Meet the Sub-$10,000 Used Cars We’re in Love With Right Now

You can find interesting used cars all up and down the price spectrum — searching Craigslist for sub-$1,000 diamonds in the rough is just as much fun as ogling the seven-figure exotica on DuPont Registry — but we’ve always found there to be a certain draw in poking around for vehicles that ride just below the $10,000 mark. Maybe it’s that mental leap between four digits and five; maybe it’s that it seems cheap enough to buy as something of a lark, but still enough to mean you’re buying a decent ride; maybe it’s just an inherent love of the the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.

Regardless of the why, however, the fact remains that we always find some really compelling vehicles out there that we could buy for less than $10,000. These seven cars and trucks are just the tip of the iceberg.

2012 Audi TTS 2.0T Premium Plus quattro

“With used Porsche prices trending upward on a daily basis, perhaps it’s time to look at its siblings to capture some of those autobahn vibes. Enter the Audi TT. Yes, to some it might be more of a squished Beetle than a baby 911 Carrera, but with the right specs, it’s an impressive automobile. This one has high miles, but all the correct extras: all-wheel drive, baseball glove leather seats, quad exhaust — and those big factory alloy rims.” —Kyle Snarr, Head of Marketing

Mileage: 168,736 miles
Original MSRP: $$38,300

1991 Mercedes-Benz 500SL

“Growing up, the R129-generation Mercedes-Benz SL was the most affordable car that earned a spot as a poster on my wall. In my eyes, the interior leather and wood grain from 90’s Mercs have developed the coziest, classiest patina. You could find this car for less than $5,000…but there’s nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.” —Andrew Siceloff, Director of Video

Mileage: 67,000 miles
Original MSRP: $$89,300

2010 BMW 535i xDrive Wagon

“There are two kinds of BMW 5 Series wagons from the late Aughts and 2010s: ones with a well-documented history you can trust — and everything else. The only commonality? They’re used BMWs, so you’re going to need to be prepared to shell out a lot of cash for ongoing maintenance and repairs. (But you’re never a true enthusiast if you don’t secretly like the pain.) The BMW wagons on Bring a Trailer end up on the higher end of the price spectrum because of their curation and provenance, but you can still score a wagon elsewhere for around $10K or less. Do tread carefully — high speed fuel pumps are particularly bad on this model.

Okay now that I’ve talked you out of buying a used BMW wagon, what about the upside? Well, 1.) It’s a long roof 5 Series BMW that’s managed to age very well; 2.) it’s powered by the BMW N54, a twin-turbo, 300-horsepower inline-six engine that won every important engine award and nearly matched a V8’s performance; 3.) if you look hard enough, you can get it in a manual; and 4.) endless street cred from every automotive enthusiast and car lover across the country, despite paying less than a third of what it costs to buy a life-crushing Ford Edge.” —Eric Yang, Founder & CEO

Mileage: 102,899 miles
Original MSRP: $55,950

2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTEC

“Mercedes sedans have a timeless gravitas that lingers far longer than their premium price points. The E-Class is the Goldilocks version, with the right amount of space but lacking the excess of the full-size S-Class. This diesel is rated to net you 30-plus mpg on the highway. Just be sure to set aside an extra $1,100 for eventual repairs.” —Tyler Duffy, Motoring Staff Writer

Mileage: 71,325 miles
Original MSRP: $51,550

1999 Jaguar XJR

“Ever since an old colleague of mine bought one of these  XJRs, I’ve been kind of obsessed. 390 horsepower and 387 pound-feet of torque are just as compelling now as they were 21 years (!) ago, and the X300/X308-generation’s lines are truly timeless — every bit as alluring today as they were when they debuted. Granted, you can find XJRs even cheaper than this, but not only does this example look awfully clean…how do you say no to a British Racing Green Jaguar?” —Will Sabel Courtney, Motoring Editor

Mileage: 122,784 miles
Original MSRP: $68,450

1967 Fiat 500

“This ’67 Fiat 500 is NYC-friendly (read: compact) and cute as hell. The eggshell color complements the eggy shape…which is something I’m maybe reading into too much. I’m not necessarily a leather guy, but the combination of the old-school sunroof and leather interior does something to me that I like.” —Gerald Ortiz, Style Staff Writer

Mileage: <100,000 miles
Original MSRP: Cheap, even in lira

1988 Toyota Hilux DLX Standard Cab

“I want a truck, not an unaffordable spaceship with a tailgate. Unfortunately, in today’s market, there aren’t a whole lot of non-space-age options — so looking back to the late ’80s is just about my only option. Given that there are things like this 1988 Toyota Hilux available, I’m not that mad about it.” —JD DiGiovanni, Associate Editor, Editorial Operations

Mileage: 65,309 miles
Original MSRP: $10,348

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

These Are the Fastest Cars of the Last Decade

The 2010s were a stellar decade for fast cars. As engineers found new ways to squeeze more and more power out of the traditional internal-combustion lumps we know and love, performance levels climbed to nearly absurd heights. Acceleration times dropped precipitously; by 2019, four-ton-plus sedans were regularly cracking off 0-60 runs of less than three seconds, and super sports cars were cracking into the nines in the quarter-mile.

