Advanced search

Dyno testing engine combinations.

Everyone loves a contest, and Head 2 Head delivers a no-holds barred fight for supremacy in every episode, with personality, opinion and perspective.

Come ride shotgun with Motor Trend and famed race car driver Randy Pobst as they test the most exotic, high-performance vehicles in the world in search of Motor Trend's Best Driver's Car!

Jason and Jonny head to New York City and then out into the fall leaves to figure out which is the best big convertible.

Jason and Jonny spend time with both to decide which makes the better Gran Coupe. Then, with the help of hall-of-fame race car driver Randy Pobst, we find out which four-door coupe is faster around the track.

Meet the latest Lambo Superveloce on this week's episode of Ignition, presented by Tire Rack.

Jonny Lieberman heads to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to find out if the new SRT Viper TA has what it takes to knock the ZR1 off the podium as the fastest production car around the track.

Convertibles are all about the experience and simple joys of driving. The 488 Spider takes an elaborate route to deliver those joys, from a high-revving, small-displacement, twin-turbo V-8 to electronically controlled shocks and differential. Join Lago as he takes the-oh-so-arduous task of finding out if that intricacy obfuscates the experience.

Convertibles are all about the experience and simple joys of driving. The 488 Spider takes an elaborate route to deliver those joys, from a high-revving, small-displacement, twin-turbo V-8 to electronically controlled shocks and differential. Join Lago as he takes the-oh-so-arduous task of finding out if that intricacy obfuscates the experience.

Lurking underneath the Japanese sheetmetal lurks a distinctly German heart. Platform sharing, badge engineering, throwing in the towel-call it what you will, but this Infiniti is a Mercedes-Benz GLA250. Or is it? This particular model is the QX30S, a sportier derivative of the small, premium SUV. Besides the looks, how is the QX30S different from the Benz? Is it better? Is it faster than some old supercar? What does Randy Pobst think? Most important of all, should you buy one?

Jason Cammisa takes a Mantis green LP 580-2 over the river, through the woods, and through a cloud of Skittle smoke onto the Club Motorsports course, one of the newest racetracks in America. Listen as its 571hp, naturally aspirated V-10 screams, and watch as its rear tires try to cope with the power. And, more important, learn why in the case of this Lamborghini, rear-wheel drive is better than all-wheel drive.

We enlist the help of Hall of Fame race car driver Randy Pobst to determine whether the newest Italian, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, can keep up with the latest hot German, the BMW M3 Competition package. Alfa Romeo invented the sport sedan with the original Giulia Super. It then took 25 years to replace it with the Milano. Now, another 30 years later, we have the Giulia. The Quadrifoglio is the top-spec version, packing a Ferrari-derived 2.9L V-6 that sends 505 hp to the rear wheels. It was supposed to come to America with a six-speed manual transmission, but at the last second-and with no warning- Fiat-Chrysler swapped in an eight-speed automatic. MOTOR TREND Senior Features Editor Jason Cammisa was, to put it mildly, disappointed. We watch as he goes through the five stages of grief dealing with the news, and then spends some time behind the wheel of this new sedan. Is the Giulia a real return to form for Alfa Romeo?

Jonny Lieberman sets out to discover just what makes the new Camaro ZL1 tick -- tick like a bomb, that is. The new ZL1 is the most powerful production Camaro ever. With 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, the ZL1 sports more grunt than most supercars. But is it any good in a straight line? What about around corners? Or on a Willow Springs' big track in the hands of pro racer Randy Pobst? And just how many sets of rear tires will Chevrolet give him? There's only one way to find out.

Jonny Lieberman takes the all-new, all-aluminum second-generation Ford Raptor off the beaten path. Actually, he takes it off all paths. And rightly so, because the new Raptor is not only lighter than the original version, but the new 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 is more powerful than the old 6.2-liter V-8. After running around an abandoned neighborhood and a dry lakebed, Jonny eventually winds up standing on a sand dune, unsure of his ability to jump the big truck. So he calls in a ringer: professional racer and drift legend Ken Block. Ken then proceeds to really put the Raptor (and Jonny's spine) to the test. How'd the Raptor do? Watch and find out.

