generation Mini carries at most only 70 more pounds than its predecessor. Base curb weight now ranges from 2605 to 2795 pounds (up from 2535 to 2712 previously). The better news for both the Mini Cooper and Cooper S is that new, BMW-sourced engines provide enough additional grunt to easily obliterate any additional pounds.
One area where we might have wished for a little more refinement is in ride quality. A harsh ride has always been the Mini’s dirty little secret, the price you paid for its super-responsive handling (as well as a side effect of its run-flat tires). With an all-new suspension—albeit in the same damper-strut/multilink configuration—there was an opportunity to make some improvement here. That’s particularly true now that the Mini offers the option of variable dampers ($500) with three levels of firmness. The switchable dampers are controlled by the standard three-mode driving system: Sport mode (“Maximum go-cart feel”), default Mid mode (“Typical Mini driving fun”), and Green mode (“Low-consumption driving fun”). Besides affecting throttle mapping, automatic transmission shift points, and steering effort, the three modes also can increase the damper firmness by ten percent or relax it by an equal amount. Alternately, sport mode can be configured to call up only the more aggressive chassis calibrations or drivetrain calibrations. Even with the dampers in standard mode, though, impacts are sharp, and the firmer sport setting adds a high-strung busyness on relatively smooth pavement.

Saleen Tesla Model S

While Saleen Automotive is well-known for building some of the best American tuner cars on the market, ranging from Challengers, to Mustangs, and Camaros, the company has announced that it will build a specially-tuned Tesla Model S.
Tesla mentioned it was working on development of an all-electric Saleen car based on an existing electric vehicle, and the Model S seems an appropriate choice given American-owned Tesla’s unique combination of technology, performance, and luxury. CEO Steve Saleen promised last December that people can “Throw out [their] preconceived notions and expectations. This vehicle will be revolutionary in aesthetics and mechanics.”
The existing performance-trim Tesla Model S P85, which we recently saw out-drag a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51, is already quite swift off the line thanks to its 416-hp all-electric drivetrain. All 443 lb-ft of torque an be directed to the rear wheels at 0 rpm, making the Tesla Model S a zero-emissions speed demon. Neither Tesla nor Saleen has come forward with a release date for the Saleen Tesla Model S, but a spec sheet showing some of Saleen’s planned modifications is on the way.
"I fully intend to produce one of the most compelling Tesla's to ever hit the roadway," said Saleen in a Tesla statement.
The question now is how Saleen will achieve the bonkers-level performance increase we expect from them with our 2013 Automobile of the Year. Modified aerodynamics? Bigger electric motors? Greater use of lightweight materials? Let us know in the comments what you think Saleen will to do get the most out of the Tesla Model S.

2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Facelift Spied

  

With its baby brother, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, getting all the attention lately, it’s no surprise that the larger Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class has fallen by the wayside. According to these spy photos, though, the original “four-door coupe” should be getting a refresh sometime soon with updated looks up front and a new interior infotainment system that mirrors the new system in the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The current Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class was last redesigned for the 2012 model year, and the facelift seen in these photos looks to revise the front end with more modern, swept-back headlights and a slightly more prominent front grille that may adopt the concentric-dots pattern seen on the CLA-Class's grille. These new headlights are expected to adopt a new LED lighting system with an active high-beam system that adapts to the ambient light of the car’s surroundings. Although the front and rear bumpers are disguised in these photos, we expect small fascia changes to update the car’s look.

On the inside, the new Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class replaces its display screen sunken into the dash with a new tablet-like display screen that sits on top of the dashboard like in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and CLA-Class. Curiously, the new CLS-Class does not appear to have the new COMAND controller from the C-Class that includes a larger touchpad that responds to touch controls like swiping and clicking from the driver. It’s possible that the CLS-Class’ older interior design is not ready to accommodate this system just yet.

Other than these exterior and interior improvements, don’t expect many other changes for the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. The CLS is currently offered in three models in two models in the U.S.: the CLS550 with a 4.6-liter turbocharged V-6 making 402 hp and the CLS63 AMG 4Matic with a turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 with 550 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque. We expect this facelifted Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class to arrive as a 2015 model.