Best Midsized Pickup

Mid sized pickups are sort of weird thing. The majority of them can't tow heavy loads and barely see the dirt. So what's the point right? Well, Our friends over at MotorTrend did some research and comparison of a few mid sized pickups. They found that most people choose to purchase mid sized trucks not because they need it, but just because they like driving trucks. So what's the best mid sized pick up truck for you? Let's see what MotorTrend has picked out.

We present to you the 2015 Chevy Colorado Z71, the 2015 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X and the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. MT chose these three trucks because they all are fairly popular and compete in the same class. To start the comparison off right, two MotorTrend associates did a a 0-60 pull in which the Chevy Colorado beat out both the Frontier and Tacoma. They claimed that the Frontier's 261 horsepower 4.0 liter V6 and the Tacoma's 236 horsepower V6 felt pretty powerful and quick off the line, but still fell short of the Chevy's 0 to 60 time (7.4 seconds).

Driving styles may vary, but for the most part, people look for comfort while driving. Once again, the Chevy Colorado beat the other two trucks with driving. A slightly higher gas mileage and smoother feel on the road is what was explained during the test. "It almost feels like a car", one of the test drivers explained. The Tacoma felt like it gave more low end torque and a better off road feel with a slightly higher cab and softer, extended suspension. Although the Frontier gave a more rigid and "industrial" feel, it was a close call between all trucks.

Comfortability wise was a close call as well. Although the Nissan Frontier was the quietest out of all the trucks on the road, the interior felt cheap and claustrophobic. The Tacoma's interior felt outdated and had some areas that made visibility an issue. All the test drivers agreed that the Colorado took the cake with the best, comfortable interior and most advanced infotainment system.

When it came down to which truck was the over all best, the Frontier came in third. This truck would fit the people who enjoy the lifestyle the Frontier plays off, such as: biking, kayaking, camping, etc. The Tacoma took second place. This truck is best for the people who want to go off road and want a more rugged truck. And of course last, but not least was the Colorado, which is all around an excellent mid sized truck that's suitable for everyone.

Integra Revival?

What do you think the most iconic car from Acura is? RDX, Vigor, ILX? For most people, they would say either the NSX or the Integra. Isn't it ironic that the two most iconic cars from Acura's line were discontinued? It is a bit sad, but we had hope in the NSX's return and now it's finally happening along with a rumor of the revival of the Acura Integra.

That's right, an interview with Acura's chief designer Dave Marek was held privately on the sidelines of the SEMA show this last year and revealed some hopeful information. He stated that, "there are a lot of resources and activity going on to make Acura back into what it was." After that, he told Car and Driver, "A performance brand needs a flagship and it needs to be an accessible sport car. Not a sports car, but a sport car."

Most people can agree that Acura is still trying to find its place among other automakers. They need to establish their identity a little more and bringing them back to their roots might just be the best option. They're in a tough place right now, as other Japanese luxury brands such as Infiniti and Lexus have taken the top tiers.

While there is no set date on the release date of the two-door coupe, some people have assumed that we may see it as soon as early next year. But in the mean time, take a look at the new Acura TLX that was just revealed at last weeks LA Auto Show.

Gymkhana 7!

Now, we all know who Ken Block is right? If you don't, then you don't belong in the automotive community.... We're kidding, but Ken Block is a big deal. As part of the Hoonigan Racing Division, Monster World Rally Team and co-founder of DC Shoes, Ken Block is probably one of the most skilled drivers we've ever seen.

What got him big was his gymkhana video series. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what gymkhana is, no worries. Gymkhana is a fairly new motorsport in which there is a start point and end point where the driver has to beat his or her best time. Gymkhana is similar to a time attack event, but obstacles are added on the track to create a challenge for the driver. Some of these obstacles include: cones, barrels, boxes or anything that can cause a challenging obstacle for the driver to maneuver around.

In this episode of gymkhana, Ken Block shreds and terrorizes the streets of our beloved Los Angeles in the new "Hoonicorn". If you're wondering what the hell a Hoonicorn is, then watch the video.... or we could tell you that it's a 825 horsepower 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe with all-wheel drive fitted to it somehow.

