ACE CAFE RADIO

    jeudi 4 avril 2013

    THE PIN UP ART







    from pinuppandominium

    2014 Range Rover online configurator available, starts from 63,495 USD


    2014 Range Rover online configurator screenshot 787

    From 63,495 USD

    Land Rover has launched the 2014 Range Rover Sport online configurator, revealing a base price of 63,495 USD with the 895 USD destination fee included.
    2014 Range Rover Sport
    For the moment this configurator is dedicated exclusively to the V6 variant and allows you to pick a seven-seat arrangement, blind spot monitor, park assist, surround camera, adaptive cruise control and a package to make it act more like an off-roader.
    2014 Range Rover Sport
    For 2,750 USD you can order the Range Rover Sport with a 5+2 seating layout, while the Extra Duty Package costs 1,300 USD and includes automatic Terrain Response and a two-speed transfer case. Land Rover lists a 2,000 USD price tag for the rear seat entertainment and a 2,100 USD sticker for the Climate Comfort and Visibility Package which encompasses heated front/rear seats, 16-way power-adjustable driver's seat, adaptive headlights and heated windshield.
    2014 Range Rover Sport
    For an additional 1,950 USD the Range Rover Sport can be fitted with a Meridian Premium Audio system. The fully-loaded V6-powered SE variant can be configured up to 77,850 USD, making it 2,000 USD less than the base Supercharged V8 version.
    2014 Range Rover Sport
    Source: Land Rover
    from Worldcarfans

    Mad Max Goose MFP1100 replica



    In 1979 the first Mad Max film was released in Australian cinemas. 'Mad' Max Rockatansky may have been the films protagonist but his best mate and fellow MFP officer Jim 'The Goose' Rains was for any lover of motorcycles, one of the most memorable characters in the film. Before Goose meets his unfortunate demise in the film thanks to the Toe Cutter gang, he rides his MFP Kawasaki K-Z1100 hard and fast in pursuit of post apocalyptic lawbreakers. In the past I've featured a replica MFP1100 from Japan which was a custom "one off" but now thanks to Japanese custom workshop White House you could build your very own.



    The bike you see here is the White House MFP-1100 Midnight. It's based on an early 90's Kawasaki 1100 Zephyr with some radical bodywork additions that produce a fairly convincing replica of the KZ1100 from the movie.



    The kit includes the full front fairing and windscreen, seat cowl with brake light and custom seat. To finish off this bike White House have also added MFP styled mufflers (although there are 3 instead of 2), new indicators and handlebars.





    If you really wanted to go all out you could then add your own replica badges and MFP decals, a side mounted siren, modified "KWAKA" tank badges and MFP silver/blue paint scheme.



    While many of us would kill for an original Z building a Goose replica using a Zephyr is a much more feasible option. Just watch that you don't leave it parked anywhere that Johnny "the Boy" Boyle can get to it.


    White House also produce this Goose kit for the Suzuki GSX1400 named 'Falcon'. While it's a huge improvement over the stock GSX1400 styling it's just not the same as a Kwaka based replica. 



    "Jimmy the Goose, larger than life and twice as ugly!"
    Looking for Cafe Racer parts and accessories? Head to 100MPH.com.au
    from return of the cafe racers

