Hyundai has officially announced that the new N performance brand has whipped the current Veloster into sporting shape, and it’s ready to go toe-to-toe in a title fight with Volkswagen’s 7th generation GTI. While the 2019 Hyundai starts about $500 higher than the VW, at $26,900, the N offers an extra 30 horses—at 250 versus the GTI’s 220—in the stable. Advertisement Things get really interesting when you check the box for the N Performance Package, which nets you 275 horsepower, an electronically controlled limited slip, a performance exhaust, bigger brakes, and bigger wheels for $2100 extra. Unlike the GTI, however, the Veloster N is only available with a manual gearbox, which is great in my eyes, but will likely hamper sales in direct comparison with the German. Advertisement With the extra power, one could argue that the Veloster N is actually punching above its weight class, aiming for larger targets like the Civic Type R and VW’s Golf … [Read more...] about The 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Is Coming For The GTI’s Hot Hatch Lunch Money
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At $8,000, Is This R32-Swapped 1987 VW Jetta A Total Coupe De Grâce?
With four-doors’ and crossovers crazily co-opting the mantle of Coupe,Nice Price or Crack Pipe Jetta around to legitimately own that I’m ashamed to admit that amongst the dozens of cars I’ve owned in my life, not a single one has been Italian. Oh, I’ve driven plenty of Italian cars, everything from lowly Fiats and an actual Innocenti Mini all the way up to Ferraris, Maseratis, and D Advertisement That likely would have all changed if yesterday’s 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce had been within spitting distance of me. At $3,500, I could probably swing it, I do have one of those fancy new Apple Cards after all. I also didn’t think that any of the work it needed was beyond my skill level. Most of you agreed that it would have been a reasonably good idea, showering the car with praise in the comments and awarding it a solid 70 Now, I want to start out today’s discussion by first apologizing for featuring two VW’s this week. I do try to mix … [Read more...] about At $8,000, Is This R32-Swapped 1987 VW Jetta A Total Coupe De Grâce?
Put a Notch on Your Belt for $5,400
Whether Fast or Square, VW's Type 3 was all about the back. One back we in the U.S. didn't officially get was the Notch, but Nice Price or Crack Pipe has one that might make you say baby got back. VW introduced the Type 3 in 1961, expanding their product line beyond the Beetle, Type 2 Bus, and Karmann Ghia. Although the new car shared many components and layout with the Type 1 Beetle, the Type 3 saw several engineering advances improving both utility and drivability. The engine in the first Type 3s remained the same 1500-cc horizontally opposed four cylinder, but instead of a vertical fan shroud, it moved the fan behind the engine, allowing for a much more compact package and earning the nicknames pancake and suitcase. Up front, the suspension replaced the beetle's transverse torsion leaves with a torsion bar set up that also incorporated an anti-roll bar at the upper trailing arm pivot. Advertisement While the Notchback and Type 34 Karmann Ghia (that's the one with the owl … [Read more...] about Put a Notch on Your Belt for $5,400
What’s Your Secret Internet Car How-To?
There’s a point in every conversation that starts on the internet about someone wanting to make their old Volkswagen Beetle go fast that someone pulls it up. It’s inevitable, and always the same link. It’s this wonderful guide hosted on aircooled.net, and it’s more specific than you’d think for something shared so often. It’s a guide on suspension set up for hillclimb racing, short sprints up closed mountain roads. It’s not autocross. It’s not road racing. It’s a niche kind of event. Advertisement And yet this is what you see popping up all the time on VW forums because, well, it’s really good. The writer, Greg Ward, explains not just what he did that worked, but tells the story of all the shit he did that didn’t, figuring out what not to do, and what each mechanical change to his car did in terms of how it handled, how it felt, how big of an undertaking it was. In reading about one guy in Australia run a reasonably … [Read more...] about What’s Your Secret Internet Car How-To?
Will The 2015 Jeep Renegade Be Any Good Off-Road?
We're excited for the new, compact 2015 Jeep Renegade. But, will it go off-road? We called up Jeep's chief engineer and asked. He gave us exclusive, never-before-seen specs and details. The Renegade is an all-new Jeep, based on the parent company's new "Small Wide" platform, also used by the Fiat 500L. It's scheduled to go on-sale this December. Advertisement We're excited about it because, as a subcompact or "B Segment" vehicle, it promises to provide the frugality and urban practicality of a small car with the adventure capability of, well…a Jeep. Living in a city — Los Angeles — a small car makes a ton of sense for me. I need good fuel economy, a car that's easy to park and, since I spend all my money on motorcycles and camping, a low price is a big help too. But, I also spend virtually every weekend out in the mountains or desert, so I need a car that can make it down a difficult dirt road that may be washed out, full of deep sand or covered in slippery … [Read more...] about Will The 2015 Jeep Renegade Be Any Good Off-Road?