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Review: 2016 Lexus RC F

This car just breaks my brain. It does not make any sense that this orange RC F parked in front of my house came from Lexus. Built by the producer of staid hybrid sedans and crossovers, under the watchful eye of Toyota, in no way should this car exist in life. But it does, and it’s mostly spectacular. With a big 5.0 V8, it will take minutes off of your Waze ETA like few other you’ve driven.

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#Coupe #Lexus #lexus rc #lexus rc f #luxury #rc #rc-f #review

The Mini Cooper Clubman is a Charming Buddy That Carries All Your Junk

I do believe the Clubman is the most interesting vehicle in the Mini lineup. Partly because it’s a wagon, and partly because it’s, well a freakin’ Mini.

I must say, a Mini Cooper that can carry your friends and your crap is indeed very appealing.

But I must admit, I was rather worried about the new Clubman. Because it’s huge! I was worried that the added heft and the very long wheelbase, which…

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(Full Disclosure: Our Editor-in-Chief, that’s me, got a week in this 2016 Ford Focus RS to write a feature article for Jalopnik.com (keep an eye out for it next week!). RFD borrowed it for an afternoon of driving in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this is what we did with it.)

First of all, it’s a Focus

You can take that as a positive or a negative. The “its just a Focus dude” side will point to its basic underpinnings and economy car interior as a down side. And they’re not entirely wrong; this car, which is easily $15,000 more than the 2014 Focus ST I had, has pretty much the same interior. It’s no luxury car, but the small changes with color-matched-to-the-exterior stitching on the seats and other places inside the RS really stand out as nice updates. The seats, Recaro-only, available in partial or full leather, are ridiculously good, although the same girth limitation applies to this car that applied to my Focus ST. Those too far over the 200 pound mark could feel a little confined.

Then again, the fact that this is “just a Focus dude” is an amazing feat of engineering. I experienced G-forces in the RS that I have not always felt in cars that retail for three to four times as much. This thing changes direction like a damn laser pointer being chased by a cat. It’s that nimble. With the “track only” drift mode selected, I made fast work of back roads along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Looking around the exterior, it’s obvious that this is a Focus. Of course its a Focus, says so on the back. But, the upgrades to the lower fascia, sides, rear, and of course the big spoiler mounted to the hatch, make it also pretty clear that this bitch means business.

How does it make you feel?

In short, it gives you “the tingle” down there. No, not in your genitals per-se, perhaps somewhere in the bottom half of your body. It’s that “wow this car is special” feeling that almost every other car I have driven lately is missing. I tried to stereotype what the RS would be if it were a person. It’s a God damn decathlete who runs a moving business when he’s not training for the Olympics. The fact that this 4-door hatchback, with the ability to haul around your crap, can also haul more ass than anything I have driven recently—the McLaren 570GT excluded—and still be under $40,000 is phenomenal. Starting MSRP is $35,900 plus packages/options. And sure, dealers are marking them up, but it’s early, the hype will die down a bit; you’ll have access to more cars on the market (used, and new) and can ideally pick up one of these ridiculously good drivers’ cars. OK, so as you saw in the video, the ride sucks. But other than that, it’s as good as you’ve heard. Maybe better.

Keep an eye out on Jalopnik for the coming RS review and back here on RFD for a tuned Focus RS vs. tuned Focus ST feature.

Specifications

Trim: None Trans: 6-Speed Manual Engine: 350-hp 2.3L GTDI EcoBoost Drive: AWD

Exterior: Nitrous-Blue Quad Coat Interior: Charcoal Black

MSRP: $35,900 Destination Fee: $875

Packages & Options

Nitrous-Blue Paint $695

RS2 Package $2,785 – 8-Way Power Driver Seat – Black Leather Recaro® Seats with Miko®-Dinamica inserts with RS Logo – Heated Mirrors – Heated Front-Seats – Heated Three Point Steering Wheel – Voice-Activated Touch-Screen Navigation System with SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link

Total MSRP: $40,225

Gallery

First Drive Video Review: Ford Focus RS (Full Disclosure: Our Editor-in-Chief, that's me, got a week in this 2016 Ford Focus RS to write a feature article for…

#focus #focus rs #ford #hatch #hatchback #hot hatch #review #RS

Smyth Ute: The Affordable Kit Car

I’m a fan of alternative history fiction. What if the Confederacy won the Civil War? What if Germany won World War I or II? What if Volkswagen never stopped building the Rabbit Pickup? While the answers to most of these questions can only be answered in our imagination, Smyth Performancehas created real life examples of what the Mk. 4 and Mk. 5 Jetta Pickup might have been. And thanks to them,…

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#charger #Dodge #factory five #jetta #kit #kit car #mark smith #smyth #smyth performance #truck #ute #volkswagen #VW

RFD Is On DriveTribe And So Can You!

If you haven’t heard, there were these three blokes from England who had a motoring show. We won’t get into who punched who over what; if you are familiar with Jeremy, Richard and James, you already know how it ended. They have moved on to something new, it’s called The Grand Tour. And then something even newer, it’s called DriveTribe. We’re on there, and we’re looking for some tribal members.

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#DriveTribe

Jonathan Ward of Icon 4x4

Jonathan Ward of Icon 4×4

Our west coast correspondant Ryan West talks with Jonathan Ward, the man behind Icon 4×4, at their shop in Los Angeles. They discuss what inspired him to start the Toyota Landcruiser specific company that came before Icon, TLC, around a campfire in Africa, why the FJ in particular, how Jonathan and Toyota helped each other with both the Icon FJ40 and the Toyota FJ Cruiser, and how Icon branched…

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#custom #derelict #disruptor #fj #icon #icon 4x4 #icon br #icon fj #icon tr #landcruiser #off-road #toyota fj

The Ridgeline Doesn’t Care About the Other Trucks It's funny how people will react the moment they look at Honda's uni-body pickup: "that's not a truck, it's a car!" "I'd get a Tacoma way before this" etc, etc.