    bientôt l'Armada

    vintage sailor

    TRIUMPH CATALINA SCRAMBLER


    Triumph Scrambler
    Triumph Scrambler
    What to do? To Jordan’s eyes, current Scrambler conversion kits just don’t have enough sled in them. He wanted a finished product that at first glance might be mistaken for something that bounded across the Mojave Desert in 1966, throttle locked, flat-out for the smoke bomb, puckerbushes and open mine shafts be damned. So he called Richard Pollock at Mule Motorcycles.
    Triumph Scrambler
    Best known for his super-clean street-trackers, Pollock has lately been doing a lot of work with Hinckley twins. Besides, he’s a keen student of moto-history and always up for a challenging build. First order of business was getting the Triumph’s top side shaped up. That involved alloy fenders, a replica of a Bates competition saddle sitting atop a truncated subframe, braced CZ handlebars, and a new steel gas tank, much thinner and cripser than the stocker, fabricated by Racetec in Oxnard, California.
    Triumph Scrambler
    A bigger dose of retro came with the brakes. Out went the Scrambler’s hydraulic discs, replaced by a 1968 BMW drum up front and a Yamaha XS650 unit out back. Important to the desert sled style are short, engine-hugging high pipes. Longtime Mule collaborator Mark McDade fabbed these out of stainless-steel to which Pollock grafted heat shields to protect tender inner thighs. Snuff-or-Nots, a popular 1960s accessory, cut down on noise when the washers inside the pipes are flipped to the closed position.
    Triumph Scrambler
    What looks like an oversized alloy oil tank under the seat actually isn’t. The Triumph motor is a wet-sump design and doesn’t need an external oil supply, but the “tank” serves as a good place to hide the Scrambler’s relocated electrics. It’s even got cut-outs to clear the K&N air filters—all very authentic-looking.
    Triumph Scrambler
    How happy is Jordan with the Mule-ized Triumph? The online automotive marketing consultant is thinking of branching out to two wheels. He’s named the bike “Catalina Scrambler” in honor of the famous 1950s dirt race held on Santa Catalina Island off the So-Cal coast, and is talking to Pollock about producing a limited run of replicas. Neo-sled, anyone?
    To read more about the Catalina Scrambler and other customs, pick up a copy of the newest BikeCraft on newsstands now, and check in with the magazine’s Facebook pagefor late-breaking info and insights.
    from BIKEEXIF

    Jorge Lorenzo leads Yamaha domination in FP1 in Qatar

















    from twowheelsblog
    This evening’s first MotoGP free practice at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar saw a domination of Yamaha’s leading the timesheets. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzograbbed the top spot with a last flying lap in 1:56.685, that pushed a super fast Cal Crutchlow on the Tech3 satellite Yamaha to second, but he was just a mere 0.058s adrift, while Valentino Rossi who lead almost all of the 45 minute session dropped to third and he was just 0.071s adrift, making it a Yamaha 1-2-3, in less than one tenth.
    Marc Marquez was fourth fastest but he was already more than half a second from Lorenzo and his debut saw a pair of off track excursions, but Turn 1 caught out a big number riders who came in too hot and heavy into the first corner, but only Yonny Hernandez binned his PBM ART machine early on but he did not suffer any injuries.
    Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso had a very good first session as he was fifth and just 0.853s from the top of the charts and followed by Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl who were both with a second from Lorenzo.
    Dani Pedrosa must have had some problems in the opening practice as was only eighth and more than a second from his Yamaha rival, while team mate Marquez broke the Losail top speed record with 344,7 km/h. CRT rider Aleix Espargaro had fantastic session with his ART machine, as he was just 0.094s from the Repsol Honda rider and ahead of MotoGP prototype riders Nicky Hayden, Bradley Smith, Andrea Iannone and Ben Spies who was almost six tenths slower than the Power Electronics Aspar rider.

    MotoGP Qatar FP1 results:
    01- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – 1’56.685
    02- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.058
    03- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.071
    04- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.591
    05- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 0.853
    06- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 0.916
    07- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.985
    08- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 1.064
    09- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.158 (CRT)
    10- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.241

    Sixteen and the Sidewinders debut album out soon! Recorded LIVE at Ace Cafe London


    SIXTEEN and the Sidewinders are; Sixteen, guitar and vocals, the powerhouse slap bass of Jayson Read, and the infectious rhythms of Jonny Drums. Together they capture the wild side of the 50's beat with raw, raunchy rockabilly that'll get your feet and hips moving. With such a wild, rebellious and exciting sound it was decided to release a live album as their debut, and where better to record the band in full flight, than at Ace Café London!
    sixteenandthesidewinders.com

    LoveFab to use an Acura NSX-based car at Pikes Peak

     

    Testing begins next month

    LoveFab has prepared an Acura NSX-based racer known as "Turbo by Garrett/LoveFab Pikes Peak Enviate" for this year's Pikes Peak.
    Except for the suspension and subframes which are taken from an NSX, all the other components were removed as LoveFab fabricated their own parts. Powering the car is a V8 LS1 engine wrapped in a full carbon fiber body and a chromoly-tube chassis.
    It offers 800 lb-ft (1,083 Nm) of torque and tips the scales at less than 2,000 lbs (907 kg), a combination which should be more than suitable for the challenge. Testing is scheduled to begin next month, before Pikes Peak which will be organized on June 30 in Colorado, U.S.
    As a reminder, Sébastien Loeb will race a Peugeot 208 T16 at the event.
    Source: LoveFab
    via Worldcarfans