But fun as acceleration times are to compare, no measure of automotive performance prompts nearly as much barstool banter as top speed. Even if 200-plus-mph speeds are utterly inaccessible to most of us, they summon up the sort of wonder and awe that no brutal launch ever could.

Now, there’s a lot of contention out there about what exactly signifies a “fast car.” For the purposes of this list, we’re keeping it neat and tidy: “fastest” refers to top speed (if this were about acceleration times, that would be the “quickest cars”), and there needs to be public, reputable documentation of the car’s top-speed run.* Plenty of automakers claim their cars can way faster than 200 mph, but if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the proof of the speeding is in the GPS.

*With one exception we’ll explain at the end.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 304+ — 304 MPH

As the 2010s wound down, it started to seem like Bugatti — a mainstay of “fastest cars” lists ever since it came back to life with the 1,000-hp 16.4 Veyron in 2005 — might not be able to reclaim its title as the speediest ride. Then, a few months before the end of the decade, the carmaker announced that it had not only broken every other production car speed record, but it had also become the first car to break 300 miles per hour. Granted, the Guiness Records folks won’t certify it because they demand runs in both directions, but unless Bugatti had a secret 27-mph tailwind in just the right place, their claim is effectively unchallengable.

Koenigsegg Agera RS — 284 MPH

Swedish carmaker Koenigsegg may not have the budget or resources of Bugatti (which benefits from the largess of its parent, the VW Group), but it does have a ton of heart — and brilliant minds working for it. Led by founder Christian von Koenigsegg, those Swedish chefs have cooked up a series of high-tech, innovative hypercars that can humble the world’s best. And in 2017, that’s exactly what they did, taking the 1,360-hp Agera RS to a Guinness-certified 276 mph and a peak top speed of 284.

Hennessey Venom GT — 270 MPH

Best known for hot-rodding Dodge Vipers and Ford Raptors, Texas-based Hennessey Performance took a leap of faith into the unknown when it morphed, mutated and rebuilt some skeletal bits of a Lotus into the 1,244-hp Venom GT. The work paid off; the twin-turbo 7.0-liter pushed the car up to a stunning 270 miles per hour during a top-speed run at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (They had to use the same runway the space shuttle used to land on.)

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport — 268 MPH

The regular Bugatti Veyron broke people’s brains when it showed up 15 years ago, but people grow used to such madness all too quickly. So to keep the luster on the brand, the carmaker rolled out an even faster version — the Super Sport, which used its 1,200 horsepower to nab the Guinness World Record for fastest production car in 2010. Later, a targa-top Gran Sport Vitesse version came along, but that one was limited to a mere 233 mph, so no one really cared.

Bugatti Chiron, Chiron Sport — 261 MPH

Okay, maybe it’s not all that surprising that there are so many Bugattis on this list. After all, the brand’s spare-no-expense credo and dedication to cracking speed barriers are exactly what it takes to achieve a spot on this sort of list. Now, we’re letting the Chiron and its slightly-lighter, more agile Chiron Sport sibling on here in spite of the fact that we have to take the company at its word about the electronically-governed 261-mph top speed. Yes, it’s a bit unfair to some other cars that claim such lofty speeds. Given the company’s history, however…unlike a lot of would-be contenders, we trust that Bugatti is good for it.

Aston Martin Vantage AMR Review: Snick, Snick, There’s a 7-Speed Stick

Aston Martin has delivered a gift for classically-minded driving enthusiasts: the new, manually-shifted Vantage AMR. Released at the sunset of a century’s worth of rowing gears and creeping clutches, the car is a thoughtful, precise swan song for the old-school supercar. It’s fast, fun and a little scary — and a rare bird among the dual clutches of today and the electric cars of tomorrow. For now, though, we have Aston’s triumph of old-school engineering modernized in the service of pure driver engagement to celebrate.

The Good: The gearbox, of course. This is a racing-derived seven-speed transmission that features a dog-leg first gear — that is, first gear is at the bottom left, reverse at the top left. (That’s designed to make it easier to shift between second and third, a far more common action on a race track than shifting from first to second.) It also deploys Aston’s AMSHIFT system, which blips the throttle while decelerating to mimic heel-and-toe shifting, smoothing out the gear shifts. Finally, there’s the aura and prestige that now comes with driving a manual transmission…which is just another way of saying you’re as much a dinosaur as this gearbox.

Who It’s For: Well, obviously, it’s for people who know how to drive a manual transmission. Within that fading group, it’s for those who actually want a manual transmission — and you do have to want it quite badly. This is, after all, a premium sports car that starts at $184,995, and isn’t precisely state of the art. If all that appeals to you, buckle up.

Watch Out For: You’ll likely get a brief, white-knuckle refresher course in clutch-induced wheelspin the first time you jump on the gas in low gear on a damp road. When that clutch comes all the way out and the full fury of 504 horsepower reaches the driveshaft, those wheels go. If you’re not careful, that little wriggle can propagate into full-on fishtailing. Make sure any driver who hasn’t commanded a performance clutch recently takes it easy at first. (Also, valet parking might be a problem, for obvious reasons.)

Alternatives: Anytime this conversation comes up, someone jumps in and says, “Hey, man, there’s no way manuals are dying!” Then they list the three cars they know still have sticks. Here, then, are some of your better performance alternatives available with a manual transmission: Subaru WRX STI, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Honda Civic Type R, Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. Notice anything? There’s not a supercar or exotic among them. And the closest grown-up performance cars you buy with manual transmissions are a few lower-tier BMW M models and Porsche 911s.

