YouTuber and journalist Steve Magnante takes a look at a 1978 Ford Fairmont, a car that is every bit the classic muscle wagon. If you want to know anything interesting about cars in junkyards, then look no further than Steve Magnante. The automotive journalist and YouTuber has a knack for finding some truly fascinating cars sat around in various junkyards. Be they Japanese classics like the Honda Prelude or even the weird and wonderful car that is the Pontiac Aztek. Magnante knows a thing or two about so many different cars. And that is clearly on show in one of his latest videos. Magnante in…
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Recently, we found out that the days of the iconic Dodge Challenger, as we know it, are numbered. And if we do not know what the future holds in store, let us take shelter in the past. Last summer, Dodge announced that after 2023 model year production concludes for the Challenger and Charger models, complete with no less than seven ‘Last Call’ special edition vehicles, there will be no more ICE-powered versions going forward. Instead, the Stellantis brand will embark on the EV revolution’s journey. But there is a potential problem – in the future, there may not be enough ‘space’…
When talking about rare Mopars, we usually think about HEMI-powered muscle cars from the golden era. And that makes sense because Chrysler didn’t build all that many Gen-2 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 mills. Introduced in race-spec form in 1964, the HEMI did not make it into production cars until the 1966 model year. It remained on the assembly line until the end of 1971 and most experts agree that Mopar put together about 10,904 of them. It may sound like a lot at first glance, but that’s fewer than 1,900 units per year on average. In addition to that, we need to keep…
This digital re-imagination of the iconic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is as close as you can get to a modern incarnation of the iconic muscle car. The Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro, and Ford Mustang might be the three most iconic muscle cars ever made. But in the past, America has produced several other muscle cars that are as important as this trio. Among these is the Pontiac Firebird which took the muscle car recipe to a whole new level with its iconic styling, powerful engines, a tonne of features, and the sportier Trans Am variant that was second to none. Sadly, the Firebird was…
Jeep’s flagship SUV comes furnished with stout prowess, deluxe treatments, and exemplary practicality to never fall short of the European luxury SUVs. Jeep is known for its off-road monsters, but they have entered the luxury car game with the utterly luxurious Grand Wagoneer. The 2023 Grand Wagoneer is a full-size luxury SUV with a starting price of $86,640 and is available in five trims. With a price that can surpass the $110,000 mark, this luxury SUV competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, the new BMW X7, and the all-time favorite Range Rover. However, with European stalwarts presently reigning over the American luxury car market, can…
They were seen as the world’s most perfect couple – until Tom Cruise shocked the world, and his wife, by walking out. Now, 11 years later, Nicole Kidman has reflected on her utter ‘shock’ at her split from Cruise. ‘I thought our life together was perfect,’ the actress told DuJour magazine, admitting she was blindsided by the actor’s decision to end their ten-year union. ‘It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system.’ Strike a pose: Nicole Kidman shows off her slim figure in a white trouser suit as she poses for DuJour magazine The…
With a divorce drama surrounding him following his split from Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise is probably grateful for a distraction in the form of his work. The actor was spotted getting stuck into filming for his new movie Oblivion in June Lake, California today. The 50-year-old, who has removed his wedding ring, was spotted in military style attire, complete with a gun slung across his back, for his role in the upcoming sci fi film. Throwing himself into his work: Tom Cruise was spotted on set of his latest movie Oblivion today in June Lake Cruise of the Jungle: Tom…
He has become as ubiquitous to the British summer as strawberries and cream and the occasional thunderous downpour. Wherever you look, it seems, there is Tom Cruise – and his million-dollar smile. From the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations to yesterday’s ladies’ final at Wimbledon, concerts by Adele and The Rolling Stones in London’s Hyde Park and cheering on his friend Lewis Hamilton at last weekend’s British Grand Prix, the once-reclusive Hollywood A-lister is popping up everywhere. But why, you may ask, is the quintessentially all-American megastar – whose latest blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick, has taken more than $1billion at the global box office – suddenly over here…