Enough said. Go watch the video below. Watch the older ones too and let us know what you think. Was this Ken's best performance yet? We'd love to hear your opinions and thoughts.

Tic Tac E36

With our annual trip to the SEMA show last week, we saw an array of heavily modified vehicles. The Las Vegas Convention Center was filled both inside and outside with cars, trucks, bikes and even boats! These stunning vehicles had spectators from all over the world who expected nothing but the best looking vehicles. As you can imagine, there were mainly cars trying to stand out from the rest, but one of them in particular captured more attention than a lot of the others.

This is Carl Taylor's 20 year old BMW E36 M3. That's right, 20 years old! Most of the cars that showed up to SEMA were fairly newer (we even saw some new concept cars), but Carl's M3 still takes the cake for us. Why you may ask?.... Well just look at it! It's very different from what we've seen before with BMW tuning.

Let's start off with the wide Rocket Bunny kit. I think we can all agree that the big trend with aftermarket exterior mods for 2013/2014 is adding wide hips to cars. Take a look at all the Rocket Bunny projects, Liberty Walk and RWB cars. We can't disagree. Adding wide fenders to cars that rightfully deserves them is perfectly fine in our book. Carl's E36 is definitely one of those cars.

Aside from the kit and the wild graphics, which go perfectly for the 20 year old car due to the fact of the popularity of Tic Tac's at the time, the 17" Rotiform, five spoke wheels with a -80 offset give the set up a mixture of functionality and the perfect stance aesthetic that we all love. Look closely and you'll see that the M bumpers were swapped out for non M bumpers and the whole chassis is slammed on Airlift suspension.

And before you go hating on how this car with its track inspired look and feel to it was ruined because it's on air, note that Carl was seen leaving the SEMA show riding low and scraping his way down the vegas strip. And southern Californians, keep your eye out for this hot M3 on the streets, because Carl also daily's it.

Photo Credit: StanceWorks

2015 Lexus RC F Overview

The market is filled with new luxury performance coupes as of lately and it's only getting filled with more automakers. Even take a look at some of the new Hyundai's and even Hondas for example. They've really stepped up their game with the whole luxury sport look and may even compete with upper class luxury cars like, BMW, Mercedes and Lexus in the upcoming years.

When Lexus created the new RC F, their goal was to be able to compete with some of the top luxury sporty performance coupes, ie: BMW M3, Audi RS5 and Mercedes-Benz C63, etc. And Lexus sure did a good job. Although the class has been dominated by the German automakers for years, the RC F has gone over the limits of some of these cars.

One of the aspects about the 2015 RC F that we find most interesting is that this cars chassis is actually 3 cars put together. That's right, this Frankenstein car's front end up to the A-pillar is from the Lexus GS, between the A-pillar and C-pillar is from the Lexus IS C (convertible) and from the C-pillar back is from the Lexus IS. With all of that going on, the RC F is actually 200 lbs. heavier than the IS F. Part of that is because a lot of bracing was added to the chassis to help stiffen it up. Not to mention the RC F is a little over an inch longer and wider than the IS. The RC F sits 1.6 inches lower the IS and wheelbase was shortened by a little over an inch which takes away from the interior space for the rear passengers. Oh and the sloping roofline doesn't help with passenger head room either.

The RC F power plant is a 467 horsepower 5.0 liter V8. It's pretty much a retuned and revamped version of the IS F's engine. So how did Lexus squeeze the extra 51 horsepower out of the previous IS F engine that we thought was tapped out? Well, to start things off, the ECU was re-flashed, titanium valves were added along with a lighter crankshaft, bigger throttle body and injectors were also added and the redline was extended to 7300.

Since this is Lexus's hot rod, performance coupe, we would expect it to act better on track than any other car they've created. Sadly, to our disappointment, the new RC F is comparable to IS F on track. Although it may be newer and have more power, keep in mind that the coupe is significantly heavier than the IS F. 0-60 in about 4.4 seconds is impressive, no doubt, but we would expect a little more from Lexus. One of the that the RC F has that other cars in their line has is a performance package for $5,500 more. This package will get you a carbon fiber roof, a rear spoiler and a torque-vectoring differential. This dif. is very effective on the track and is actually fully capable of switching 100% of the power to either side of the vehicle.

