Mercedes-Benz G55/63 AMG

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, especially in AMG guise, is one of my favorite SUVs ever created. It hasn't changed much over the course of 35 years (its design and durability at least). The Gelandewagen, as people refer to it as in its home country, was originally intended for off-road and military use around the time it was created. Believe it or not, the G-Class didn't arrive to U.S. shores until 2005. The average G-Class owner is wealthy (obviously) and uses it for cruising around town, not for dirt trails or extreme terrain. Ever since the G-Wagen was introduced in 1979, it has been built at the Magna Steyr assembly plant in Graz, Austria. The first two examples in this gallery are G55s, built from 2005-2011. Under the hood of the G55 is a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 with 493 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The rest are G63s, which began production in 2012 and is still being produced today. It is powered by a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 537 horsepower and 561 ft-lbs. of torque. The G63 also has a new grille and a revised interior (I personally think it looks better than the G55's interior). There are two other AMG G-class models available: the limited-production G63 6x6 and the G65. The G63 6x6 is bigger, heavier, and less fuel efficient than the standard G63; also, the G63 6x6 is my preferred vehicle in the event of a zombie attack. The main difference between the G63 and the G65 is that the G65 has a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 with around 600 horses. Unfortunately, the G65 AMG is not available Stateside because it doesn't meet safety regulations, not so much for emissions reasons, which is a shame (the fact that it's not sold here). In other news, the legendary G-Wagen will stay in production until at least 2027, along with a refresh coming in 2016. In conclusion, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen is one of the coolest, most expensive SUVs on the market today. It was never meant to be stylish or fuel efficient, but the G-Class epitomizes luxury and off-road capability in the best way possible. It also handles well on a track, as proven by a few videos I have watched in the past. On a side note, the last four photos in the gallery above were from my two-week trip to China back in June.

1980's Porsche 928

The 928 was the model Porsche intended to use as a replacement for the 911, but thankfully the Porsche 911 is still here with us today. Anyway, the 928 is not the best of Porsches, but it's still a decent car; unlike the 911, it is mid-engine and powered by a naturally aspirated V8 that makes anywhere from 229 to 326 HP. I believe it accelerates from 0-60 mph in the 7-second range, similar to the Scion FR-S/Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ. Its interior is like that of a typical car from the '80s (except it may not have a ton of plastic and other cheap materials): bland and somewhat simplistic. The 928 also has many buttons in the dashboard and center console, just like every other Porsche. Right now, a used 928 in excellent condition has an estimated value of less than $20k. I think its value may climb years later. Overall, the Porsche 928 is a cool car, but it doesn't have the guts to be a worthy 911 successor (if it actually replaced the 911).

More Tesla Model S Photos, Tesla Factory/HQ, and Tesla Supercharging Stations

This post probably has more photos than any other post on this site, but it is proof that I have seen many Tesla Model S examples within an approximate one-year period. I know there are still a few people who haven't seen one in person, and if any of those few are from California, I find it very surprising since there are lots of them here. I read that apparently Seattle has the most Teslas (Model S and Roadster) per square mile than anywhere in the U.S. and more Teslas are sold in Norway than any other country on Earth (In Norway, gas is $10/gal.). Just last month the Tesla Model S was launched in select right-hand drive markets (i.e. Hong Kong, UK, Australia). For the first several months that it was on sale, the Model S outsold other EVs and plug-ins, such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, as well as a few premium brands. Also in the gallery, I drove by Tesla's main factory and headquarters in Fremont, California back in early February, and I came across two Tesla Superchargers so far: one in Gilroy and one in Tejon Ranch, the latter located south of Bakersfield and approximately one hour north of Los Angeles. The Tesla Superchargers are free to use; the only restriction is that you have to be a Tesla owner to access them. In other news, Saleen unveiled their iteration of the Tesla Model S at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last weekend. Dubbed the Foursixteen, it has a significant power upgrade over the stock Model S. Cosmetic changes to the Foursixteen that differentiate it from the standard Model S include a new front fascia that resembles one of a Porsche Panamera and McLaren MP4-12C combined, and a small rear wing. I think it looks pretty nice. Overall, I would have to say the Tesla Model S is the most innovative car of the 21st Century. It is economical, practical, and quick. Inside, a 17-inch touchscreen adorns the center console, which looks as if an iPad was glued into the dashboard. Select Tesla Model S's come with two child seats in the very back of the car, adding on to the original seating arrangement for five adults. In addition, the Model S is one of the only vehicles that I would say placing a gas engine under the hood and taking out the battery would ruin its appeal. Finally, all of the Model S examples displayed above were spotted in California except for the two painted red, which were in Beijing back in June.

Corvette C6 (2005-13)

Nowadays, spotting one of these on the road is almost like an ordinary, everyday occurrence (that may explain why there are so many photos here). This applies to the standard Corvette C6, which seems outdated and bland compared to the C7 Stingray. I won't go too much into detail about the C6, but it is one of my favorite generations of the Vette. One interesting fact that I had read about the C6 Vette is that it shares a similar steering wheel with the Chevy Cobalt (some people will say this is bad, partly because of product management or something like that by the old GM, but this simply doesn't matter to me; function prevails over form). One thing about the C6 that makes it one of the best generations of Corvette is the ZR1 (supercharged LS9 V8, 638 HP, top speed over 200 mph). The C6 ZR1 remains one of my favorite Corvettes and GM products of all time. Also, the C6, or any Corvette in general, is simply the best performance bang for your buck and, in my opinion, a poor man's European supercar. All of these examples above look nice except for the ones that have yellow wheels (you should know which ones I am talking about).