2022 AutoMobility LA

 We are looking forward to bringing you coverage on AutoMobility LA. Stay tuned for our detailed reviews on cars like the BMW i7, Mercedes EQS, Audi Q4 Etron Sportback and More. 

IgnitionSpeed Star Of The Show - Jeep Grand Wagoneer

 This year at the LA Auto Show, we continue our tradition of picking a "star of the show" that most impressed us.

After viewing over 100 vehicles, for the 2021 LA Automobility Show we have chosen the Jeep Grand Wagoneer as the most impressive offering by any automaker on site.

The Grand Wagoneer surprised us in many ways, with a 471 HP V8 that delivers that old American growl, 10,000 lb towing capacity, an interior that looks like it belongs in an S class Mercedes, and a starting price at $89,845, it made some of it's - much more expensive - competitors look like they were a step behind.

When stepping into the drivers seat the first thing that stands out are the 4 screens that cover the dashboard and control the many different tech features that are available in this vehicle. The second row was also optioned into a triple screen configuration to make sure the rear passengers aren't missing out on any media either. Lastly, the room in the 3rd row was ample for adults and quite spacious.

It was the little details that stood out to us, from the fine leather seating, to night vision assist, to a cooler in the center console to keep your drinks cold. Overall when testing out other SUVs at the show, it was the Grand Wagoneer that kept calling us back to it, and for that reason, it earns the IgnitionSpeed Star of the Show for 2021.

Check out the Video below for more details on our review of the Grand Wagoneer:

2021 LA Auto Show Is Back! - Press Days (Coming Soon)

 We are excited to announce we will be attending the 2021 LA Auto Show!

We’ll be covering many reveals from companies like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Ford and More. 

We are particularly excited for potential coverage of the new 2023 C8 Corvette Z06. 

Stay Tuned!

Meet the New 2020 Corvette Stingray

Ever since the first spy shot came out of the 2020 mid-engine corvette, the entire auto enthusiast industry has been intrigued. Rumors about a secret Cadillac project, or some new Chevy hyper car began to swirl around the internet until finally...today we meet the 2020 Mid-Engined Corvette.

With stunning proportions never seen on the corvette platform before thanks to the new mid-engine configuration the 2020 Corvette stingray gives off serious Ferrari vibes, and we at IgnitionSpeed are very okay with that. Everything single angle of this car just says "speed".

Luckily today, we have what you all came here for which are the juicy numbers...

The 2020 Corvette comes with a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine that puts out 490 horsepower and 465 lb/ft of torque. It has a starting price of less than $60,000. Those numbers sound just absolutely incredible and get purchasers the bang for the buck we have all come to expect by the 3rd decade of the 21st century.

One of the more impressive numbers revealed today is that the corvette will do 0-60 in less than 3 seconds. That is supercar territory for a non supercar price.

With reasonably priced, high horsepower track cars like the Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE, Dodge Hellcat Widebody, Mustang GT350 and even the new Mustang GT500 (track package) becoming more and more common the corvette had a high bar to live up to. It slots in nicely with the competition and it's stunning looks will turn more heads than the pony cars we have come to see at almost every stoplight.

We look forward to getting our hands on it to give you more detailed information on how it performs on the track and finding out just how high above it's league this American brute can punch.. (It will be very interesting to pin this against the new Porsche 718 GT4).

For now, let's enjoy the beautiful pictures released by Chevy an imagine running down the track in the first ever mid-engined corvette!

LA Auto Show - Press Days (Coming Soon)

Ignition Speed is looking forward to the upcoming Automobility LA, formerly known as the LA Auto Show 27-30 Nov 2017 at the LA Convention Center.  This year we are expecting 50+ vehicle debuts from leading automakers.  