Review: Yes, we all know the manual transmission is fading from existence. Few young drivers are acquiring the skill; only two percent of cars sold in America in 2018 carried them, and even the gallant (if quixotic) Save the Manuals effort fizzled out about five years ago. Performance cars now overwhelmingly carry electronically shifted dual-clutch transmissions operated via paddles, absent a third pedal. It’s sad, but not exactly tragic; the world is moving on, and this satisfying, artful mechanism for managing the power must go with it.

They aren’t likely to come back either, even for old time’s sake. Economics being what they are — and the practical reality of so few drivers knowing how to operate the tricky buggers — there’s little motivation to invest in the technology. The fact that Aston Martin did so is honorable and appropriate, but equally limited. Only 200 AMRs will be produced, in a nod to either exclusivity or simply raw data. There just isn’t a huge market for them. (The company promises the stick shift will become available in the regular Vantage after the AMR run is done.)

For those who are in that crowd, however, the Vantage AMR is absolutely worth seeking out. If you relish the choreography of a user-managed powertrain, and if you enjoy the analog, mechanized feel of each transition between gears and each surge of thrust that results from your movements, you will adore this car.

Driving through the German countryside in the vicinity of the Nurburgring racetrack — featuring the same rolling hills and cresting apexes as the track, just with a few more road rules—was a sublime pleasure. Every revolution of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 seems to enter your body through the clutch pedal and stir your consciousness, every flick of the ultra-short-throw gearshift is an eagerly anticipated move.

Yes, paddle-shift performance cars offer satisfying clicks between gears, but usually only when you’re hauling ass. Nobody paddle-shifts a car when driving around town — you leave it to auto mode. In a three-pedal manual, you don’t have that option, and you’re rewarded for it with fluid waves of power as you balance the clutch and play with the throttle. At high speeds achieved on the unrestricted autobahn, the transitions between fifth, sixth, and seventh gears were downright magical — surges of thrust as I released the clutch and matted the pedal to the floor. I’m as big a fan of dual-clutch supercars as anybody, but nothing can truly replicate the sensation of a manual gearbox.

The gearbox mechanisms Aston developed for the AMR feel beautiful. Most noticeable, of course, is the dog-leg first gear. As a result of that arrangement, your hand is close to your thigh at launch; you shift up and over into second, naturally extending your hand into a more comfortable position. It also makes it easier to transition from reverse to first; you just pull down to first, drop the clutch, and go. The scheme also eliminates the seventh gear dogleg, giving you a conventional H-pattern from second to seventh.

The transmission connects to a manual limited-slip differential, and its AMSHIFT feature creates smooth downshifts and upshifts, though it can be deactivated if you want to be a true purist’s purist. (Also, if you want to be a purist’s purist’s purist, opt for the AMR Vantage 59 specification, which comes in a two-tone green/lime exterior and a dark leather interior, as well as including all the sport upgrades — seats, steering wheel, etc.)

The Vantage AMR is otherwise generally similar to the paddle-shifted version, but there are a few notable distinctions beyond the manual itself. It’s 220 pounds lighter, thanks to the absence of the automatic-transmission hardware and the inclusion of lighter components like carbon-ceramic brakes, carbon fiber trim and carbon fiber body panels, including the roof. It’s also got custom drive modes and steering ratios compared to other models, for a more analog, more connected driving feel. This works out nicely, delivering a drive that’s at once a throwback and a gold standard of man/machine connection, regardless of model year.

Verdict: The Vantage AMR is an astoundingly satisfying ride, one that challenges drivers as much as it rewards them. If this appeals to you, it might be now or never for an exotic three-pedal supercar. The company — specifically its CEO, Andy Palmer — has promised to maintain manual transmissions in its lineup indefinitely, but it’s always possible that one day, that promise may become unsustainable. The company will yield with the rest to progress…leaving a bit of mechanical art in its wake.

2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR: Key Specs

Powertrain: 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8; seven-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 503
Torque: 460 pound-feet
0-60 MPH: 3.9 seconds
Top Speed: 195 mph

Aston Martin hosted us and provided this product for review.

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Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The Biggest Developments in SUVs, Trucks and Truck Gear We Saw in 2019

This roundup is part of This Year in Gear, a look back at the year’s most notable releases. To stay on top of all the latest product news, subscribe to our daily Dispatch newsletter.

ARB 4×4 Accessories Ford Ranger Winch Bumper

Price: $1495
From: ford.com

The first fruit from Ford’s partnership with ARB 4×4 Accessories: an off-road accessory that gives the Ranger a leg up on the Jeep Gladiator.

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Audi RS Q3

Price: $TBD
From: audiusa.com

Audi Sport created a 394-horsepower RS version of its compact crossover. The big question is, will it come to the U.S.?

Bollinger B1 and B2

Price: $125,000
From: bollingermotors.com

Bollinger is making rugged, boxy electric vehicles that look more like a Land Rover Defender than the new Defender. But they’ll cost you a pretty penny.