    Giacomo Agostini tips Marc Marquez to beat Freddy Spencer's record


    giacomo agostini
    Giacomo Agostini is still the rider that has more victories than anyone else in GP racing and is still a very familiar face in the paddock and still closely follows not only the races, but also the riders.
    “Ago” has been highly impressed by MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez during pre-season testing and tips the Spanish youngster to beat Freddie Spencer’s still standing record of the youngest rider to win a GP race in the premier class.
    Marquez has twelve races in order to beat Spencer’s record - with the Silverstone round being the last opportunity. Agostini said about Marquez: “Marc is an incredible talent, but he still has to mature like a fruit on a tree and this year of experience will help him. I’ve been amazed of what he’s obtained so far and I’m sure that he can beat Spencer’s record. I don’t know in which race, but I can say that he’ll win one of the first twelve. I do think that it will be difficult for him to beat Spencer’s other record, as the youngest rider to ever win a premier class championship. I wouldn’t want to add pressure on Marc. He’s such a talented rider and has a long career in front of him and trying to beat that record wouldn’t be ideal.”
    Agostini also talked about Valentino Rossi and his return to Yamaha and his relationship with reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo: “In history your greatest rival has always been your team mate, and for the moment their relationship seems almost romantic, but when the first race comes around they will have to battle against each other. Respect is important, especially if you’re fighting on the last lap. I think that they both respect each other, but a real friendship is almost impossible. Valentino is a rider with lot of experience and nows how to ride well during races. Lorenzo has learned a lot and has a lot of experience despite being young. Both are very hungry for victories.”
    giacomo agostinigiacomo agostinigiacomo agostini
    giacomo agostini from TWOWHEELSBLOG

    The Build Film


    The Build is an interactive film exploring the world of custom motorcycle making through the stories of three independent builders in Portland, OR.
    View the full experience, including shop tours, bike builds and builder information at:
    thebuildfilm.com

    BJ Baldwin's trophy truck jumps over a Nissan GT-R

     

    850 bhp and 34-inch suspension travel

    Monster Energy's latest clip showcases BJ Baldwin's trophy truck jumping over a Nissan GT-R in the desert.
    The impressive truck has 850 bhp (634 kW) and no less than 34 inches of suspension travel which makes it suitable for rough desert terrain. In this video BJ Baldwin tackles the difficult sands of the Mojave Desert at speeds of up to 150 mph (241 km/h), before jumping over a Nissan GT-R.
    BJ Baldwin comes back to save the female pilot of the R35 and then continues his adventurous ride with the pedal to the metal, pushing the truck's capabilities to its limits, and beyond.
    Source: Monster Energy
    via worldcarfans

    De Fafe à Faro


    For many drivers, the 2013 Rally de Portugal begins with next weekend’s Fafe Rally Sprint, a show in the country’s Porto region which is expected to attract many tens of thousands of spectators.
    Pour bon nombre de concurrents, le Rallye du Portugal commence ce week-end avec le Fafe Rally Sprint, une épreuve-spectacle qui devrait attirer des milliers de spectateurs dans la région de Porto.
    The celebrated ‘Fafe’ stage was last used by the Rally de Portugal in 2001 before the event was dropped from the WRC calendar and then resurrected in 2007, now based in the Algarve, in the south of the country.
    Last year, however, the Automovel Club de Portugal chose Fafe as the venue for the rally-sprint event it wanted to organise the week before the WRC round, with the intention of inviting factory and privateer teams to take part. The 2012 competition boasted an entry of 30 cars and a turn-out of some 100,000 spectators…
    There is consequently likely to be another big crowd on Saturday, April 6, near the famous ‘Fafe jump’ to watch the 29 competitors whose numbers include Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT’s Mikko Hirvonen and Dani Sordo (DS3 WRC), Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sébastien Ogier and ‘newcomer’ Andreas Mikkelsen (Polo R WRC), and four Ford Fiesta RS WRC drivers (Mads Ostberg, Evgeny Novikov, Thierry Neuville and Nasser Al-Attiyah).
    The event will see Poland’s Robert Kubica (Citroën DS3 RRC/Michelin) compete on gravel, while the entry list continues with local stars Ricardo Moura, Miguel Campos and Adruzilio Lopez. Bernardo Sousa, winner of the first round of the 2013 Portuguese Rally Championship (Rallye Serras de Fafe) will not be taking part, however.
    There will be three car classes: A (historic cars), B (driver entries) and C (two drivers for one car). In Classes A and B, drivers will contest the 6.34km stage twice. Competitors in Class C will contest the stage once each.
    The fastest drivers will qualify for the final which will use the same test, including the infamous Fafe jump.
    For the record, the 2012 event was won by Petter Solberg (Ford), two-hundredths of a second ahead of Sébastien Loeb. Two days after the rally-sprint, the WRC crews will start recce for the Faro-based Rally de Portugal, round four of the 2013 world championship.