Ignition Speed has always had a soft spot for trucks and SUVs.  One of the vehicle debuts we are excited about is the new Jeep Wrangler JL.  We’ll be posting pics and videos. This is the first major upgrade since 2006.  That being said, we still expect this to be an evolutionary vice revolutionary upgrade for the jeep.  Some of the key improvements: upgraded interior which will have the U-Connect system and 8.4 inch screen; 8 speed transmission; upgraded axles, new driver 7 inch screen.  In addition to the standard V6 engine, two new options are forthcoming; a turbo four cylinder and a diesel option. One thing jeep enthusiast are not too happy about is moving the front lights to the fenders.  There is also the concern as to whether or not the breadth of aftermarket accessories for the JK version will fit on the new JL version.

Trucks - Now that the Ford Raptor is in its second year of production, we’re anxious to see which manufacturers are ready to step up and compete with that beast of a vehicle.  Dodge has shown some concepts but no other manufacturer currently has anything on the near horizon in production form in a full size truck. 

From the imports, BMW will be debuting eight vehicles, Mercedes Benz will be debuting a CLS, and Porsche will be debuting a turbo hybrid Panamera.  We haven’t been able to confirm anything from Audi but hope to see something new from them.

Check back soon for a full report of our reviews of the latest and greatest cars at Automobility LA.  We also plan to stream some of the vehicle debuts. 

Visualizing Nurburgring Lap Times

Recently the Porsche 911 GT2 RS dethroned the Lamborghini Hurrican Performante as the fastest car to lap the famous Nurburgring. The GT2 took only 6 minutes and 47 seconds to round the track, besting Lamborghini's time by 5 seconds.

With this new change-up of the Nurgburgring king, we decided it would be interesting to map out the entire known history of lap times and the relative prices of the cars that claim them.

As expected, we see a strong correlation with a higher price corresponding to faster lap times.
On the left of the chart you can see the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, followed by the Performante, followed by the much more expensive hyerpercar Porsche 918. Looking at the data as a whole we found some interesting trends:

American Cars give the best bang for your buck in regards to price vs performance
With recent track monsters like the Corvette Z06, Camaro ZL1 1LE and GT350R, American companies are able to seriously compete with some of the best on the track. And when it comes to price vs performance, no one can do it better.

There are some relatively cheap cars that are faster around the track than cars an order of magnitude more expensive
There is a wide swing in price between cars that have the same lap time. A good example of this is looking at the new Civic Type-R which recorded a stunning lap time of 7:43. To put that in perspective, that is faster than a V10 Audi R8, Mercedes SLS AMG, and Lamborghini Gallardo.

Germany has the most lap times by far at 43 cars officially tested on the 'ring
It makes sense that Germany would have the most cars officially timed around the track. Porsche in particular has the most times out of all of the car makers. This all makes sense as it is their home turf, and you would expect anyone with a 7 mile racetrack in their backyard to take advantage of it.

In Conclusion
The Nurburgring is known for it's challenge, allure, and history. It has been used to benchmark performance cars against each other for many years. Visualizing the data yields some interesting revelations and we can't wait to see what the future holds and what other records will be broken.

Best Performance per $ based on Nurburgring lap times:
Honda Civic Type-R - 7:43 , $34,775
Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE - 7:16 , $71,295
Chevy Corvette Z06 - 7:13 , $78,995

Worst Performance per $ based on Nurburgring lap times:
Lamborghini Murcielago - 7:42 , $354,000
Mercedes SLR McLaren - 7:52 , $346,000
Lamborghini Diablo SV - 8:04 , $300,000
Buggati Veyron - 7:40 , $1,500,000

We will see 1000 horsepower cars at the dealer within 5 years

I am going to make a bold prediction today: We will be able to buy - for a reasonable amount of money - 1000 horsepower cars from a dealership within 5 years time. By 2022 any average Joe will be able to walk into their local dealership and with a quick stroke of a pen, drive off with an unimaginable amount power under their right foot.

Now before you call me crazy, hear me out. First off, when I say 1000 hp cars I'm not talking about Honda, Volkswagen, Toyota...I'm not even talking Audi, BMW, Mercedes, I'm talking about Chevy, Ford, and Dodge. Over the past 10 years these companies have taken their halo cars and made them batshit crazy. The candidates I think have a possibility of hitting those magic 4 figures are the Camaro ZL1, Mustang GT500, and Challenger SRT Hellcat.