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2021 Chevrolet Silverado HD Carhartt Special Edition

Price: $TBD
From: chevrolet.com

Pickup trucks and work boots go together like peanut butter and jelly. So perhaps it’s not surprising that when it came time to whip up the first special edition of the all-new, giant-faced Silverado HD, Chevrolet decided to partner up with one of the biggest names in heavy-duty footwear: Carhartt.

Deus Ex Machina & Coolnvintage Yellow Land Marine Nr86

Price: N/A
From: deuscustoms.com

Australian motorcycle brand Deus Ex Machina and Portuguese Defender restorers Coolnvintage collaborated on this stunning custom motorcycle-hauling Defender.

Electric GT Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

Price: NA
From: electricgt.com

Car modifiers Electric GT built a crate “engine” to convert a 1970 FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser into an electric vehicle. It’s either a brilliant or bizarre move, depending on your perspective.

Ford Bronco R

Price: N/A
From: ford.com

The new Ford Bronco won’t debut until 2020. But Ford offered up the best preview to date by running a Bronco-based race truck in the Baja 1000.

2020 Ford Super Duty

Price: $37,345+
From: ford.com

Ford gave its Super Duty trucks a new 7.3-liter V8 that’s the biggest gasoline-powered engine you can buy in a new truck. It puts out 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque.

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Jay Leno’s Ford Bronco Resto Mod

Price: N/A
From: ford.com

Jay Leno has what may be the most beautiful vintage Ford Bronco on the road, and it has one heck of an engine: the supercharged V8 from the Shelby GT500.

2020 Jeep Wrangler Willys Edition

Price: $33,740+
From: jeep.com

Jeep announced that one of our favorite trims from the last-generation Wrangler was returning to the JL edition for the 2020 model year.

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2020 Land Rover Defender

Price: $49,900+
From: landroverusa.com

After much fanfare, Land Rover finally unveiled the new 2020 Defender in all its (customizable) glory. The initial launch models include the two-door Defender 90 and the four-door Defender 110.

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Legacy Overland FJ40 Land Cruiser

Price: Contact manufacturer
From: legacyoverland.com

While well-kept FJ40s are not uncommon, this example painted in Heath Gray is, simply put, exquisite.

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MG Extender

Price: ~$17,850+
From: mgcars.com

Legendary British sports car manufacturer MG still exists, and they’re selling full-sized pickup trucks in Thailand. Who knew?

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Ram 1500 with EcoDiesel Engine

Price: $37,235+
From: ramtrucks.com

Ram added a new diesel option for its 1500 full-sized pickup. Increased efficiency plus a large 33-gallon fuel tank equals mind-blowing range.

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Suzuki Jimny

Price: ~$20,366+
From: globalsuzuki.com

Suzuki launched a new version of the Jimny early in 2019. The small, capable and stylish off-roader undercuts the Wrangler on price; sadly, it won’t be sold in the U.S.

Todd Snyder & FJ Company FJ43 Land Cruiser

Price: $185,000
From: fj.com

New York menswear designer Todd Snyder teamed up with the FJ Company to create the ultimate summer ride: a customized 1978 FJ43 Land Cruiser.

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Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

All the Most Notable Developments in Overlanding in 2019

This roundup is part of This Year in Gear, a look back at the year’s most notable releases. To stay on top of all the latest product news, subscribe to our daily Dispatch newsletter.

Audi AI: Trail Concept

Price: N/A
From: audi.com

Audi has made its fair share of cool concept cars over the years, but this alien-looking ride that uses a fleet of flying drones in lieu of headlights might be the most awesome look into overlanding’s future we’ve ever seen.

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CamperHus Land Rover Defender Camper

Price: ~$15,228+ (plus the cost of a Land Rover, of course)
From: camperhus.co.uk

How do you make the iconic Land Rover Defender even more appealing? Turn it into its own all-terrain camper.

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EarthRoamer LTI

Price: $590,000+
From: earthroamer.com

There are plenty of ways to go about overlanding, but few are quite as luxurious — or expensive — as EarthRoamer’s Ford Super Duty-based off-road camper.

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FiftyTen Midsize Truck Camping System

Price: $32,880
From: goose-gear.com

This simple bed replacement system makes it easy to turn a Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Gladiator or other midsize pickup truck into the base of a great overlander.

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Ford Ranger Overlanding Concepts

Price: N/A
From: ford.com

With the overlanding and off-roading market blowing up like never before, Ford rolled out not one but several custom-made Rangers this year to show off just how flexible the company’s midsize truck can be.

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Lexus GXOR Concept

Price: N/A
From: Lexus.com

Perhaps the coolest OEM-made overlander of 2019 came from a very unexpected source: Lexus. (The GX is, for what it’s worth, one hell of a great off-roader in stock form.)

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Ram 1500 Rebel OTG Concept

Price: N/A
From: ramtrucks.com

Just like Ford, Ram also used 2019 to show off how its truck wares could be turned into a kickass overlander. Your move, Chevy.

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Rivian R1T Electric Kitchenette

Price: $TBD
From: rivian.com

Rivian’s R1T electric pickup truck may not even be on sale yet, but features like the extendable battery-powered kitchenette that’ll be available for it already have us excited to test it out.

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Sportsmobile Classic 4×4 Ford Adventure Van

Price: ~$90,000
From: sportsmobile.com

Sometimes, even the gnarliest SUV just isn’t big enough for your off-road adventures. When that happens, it’s time to check out one of these overlanding-ready Ford vans.