An 8 speed automatic transmission with an option for manual shifting is what's mounted to the hefty motor. An electronic system is what enhances the engine note inside the cabin (we've seen this in plenty of other cars lately). 19" forged BBS wheels and grippy summer tires come standard on the RC F. 15" rotors give make it so this heavy coupe comes to complete stop rather easily. And of course there are 3 driver modes for this car which change up the way the rear dif. works as well as the steering weight.

With that being said, the RC F is a very promising car. All Lexus cars produced by the F Team come out excellent. But in the $60,000 price range, keep your options open as there are many great vehicles in that area.

Our Pick For The Top Drift Cars

Drifting! Drifting is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that often the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right or vice versa, also known as opposite lock or counter-steering. - Wikipedia

The last few years, drifting has blown up and has become one of the most popular motorsports in history. It started in Japan and has expanded worldwide. Every so often, international drift events are held with professional drivers that slide their cars around a closed course and put on a loud and rather smokey show for spectators. No doubt it takes very precise skill to maneuver these high powered, fully built, drift machines in such a fashion around the track, but what cars would professional drivers suggest are the "best" cars for drifting?

In all honesty, it's all personal preference and driving style. Technically any car can be drifted, but some may be better than others. Here's a list that we created of the cars we think are best for drifting.

1. Nissan S Cassis (Silvia, S13, S14, S15)
Claimed as one of the easiest cars to drift, this Nissan has many variations of appearances and motor types.  All years of this car is known for its capability to slide around corners. These cars are usually picked up for a cheap price and have huge aftermarket which is a big plus. They are typically known as a beginners car but that doesn't put a restriction on the amount of fun you'll have.

2. Mazda RX7
This fun little rotary powered car can be a blast for drifting; both the FD and earlier model FC will do. The turbo model of RX7 provides a driving experience that no other car can come close too. It's high revving motor screams and the rear end breaks loose pretty easily. The downside is that we hear maintenance on these thing can be a pain because not a lot of people know much about rotary powered cars. These are also hard to come by, especially the FD model, but look close to best on track.

3. Mustang
Preferably the fox body and the newer models are good for drifting. A sturdy chassis and an ample supply of power can slide these heavy beasts around the track. People didn't think that American built cars were any good at drifting until the Mustang proved them wrong. At a relatively cheap price with enough power stock to get you sideways, the Mustang makes an ideal drift car.

4. Corolla
Now you might be thinking, "Wait what?! A Corolla??" Yes, that's right. To be specific, we're talking about the AE86. This is the car that started the drifting craze. The father of drifting, Keiichi Tsuchiya has made this car legendary in the drifting scene, as it was the one he started out with. The AE86 may be a bit under powered, but it will teach you the basics. This model of Corolla is hard to come by for a decent price now a days, but if you do get one, hold on to it.

5. BMW 3 Series
The early 3 Series BMW make prime cars for drifting because of their low price range and reliable motors. Typically the straight 6 engines produce enough power to let the rear end slide around with ease, but a large aftermarket support is also available in case you want the extra power. BMW frames also tend to be more more stiff than Japanese frames which are able to flex slightly.

6. Soarer/SC
It may be heavy, but it packs a powerful punch. With either options of a straight 6 or V8, this Toyota built coupe with a rather long wheel base, is easy to slide. One thing about these cars is that the majority of them have automatic transmissions. Although people say they can drift just fine as an automatic, most people do a manual transmission swap.

7. Nissan 350Z
This sport tuned coupe was built for motorsports. It's track tuned suspension and 3.5 liter V6 won't let you down. It takes very little modification to make this car perfect for drifting. And with this model getting older, these cars are getting easier and easier to afford.

#STICKYRIDE Corolla

We're sure some of you have seen this Toyota Corolla on the internet or on social media somewhere. No doubt it's a bad ass ride and we give mad props to the owner for all the time spent and hard work spent to come up with the final execution.

The cool thing about this build is that, Nukung, the owner had this car handed down to him from his family members. What once used to be his families taxi cab transporting countless people around the cities of Thailand is now his pride and joy. With custom made lip kits, fender flares and even a custom rear diffuser, his AE101 Corolla is one of a kind. Nukung has actually went through various versions of different lips and wheel set ups before he finally chose how it sits now.