Since I am not one for making bold predictions without backing it up with some data, let's take a moment to step back from being car enthusiasts for a few minutes and look at some raw numbers.

 

If we plot out american muscle over time we can clearly see the major jumps in horsepower that have taken place in the past 10 years. From the early 425 hp charger produced by SRT in 2006 to the 580 hp ZL1 transformer released in 2012, to the blazing 200 mph+  662 hp Mustang GT500 released in 2013, to the more recent Challenger Hellcat released in 2015 who's hp number has a previously unimaginable 7-- in front of it, we can see the tug of war the companies have had with horsepower gains for many years.

More recently we have seen the information release of the 2017 Camaro by Chevy which boasts 650 HP.

Taking it ever further we have heard from an inside source the 2018 GT500 is coming with 810 hp.

It turns out that if you plot out the horsepower trends into the future you can see that in 2022, within 5 years we should see Mustang release a 1000 horsepower car, with Chevy and SRT close behind. That's our future, and it will be here sooner than you think.

With this data I had a realization. The realization that the automotive market is going to split into two directions. I believe we will have the majority of the market that goes the self driving route where they can relax and let their car drive them to wherever they want to go, and there will be those like us with our 1000 hp cars blowing by the rest of the world at speeds unseen.

PalomarKrew Canyon/Mountain Drive with GoPro and Drone Footage

Taking the M4 and S5 for a drive up Palomar Mountain

Audi S5 KickDown Explanation/Demonstration

We explain and demonstrate how the kick down feature works using a 2015 Audi S5

Sub 30k Sports Car Showdown - GenesisCoupe3.8 vs WRX vs BRZ

Today I had the opportunity to drive the Genesis Coupe, WRX, and BRZ back to back to back. And by back to back to back I mean I literally stepped out of the Hyundai, took two steps to the WRX in the next stall, and after the WRX another two steps to the BRZ. I drove the same exact route for each car which included a windy freeway onramp and some twisty back roads.

 The first car I was handed the keys to was a Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 which was by far the most powerful car of the bunch with 348 peak horsepower. However, before we talk about power the first thing you notice about this car was the extremely tight steering. It might not be such a bad thing considering you are getting a bicep workout every time you drive the car but it almost felt a little awkward with how tight it was. The second thing I noticed was how heavy the car felt; it doesn't look it but this car weights 3,400 lbs. While it did remain flat and had a firm suspension every corner clearly felt like I was throwing around a lot of weight.

As a naturally aspirate car the torque was weak down low, almost comically so when you are flooring the pedal and getting very little acceleration. Peak torque doesn't arrive until 5300 rpm but from there the power comes on very linearly as we would expect from an NA engine until the redline of 6,700 rpm where the peak hp of 348 does put you in the back of your seat. The linear acceleration can cause one to perceive the car isn't pulling as hard as it actually is. Overall the Genesis seems to be getting you a lot for you money, if you can find me another car with 348 hp for 27k please point me to it.

The WRX was the next of the bunch and instantly I could feel the difference with the turbo and throttle response. In the WRX peak torque of 258 arrives at 2000 rpms so you can feel though pull of the engine in most gears while in the Hyundai you have a lot of power but it is in a very thin band of rpm. The WRX definitely felt more nimble and on its toes through tight corners but handling wasn't incredible. Even though the WRX is only about 100 lbs lighter than the Genesis it sure felt like a lot more, that is until I got into the BRZ…

The BRZ turned out to be my favorite of the bunch unexpectedly. It felt just about as fast as the WRX even though I know it isn't with its measly 200 hp but it felt much more like a sports car than the other two. It was clear this was a car you can throw into a corner and trust it to get you out. To put into perspective in the WRX and Hyundai I took the curved on ramp to the next freeway in the 60s vs 77 MPH in the BRZ.

In the end these are all great cars for your money that come with nice acceleration and handling as long as you remember what you are paying for them.