    Empruntée pour la dernière fois en 2001, la mythique spéciale de Fafe n’est plus au programme du Rallye du Portugal depuis son retour en WRC en 2007, l’épreuve étant concentrée en Algarve, au sud du pays.
    Mais l’an passé, l’Automobile Club du Portugal a remis Fafe au goût du jour en créant un Rally-Sprint le week-end précédant la manche mondiale et en invitant équipes WRC et teams « privés » à y participer. La première édition a attiré 30 pilotes et quelque 100 000 spectateurs…
    Ils devraient être aussi nombreux samedi 6 avril aux abords du célèbre « jump » de Fafe que défieront 29 concurrents. Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT a engagé Mikko Hirvonen et Dani Sordo sur Citroën DS3 WRC. Volkswagen Motorsport sera là avec Sébastien Ogier et son « rookie » Andreas Mikkelsen sur Polo R WRC. Quatre pilotes Ford seront au départ sur des Fiesta RS WRC : Mads Ostberg, Evgeny Novikov, Thierry Neuville et Nasser Al-Attiyah.
    Le Polonais Robert Kubica (Citroën DS3 RRC/Michelin) effectuera ses premiers tours de roue « officiels » sur la terre. Le Fafe Rally Sprint 2013 compte également de nombreux pilotes portugais engagés comme Ricardo Moura, Miguel Campos, Adruzilio Lopez… Bernardo Sousa, vainqueur de la 1ère manche du championnat portugais 2013 - le Rallye Serras de Fafe - ne sera pas au départ.
    Les concurrents seront divisés en trois catégories : A (véhicules historiques), B (engagement individuel) et C (deux pilotes par voiture). En catégories A et B, les pilotes devront effectuer deux passages de la spéciale longue de 6,34 km. En catégorie C, chaque pilote effectuera un passage. Les meilleurs seront qualifiés pour la finale qui se déroulera elle-aussi sur cette même spéciale avec le « big jump » de Fafe.
    Pour la petite histoire, c’est Petter Solberg (Ford) qui l’avait emporté en 2012 avec 2/100e d’avance sur Sébastien Loeb. Deux jours plus tard, les équipages débuteront les reconnaissances du Rallye du Portugal, 4e manche de la saison WRC, autour de Faro.

    Classic Test: Suzuki RG500 v Yamaha RD500LC

    by Visordown 


    It’s 1985 and the Sinclair C5 can be bought for £399. The Brixton riots are in full swing, Live Aid raises £50 for African charities and the boxy little Nintendo Entertainment System is launched. In bike racing, Grand Prix is seriously cool. The ongoing arms escalation between factories has seen to it that faster and wilder 500cc two-strokes are making heroes or victims of their riders. Racers like Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson swan through the paddock exuding a ‘don’t mess’ attitude that every red-blooded male wants to emulate. The bikes are outrageous, the riders are legends. Christ, who doesn’t want to be part of the action? And now you can be. You can even choose your side.
    Last year Yamaha launched the world’s first true GP replica – the mighty RD500LC. It’s got the engine configuration, the right capacity and even the looks of Kenny Roberts 0W-70 works GP racer of the previous season. KR may not have won that 500 Championship (Freddie Spencer elbowed the King out by just two points) but six GP wins tells us how effective the Yamaha is. And here’s a replica available to the public, for road use. Anyone with a bike licence should be aghast. Can Yamaha really deliver a GP bike for the road?
     