Nakung's car has been featured many times from various websites, magazines, blogs and all over social media. But, as you can see, theres a darn good reason for that. We really appreciate that this car is so unique. It's not often you see this platform built with such an elegant, yet aggressive look to it. When people think of built Corollas, they think of the AE86 sliding around corners in the mountains in Japan or a drift event. They would probably never think of a stanced out ex-taxi cab rolling through the streets of Thailand.

Engine:
20v 4age blacktop
M/T 5speed
TRD clutch kit
Custom muffler 2.5”

Suspension:
Dc2 hubs
Project mu Brake pads
Cusco shocks strut
Cusco GTSPEC Front Lower Engine Tie Brace
Toyota levin brake calipers
5 lugs swap
Adepter 5/114 2.5”
Adepter 5/114 1.5”
Nankang tire 205/45/17
Enkei NT03 17” 9.5” offset +15

Interior/electronics:
Bucket seat recaro spg
Sabelt belt 4 points
6 point roll bar
Tiger interior design
Miracle cross bar
D.I.Y steering wheel
Apexi rsm
Espec steering column

Exterior:
Green effect color
Spoiler design by UDS fiber custom
Diffuser design by UDS fiber custom
Body part design by UDS fiber custom
Fender-flares design by UDS fiber custom
Front lip design by UDS fiber custom

We would love to hear from you. What are your thoughts about this feature and what would you like to see?

Nissan IDx The New Z?

It was about a year ago when Nissan unveiled one hell of a concept car to the public during the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. This car resembled some of Nissan's iconic cars during both the 60's and 70's like the Datsun 510, Laurel and Skyline. While the new concept named the IDx Freeflow sparked great attention among older drivers, it also caught the attention of the younger audience as well by releasing the Nismo version of the car, named IDx Nismo.

What's interesting about the new IDx is that Nissan had chosen more experienced and previous Nissan owners to give their feedback about the concept, but was designed and constructed by a young team that were used to playing driving video games and simulators like Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo. This may explain the futuristic look of the car as it resembles something that came out of a video game. No doubt the IDx looks awesome and will attract both young and old drivers alike. But what if Nissan Decided to replace the 370Z with the IDx?

That's what Nissan chief designer, Shiro Nakamura at the Paris Auto Show stated might happen. He claims that there is only room for 2 sports cars in Nissan's line up and the GT-R is not going anywhere anytime soon. The only other rear wheel drive sports car Nissan has, is the 370Z which Nakamura says has been getting rather expensive and is now "more than affordable".

The new generation of sports car that Nissan produces needs to be a leaner, lighter and more affordable than the previous Z. Nissan has greatly taken into consideration the popularity of the FRS/BRZ/GT86 and wants to be able to compete with it by introducing their light, RWD coupe. The overlying problem that Nissan faces is that the Z has been around for nearly 50 years and needs to somehow combine that with the new possible IDx. We're very curious to see what Nissan has in store for their new sports car as their previous ones have been nothing but great!

2015 Super R Civic

Yeah, thats right! The new 2015 honda Civic Type R was described as the "Super R" by Honda engineer Suhiro Hassi. Although Honda hasn't released the final look of the car, we do know some of the specs and we have an idea what the new Type R will look like based off the last concept that was on display at the 2014 Paris auto show. Besides some fancy vinyls and a new, shiny blue paint job, the Civic resembles the same model as the older concept that was revealed at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

So what exactly makes this Civic Type R a Super R? Well let's review the information we have on this monster. To start things off, the hot hatch is powered by a turbo 2.0 liter engine that's supposedly pushing out around 320 horsepower. Redline is set at 7,000 rpm and of course Honda's famous VTEC (variable valve timing) technology will be included as well as a six speed manual transmission. But one thing that is interesting about this model is that it will include a "+R" button. This is the very first model to have the button, and when it is pressed, the car will squeeze out its full race car potential by adjusting certain suspension components, steering and engine torque mapping.

Now you may be thinking, how is this little front wheel drive car going to handle all that power? Well Honda has developed a new Steering Axis system where they have combined a set up involving two kingpin like supports along with a combination of other mechanical aspects.