How budgets go from a used WRX to a McLaren 570S

Wow I can get a used WRX for 20k; 0 – 60 in 5 seconds, that is awesome and perfectly within my budget! It doesn't look half bad, I'll just make sure it has a clean car fax and get a compression test!

But wait brand new WRX with ZERO miles is really only 30k? The warranty will offset most of the cost anyways and they barely depreciate…

 

Hold on, an STI is ONLY 5k more?? Why would I ever buy a WRX when I'm a few paychecks away from the legendary STi? It even comes with that awesome wing on the back that will let everyone around me know I mean business! For 35k I could walk out the door with a brand new STI! Well I obviously need navigation and leather seats so more like 40k OTD…

Wait, if I'm spending 40k that puts me in m235i range which will SMOKE the STI AND I get a nice German interior! After all what is a car that doesn't look good when you are sitting inside it, which is where you spend most of your driving time anyways. m235i is the best of both worlds...

But at this price instead of being a "poser" with a wannabe m car I can get a legit AMG badge! The CLA45 AMG at a little over 45k is an amazing deal and has thrust and torque for days.

But those cars are WAY too small. Anyone over 5 foot tall can't possibly be comfortable sitting in this tiny clown car.

I’m going to need to have friends in the back when I'm showing off launch control so an Audi S4 at 52k perfectly fits my needs! Sexy, All wheel drive, supercharged what more could you ask for… 

Hang on... the SUPERCAR all new BMW M4 only starts around 64k?? What's that, two more months of work? I could smoke anything I ever came across on the road and never worry about that little kid in his modded 350z again. Lets see.. some nice leather interior, navigation, carbon ceramics, wow this car is 80k OTD, that’s fine a couple thousand more for options isn't THAT big of a deal; wait…I have EIGHTY KAY, you know what costs just about 80k…

A BRAND NEW Porsche Cayman GT4!! Are those even out yet?? I would be the talk of the town! Approached at every gas station. I would daily drive one of the best track cars in the world! However…

With a little more $$$ I could snatch up the new i8. It has all the fancy electric tech of a tesla and looks like something from the distant future, people in the whole city would know me as the guy with the i8. I would roll up to car shows and immediately get ushered to the VIP parking! BUT I’m spending 120k for this car and you are telling me I only get 0 – 60 in 4 seconds?? That’s like only a second less than that crappy wrx I was looking at earlier for a sixth of the cost. That’s a supercar price for non-supercar performance; you know what has supercar performance?

A McLaren 570s, those things are only 170k and I would be stoplight drag racing Buggati Veyrons like no big deal. Don’t even get me started on the sexy looks of this thing! Okay I think that’s it, I didn’t stray too far from my budget right?

Update:

Went to the dealer, turns out you have to pay little above MSRP for this thing; that’s fine though I just called the bank which approved me for a 200k mortgage on my… “house” I just bought ;) Little do they know I’m living the dream!

LA Auto Show - Let's Not Leave Out the Trucks

Ignition Speed was on-site at LA Auto Show media day this week. We got a first hand look at production vehicles consumers can expect to see soon as well as some concept vehicles that hopefully will make it into production at some future time.