Jonny Lieberman takes a close look at the first product from Aston Martin's Second Century plan, the stunning DB11. Stunning, it should be noted, both inside and out. Riding on an all-new platform, the DB11 also sports an all-new twin-turbo 5.2L V-12 engine that makes 600 hp. Jonny is immediately enamored of Gaydon's latest but worries he's not sufficiently British enough to properly explain the DB11 to the audience. So he calls in the help of his friend and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Justin Bell. Jonny and Justin then proceed to reanalyze the DB11. Next up, Jonny shows off the new Aston to 24 Hours of Daytona winner Randy Pobst, before Randy puts the big GT through its paces on terrifyingly fast Big Willow track. Is the DB11 good enough to help propel Aston Martin through the 21st century and beyond? Watch and find out.

We take a look at Porsche's latest version of its Boxster roadster, the 718. This moniker comes from a successful convertible and mid-engine'd race car from the late '50s. The implication for the new Boxster is a clear focus on performance, but there's one other thing: Much like the original racecar, the new 718 Boxster S has a flat-four cylinder. What does that mean for the pure driving thrill associated with roadsters? Watch this episode to find out.

The new Lexus LC: What is it? It sure looks like a sports car, so could it be a modern Toyota Supra? Then again, the badge says Lexus, so is it a cushy luxury barge like the last SC? MOTOR TREND Senior Features Editor Jason Cammisa examines the new Lexus flagship in the form of the 471hp LC500-with a special guest appearance by the hybrid V-6-powered LC500h. Ascending more than 4,000 feet, the mountain roads surrounding beautiful Palm Springs, California, provide the perfect test, separating the backroad bruisers from the boulevard cruisers. Which will it be?

Starting at the infamous DirtFish Rally School, Pobst pushes the V90 CC to the limit through dirt, gravel, and mud to find out just how capable this new wagon really is. Featuring a turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine, the Cross Country puts out 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and sends it to the ground through an eight-speed transmission. Not afraid to show his love for wagons, Pobst maintains Volvo is having to dress up its best-looking wagon ever like an SUV in order to sell it in America. With its additional ride height and rugged-looking body cladding, is the Cross Country just a cynical marketing exercise, or is it a fresh new take on the wagon format? Watch and find out.

We drive Ford's spectacular new 216-mph GT. With a 647hp turbocharged V-6 engine, carbon-fiber bodywork, and active aerodynamics, the new GT brings state-of-the-art race car technology to the road. Angus MacKenzie finds out if it really is the spiritual successor to the legendary Le Mans-winning GT40.

We bring the Nissan R35 GT-R, now in its ninth model year, to meet the two generations of GT-R that created the Godzilla legend. First, we drive a C10 Hakosuka Skyline GT-R, the first Nissan to wear the badge, to hear the sounds of the 7,400-rpm S20 straight-six in all of its incredible 24-valve glory. Then, MOTOR TREND Senior Features Editor Jason Cammisa takes an R32 Skyline GT-R out to see if the twin turbos can overwhelm the computer-controlled all-wheel drive. Do these old Skylines live up to their reputation, or have the hands of time eroded their greatness? And how does the current GT-R fit into the story?

Jonny Lieberman travels to Italy's famed Imola race circuit to test out the latest and perhaps greatest raging bull yet from Lamborghini. Initially, the Performante-that's Italian for "Performance"- was going to be known as simply the Huracán Superleggera-that's Italian for "really light." While the Performante is lighter than your run-of-the-mill Huracán, it's much more than that. Lamborghini had to go with a different name. Power is up, the transmission shifts quicker, the all-wheel-drive system and ESC systems have been improved, the ABS system is much better, it's stiffer, the tires are specific to the car, and the new exhaust system is much, much louder. But every automaker does that. No, what makes the Performante special is its secret weapon. That secret weapon allowed the Performante to absolutely shatter the production car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife by 4.99 seconds. What's the secret weapon, and just how good is the Performante? Watch and find out.

Join MOTOR TREND Senior Features Editors Jason Cammisa and Jonny Lieberman to find out if Chevy's 2017 Camaro LT 1LE can beat on the BMW M2 the way its V-8 big brother defeated the M4. For the first time ever, Chevy is offering the 1LE elite track package on its six-cylinder Camaro. The 1LE is no slouch, accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 5.0 seconds, thanks to the 335hp, 7,000-rpm V-6 under its matte black hood. The BMW M2 is more similar than you may think-a handling-focused rear-wheel-drive coupe with a six-cylinder. Its twin-turbo straight-six produces 30 more horsepower, enough for a blazing 4.4-second run to 60 mph, but is that enough to justify the M2's approximately $15,000 price premium?