Cher has given her former Eighties flame Tom Cruise a big thumbs up in the bedroom department – and says he is on her top five list of lovers. In a revealing chat with Andy Cohen on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, the 67-year-old singer gushed: ‘I had just the greatest lovers ever,’ before clarifying: ‘Not a long list. It’s just a good list.’ The iconic songstress, who claims to have turned down the likes of Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando in the past, was quizzed by Cohen about her fling with Cruise back in the Eighties, long before his marriage to…
“He maintains his authority by never being to blame for anything,” Pegg says. Simon Pegg knows Tom Cruise’s secret. The actor has shared how his pal handles his mistakes, noting he isn’t the type to apologize. CREDIT: VISUAL CHINA GROUP VIA GETTY “If something goes wrong and it’s his fault, he’ll flatly deny it,” Pegg told The Times. “And then if someone corrects him, instead of saying sorry, he’ll just say, ‘Yeah,’ and wink at me.” Pegg, 52, says this is how Cruise “maintains his authority.” “I admitted f—ing up once, and he said—with a wry smile, I hasten to…
He’s the glossy Hollywood star who is indisputably one of the Church Of Scientology’s most prized catches. But behind the polished veneer that Tom Cruise presents to the world is a troubled man with an explosive temper – at least if Leah Remini is to be believed. New snippets taken from the former Scientologist’s soon-to-be released tell-all book reveal the epic tantrums and secret feuds that she claims those close to the actor must endure. Tantrums and feuds: Leah Remini has lifted the lid on the explosive temper of Tom Cruise, seen here in September, writing in her soon-to-be released…
Many automakers involved with the crazy United States car market have big plans for their 2023 debuts, but we are pretty sure that – if nothing goes wrong – there will be just one rising star across the entire auto show. If Ford doesn’t screw things up yet again (like it did with the introduction of the reinvented, sixth-generation Bronco, for a singular yet convincing example), then its 2024 Mustang (S650) might turn out to be the most important ICE vehicle of the year. And we bet no one will dare contest that. With the Chevy Camaro still up for a…
Introduced in 1967 as a more upscale alternative to the two-door Belvedere, the Plymouth GTX became known as “the gentleman’s muscle car.” It wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it offered more convenience features than the regular muscle car available at the time. And unlike the Belvedere, it was only available with Plymouth’s top-tier V8 engines. Specifically, the GTX was equipped with the big 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB V8 as standard. The four-barrel mill was good for 375 horsepower, more than what a Ford Mustang Cobra Jet was capable of at the time. But Plymouth also dropped the awesome 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 in the…
Still in production since 1964, the Ford Mustang holds the dubious honor of being the longest-production Ford car nameplate. That’s not necessarily a good thing. And everything revolves around a specific detail – if you check the company’s online portal, the current 2022/2023 Mustang is the sole passenger car still on sale by the second-largest Detroit automaker. Everything else, from the puny $22k EcoSport to the $55k Expedition and from the unibody Maverick to the Super Duty or Transit series, is of the crossover, SUV, van, or truck variety. That is quite unfortunate since other brands are still keeping the passenger car…
Back in 2019, when Ford and Volkswagen announced they would join forces for a global alliance focused on commercial vehicles, it was clear from the get-go that one of the core objectives focused on the mid-size pickup truck market. Sure, they took their sweet time before unveiling the fruits of their collaboration, but since November 2021 and the summer of 2022, we know what the second T6-based Ford Ranger and VW Amarok Mk2 look like. They rely on the same updated architecture and will even share one of the assembly venues. So, if the Ford Ranger is also produced in Thailand…
The 1960s and early 1970s were a golden era for American cars. Names like the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Chevrolet Camaro enjoyed so much acclaim that the automakers resurrected them for the 2000s. However, one beloved namesake didn’t return from the muscle car history books after its E-body run. Here’s a little about the Plymouth Barracuda, one bad beast of a car that never got its modern shot. When did Plymouth stop making the Barracuda? Plymouth stopped making the Barracuda in 1974, and the car hasn’t returned. The original Barracudas hit the streets for the 1964 model year and went through…