Although no specific performance specs have been released to the public, Honda promises that the new Civic Type R will be faster than any Type R model ever made, that includes the Accord, Integra and even NSX (NSX-R). Honda also boasts that their goal for the Civic is to be the fastest FWD car from the factory on the Nurburgring.

As you can tell, the Type R is built for racers and hard core enthusiasts. Sadly the US will not see this model of the civic any time soon, but it will be launching early next year in Europe.

Forza Horizon 2

It's finally here! Well almost.... The highly anticipated automotive racing video game for Xbox One and Xbox 360 is set to release September 30th. And if you haven't checked out the previous version of the game, "Forza Horizon"then you're missing out! The game based off of the Forza Motorsport series which focuses on more of a drivers syndicate instead of unrealistic aspects that most racing video games have.

If you're familiar with the popular racing simulator "Gran Turismo" for the Playstation console, then Forza Horizon 2 is right up your alley! With hundreds of realistic cars, trucks and SUV's added to the game with realistic specs. and realistic settings, this game will probably be one of the best driving games ever. The makers have even included life like weather conditions and day/night situations that make a new challenge for the player.

Another cool thing that this game offers is that, instead of being restricted to only being able to drive on the race track, you are able to go all over and explore the huge map (based off European roads). Now this doesn't mean you are restricted to the roads, feel free to drive across the grass and up dirt covered hills and wherever else your vehicle will take you. Oh, and you can interact with other driver's cars as well which most other games you can't. Check out the video below!

Well there you have it! Parents say good bye to your children's social lives and say hello to bad grades. As far as automotive enthusiasts like us, we're amazed by the realism of the cars and how they perform so closely to the real deal. This is very much a dream come true of not only one of the best racing games created, but a chance to experience tons of cars, trucks and SUV's that anyone would want to get a realistic feel for.With a rating of 8.7 out of 10 this Video game is a must have for gamers and auto enthusiasts alike.

BJ Baldwin "Recoil 2"

Most automotive enthusiasts like us know big names like: Ken Block, Jeff Gordon and Keiichi Tsuchiya, but what about BJ Baldwin? He's the five time off road racing champion that's sponsored by Monster Energy. Still not sure? Take a look at the picture below and you may be more familiar.

Remember this? This image was taken from Monsters promotional video, Recoil featuring BJ Baldwin, his insane driving skills and some sexy models. This video demonstrates the outstanding skill of the driver, the amazing engineering put into Monster's trophy truck and some jaw dropping cinematography. Seriously, check it out if you haven't.

After you've watched that, take a look at their all new short video, Ballistic Bj Baldwin Recoil 2 which is an another amazing video that Monster Just released yesterday. This one is just as stunning if not more stunning than the previous. More jumps, more off road action and of course, more babes makes this one of our favorite videos to date.

The short film takes place in no other than the beautiful Mexican city by the sea, Ensenada. BJ Baldwin uses his 800 horsepower trophy truck to tear through the streets and dirt roads of the city using his precise skill and technique to win a bet against poker champion and big time playboy, Dan Bilzerian. Watch the video to see Bj race against time in order to make it to the beach party in under 20 minutes.

Nissan Trolls The 'Purrari'

Here at XS Automotive, we love EDM (electronic dance music) almost as much as we love cars. Many of you may know the popular DJ by the name of Deadmau5, but what about his car? Well Deadmau5 used to drive a custom Ferrari Italia 458 with the iconic and rather infamous Nyan Cat as the theme. Check it out!

We say he "used" to drive it because, well, Ferrari didn't like it. They sent the DJ a "cease and desist" letter issuing him to restore the 458 back to its original condition. People believe that when you purchase a Ferrari, you purchase a privilege to drive and own a Ferrari in which you should appreciate the car as is. Well as you can see, the car had a custom wrap as well as floor mats and badges, not to mention the custom license plate that read "Purrari". 

Deadmau5 ended up changing his one of a kind Ferrari back to stock, but as soon as Nissan heard about the incident, they jumped at an opportunity to make a custom GT-R for Deadmau5. They even tweeted him some PhotoShopped images  and let him know that he could very well have the custom GT-R "right meow". 