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Yakima LockNLoad Roof Rack

Price: $729+
From: yakima.com

A good roof rack is one of the cornerstones of any overlanding rig. Yakima’s newest model is tough enough to handle the Outback, yet easy to mount on your Outback.

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Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

Everything Big in the World of Dream Cars in 2019

This roundup is part of This Year in Gear, a look back at the year’s most notable releases. To stay on top of all the latest product news, subscribe to our daily Dispatch newsletter.

Aston Martin Vantage AMR

Price: $179,995+
From: astonmartin.com

Aston Martin has made no secret of the fact that it intends to keep the manual transmission faith. CEO Andy Palmer has long insisted the carmaker would keep the stick shift around as long as possible; and from the very launch of the new Vantage, the company has said that the compact sports car would eventually receive a manual. Well, “eventually” means 2019: The new Aston Martin Vantage AMR comes with a row-your-own-way gearbox and a hand-stitched leather shift lever rising between the seats to control it with.

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Audi RS 6 Avant

Price: $TBD
From: audiusa.com

Langston Hughes once wrote, “A dream deferred is a dream denied.” Hughes may have been one of America’s greatest poets, but he certainly wasn’t much of an automotive prognosticator; after decades of looking on fondly from afar, U.S. buyers will soon finally be able to buy one of the coolest station wagons never officially sold Stateside: the Audi RS 6 Avant.

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Bentley Continental GT V8

Price: $198,500+
From: bentleymotors.com

Bentley’s third-generation Continental GT came to America first not with the thundering 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 it launched with in other markets, but with the compact, less-powerful twin-turbo V8. Who cares? It’s still crazy quick.

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BMW M8 Gran Coupe

Price: $130,000+
From: bmwusa.com

No matter what badge BMW slaps upon it, it’s hard to argue that the new M8 Gran Coupe is anything other than a very sexy sport sedan. A speedy one, too: like the two-door M8 that deserves its coupe nomenclature, it uses a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 making either 600 or 617 horsepower, connected to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic.

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BMW X6 Vantablack Concept

Price: N/A
From: bmwgroup.com

Blacked-out rides have been popular for years among the aftermarket crowd, but no tuner has ever gone as far as BMW went with this SUV. Vantablack, created for aerospace use, is effectively the blackest black humans can make using current technology. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, this car isn’t for sale.)

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Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Price: $59,995+
From: chevrolet.com

After more than half a century with its engine in front of the driver, the eighth-generation Corvette is swapping things around to a mid-engined layout for better performance. Will those loyal fans still love it? We’re guessing yes.

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Emery Motorsports 1959 1/2 Transitional Speedster

Price: If you have to ask…
From: emorymotorsports.com

Rod Emory builds some of the most exquisite Porsche 356s you’ve never seen, but he takes a decidedly less orthodox approach toward preserving tradition. The 1959 1/2 Transitional Speedster in Aquamarine embodies the essence, if not the precise form of Porsche’s heritage — and it’s an absolute beauty.

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Emory Motorsports 356 C4S “Allrad”

Price: It’s a secret
From: emorymotorsports.com

The AWD 356 C4S tips the scales at a Miata-taunting 2,150 lbs and comes packing a 200bhp Emory-Rothsport four-cylinder engine, which in this case sends power to all four wheels. For now, the AllRad is a one-off — but if you have the means, Emory would surely build a sister car.

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Emory Motorsports 356 RSR

Price: They’re not telling, and you can’t have it anyway
From: emorymotorsports.com

Like most Emory Motorsports creations, the 356 RSR had to start with the right donor car—or rather, in this case, cars. The two cadavers necessary to make Emory’s dream build were a mostly-mangled 1960 Porsche 356B T5 and a 1990 Porsche 964 C2.

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Ferrari 812 GTS

Price: TBD
From: ferrari.com

The last drop-top front-engined V12 Ferrari offered was the 365 Daytona GTS/4, revealed 50 years ago. In the decades since, the market (including Ferrari’s top clients) begged for a new iteration. Ferrari acknowledged the demands and did…nothing. At least, until this year, when the 812 Superfast was turned into this roadster.

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Ferrari Roma

Price: TBD
From: ferrari.com

One glance is all it takes to know the new Ferrari Roma isn’t quite like any car the Prancing Horse has ever put out before. Look back as far as you like in the brand’s history, and you won’t find another two-seat gran turismo with a V8 engine up front.

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Ferrari SF90 Stradale

Price: $512,800+
From: ferrari.com

There’s never been a Ferrari quite like the all-new SF90 Stradale. Not only is it the quickest Ferrari road car ever made, but it’s also the first sports car from the brand to pack all-wheel-drive and a hybrid powertrain.

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Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Price: $72,900+
From: ford.com

Ford’s new 760-horsepower Shelby GT500 takes after the track-ready GT350 more than it does its straight line-loving predecessor —  which, it turns out, makes for an utterly superior muscle car.

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Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato

Price: N/A
From: lamborghini.com

What if you could have a super sports car with all the requisite style and performance required to earn the title, but also offering the all-terrain prowess of an SUV? Meet the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato: the world’s first real off-road sports car. Sadly, it’s not for sale…at least, not yet.