Ben & Ben Of Gears And Gasoline One of my favorite up and coming YouTube channels is Gears and Gasoline. Ike sits down with…

#ben #channel #gasoline #Gears #gears and gasoline #youtube

Subaru’s XV Crosstrek is a common sight on the corners of most “trendy” or “up and coming” blocks. If the Mini Countryman can capture any of Subaru’s very loyal fan base, all our neighborhood walks are going to get a bit less boring. Despite being several inches longer and an inch or so wider, the Countryman is a stylish, sleek alternative to the drab and over-styled CUV’s of the present.

BMW promises that the new Mini Countryman will retain the “go-kart” feel Mini is proud of, while making the car a more usable offering to its customers. Indeed, the top of the line “S” model boasts a 7-second 0-60 time to compliment the sporty handling.

I was most intrigued, however, by the plug-in hybrid option. A 3-cylinder, 134 HP gasoline motor turns the wheels up front, while an 84 HP electric motor propels the rear wheels. This technology, derived from the BMW i3, should give a sportier feel along with a much larger car when compared to the i3. Supposedly, the car can do trips “to and from your place of work” on all-electric mode. The car can do around 24 miles in all-electric mode on the European cycle, and can sustain speeds of up to 77 MPH.

Only driving will tell whether this is truly a Mini, or if BMW have slapped some heavy branding on a hybrid X1. Either way, I’d have a hard time not recommending any new car buyer take a long and hard look at the 2017 Mini Countryman.

First Look at the 2017 Mini Countryman Subaru's XV Crosstrek is a common sight on the corners of most "trendy" or "up and coming" blocks.

#auto show #BMW #countryman #events #LA #LA Auto Show #Los Angeles #Mini

The Jaguar I-PACE Concept is more than just a concept, it’s a significant look at what the clean-sheet design, all-electric SUV will look like when it debuts in 2018. Five seats, and around 300 miles in a single charge (European cycle). What’s not to like?

Of course, the 90 kWh batter pack is mounted under the floor as is becoming standard with electric or hybrid-electric vehicles. Jaguar’s PR people wanted to stress that the battery packs were made “in-house”, I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. They also claimed that one could get an 80% charge after 90 minutes. Expect this to go hand-in-hand with some physics-defying zero-to-60 times.

The styling will be divisive, I think it’s simply trying too hard to be edgy and modern; a fair criticism about most of Ian Callum‘s recent work From a visual perspective, the Model X looks significantly more subtle.But I’ll let you be the judge:

Jaguar I-Pace at 2016 LA Auto Show

Jaguar I-Pace Concept at 2016 LA Auto Show

Jaguar displays their I-Pace Concept vehicle at the 2016 LA Auto Show.

Jaguar I-Pace Concept at 2016 LA Auto Show

Passenger Rear Quarter View of the Jaguar I-Pace Concept at the 2016 LA Auto Show

Where I DO think the SUV will shine? Quality. Tesla had a booth at the LA Auto Show, so I figured I’d try out the Model X for the first time. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t impressed. Absolutely everything squeaked or creaked, and the fancy doors were “Locked” upwards. Why? It seems to me like they didn’t want to risk having such an item fail at. At a very public event, I mean, why wouldn’t you want to show that off? The Jaguar is going to be built by the same company who put out extremely well-thought-out and luxurious SUV’s, none of which creaked or squeaked when I sat in them. All of their doors opened. But most importantly? It probably won’t have the awful, tech-start up, Silicon Valley-brand of douche feel.

This is an important next step for Jaguar-Land Rover, being early out of the gate with new ideas usually gets more people on board than coming in late(the Buick Encore being a prime example). My best guess is early models will start around $90,000, which won’t make it a tough sell for the average Range Rover buyer. Will it have the same off-road cred? Likely not, but then again, how many times have you seen a new Land Rover get covered in mud?

I’m excited for the I-PACE, and you should be too. Let’s just hope it loses the Jaguar Land Rover reliability while retaining the style and class they’ve had over the years.

First Look at the Jaguar I-PACE Concept The Jaguar I-PACE Concept is more than just a concept, it's a significant look at what the clean-sheet design, all-electric SUV will look like when it debuts in 2018.

Will Clavey Of Clavey's Corner And RFD

Will Clavey Of Clavey’s Corner And RFD

The Untitled Car Show crosses the border to speak with Will Clavey, who writes about cars at Clavey’s Corner, Oppositelock, and here at Right Foot Down, exiting cars like a BAMF. We hear about his project that came before Clavey’s Corner, why he got sick of and gave up on automotive journalism, and why he gave it a second try with his current site. He discusses how his day job as a technical…

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#clavey #Clavey&039;s Corner #UCS #Untitled Car Show #Will Clavey

Xtreme Xperience Round Two

Xtreme Xperience is the countries premiere arrive and drive exotic car program. I covered their program last year when I drove a Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4, and a Porsche 911 GT3 (991) at Summit Point Motorsports Park at one of their events. Now I am going to answer the question, how does the best arrive and drive program grow and improve? Let’s find out.

My visit

My…

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#exotics #racing #reviews #xtreme xperience #XX

Holiday Wish List Alert! A MUST for every CAR LOVER! (Sponsored)

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