The GT-R was the perfect car to be offered to Deadmau5 by Nissan. Why? Well do you remember when the GT-R was put to the test by various other supercars? Remarkably, the GT-R pulled ahead of all the other cars, which included, the Lexus LFA, Italia 458, Porsche GT3 RS, Audi R8 GT and even the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG along with some other notable cars.

The offer is still up to Deadmau5 and Nissan is curious to see what he decides. We're curious too of course! What do you think though, Was this a smart move for Nissan to go troll Ferrari? And what do you think Deadmau5 should do? We want to hear your opinion.

2016 ND Miata

The wait is over! The 2016 Mazda Miata is finally here. The chassis code labeled "ND" was revealed to the public on September 3rd at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This is the fourth generation of the iconic sports car and probably the highest anticipated as well. With the previous model a let down for a lot of enthusiasts, Mazda hoped to gain their loyalty back with this new generation. What do you think? Has Mazda brought back the pure thrill and driving experience that was demonstrated in the first two generations?

To start things off, let's talk about the looks. First thing we noticed is that Mazda decided to ditch the happy, smiling front end as seen in the previous models. Not only the change in the front grill give it a more aggressive appearance, but the sleek looking headlights give the car a mean look. LED headlight, fog lights and daytime running lights are an awesome addition to the front of the car. The model is actually the lower and wider than the previous NC model and the ultra low hood line indicates that the engine is mounted as low as possible. Other examples of this similar design can be seen on the Honda S2000 where very small adjustments to the  engine height can affect the handling performance of the car. The new Miata features a new redesigned rear end featuring more curves that taper off the previous round and bubbly rear.

The ND should deliver the performance and efficiency that every driver could want from the little roadster. With its new SkyActive chassis, this car is going to be lighter and more rigid than the previous model. It should lighten up about 220 lbs, so we're guessing the soft top model should range around 2,250 lbs. That's pretty light considering the stronger, more rigid chassis. And although Mazda won't release all of the specs we do know the US will be receiving a model with revised NC suspension and a 2.0 liter SkyActive-G engine from the CX-5.

So why is the Miata so hyped up? Well, if you haven't driven one, you're missing out. Voted as one of the most fun cars and best bang for your buck, the Miata has given enthusiasts the true driving experience that they seek for. It has a proven record on the track as well as on the streets and although this may be the smallest model Mazda has created, we're sure it won't disappoint.

The new model will be released in 2015 as 2016 model. Prices have yet to be set, but you can expect to see it starting around 26,000.

How Is Europe and Electric Cars?

With sky rocketing gas prices and the whole "Go Green" movement, it seems to be in most peoples best interest now a days to invest in electric vehicles. A simple plug-in and charge can get you a good amount of distance for these electric cars, not to mention it's healthier for the environment over fossil fueled vehicles. Being eco friendly by reducing the amount of pollution and gasses into our atmosphere is typically the main reason why people in the US purchase these cars, but what about Europe?

Germany and the UK specifically have really started pushing their automakers to focus more on developing electric vehicles to help their economy as well as their environment. Both countries produce by far some of the most well engineered cars. With that in mind, you would think that electric vehicles would be booming at time like this right? Well let's take a look and see how the electric vehicle situation is working out on the other side of the world.

Let's start with the Germans. We already know that people who own electric vehicles in Germany get exclusive access to electric charging station parking spots as well as bus only lanes and free parking. In 2009 The German Chancellor proposed a goal of 1 million electric vehicles to be on the road by 2020. Today there is only about 17,000. That means for about every 2,500 gasoline powered cars there is only 1 electric car. That's a pretty big difference and Germany better step their game up in the next few years if they want to fulfill the chancellor's proposal.

So, what's the problem? Well, a representative from the VDA auto industry association says that the problem is a mixture between the high prices of the vehicles, the recharging time and simply because some people feel discomfited about electric cars. Some other problems include that a lot of Germans prefer German made cars in which it leaves the people with very few options.

The people of Germany would like to see further incentives and higher tax breaks for electric vehicle owners. Also a raise in production of charging stations would be wise as well, as Germany only has 4,400 public charging stations.

