The theory behind one man (or woman) being the caretaker of a single engine as it rolls down the assembly line is not new. Other performance-machine makers, such as Ducati, have experimented with it from time to time. But at AMG’s factory tucked into Affalterbach’s rolling hills northeast of Stuttgart, the philosophy is more than

Perhaps ironically, one of the dumbest remaining parts of a modern, electronically controlled combustion engine is the cylinder head. Sure, many of them can alter valve timing and lift, but not infinitely, not very quickly, and never on a per-cylinder, per-combustion-event basis. Great engineering minds at Lotus, Ricardo, Valeo, and others have endeavored to replace

Colored seat belts. That’s what caught my eye in the avalanche of C8 Corvette coverage we rolled out on MotorTrend.com last month. Depending on which interior theme you select for your new C8, you can choose seat belts in one of six colors, from basic black to red, yellow, orange, blue, and tan. Hallelujah! I

The Triplets of Belleville‘s strangeness is delightful. Toward the end of this 2003 animated film, the bad guys fumble over themselves to catch (or kill) our heroes who make their escape—slowly—in a bicycle-propelled vehicle while comically stretched Citroën 2CVs successively meet their end. As cartoonish as some action movies can get, for me, they’ve got

If MotorTrend.com had headers, they’d be glowing cherry red right now. If it had brakes, they’d be sizzling and billowing smoke. In fact, we should all take a cooldown lap while singing along to Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.” I tap out this story after the long awaited, much anticipated debut of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette

What do you call a myth that finally comes true? Well, you can call it the cover story of our special 70th anniversary issue, on newsstands August 2. After decades of our theorizing and Chevrolet’s teasing, the Corvette quits banging on the limiters of a grand touring platform and upshifts into the realm of mid-engine

It’s fitting the C8 Corvette graces the cover of the 70th anniversary print issue of MotorTrend magazine (get the September 2019 on newsstands beginning August 2). We’ve grown up together, you see. “We wanted a magazine that would interest the foreign car exponent, the sports car enthusiast, the custom car fan, and also be equally

Issue Title Author New Technology presented What has become of the technology? 5/82-5/84 Answers to Readers’ technical questions Various None Jun-84 Multiple Valve Technology Ron Grable Radial valve arrangement In production then, Honda CBX motorcycle Jul-84 The Case for 4WD Ron Grable Explanation of benefits of all-wheel traction. Aug-84 CVT: A Farewell to Shifting Ron

“What truck should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would international bureau chief Angus MacKenzie drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. I’m a tradesman, but I don’t need to haul around anything bigger than a laptop. My 1967 Alfa Romeo will be a

“What truck should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would features editor Christian Seabaugh drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. I may not look like the type, but I love pickup trucks. There’s just something about their purposeful design and the sense of

“What truck should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would associate online editor Alex Leanse drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. Whether for desire of looks, speed, or technology, there are numerous cars I’d buy based on my wants. But when it comes

“What truck should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would features editor Scott Evans drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. You should love a vehicle you spend tens of thousands of dollars on, and in order to love a vehicle, it has to

Chevrolet’s soon-to-be-revealed mid-engine Corvette has nearly 70 years of Corvette history to contend with and learn from, but there’s another history lesson hiding in the halls of General Motors. Thrity-five years ago, Pontiac introduced the Fiero, America’s first and only mass-production mid-engine car (until the mid-engine Corvette gets here). The Fiero’s story is long and

The Colorado is rugged (even before you get into ZR2 or Bison form), it’s capable, and the ride is smooth, the steering predictable. The bed can swallow 1,500 pounds of rebar and cinder blocks for the new retaining wall. Thanks to its integrated bumper steps, loading and unloading the bed is a snap. With the

“What car should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would associate road test editor Erick Ayapana drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. I’d like to stay within $30,000 for the car I’d buy today, so I was super stoked when I logged on

“What car should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would online editor Alex Nishimoto drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. I’ve already gone over in detail why I would (and did) buy a Honda CR-V for my growing family. But if for some

“What car should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would features editor Christian Seabaugh drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. I’m fortunate enough at MotorTrend to not need to own a personal car, but if circumstances changed and I had to buy a

The developed world has been calling the automotive shots for a century-plus, but many of its biggest players are stumbling when attempting to serve the developing world. They’re finding that low-income connected buyers don’t want stripped-down first-world cars. They’ll accept minimalism where it doesn’t show, but they want to look at screens and see pleasing

“What car should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would senior production editor Zach Gale drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. When I turn the knob, I giggle. It’s stupid, I know, but turn a 2019 Honda Accord’s temperature dial, and watch as

Just prior to shipping the August 2019 print issue, the only two BMWs I had recently driven were the X7 and X5—both all-new for 2019. I had only a brief lunchtime spin in the supersized X7, in which I took five colleagues to a local pho joint and was able to use all three rows.

“What SUV should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would associate online editor Collin Woodard drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. When my wife and I bought our 2008 Subaru Forester, we chose it because we needed something affordable, reliable, practical, and versatile.

“What SUV should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would associate online editor Duncan Brady drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. I’m Duncan Brady, the newest and youngest member of MotorTrend’s editorial team. I recently moved out of my parents’ house in Rhode

More importantly, it just feels better. No matter what I’m driving, I want to enjoy driving it. Anything with four wheels and an engine can get you to the grocery store, so why not pick the one that puts a smile on your face? The CX-5’s sport-tuned suspension makes it responsive and fun to drive,

“What SUV should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would senior production editor Zach Gale drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here. The effect was transformative, even if it didn’t happen overnight. Once my concern heightened about the negative impact humans are having on

From Blazer to Bentayga, MotorTrend drives and actually tests hundreds of SUVs every year–and now it’s our turn to share our personal favorites. Shopping for a new SUV can be overwhelming, but with MotorTrend it doesn’t have to be. Take advantage of our decades of collective industry experience, and check out these editors’ picks to

I don’t get all the breathless hype around the 2020 Toyota Supra. Yes, I know it’s quick and sticks to the road like a burr to a blanket. And no, I’m not annoyed that much of it was engineered by BMW. It’s just that, slightly goofball styling aside, it doesn’t move the needle one iota.

Have you been paying attention to the international moon race going on right now? I’d somehow missed the fact that countries ranging from India and Israel to China and Japan all have moon missions underway or imminent. Yep, Google Israel’s privately funded Beresheet mission, India’s Chandrayaan-2 (complete with lunar rover), and China’s Chang’e-4. That one’s

Every few years, some consumer advocacy group trots out some report that alarmingly purports that Americans are slaughtering one another on the nation’s roads and that we’d be so much safer if everyone would just slow down. Fear sells, after all. And, well, duh, physics. This time around, it’s the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

It’s become an article of faith among some enthusiasts that a real driver would always choose a stick shift over flappy paddles. OK, quick quiz. Money no object, which would you choose: Porsche’s 911 GT2 RS or the 911 GT3 Touring? Turbo and PDK with flappy paddles or naturally aspirated with an old-school six-speed stick

Global regulations are driving the vehicle fleet toward econobox efficiency and/or increased electrification. But to succeed in a cheap-gas economy, these fuel/electron sippers will need to be as fun and comfortable to drive as our current favorite carbon spewers. GKN Driveline recently showed off several “life hack” technologies for preserving driving fun as the carbon