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It's far too easy to be swept up by the vast world of vehicle modification on the internet these days. Every other post, every other hour, there's someone with too much money showcasing SEMA-level builds that the average enthusiast could never dream of completing. And this fact becomes even more prevalent when popular platforms are involved. The aftermarket is larger, the options grow, and deciding what direction to take your build becomes that much more difficult.
Ian Callum, the legendary designer behind such works of art as the Aston Martin DB7 and the Jaguar F-type, just revealed his latest masterpieces.
Callum Designs, Ian Callum's personal design house, revealed the first few photos of its modern reimagining of the Jaguar XJ220 and its racing companion, the XJ220-C.
Callum Designs describes the projects as both a concept and a design study, so not a full production model, though a large enough pile of cash could probably change that.
Remember the Jaguar XJ220? That darling little thing was developed by Jaguar and TWR and topped out at 217 mph, making it the fastest production car in the world at the time. Turns out the designer, Ian Callum, remembers it. On the eve of the XJ220's 35th anniversary, the renowned designer revealed his modern rendition of the supercar through his eponymously named studio.
The Toyota Corolla is the ubiquitous small car. Over the course of its 58 years on sale in the United States, it has earned itself a widespread reputation for being supremely dependable, efficient, and affordable, but typically devoid of engaging driving dynamics or any other exciting qualities. (Unless, of course, there are a few extra letters tacked on like GR, and the old AE86 is another story too.)
Ferraris and Lamborghinis might be sought after, but they're not exactly rare. Neither are Porsches, or Lotuses, or McLarens or Ford GTs. Do you know what is really rare, though? The Smart Crossblade. Mercedes-Benz had the wherewithal to build just 2,000 of these bizarre little roadster things for the entire world between 2002 and 2003, and there's really no way to know how many have made it over to the U.S., as it was never officially sold here. If I had to guess, there are fewer than a dozen. So, when I saw there was one sitting at Vantage Auto, a dealership just 15 miles outside Manhattan (and less than a mile away from the house I grew up in), I knew what I had to do. I had to call these people up and ask them very nicely if I could get behind the wheel of their very rare little car.
When Logan first drove the Mercedes-Benz CLE300, he didn't quite fall in love with it, and Amber didn't like the CLE she drove either. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with that, but in this case, it's Mercedes. Luxury coupes and convertibles are Mercedes' thing. Plus, Logan is nine feet tall, and Amber lives in New York City. Maybe the CLEs they drove were just the wrong cars for them. Surely I, a proper grand touring appreciator, just needed the right CLE and the right road trip, and I'd be singing the new tweener two-door's praises until everyone started to get annoyed with it.
When Logan first drove the Mercedes-Benz CLE300, he didn't quite fall in love with it, and Amber didn't like the CLE she drove either. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with that, but in this case, it's Mercedes. Luxury coupes and convertibles are Mercedes' thing. Plus, Logan is nine feet tall, and Amber lives in New York City. Maybe the CLEs they drove were just the wrong cars for them. Surely I, a proper grand touring appreciator, just needed the right CLE and the right road trip, and I'd be singing the new tweener two-door's praises until everyone started to get annoyed with it.
06/16/26 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results.
When Lexus first launched as a brand in 1989, it offered two sedans: the ES and the LS. The full-size LS flagship quickly came to define the Lexus ethos, but 37 years later, it's the mid-size ES nameplate that persists. Lexus is going back to having just two sedans, and the LS will not be one of them, as it's bidding farewell with just a 250-unit run of Heritage Edition models for 2026. The compact IS is still around, but it's getting long in the tooth as the third generation has just received its third facelift.
The latest Testarossa is by no means all-new, but Ferrari has improved it in so many ways that it might as well be. In the process, the maestros of Maranello have also made the car more beautiful than its predecessor and have given it a new alphanumeric designator: the 512TR.
It has been said that test mules are bugs. Shod with GPS antenna, they often crawl through development resembling stag beetles instead of something any of us would drive. If we're ever fortunate enough to see them, it's usually by mistake. Or via the telephoto lens of some fancy helicopter-having spy photographer.
When discussing the greatest BMWs of all time, the conversation often fixates on an era of Bimmers that excelled in rote commutes and spirited drives alike—the ever important ride-handling balance. The cars from that era all carry a common thread: From 1997 to 2012, an engineer named Bernd Limmer was among those who signed off on the chassis of the E46 M3, E39 M5, and E9X M3, among many others. Limmer is also the principal engineer of the upcoming fifth-generation 2027 X5 (chassis code G65), and his tuning sense might be the special ingredient this new BMW needs to really cook.