Ford F150

Ford was showing several variants of their all new F150.  The top end Platinum version was on display but not available to sit in for close inspection.  I was able to get in the XLT, Lariat, and King Ranch versions.  I spent the most time in the King Ranch version.  The interior was well laid out and the seats were very comfortable.  There is plenty of room in the back seat for passengers.  The panoramic sunroof is gorgeous and a must have in my opinion. The 8 inch gauge cluster between the speedometer and odometer is available on the upper trims.  This cluster provides a wealth of information and customizable based on the user’s preferences.  On the main display, the driver has access to cameras which can provide a 360 degree view around the truck.  This definitely comes in handy when parking in tight places.  For even more assistance, there is an option for the truck to park itself.  Blind spot detection is another feature available in the all new F150. With all the advanced technologies put into this truck, Ford did not skimp on the attention to detail.  One feature of note was the door armrest is at a level that makes it very comfortable to rest your arm on it. All of the trims pieces around the interior are angled to reduce glare while driving.   As almost everyone does, I had to tap the aluminum doors and body like everyone else to note any difference from steel.  It was a non issue.  On the exterior, the $325 box step option are not as simple to operate as I would like.  I had trouble getting them to lock back in.  As I am over six feet, this is probably an option I could do without.  The integrated into the tailgate step is rather innovative; however, again, it is seemed a little overkill to me.  There are four power trains available for the F150: 2.7L V6 EcoBoost, 3.5L V6 EcoBoost, 3.5L V6, and 5.0L V8.  The 2.7L EcoBooost is getting most of the attention and rave reviews for how sprite the engine is.  Ford has just released mpg info. The F150 will get up to 26 mpg on the highway.  this makes it the most fuel efficient gas powered full sized truck.  Ram, however, still holds the honor for the highest mpg with its Ecodiesel engine. It will be interesting to see if Ford opts to introduce a diesel into its F150 line up in the next couple of years. An eight speed transmission is something we hope to see in the next year or so. Ford is currently in the middle of a F150 Test Drive Tour which takes place in 38 different cities.  Feedback on the F150 forums has been very positive, the biggest surprise being the performance of the 2.7L EcoBoost engine. 

Other Trucks

The GMC HD 2500 Denali really surprised me.  It has a beautiful exterior.  The interior seemed somewhat similar to the ram trucks which is a compliment.  The back seats did not appear as roomy compared to the Ram trucks when I sat in them.

Toyota had several versions of their trucks on hand including the Tundra 1794 edition.  Toyota’s trucks are nice but definitely in need of an overhaul.  I asked the Toyota rep if a diesel may be in the Tundra’s future anytime soon but he said everything is just rumors at this point.  Nissan has confirmed they are bringing a cummins to their Titan trucks.

Ram had a number of configurations for both their Light and Heavy Duty trucks.  These trucks are very solid inside and out. Like Ford, the technology in these trucks rivals and in some cases surpasses that of luxury sedans.  I’m still up in the air about the optional Ram Box. While it adds to the available storage, it is at the expense of a few inches of bed width.  Before checking this option, make sure you know how you plan to use the bed. Many ATV will still fit within the 48” width but there are some that won’t.  Additionally, if you plan to put on a camper shell or use a 5th wheel, don’t get the ram box.

Associate Editor: Kevin Washburn

60 Unveilings at LA Auto Show…You know we'll be there

There will be 60 Unveilings for this year's lineup at the LA Auto Show coming in November. The LA Auto Show has continuously proven itself to be one of the most extensive auto shows in the world; for this reason we have already confirmed our attendance for the Press Days before the Auto Show is open to the public. We will be offering full coverage as well as many pictures and reviews coming for the new spectacular cars the LA Auto Show has to offer.

Audi Releases 2015 S5 Configurator on their Website

This morning for the first time Audi revealed specific details and pricing of the 2015 S5 on their website for the U.S. (audiusa.com). You can build your own S5 with the new pricing, colors, and black optics option here http://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-s5-coupe

The 2015 S5 received a minor bump of $200 in it's base price to reach $52,500 in the United States. With this update in price also comes many new color options that weren't previously available to the S5 including the bold 'Sepang Blue Pearl' that can be added for no extra price. The 'Phantom Black Pearl' option has also been replaced with a new black called 'Mythos Black Metallic' which in our opinion looks much better. The black optics package is also back for $1300 and now called the "high gloss black package".

As we expected, there are no updates to the engine or any major changes to the physical appearance of the 2015 S5, but that is not necessarily something we are complaining about.

Audi RS7 redesign in only 18 months

In the auto market there are a select few cars that one might come across and think to themselves 'This car just can't get any sexier'; in our opinion here at IgnitionSpeed, the RS7 is one of the few cars that falls into that category. Most cars usually see slight refreshes once every couple of years or so and major design updates around every half decade. In the case of the RS7 however we are delighted to find that within only 18 months of it's initial reveal at the Detroit Auto Show in 2013, Audi has already decided to give it an even sleeker design update as well as a top speed boost to 190 mph.