    This 500cc Vee-Four two-stroke looks absolutely stunning in its speed-block paintjob and carries enormous cred. With 88bhp (70bhp at the wheel) and packing just 180 kilos this bike is a 135mph missile, and although it’s not as wild as its GP looks would have you believe, like the 350 Powervalve before it the 500LC is making the four-strokes look stupid. In the last year owners of blunderbusses like GSX1100s, GPz1100s and enormous XS1100s have started getting used to seeing the RD arriving in their mirrors then scream past in a flurry of noise.
    For this year Suzuki have joined Yamaha by releasing their incredible RG500 Gamma. The big brother of the RG250, the 500 is aimed directly at the 500LC’s throat, and Suzuki have clearly spent the last 12 months studying the competition. The Yamaha may be prettier, but the short, squat Suzuki uses the same light-weight technology of its smaller siblings. Time to ride the bikes back-to-back to find some home truths.
    On paper the new RG500 promises to be more manic than the RD. In terms of everything. The RG makes a claimed 95bhp, which translates to a genuine 78bhp at the wheel, all packed in a svelte 156 kilos with a genuine top speed of 144mph. But that’s not all, it comes with an incredibly trick alloy frame, lifted straight off the race bike. Suzuki’s glory days in Grand Prix may be going through a lean time, but the RG still bristles with purpose and lessons learned off the track. Side by side the Yamaha is the more refined machine and the level of finish is unquestionably higher on the Yam, but this pair of 500cc track escapees are not about looks, they are about performance. Our RD500 isn’t just any old RD, it’s a very exclusive RZV500, imported from Japan. It has an alloy instead of a steel frame (like the RG) and the suspension comes with anti-dive as well as adjustable compression on the forks.
     
    Both bikes are physically very small. The Suzuki more so. It’s very skinny and feels no heavier than the 250 between your legs. The Yamaha is more substantial and has a vastly preferable ride position, you’re not so cramped. Sit on either and your feet are flat on the ground with your knees bent. Both have a fairly standard low seat height of just 790mm and high clip-ons, pretty much the same arrangement as the racebikes of this year but surprisingly comfortable.
    Turn on the ignition and there’s the solenoid whistle as the powervalve systems wake up and turn in their barrels. Fold the right footpeg up so you don’t wallop your Green Flash trainers, make sure the kicker is at its full length and give it a series of short sharp kicks to spring either motor into life. It’s not a macho action the way you would lunge on the kickstart of a huge four-stroke single, it’s more like a dog flicking at a flea. Until it barks into life.
    Once running you’re treated to one of the finest sounds known to man: the crackle of a barely-silenced 500cc two-stroke engine. Both these bikes are vicious and savage in the noise they make. Virtually unsilenced, they hammer and saw as you tweak the throttle, four cables snaking away under the fairings and raising four separate slides on four separate carbs. Throttle action isn’t light when you’re warming up four cylinders of high performance two-stroke, and warm them up you must. Pulling away without at least two minutes of warming results in a bogging, miserable mess. The RD leaked a little fuel from its carbs, mixing with the pungent aromas of unburnt hydrocarbons coming out the back. GP music to any nose.

    Read more: http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-used/classic-test-suzuki-rg500-v-yamaha-rd500lc/19728.html#ixzz2POAak7W6


    10 Best Cars of the New York Auto Show


    By AMOS KWON
    Imagine spending years designing, redesigning, engineering and finally building a car — only to have public opinion weigh in on your baby. No pressure, right? Well, at this year’s New York International Auto Show, plenty of brands did a damn good job. We were tantalized by some of what’s to come: cars that will certainly hit production in some form or another (and thank goodness for that). From track beasts to practical and attractive sedans, we rounded up the cream of the crop, in our humble opinion. Take a look at the 10 best in show.
    MORE AUTO SHOW EYE CANDY: Detroit Auto Show Sports Cars | Detroit Auto Show Trucks | Bell Helicopters 525 Relentless

    SRT Viper TA

    best-cars-of-2013-nyias-gear-patrol
    What’s the matter, the standard SRT Viper not good enough for you? What? You also happen to be a huge fan of the color orange (we empathize)? The SRT Viper Time Attack, apparently, has been built just for you, and it’s a hellion for the tarmac. Tasty track bits include upgraded Brembo brakes, tightened up suspension, carbon fiber front and rear spoilers, lighter wheels and “Crusher Orange” paint that will make you the fastest Dreamsicle on wheels. Only 33 will be made. but they’re probably already gone, so save your tears.

