Ignition

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, 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?

On this high-flying episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, 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, turning the sand into his own personal Dunekhana. How’d the Raptor do? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, MOTOR TREND’s Senior Features Editor 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!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, 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.

On this episode of Igniton presented by TireRack.com, 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!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, we dive into the big question surrounding 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?

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, MOTOR TREND Senior Features Editor Jason Cammisa goes in search of snow to test out Ferrari’s GTC4Lusso. While almost every other automaker has dabbled in crossovers, including chief rival Lamborghini, Ferrari is sticking to the cars it’s always built. Rather than build an SUV, the Maranello masters have taken the traits that make people love SUVs (hatchback cargo versatility and all-wheel drive) and grafted them onto a V-12–powered four-seat grand tourer. The GTC4Lusso isn’t a completely new idea—it replaces the FF—but it’s significantly updated with the latest version of Ferrari’s amazing 4RM all-wheel-drive system, rear-wheel steering, and an upgraded, 680hp version of the howling 6,262cc V-12.

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack (tirerack.com), Randy Pobst puts the all-new Volvo V90 Cross Country through its paces both on the road and off it. 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!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, 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.

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, 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?

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, 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!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jonny Lieberman explores the aspects of the all-new, second-generation four-door from Porsche. The facts of the car are (of course) impressive: 550 hp from a 4.0L, twin-turbo V-8, coupled with a new eight-speed PDK transmission that powers all four wheels, and all-wheel steering, which means the big Porsche is a serious performer. Since the Executive model gets a near–6-inch stretch, it’s easy to declare the Panamera the world’s ultimate factory limousine. However, is this the sedan Porsche should be building? To answer this question, Lieberman travels 89 years into the past and has a look at what might have been. What does he discover? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jonny Lieberman heads to the Okanogan Highlands in north central Washington State to check out the most track-focused Camaro to date, the all-new ZL1 1LE. Packing the same 650hp supercharged 6.2L V-8 as the “normal” ZL1, the 1LE version adds better aerodynamics and aero bits that produce real downforce, race car–derived Multimatic spool valve dampers, and special R-compound tires from Goodyear. After bashing the big Camaro around some backroads, Lieberman bumps into none other than Randy Pobst, who convinces him to head to a new racetrack in Osoyoos, Canada, called Area 27. It’s there that the two of them put the ZL1 1LE through its paces before Lieberman hands the car over to Pobst so the pro race car driver can set a hot lap. How’d the car do, and how did both Lieberman and Pobst like driving it? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jonny Lieberman goes for a drive in his friend Derek Powell’s Porsche Cayman GT4. Why? Because Lieberman suspects the new Cayman S, in typical Porsche fashion, is just as capable as the top dog from the previous iteration of the mid-engine two-seater. The two hop into the brand-new, four-cylinder, turbocharged 718 to see if there’s any truth to Jonny’s Lieberman’s assertion. After coming to no definitive answer while blasting around California’s Angeles Crest Highway, the boys decide to take both Caymans to the Streets of Willow to see what pro driver Randy Pobst can make of them. Is the new 718 Cayman S good enough to beat and beat up on the GT4? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Randy Pobst gets behind the wheel of an unlikely new entry in the sports-sedan segment: the Kia Stinger GT. It’s got a hot, turbocharged engine and rear-wheel drive, just the way Randy likes it—and in no time, he’s sliding it sideways. But a great sports sedan is about more than just cheap thrills, which means really putting the Kia through its paces on the legendary backroads high above the City of Angels. The true test, though, lies at Streets of Willow, where Pobst shows the Kia no mercy, hammering it hard and pushing it to its limits. Does the Kia fulfill its mission of creating a car tailored to the enthusiast? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jonny Lieberman heads down to South Florida to investigate an odd phenomenon. Supercars like the new Aventador S are extremely popular in Miami, however, the roads are all dead straight. There’s no elevation, either. No backroads, no canyons…in a sense, nothing. Why then is Miami one of Lamborghini’s most important markets? Lieberman gets a small clue when three friends show up in South Beach with three other Lambos, including a unicorn-rare Veneno. Still, he decides to head farther south in search of the answer. Does he find it? And just how fast can a 730hp supercar go? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jethro Bovingdon pushes Pagani’s limited-edition hypercar to its limits on the Autodromo di Franciacorta, and drives it on the evocative Futa Pass in Italy. The standard Huayra is already a formidable supercar, but it’s never quite emerged from the long shadow of the iconic Zonda–the original Pagani carbon-fiber masterpiece with its signature howling 7.3L V12. The wild-looking, new BC model looks to change that. It’s lighter, more powerful, and more track-focused, and features extreme active aerodynamics, suspension, braking, and tire technology. So can it finally lay the Zonda to rest? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jonny Lieberman heads to Untertürkheim, the heart of Germany’s car- building region, to drive the mighty Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+ Wagon, a car that is arguably the greatest on the planet. Of course, what happens if you want to take that 603hp brawler off-road? Well, you can’t. Meet the All-Terrain 4x4 Squared, a wagon that you sure can take off- road. Actually, thanks to its portal axles and massive ground clearance, you can take it anywhere! But which crazy-pants Mercedes wagon is in fact the best? Watch and find out!

On this episode of Ignition presented by Tire Rack, Jethro Bovingdon heads to the stunning roads of Scotland to try McLaren’s newest supercar. Just last year, the Coupé version of the 570S was crowned MOTOR TREND’s Best Driver’s Car against fierce opposition. Now it’s been given the Spider treatment and McLaren claim that thanks to its carbon-fiber structure, it loses precisely nothing in the metamorphosis. So is the dream of a convertible supercar with no compromise PR puff or a thrilling reality? Scotland’s wickedly fast and bumpy roads are the perfect place to find out.