Carson's Car Pics: January 2019

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

2005-06 Ford GT

The mid-2000s Ford GT represents the first rebirth of the legendary GT40. Shown above is the Heritage Edition, sporting the Gulf Oil livery used on the GT40 race cars in the 1960s. Powered by a
5.4L supercharged V8, the first-gen Ford GT churns out 550 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and can reach a top speed of 205 mph. A six-speed manual is the only gearbox offered with the 2005-06 Ford GT. If you look inside the headlight housing, you'll notice the headlights are in the shape of "100" because the GT was made to commemorate Ford's 100th anniversary. Unlike most vehicle doors, the Ford GT's doors include significant portions of the roof panel in them. From 2004 to 2006, Ford produced 4,038 GTs, 343 of them being the Heritage Edition. Since the Heritage Edition is featured here, this specific version is valued at around $500,000. In addition to the original model, Ford made a limited edition roadster variant known as the GTX1. Overall, the 2005-06 Ford GT is absolutely marvelous and one of the greatest American vehicles of all time. Despite the use of parts from other mid-2000s Fords, the GT retains its value exceptionally well and is viewed as elite in the automotive world by many.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Mercedes-AMG GT R

The AMG GT R is Mercedes-Benz's current top-of-the-line flagship sports car. Under the hood is a 4.0-liter AMG twin-turbo V8 producing 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. It makes the launch from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 198 mph. Power is distributed to the rear wheels through a seven-speed AMG Speedshift dual-clutch. Its carbon fiber rear wing, extensive use of carbon fiber, and more aggressive styling set the GT R apart physically from the other AMG GT trim levels. The example above is featured in Mercedes-AMG's signature Green Hell Magno, which suits the vehicle very well. Pricing for the Mercedes-AMG GT R starts at a shade under $160,000, with option packages increasing the total to around $200,000. In a nutshell, this vehicle looks, feels, and sounds incredible despite not being on the same level as some mid-engine exotics like the Ferrari 488 and Lamborghini Huracan in terms of performance and polarity.

Friday, January 11, 2019

Best of Car Spotting 2018 Part 2

I now bring to you the conclusion of Best of Car Spotting 2018. The second half of this series contains photos of the best and most unusual vehicles I spotted on the street from July to December of last year. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments and watch out for the conclusion of Best of Car Shows 2018 in the coming weeks.

Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII

Maserati GranTurismo Sport Cabriolet

Porsche 918 Spyder

2nd-gen Audi R8

Ferrari California

Ferrari 488 Spider

Mercedes-AMG GT R

Ferrari F430

Ferrari 488 Spider

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Best of Car Shows 2018 Part 1

Next up in concluding the 2018 calendar year is Part 1 of the Best of Car Shows 2018 two-part series. Like the Best of Car Spotting 2018 series, Part 1 of Best of Car Shows 2018 consists of the best and most unusual vehicles I captured photos of from January to June, except at car shows I attended during that time. Without further ado, let's get straight to it. Please leave your thoughts in the comments and be on the lookout for Part 2 of this series and the Best of Car Spotting 2018 series.

1960s Buick Riviera