The Chevy Camaro has been an iconic muscle car since it first burst on the scene in 1966. This amazing car has won the hearts and minds of many drivers, but there are some reasons why most people don’t turn to a Chevrolet Camaro when they want a car they can drive every day. Here are six reasons why the Camaro is the wrong car for you. 1. The Chevy Camaro doesn’t offer any AWD options In every way possible, the Camaro is a true muscle car. Regardless of the engine, all the power is sent to the rear wheels, making the car front…
‘There was something lovable about his pure energy and lack of cynicism’ … Tom Cruise in Cannes. Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images A hero’s welcome met the star of two Top Guns and countless Mission: Impossible movies as he took part in a toothless Q&A carried by that mega-watt grin Cannes is the only place that loves Hollywood more than Hollywood loves itself; it certainly loves to showcase colossal personal appearances by the iconic names, linked to a big, unjudgemental screening of his or her latest innocent-pleasure movie. That certainly applies to this year’s live Q&A event with Tom Cruise, ahead of…
‘Machine-tooled rebellious streak’: Tom Cruise as Capt Pete Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick. Photograph: Entertainment Pictures/Alamy Cinema’s favourite ageless fighter pilot returns with all the nail-biting aeronautics and emotional sucker punches that made the original an 80s-defining hit. And we’re back. A full 36 years (including some Covid-related runway delays) after Tony Scott’s big-screen recruitment advert for US naval aviators became an epoch-defining cinema hit, Tom Cruise is back doing what he does best – flashing his cute/crazy superstar smile and flexing his bizarrely ageless body in an eye-popping blockbuster that, for all its daft macho contrivances, still manages to take your breath…
Pegg’s casually dropped bombshell and awkward online disclaimer may have given us the most chilling glimpse behind the Cruise curtain we’ve seen in years. Top mates … Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise. Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CinemaCon f you were online at all this weekend, you may very well have noticed an interview that Simon Pegg gave to The Times (£). It didn’t offer much new information when it comes to Pegg (he had an alcohol problem, he wants to be taken seriously, he has tattoos now). However, it did appear to reveal something new about Pegg’s frequent co-star Tom Cruise: he…
Rumors late last year that Stellantis-brand Peugeot would be introducing its Inception Concept vehicle chock full of technical innovations and a futuristic body design came to light. The French brand revealed the futuristic-looking concept car in Las Vegas at the at 2023 Consumer Electronics Show. The fully electric Inception Concept brings some impressive numbers to the performance category of electromobility. Two compact motors, one at the front and one in the rear, powered by a 100 kWh battery, combine to generate 671 hp (500kW or 680 ps). Acceleration from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph) takes place in just…
Many automakers promised to attack the pickup truck segment with electric vehicles. Rivian arrived first, but it was Ford that tackled it with an affordable option: the F-150 Lightning. Anyone arriving late will have to come up with something better. Stellantis states that this something may be an 800V architecture that recovers 100 miles in 10 minutes. This is what the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept promises. All other electric pickup trucks currently for sale offer 400V systems, which demand more charging time and can cope with lower charging speeds than 350 kW, which is what Stellantis says the concept…
Volkswagen’s ID family of electric vehicles will soon grow to include a sedan for the first time ever, which will be christened the ID.7. Previously known as the Aero B, or the electric Passat, it was recently scooped in motion during winter testing in Northern Europe, with a limited amount of camouflage. The latest spy shots taken by our vigilant man with the cam reveal more skin compared to the prototype displayed at CES 2023, in Las Vegas, as while that one had a special wrap that sent trippy vibes, the vinyl stickers on this one are rather discreet, and…
With the current Tiguan blowing seven candles off its birthday cake this year, Volkswagen continues preparing its successor. The third generation has been spied testing multiple times, in all sorts of environments, and our previous encounter with it dates back to before the Winter Holidays. Nevertheless, the mid-size crossover from the Wolfsburg brand is back in a new set of scoops, and the prototype looks identical to the one spied a few weeks ago. The placement of the camouflage on the front and rear ends, meant to make it look like its predecessor, is the same, and so are the wheels. The…