    Land Rover Range Rover Sport

    2014-land-rover-range-rover-sport-best-of-nyias-gear-patro
    Land Rover is apparently shaving weight everywhere. We laud their slimmed-down efforts. The Range Rover Sport goes with an all-aluminum body (like the top-end Range Rover), cutting a whopping 800 pounds from the previous iteration’s weight. With its evolutionary but clearly modern new design, the Sport evokes the hugely successful Evoque, with its sloping lines and tapered head and taillights, rather than the SUV it replaces. The supercharged V6 will mill 340 horses, while the supercharged V8 will be good for 510 hp — no doubt resulting in some astounding performance numbers that should have a direct effect on your blood pressure. As a bonus, the new Range Rover Sport can now be had with three rows, which is great for the kids or for the socially inept couple that piggybacks on your dinners out.

    Shelby Raptor

    2014-ford-shelby-raptor-best-of-nyais-gear-patrol
    The Ford SVT Raptor ($61,455) is on our list of coveted drives this year, so we’ll certainly have to add the Shelby Raptor, too. The Shelby-fied version adds a supercharger and a Borla exhaust on top of the standard truck’s 411 hp 6.2-liter V8 to get to a sum of 575 horses. Other than the subdued Shelby name added to the exterior paint, you’l only be able to tell it apart from the stock Raptor by its custom wheels and the bigger cloud of dust it’ll leave behind in its wake.

    Jaguar XKR-S GT

    2014-jaguar-xkr-s-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    The track-ready Jaguar XKR-S GT easily qualifies as one of the shows biggest stars. The stock XKR-S gets tweaked suspension, beefier tires and brakes and some pretty sweet front and rear carbon spoilers to make it race-ready. It still uses the same 550 hp 5.0-liter V8 as the XKR-S, but hustles its sleek duds in a more rapid fashion. $174K gets you all this, and only 29 other folks will have the same sweet ride.
    Live Instagram Photos from the NY Auto Show
    Follow us on Instagram

    Audi S3 Sedan

    2014-audi-a3-sedan-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    Americans rejoice: another handsome Audi makes it to our shores in the form of the A3. The tidy German sedan will be followed by the small but wonderfully powerful Audi S3 Sedan. Along with the standard S aesthetic treatment, the S3 will also get 18-inch wheels, an all-leather interior, automatic sport seats and a 2.0-liter TFSI engine good for 296 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. A sub-5 second 0-60 proves it’s no putter. The BMW 1-Series M and the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG now have company. Sales should start at the end of the year for around $39,000.

    Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG

    2014-mercedes-cla-45-amg-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    Mercedes’ new baby Benz sure is a looker. CLS-inspired, the CLA45 AMG ($47,450) is a testament to great German design. Plus, it houses a 355 hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s good for 155 MPH and 0-60 in less than five seconds. The 4MATIC AWD system makes sure all that power is sure-footed, too. Look for this beauty to go on sale as soon as this spring.

    Cadillac CTS

    2014-cadillac-cts-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    The all-new Cadillac CTS sedan is a show stealer, and it’s not even a concept car. That’s right, the handsome car you see is the production model, and boy is it a looker. Eschewing the stealth-fighter-inspired design that made the CTS polarizing, the new car borrows design elements from the smaller ATS. The result is quite possibly the best-looking American sedan we’ve seen in a while thanks to the vertical LED headlamps that flow from mid-hood down to the air dam and the smooth creases that slide across the full length of the body. The new CTS will come with three engine choices, including a 4-cylinder turbo (272 hp), a naturally aspirated V6 (321 hp) and a monster twin-turbo V6 (420 hp). Whatever engine choice you make, you’ll be driving a sports sedan that can finally go toe-to-toe with the Germans. Now that’s saying something.