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Land Rover Defender

Price: $49,900+
From: landroverusa.com

It’s finally here. After all the drama, all the teasers, all the leaked images and suspected spec sheets and armchair conjecture — the all-new 2020 Land Rover Defender has been revealed in all its glory. (Or, if you’re not a fan of its looks, in all its oddness. We’re still making up our minds.)

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McLaren GT

Price: $210,000+
From: cars.mclaren.com

British sports car manufacturer McLaren is turning towards the grand touring segment for its latest debut. Meet: the all-new McLaren GT. (Yes, that’s the whole name.) It balances comfort and performance with impeccable grace, offering both a two-seat interior designed to keep its occupants cosseted on long journeys and a 612 horsepower twin-turbo V8.

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Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600

Price: TBD
From: mercedes-benz.com

It was only a matter of time. This year, Mercedes-Benz’s Maybach division finally yanked the covers off the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4Matic — the super-luxury sub-brand’s first SUV. Based on the new Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, it’s about as opulent as an SUV can be — especially for the folks in back.

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Porsche 718 Cayman T, 718 Boxster T

Price: $66,400+
From: porsche.com

Porsche hit on a brilliant idea with the 911 Carrera T: Take the base model of a sports car, then add on just the fancy performance features true drivers crave to create a (comparatively) affordable dream car. Now, the company has announced they’re using that same great idea all over again. Meet the 718 Boxster T roadster and 718 Cayman T coupe — the new affordable aspirational cars of your dreams.

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Porsche Boxster Bergspyder

Price: N/A
From: porsche.com

The Porsche Boxster Bergspyder was whipped up in 2015 by special order of the company’s board of executives, as both a way to see just how much lightweighting potential could be found in the 981-generation Boxster/Cayman platform and as a tribute to the Porsche 909 Bergspyder of 1968, a hillclimb special that weighed in at a paltry 849 pounds. The Boxster Bergspyder couldn’t match that, but Porsche’s engineers and designers did manage to chop the car down to 2,418 pounds, a savings of around 600 versus the regular Boxster.

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Porsche Taycan

Price: $103,800+
From: porsche.com

The 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S is vicious. 750 horsepower and 775 pound-ft of torque is enough to make the 2.5-ton sedan shudder from 0 to 60 mph in about two and a half seconds — yet as Porsche’s first full electric car, it’ll never touch a drop of gasoline as long as it exists.

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Tesla Cybertruck

Price: $39,900+
From: tesla.com

Elon Musk’s long-awaited Cybertruck practically broke the Internet when it debuted in November. With an out-of-this-world design, stainless steel “exoskeleton” and Porsche-beating performance, it theoretically could be a gamechanger for the pickup truck world…if Tesla can make good on all those bold claims.

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Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

Now Is the Time to Buy Up Cars of the ’90s and Early ’00s

From Issue Five of Gear Patrol Magazine.
Discounted domestic shipping + 15% off in the GP store for new subscribers.

The classic car market has, on the surface, emerged as a tantalizing place to make “investments.” Problem is, everybody seems in on it. (Have you priced out an air-cooled 911 lately? Sheesh.) Most specialty cars built before the ’90s have long been appreciating, so if you’ve had plans to buy low and sell high something already considered classic, you’re probably out of luck. But cars from the 1990s and 2000s? With some notable exceptions, they are all careening toward the bottoms of their depreciation curves. Now is the time to scoop them up, enjoy them and resell in 10 to 15 years for a payday. Here are just five ways you can explore your automotive passions while making bank. — Andrew Connor

’93-’95 Mazda RX-7

Japanese sports cars are rapidly becoming the next big thing in car collecting. While prices have skyrocketed for halo cars like the MKIV Toyota Supra or Acura NSX, the RX-7 still just barely exists on the cusp of affordability, despite fewer than 14,000 made-for-US examples ever being built. That seems surprising — its clean, curvaceous lines represented a pinnacle of ’90s automotive design. Under the hood is Mazda’s last twin-turbocharged rotary engine which, when well maintained, will scream all the way up to 7,000 rpm.

Engine: 1.3-liter twin-turbo Wankel rotary
Transmission: four-speed automatic; five-speed manual Horsepower: 255 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 217 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm
Original MSRP: $37,363

’91-’99 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4

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If ever there was a car underappreciated for being ahead of its time, it’s the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4. Its litany of technology is just now becoming commonplace: active aero and suspension, four-wheel steering, full-time AWD and a twin-turbo V6 producing nearly 300 horsepower. Spyder versions even had a folding hardtop. All that tech made it heavy and finicky, and it wasn’t much of a looker, relative to its competition.

Engine: 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Horsepower: 320 @ 6,000
Torque: 315 lb-ft @ 2,500
Original MSRP: $44,600

’04-’07 Volvo V70R

The average car buyer has given up on the wagon, but enlightened car enthusiasts seem to appreciate its sexy, utilitarian magnificence. The Volvo V70R was the last of its kind: a comfortable, boxy, AWD sport wagon with a turbocharged inline five-cylinder, made available even with a manual transmission. Just over 3,400 came to North America, so used V70Rs are exceedingly rare, especially manual-equipped versions.

