Road Strikers

► Who makes the world's best V12 limousine? ► We test Merc S600 vs Rolls Ghost SII vs Bentley Flying Spur At a glance, these lavishly equipped ultra-luxury chariots are aiming their mighty trademark radiator grilles at exactly the same lucrative niche in the market. In reality, however, they differ dramatically in approach, ambience and appeal. The Bentley Flying Spur is an old-school five-seater sports car which fuses a finely trimmed grandfather interior with a high-performance chassis and drivetrain. The Mercedes S600 looks no different to a dressed up S300, but its sophisticated specification reads like a summary of The Technology Bible. The Rolls-Royce Ghost S2 combines the presence of a self-conscious status symbol with the dynamic talents of a properly engineered plaything. One thing, however, they all have in common: synchronologically suicidal fuel gauges, proving once again that weight, drag and a heavy right foot are the arch-enemies of efficiency. Despite a re...

► Title fight: M3 vs C63 AMG ► Four-door super-saloons slug it out ► Will M3 rue the day it dropped V8? M3 owns this territory, but it has a real fight on its hands now. The new C-class has picked up a bunch of fresh virtues. It steers with more enthusiasm, it brakes with more bite, it puts the power down with more determination and, most importantly, it handles with a delicate sweetness none of its nose-heavy, tail-happy predecessors ever came close to. And now it’s got a twin-turbo V8 and an AMG badge too. Gulp. It’s not as if the M3 is at its most confident right now. The only reason it even still exists is on the strength of its badge – otherwise it would have been dinked for the more dynamic looking and more profitable Gran Coupe – and its whiny, downsized six-pot turbo engine isn’t exactly Ant & Dec in the personality stakes. The new C63 also has the advantage of a much more linear, less schizophrenic bloodline than the M3. ...

The Ferrari is a creature of desire and it longs to be driven. When Enzo Ferrari created the first road car he included a very special ingredient: intuition. A Ferrari masterpiece connects with its owner on a deep, emotional level and can predict every thought, wish or desire before it even exists. Respect the Ferrari and you’ll enjoy one of the most exhilarating rides of your life, do the opposite and you’ve desecrated a work of art. The 2015 Ferrari California T and 2015 Ferrari 458 Italia are two extraordinary road cars, but each has its own strengths as any Prancing Stallion does. The roar of the 2015 Ferrari 458 Italia and its engine’s high output make it a force on both the track and off. It’s an ideal road car for drivers looking to add true powerhouse to their collection. The 2015 Ferrari California T might not be as fast as the 2015 Ferrari 458 Italia, but it’s no less incredible. A true master chooses the best horse for the task at hand and nothi...

There is no doubt that European luxury performance is available in a variety of attractive packages. The two vehicles here presented for consideration are undeniable testaments to that very fact. Both Ferrari FF and Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Class are among the most distinctive vehicles on the road, and both couple their world-class aesthetic with a level of performance and comfort that goes unmatched by most modern luxury vehicles. For performance car clients in the Chicago area, no super car comparison exists in a vacuum, however. The midwest region is no stranger to consistently inclement weather, and this is why Continental AutoSports is weighing advantageous usability with respect to the dealership’s Ferrari FF vs. Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Class comparison. The analysis that follows is not offered to say that every luxury performance client requires a combination of the features described in the chart above. It is offered to say that Ferrari’s innovative FF estate car is equi...

When it comes to buying luxury, only the best will do. The Maserati brand is one of historic dedication to innovation, craftsmanship and exceptional performance. The 2015 GranTurismo is no different. Maserati’s popular sports car tops out at 185 mph and reaching 0-60 mph in only 4.7 seconds, the powerful 4.7-liter, V8 engine is a force. The luxury engine delivers a smooth, precise driving experience that one could only expect of the sophisticated nature of the Maserati name. On the outside the classic, sharp styling of the Maserati GranTurismo helps make this luxury beast as eye-catching as it is powerful. The number of precise, tasteful reminders on the vehicle’s interior and exterior make it hard for onlookers and passengers to forget they experiencing one of Maserati’s best. Find your 2015 Maserati GranTurismo at Continental Maserati! Packed with premium technology and convenience features, the Maserati experience is as luxurious under the hood as it is in the ca...

When considering vehicles like Maserati Ghibli and the BWM 6 Series Gran Coupe, both reflect an effort toward blending dignified luxury with exhilarating performance. Though beholding vehicles of this caliber is always an exercise most fruitfully left to the natural eye, the image above serves as a simple example of each sedan’s inherent dignity. In lieu of experiencing each vehicle’s performance profile from behind the wheel, the table provided similarly works to demonstrate what both Ghibli and BMW’s 6 series have been engineered to accomplish. Comparing the Maserati Ghibli vs. BMW 6 Series in this regard yields a number of important emphases. Local clients will notice that both vehicles develop their identity around six-cylinder engines with a pair of strategic turbochargers. Yet regardless of identical displacement and analogous induction technology, Maserati serves its Ghibli clients with significantly greater quantities of horsepower and torque. In addition to t...