    BMW 328d

    2014-bmw-328d-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    Yes, folks. Diesel is exciting again. Fuel efficient and torquey, it’s the smart man’s approach to better mileage without compromising driving dynamics. The BMW 328d makes its way to the states in the fall of this year, bragging 45 mpg highway, mid-30 mpg city; it still does 0-60 in around seven seconds, thanks to a turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter engine good for 180 hp and a huge 280 lb-ft of torque. You can have your mileage with some speed for dessert, all for under $40K.

    Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

    2014-chevrolet-camaro-z28-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    Oh, new Camaro iterations, including the SS, the 1LE and the ZL1, how we love thee. Add to that list the Camaro Z/28 Though it’s not as meaty as the mighty ZL1, the 7.0-liter LS7 small block V8 provides a more than adequate 500 hp. Plus, it’s track ready with a short-throw manual six-speed, better aerodynamics, increased downforce and some pretty sweet sport seats. We’re just glad they brought the name back… and introduced it in a color other than yellow. Look for the new Z/28 to go on sale in the fall of 2014. Think you can wait that long?

    Subaru WRX Concept

    subaru-wrx-concept-best-of-nyias-gear-patrol
    We love us a rally car, and the Subaru WRX hasn’t disappointed, regardless of its generation. TheSubaru WRX Concept gives us a glimpse at what the next gravel eater could look like. Melding the looks of a Nissan GTR and a Honda Civic Si, the WRX Concept dons big fenders, deep side scallops and a beautiful, light carbon-fiber roof. The huge rear wing has been replaced by a far more subtle trunklid spoiler (like it or not). Also gone are the gold BBS wheels, with more quiet (but still attractive) thin-spoked wheels showcasing the big brakes and yellow calipers. No word on whether this is very close to the final production version and, even worse, no word on when we’ll see the next-gen WRX. Whatever the case, we’re just happy that the WRX seems here to stay.


    from GEARPATROL

    1994 Suzuki DR650 Street Dracker - Blitz Motorcycles


    Written by Ian Lee.
    The French always seem to be on the forefront of fashion. Clothes, perfume, and now custom motorcycles. Not that I pay much attention to the first two. The latest fashion in custom cycles appears to be to use a dirt bike as the base for a build. Rugged, simple design makes for an excellent platform to build on, they’re cheap as well, and the ability to get that big bore thumper note all add to the desirability. Blitz Motorcycles knows this, and has used this thinking to the best of their abilities to create a level of custom rarely seen, all from the starting point of a simple trail bike. It just makes sense, oui?
    Taking a 1994 Suzuki DR650, the bike was completely stripped down, and the frame shortened by 35cm. Added to the frame at this time was the electrical box, somewhere to keep all the important bits that make the bike spark, and all without adding bulk to the aesthetic. The frame was then powder coated in shiny orange, along with a few engine and brake components. This is what really shows the theme of the colour scheme, which Blitz describes as "Lemans GT40 on acid". 

    Deciding that with a new final weight of 125kg, the 4 valve powerplant was up to the task of motivating the DR without any fettling. It was opened up and examined, mainly due to the fact that the engine hadn’t turned over for 10 years, and even then the only components replaced were the clutch plates. On the intake side of things, a K&N pod has been fitted, the standard Suzuki carb rejetted to suit the aftermarket air filter. The exhaust is a 100% stainless steel handcrafted system, topped off with a Supertrapp alloy muffler.

    Blitz decided on the standard 18 inch at the front, 17 inch at the rear wheels, but fitted a new monoshock to help with handling. Steering is done with a set of vintage Triumph handlebars, sitting just above a Marchal headlight from a vintage rally car. To offset the searing effect the frame has on the retinas, a healthy dose of black powdercoat has been added to the wheels, forks, swingarm and other parts dotted around the bike. 

    The overall look of the bike is ‘anorexic motard’, where less is more, and this shows in the Suzuki GT125 fuel tank fitted, as well as the simplified electrical wiring harness. This lightness pays off though, as Blitz describes that the bike "runs like a bullet, and roars like a dragon". It’s simplicity, thumper sound and ability to modified is what made it desirable for the build, and by dropping their usual staple of pipewrap and firestones, Blitz have shown that they can build a bike where function and fashion can coexist – and don't it look like a hell of a lotta fun?
    [Photography by Stéphane Pelletier]
    from PIPEBURN