Engine: 2.5-liter turbocharged inline five-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed automatic; six-speed manual
Horsepower: 300 @ 5,250
Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 1,950
Original MSRP: $40,940

’99-’04 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning

Before the dawn of the trail-thumping Raptor pickup, there was the second-generation SVT Lightning dialed for the street. A supercharged, 360-horsepower 5.4-liter V8 engine good for 440 lb-ft of torque sent power only to the rear wheels (2001 models and after got a healthy 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft bump). It’d haul ass to 60 miles per hour in a tick over five seconds. Plans for a third-generation Lightning proved too large and heavy for production, and the Lightning nameplate died in 2004.

Engine: 5.4-liter supercharged V8
Transmission: four-speed automatic
Horsepower: 380 @ 4,750 rpm
Torque: 450 lb-ft @ 3,250 rpm
Original MSRP: $32,615

’04-’06 Pontiac GTO

Make no mistake, the fourth-generation GTO is not a Pontiac — it’s a “captive import” from Australia, a Holden Monaro that GM rebadged. The GTO’s lukewarm styling likely caused slow sales, but under the sheet metal was a suitable successor to the original GTO. GM’s robust 400-horsepower LS1 and 350-horsepower LS2 engines were underhood — the latter only available in 2004 — and both were mated to a six-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels.

Engine: 6.0-liter V8
Transmission: four-speed automatic; six-speed manual
Horsepower: 400 @ 5,200
Torque: 400 lb-ft @ 4,000
Original MSRP: $31, 290

14 Noteworthy Camping Trailers and Camper Vans We Saw in 2019

This roundup is part of This Year in Gear, a look back at the year’s most notable releases. To stay on top of all the latest product news, subscribe to our daily Dispatch newsletter.

Bela Trendy

Price: $44,146
From: bela-wohnmobile.de

The Bela Trendy is a complete, fully-functional motorhome that manages to be smaller than most camper vans.

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Bowlus Road Chief Endless Highways

Price: $185,000
From: bowlusroadchief.com

Bowlus Road Chief’s Endless Highways trailer is a luxury apartment on wheels, offering Art Deco aesthetics and modern tech to get you off the grid in style and comfort. It will cost you, though.

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Bowlus Wave Bespoke Edition Trailer

Price: $225,000
From: bowlusroadchief.com

If you’re intrigued by Bowlus Road Chief’s Endless Highways trailer but want something even more luxurious and yacht-like, there’s a Wave Bespoke edition for $40,000 more.

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Carapate Trailer

Price: $16,000
From: carapate-aventure.fr

The Carapate is a fashionable French take on the compact teardrop trailer. It provides a minimalist alternative to #VanLife.

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Earth T250LX Trailer

Price: $30,795
From: earthtravelerteardroptrailers.com

Earth Traveler’s T250LX trailer uses a super-lightweight carbon fiber chassis. It weighs in at just 216 pounds in base form, which means it can be towed by almost any vehicle.

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Living Vehicle 2020 Series Trailer

Price: $200,000
From: livingvehicle.com

Living Vehicle’s 2020 Series offers the ideal super-luxury way to go overlanding — or embrace that mobile life full-time.

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Opus Campers OP 15 Trailer

Price: $45,000
From: opuscamper.us

This Opus Camper trailer will add a bit of extra comfort to your adventures — at an affordable price.

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Polydrop Trailer

Price: $14,495
From: polydrops.com

The Polydrop is tiny, efficient and affordable. It also looks like an honest-to-god NASA-spec space capsule.

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Romotow Camping Trailer

Price: $350,000
From: romotow.com

The Romotow is a futuristic space yacht camping trailer –one that can sleep up to eight people, thanks to its swiveling mechanism and synthetic teak deck.

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Safari Condo Alto A2124 Trailer

Price: $35,664
From: safaricondo.com

Quebec-based Safari Condo built the wedge-shaped Alto A2124 in order to maximize energy efficiency while still offering all of the amenities you need.

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Taxa Outdoors Woolly Bear Off-Road Trailer

Price: $9,250
From: taxaoutdoors.com

The awesomely named Woolly Bear is the perfect mobile campsite for two, starting under $10,000 and weighing less than 1,000 lbs.

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The BMW x The North Face Futurelight Camper Concept

Price: N/A

The two iconic brands collaborated on an off-roading camping trailer concept for CES in 2019. You can’t buy it, but we sure do want it.

Three Feathers Manufacturing Trail Head Trailer

Price: Contact Them
From: 3feathtersmfg.com

The Trail Head trailer from Three Feathers Manufacturing comes fully equipped with everything you’d want for overlanding fun, which makes preparing for your next adventure a breeze.

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Winnebago Solis Camper Van

Price: $100,667
From: winnebagoind.com

Winnebago’s Solis offers serious capability and versatility for up to four people, all at a reasonable price point.

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Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

16 of the Best Used Cars to Buy in 2019

It’s that time again: the automotive wise men and women over at CarGurus have announced their annual list of the Best Used Cars. To even be considered, CarGurus evaluates each car based on user reviews, professional reviews, popularity, availability, and projected depreciation over 12 years. And as the number of segments in the car market grows, so does the number of categories in the CarGurus list; this year, there’s a total of 16 winners.

It’s a handy helper for anyone looking for advice on which used vehicle is most likely to treat them well. After all, buying any car is daunting under any circumstances—doubly so for used cars, where vehicle history and maintenance become factors and reliability becomes a bigger concern.