With respect to four-door luxury performance, models like Maserati Quattroporte and the S550 from Mercedes-Benz represent iconic characteristics that keep enthusiasts returning to the segment year after year. The automakers’ respective trident and tri-star emblems go a long way toward communicating the refined sense of strength indicative of that iconic character, though exterior aesthetics forged as expressions of sophisticated stability play a part as well. This is what makes these models such worthy competitors. In an effort to understand the unique character traits of each luxury model, Continental AutoSports has set Maserati Quattroporte vs. Mercedes-Benz S550 in a side-by-side comparison. The results of that research are presented in the table above—though thoughtful context is required to make best sense of the data. Comparing Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz S550 While performance metrics are a significant consideration when it comes to the luxury sedan seg...

There is an artistic charge inherent to the call of every automaker. Bestowed with a singular sense of heritage and character, the automaker’s aim is to articulate its identity through unique expressions of form and engineering. Of course, these expressions grow increasingly nuanced as automakers reinterpret both form and function in accordance with a diversity of nameplate packaging. In consideration of Maserati’s identity, elegant command and unparalleled performance are integral expressions of the Trident DNA. The automaker is obliged by its nameplate lineup to articulate each with nuanced technique, however. Several of these subtleties are brought to focus on behalf of the material included above—particularly for clients interested in comparing Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 vs. Maserati Ghibli. Of course, both sedans feature a twin-turbo six-cylinder and seating for five, but a number of distinctive cues uniquely characterize the Quattroporte and Ghibli expressions o...

“Molds were made to be broken.” In some sense, this phrase describes the ethos that has driven performance brands like Maserati to the pursuit of excellence for the last 100 years. Through a combination of artful design and world-class engine mechanics, the trident logo has represented a welcomed departure from the type of automotive experience indicative of the everyday mold. As is clear from the R8 model pictured above, Audi is certainly part of that conversation as well. Having developed a comparison matrix that highlights R8 and Maserati’s GranTurismo coupe, Continental AutoSports looks to examine how it is that each of these vehicles breaks the mold of traditional automotive design and engineering. A cursory glance indicates that both models aim to please with emotive design and powerful eight-cylinder engine options.Yet a philosophical approach to the consideration at hand suggests a clear superior in the Maserati GranTurismo vs. Audi R8 comparison. Comparing ...

The 2015 Maserati Ghibli gets its name from the word for an African desert wind. It’s the perfect for a fiery sedan that is the Ghibli. Just from the exterior one can see the sleek aerodynamics that great the sophisticated silhouette of the distinctive 2015 Maserati Ghibli. It’s an eye-catcher, that’s certain, and the 2015 Maserati Ghibli is full of details reminiscent of the GrandTurismo and A6 GCS Berlinetta. It’s perfection if there ever was one. Powered by a state-of-the-art-engine, the Maserati uses an “on demand” all-wheel drive system that allows the driver full control and advanced safety on any road surface. Its the kind of innovative, smart technology that Maserati is known for. So how does the 2015 Maserati Ghibli compare to competition like the 2015 Jaguar X? While the 2015 Maserati Ghibli is also the gracious host, it always wins and the Jaguar doesn’t stand a chance to the power of the Trident. In a match of the 2015 Maserati Ghib...

Mots justes is a French term meaning “the exact right words.” Though it may seem as if French influence has no bearing on a comparison of the Maserati Quattroporte vs. Porsche Panamera 4S, the spirit behind mots justes actually serves as an organizing principle around which the consideration may be framed. As evidenced by a greeting card company’s most successful treatments for lifetime milestones, communicative prowess is a product of mots justes—the exact right words. In the same way that mots justes represent a qualitative superiority to alternative expressions of vocabulary, there are varying degrees to which the advanced engineering techniques of world-class automakers can be evaluated as situationally appropriate. The data presented in the table above begins to bring some of these thoughts into focus with respect to the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera 4s. Though both vehicles feature twin-turbocharged, six-cylinder engines at three liters of di...

Let’s start with the big obvious disclaimer. Street racing is stupid, it is against the law, and it takes lives. Don’t do it. Serioulsy, it’s bad. Now that we have that out of the way, I would like to present you with three and a half minutes of supercharged American awesomeness starring the new Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the Mustang Shelby GT500. This isn’t a review video or anything fun like that, but rather it’s a quick visual look at each of the cars followed by lots of highway digs. There is plenty of gratuitous noise involved for your enjoyment. If you were hoping to see a three-way romp between the cars though, sadly you are out of luck. The first half of the video is the Z06 against the Challenger, and then towards the end the Corvette magically disappears to make way for the most powerful factory Mustang ever built. There are only two quick runs against the GT500 before the arrival of the local police put things quickly ...

Mercedes GT vs Porsche 911We tested the Mercedes GTS against its namesake, the 911 GTSMerc GT will play oversteer games if you askPorsche 991 GTS knows how to waggle its tail still911 chases GT... or does it?Porsche 911 GTS shot in the Austrian Alps for CAR by Tom SaltYep, there's still a flat six back there in the 991 GTSInside cabin of Mercedes-Benz GTCabin of Porsche 911 GTS: focused, but a bit fussy ► Twin test: Merc AMG GT vs Porsche 911 ► World-first GT S vs GTS comparison ► Has the 911 finally met its match? No matter how hard anybody tries to usurp the perennial 911, Porsche always seems to have an answer. On the day we at last drive Mercedes’ spanking new V8-engined GT coupe with its box-fresh GTS badge, Porsche brings along a new kind of 911 with exactly the same moniker: 911 GTS. Sorry Mercedes, but nobody ever said this was going to be easy. The AMG GTS is one mega Merc, though – the baddest Benz there’s ever been. It’s even mea...