The UK has shown more of a growth in electric car sales recently than other European countries. The government actually provides grants to those who purchase an electric vehicle. With the price of gasoline at an extremely high price, you would think many people would actually prefer an electric vehicle right? In fact, a poll was taken by the Institute of Advanced Motorists and found that nearly 31% of drivers would consider an electric vehicle for their next purchase. The people that seemed more hesitant about purchasing an electric vehicle as their next vehicle stated that the prices of the vehicles are too high and that there are not enough charging stations abundant.

So as we can see, there are common reasons for not owning an electric vehicle among both countries, but we do see a slow rise and potential for growth and popularity among the German and UK automakers electric vehicles and consumers a like.

///M Welcomes the 2015 M4

BMW wasn't just going to let a new car model join their line of M cars just like that. With proven track and street performance of the M cars ranging from the M1 up to the M6, of course there would have to be some sort of initiation for the new 2015 M4 to join the family.

The video below demonstrates the driving performance of the new M4. The 425 horsepower twin-turbo V6 was put to work on this course. Check it out and we'll let you be the judge if the M4 stands up to the previous M cars.

The course consisted of 56 cars that M4 danced around. Now most of these cars weren't just any normal cars owned by BMW. These are BMW enthusiasts cars, as in 52 of these cars are owned and driven daily by actual BMW owners. And there are also 4 BMW sponsored race cars thrown in to represent the track potential the 2015 M4 has.

Now you may be wondering who the driver is, because not your average person can drive with that much skill right? Well the driver of the M4 is none other than BMW's Chief Performance Driving Instructor, Matt Mullins. Former Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg also takes the car for a spin and gives the car a run for its money.

Cool Coupes Coming!

The stylish 2 door cars we call "coupes"have been around for a long time and don't seem to be going anywhere soon. The market for these cars was to stay the same over the years, but recently the automakers have made big plans with some of their upcoming 2 door vehicles. Let's take a look.

2015 Mustang
First lets look at the new 2015 Ford Mustang. This muscle car is going to be provided with three different motor types. Now, of course there will be a standard 6 cylinder model and the GT V8 but what makes this Mustang different from any other muscle car is that there will also be a turbo 2.3 liter four cylinder which is said to have almost as much power as the V6 model. With its new sleek look based off of the older, retro looking Mustang and its rear independent suspension, this little pony won't have trouble competing with other vehicles such as the sports cars imported from Europe and Asia.

Dodge Challenger Hellcat
If you thought Dodge was falling behind in the muscle car category, think again. Ready to hit the streets in 2015, the new Hellcat will be one of the most powerful coupes coming from the lot. This new beast pushes out just over 700hp and is set to rival the Mustang GT500 and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Powered by a 6.2 liter supercharged V8, the new Challenger Hellcat should give any other muscle cars a run for their money.

BMW 4 Series
With all the talk about how BMW is getting pretty confusing with changing and adding to their model lines, the BMW 4 Series may give an answer to stop the confusion. By pulling the two door 3 Series from their production line and replacing it with the 4 Series, BMW has seen a success. With options of a 4 cylinder base model or a 6 cylinder turbo-charged motor combined with either AWD or RWD it seems as if the new 4 Series is what we can expect from the previous 3 Series coupes which was nothing but pure driving enjoyment.

Jaguar F-Type
Just when you thought Jaguar was dead, or at least nothing exciting was coming from them, they produced the F-Type. And wow, one hell of a sports coupe they came up with. This supercharged 550 horsepower 2 door is set to compete with the BMW M3.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe
Placed in the super luxury category, this new coupe is no joke. With pricing up to $200,000 you can expect nothing but the high end luxurious feel and outstanding performance from any S-Class. Powered by a 450 horsepower biturbo V8, this new coupe will put you on the edge of the seat. Mercedes-Benz assures that this car will amaze you and even came with a motto for it; "The best or nothing."

2015 Stingray Z06
And where would this list be without the new Corvette? The Corvette has always been a benchmark when when it comes to performance sports coupes. The Z06 specifically has always been top of the line. The new 2015 model is no different. A supercharged 6.2 liter V8 delivering 650 horsepower and 650 ft/lbs. of torque combined with an all new updated chassis and interior the new Stingray Z06 coupe will reign supreme.