Author: ASNF

The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 are part of Ferrari’s new Icona line of cars. Essentially, they’re modernized versions of classic Ferrari “barchettas”—cars with no top and minimal or nonexistent windshields—like the Ferrari 66 MM, the 750 Monza, and the 860 Monza. And though the SP1 and SP2 take their inspiration from the annals of Ferrari’s history, the current Monzas are thoroughly modern. The body is made mostly out of carbon fiber with some kevlar thrown in, less than 500 of both will be made, and they cost around $2 million a piece.

Under the mile-long hood sits a monster 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12 that normally pumps out 809 horsepower, but thanks to a a tailor-made high-performance exhaust courtesy of Novitec that reduces exhaust backpressure, the V-12 now makes 844 horsepower. The Inconel exhaust can also be plated with gold (like a certain McLaren from the 1990s) because gold is

Time for your weekly dose of “what the heck?” But instead of originating in the darker reaches of the automotive web, this latest installment comes straight from one of the world’s most prestigious automotive brands: Bugatti. The French brand recently put up a photo of a (presumably) forthcoming vehicle’s taillights on its website with the caption “What if…?”, and we genuinely have no idea what sort of vehicle these lamps are attached to.

Bugatti is no stranger to the world of insane concepts, though, and we would not be surprised if this image previews the brand’s next show car. Just look to Bugattis efforts in the late 1990s and its crazy concepts such as the EB 218 and the wildly styled—for its time—18/3 Chiron. These days Bugatti seems more interested in doing wild one-offs than crazy concepts that never make it past the auto show stand, so it’s possible the

SEATTLE—I’m typically of the opinion that when you buy a pony car, whether you’re historically more into Mustangs or Camaros, there’s just one essential option: a V-8 engine. Like peanut butter and jelly, Prost and Senna, and the electric guitar and rock and roll music, V-8 engines and pony cars go hand-in-hand. From the very start in the 1960s, six-cylinder options were always capable but underwhelming, especially at start-up. Lost was the eight-cylinder’s opening bark transitioning to a rumbling idle that reverberates through flesh and bone, building anticipation of a wild ride. The Ford Ecoboost turbo-four? Our Four Seasons long-term 2015 Mustang with that engine disappointed me, combining aggressive pony car looks with the sound of an econobox. These were the relevant thoughts in my head before I tested the 2020 Ford Mustang Ecoboost High Performance Convertible.

Yes, half the fun of a Mustang lies in a V-8 engine.

If you think the 2022 GMC Hummer EV looks pretty wild as it is, know that the design could have been even more dramatic. General Motors took to social media this week to show off some early sketches that influenced the electric pickup truck’s final design.

Just look at those massive tires. This imaginary set of rubber makes the truck look even more formidable, especially with all the extra ground clearance. This is not to say the production model doesn’t impress in this area—it comes standard with 35-inch tires and can accommodate rubber as tall as 37 inches. The sketch also reveals a bolder hood design and some seriously aggressive cladding. The back end looks particularly different than the final product in one of these sketches, taking a more rounded shape and adopting a unique set of taillights.

When it comes to the interior, GM stuck to the minimalist theme

Kids are generally not fans of school, and Torsus just made it less likely that bad weather will keep them away from it. Meet the new Praetorian School Bus, the latest iteration of the brand’s four-wheel drive bus that offers the off-road chops necessary to tackle just about any obstacle that crosses its path. No longer will snow, sleet, fallen trees, or most other natural disasters prevent children from getting to school (given this thing’s slab sides, though, we’d probably refrain from taking it out during a hurricane). Sorry kids.

Credit the vehicle’s more than 13 inches of ground clearance, ability to wade through more than 35 inches of water, knobby Michelin tires, and standard four-wheel-drive system. With up to 290 hp and nearly 850 lb-ft of torque produced from its diesel-drinking 6.9-liter engine, the hefty Praetorian makes up for its limited top speed of 62