CarGurus’s list restricts itself to fairly recent used vehicles, so there’s no worry of finding vehicles saddled with highly outdated safety features or technology. So if you’re looking for a quality, pre-owned ride to park in your garage…any of the following cars would be a good place to start.

Subcompact Sedan/Hatchback

2015-2018 Honda Fit

Compact Sedan/Hatchback

2014-2018 Mazda3

Midsize Sedan

2013-2017 Honda Accord

Full-Size Sedan

2011-2018 Dodge Charger

Station Wagon

2015-2018 Subaru Outback

Small Crossover/SUV

2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler

Midsize Crossover/SUV

2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Full-Size Crossover/SUV

2011-2018 Ford Explorer

Minivan

2011-2017 Honda Odyssey

Midsize Pickup Truck

2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma

Full-size Pickup Truck

2015-2018 Ford F-150

Luxury Compact Sedan

2013-2017 Lexus IS

Luxury Midsize Sedan

2013-2018 Lexus ES

Luxury Small Crossover/SUV

2015-2018 Lexus NX

Luxury Midsize Crossover/SUV

2014-2018 Volvo XC90

Sports Car

2008-2018 Dodge Challenger

The Jeep Gladiator Is the Most Important Vehicle of 2019

This story is part of the GP100, our annual roundup of the best products of the year. To see the full list of winners, grab the latest issue of Gear Patrol Magazine.

Americans love pickup trucks. They buy one every 12 seconds. And Americans love Jeeps. In 2018, the company just had its best sales year ever, moving almost a million vehicles in the U.S. alone. So clearly, the nation hungers for big vehicles with a commanding road presence and four-wheel-drive grip.

Yet in spite of a blatantly obvious opportunity to merge those two trends, Jeep went almost three decades without producing a vehicle with a metal bed hung behind the passenger seat — which explains why the company’s fans howled with delight when they glimpsed of the all-new Gladiator at the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of last year, all but preemptively thrusting cash in Jeep’s direction. But it was only this spring that the truck finally launched, finally giving them the chance to do so.

The Gladiator’s five-foot-long bed may be shorter than most pickup trucks’ beds, but it still provides incredible versatility.

Rather than attempt to build a new truck from the ground up, Jeep’s product planners and engineers chose to keep it simple, taking the four-door Wrangler — specifically, the all-new, more-refined JL generation — stretching out the wheelbase and affixing a metal box to the end of it.

The Wrangler-based design means all the parts and features that have elevated that model into an icon over the last few decades come along for the ride. Removable top? Present, in both soft and three-piece hard-top forms. Removable doors? Also in attendance, and every bit as easy to doff as they are on the Wrangler. A waterproof interior, designed to be easy to clean and boasting one of the most intuitive, convenient layouts in the industry? Standard on every one.

Jeep even offers the choice between manual and automatic gearboxes, making the Gladiator one of the last trucks sold in America to give drivers the option of rowing their own gears.

Further Reading
• 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel Review: The Wrangler, Enhanced
• We Go Off-Roading in the All-New Jeep Gladiator Overland Pickup

But being a pickup truck means the Gladiator also can accomplish things its SUV sibling can’t — like towing up to 7,650 pounds (the Wrangler maxes out at 3,500). The five-foot-long bed boasts more cargo space than the trunk of its two-box brethren; plus, even with two or three adults aboard, it can still take on half a ton of gear. And options like an integrated 110-volt plug in the bed and an integrated Bluetooth speaker that charges from the car makes the Gladiator among the best tailgating rigs out there.

It wouldn’t be a badass Jeep without flared fenders.

The added space between the axles does dock the Jeep’s off-road capability a tad. It’s easier to wind up high-centered on unfortunately placed hillocks and the breakover and departure angles of 20.3 and 26 degrees respectively mean it won’t be able to keep up with the Wrangler when the going gets really rough.

Still, that’s not enough to keep it from being every bit one of the most capable trucks on sale — especially in trail-conquering Rubicon form, which builds on the model’s inherent prowess by adding features like locking differentials, an electronic sway bar disconnect and a lower low range better suited for rock crawling.

The red tow hook is a hallmark of the Rubicon trim, Jeep’s most off-road-ready version of the truck.

On the road — where, let’s face it, Jeeps spend most of their time — the Gladiator drives even better than the latest-generation Wrangler, which redefined on-road comfort for the model. Its long wheelbase gives the Gladiator delightful stability on the highway, making it a superior choice for long slogs behind the wheel. Added convenience features like radar-based active cruise control, blind-spot warning and parking sensors bring the sort of comfort not traditionally associated with trucks or Jeeps in particular. Hell, you can even pick one up with leather seats.

Granted, it’s easy to price this truck up to a total near $60,000 if you go buck wild on the options sheet or spend extra on official aftermarket accessories like lift kits and off-road lights. But play it smart, and you can snag a well-equipped one for around $45K — only a few thousand dollars more than the average new-car price nowadays. Considering you’re scoring an off-roader, a five-seat family car, a convertible and a pickup truck in one for that price, it’s hard to see that as anything but the deal of the year.

Powertrain: 3.6-liter V6 or 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6; six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission; four-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 285 (gasoline); 260 (diesel)
Torque: 260 lb-ft (gasoline), 440 lb-ft (diesel)
Price: $33,545+

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.