Red Mist: Ferrari’s Miami Racing Days Extravaganza
It’s good to be a Ferrari owner. No, it’s really good. And not just because you get to drive one of the most iconic, most exciting, most intoxicating sports cars on the planet. You also get perks. Lots of perks. Like being invited to take part in such VIP, top-shelf, red carpet customer events as in last weekend’s Ferrari Racing Days spectacular in Miami. This four-day Ferrari love fest was a celebration of all things rosso red with more Prancing Horses than the Kentucky Derby. Naturally, there was fabulous, all-Ferrari racing centered around around the Hardrock Stadium, home of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix two weeks earlier. And Ferrari guests got to see all the action while luxuriating, being wine and dined, and totally pampered at the famous Casa Ferrari traveling hospitality mega-suite overlooking the track. In addition, there was a private viewing of a secret Ferrari collection hidden away in Miami’s Coral Gables neighborhood, where Ferrari unveiled a new line of memorabilia. Then there was an A-list Saturday night party at Miami’s New World Center concert hall for the reveal of a new Ferrari 296 Speciale. I was privileged to get a red-letter invite to all the Ferrari Racing Days festivities, which also included a special bonus; the keys to a brand new, baby blue, Ferrari Roma Spider convertible to drive for the weekend. Powered by a 612 hp twin-turbo V8, this $280,000-and-up bundle of joy is currently the first rung on the Ferrari ownership ladder. It transported me to a nondescript glass door, right next to the Tesla dealership in Coral Gables, for Ferrari’s “Born for Speed, Reborn for Beauty” event. The venue was the fabled Garage 26 collection, owned by Miami real estate entrepreneur and Ferrari racer, Tomas Cabrerizo who has amassed a spectacular collection of rarest-of-rare Ferraris that he displays in the marble-floored space. We’re here to see Ferrari’s latest in its Collectibles series, where the brand is offering pieces of racing and prototype memorabilia to owners. Everything from the engine from Michael Schumacher’s 2000 F1 engine (yours for $280,000), to a F1 race car brake rotor ($2,000), to an F1 nose cone (price on application). And these were not just spare parts in a box. Each was beautifully mounted and displayed by Ferrari’s design department, overseen by Chief Designer, Flavio Manzoni, who was on hand at Garage 26 to explain. Me? I had my eyes on the exquisite V12 engine from a prototype La Ferrari, “exploded” to show the components, with the parts suspended on aluminum and Lucite supports. A true piece of art, its rarity was reflected in the eye-watering $330,000 price tag. Like all 13 pieces, it was sold by the end of the evening. The Roma Spider whisked me north, rather quickly, early Saturday morning to the Miami Dolphins’ Hardrock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Here was the biggest collection of customer-owned Ferrari racecars ever assembled – probably more than 130 – that would be competing over the weekend. Highlights included a privately-owned V10-engined Ferrari F1 racer, six of the rapid Le Mans-inspired 499P Modificatas, and no fewer than 25 FXX racers. Those and a rousing show put on by the Dolphins cheerleading squad. There were also more than 100 customer-owned cars, that had gathered for morning coffee at Miami’s Perez Museum of Art and driven in convoy to the track, where they had got to do a formation lap of the 2.8-mile circuit. Up in the huge Casa Ferrari, with its balconies overlooking the racing pits, guests could unwind in a pop-up Wellness Lounge where they could enjoy a spell in a pressurized oxygen chamber, buy pricey Ferrari gear, or simply binge on endless gourmet food and beverage. Saturday evening was the big customer party at the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center Concert Hall in Miami Beach. After Perrier-Jouet champers and endless hors d’oeuvres, the silk was pulled off the brand new $500,000 Ferrari 296 Speciale, a lighter, more powerful version of the regular 296GTB. Max power of this hybrid supercar is now a staggering 868 hp. What a beast. Few other brands come anywhere close to involving their owners as Ferrari does. And this Miami Racing Days extravaganza is just one on the calendar. Anyone for Japan’s Fuji Speedway in June?
Fast and Furious: 2025 BMW X6M Competition
If you thought the term ‘muscle car’ best described some Seventies big-block Chevy or tire-fryin’ Dodge Charger, you might want to think again. Fast forward to well, today, and ‘muscle car’ perfectly describes the 2025 blunt instrument BMW X6M Competition I’ve been driving. Or better still, make that ‘muscle’ SUV. Look at the thing. Those bulging fenders were surely modeled from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s massive, gym-honed guns. That air-gulping front end had to inspired by a military A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately-known as the Warthog. And while it has that high-ridin’, mountain-climbin’ 4×4 stance of a sport-ute, the sloping rear window has more in common with Steve McQueen’s Mustang Fastback from the movie ‘Bullitt’. Then there’s the power and performance. And here the word ‘insane’ kinda comes to mind. Under that vast Texas-sized hood resides a BMW Motorsport-honed, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 that’s paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Working in harmony, the honking V8 and all those ohms deliver a combined 617 horseys and stump-pulling 553 lb-ft of twist. Pedal to the metal, you’re looking at zero-to-60 mph blasts in a mere 3.7 seconds, with a top speed electronically-limited to 155 mph. This is officially BMW’s ‘bad boy’ SUV, a $133,275-and-up, testosterone-fueled performance rocketship that butts heads with slopey-back rivals like Audi’s 591-hp RS Q8, the 650-hp Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and Mercedes-Benz’ 603-hp AMG GLE 63 S Coupe. Of course it makes absolutely no sense. For less money – over $5,000 – you could get into BMW’s similarly-powered, square-back X5 M which offers a lot more practicality and load carrying. But who needs more practicality when you can have something that spins heads, looks this wild, breaks rules and throws convention to the wind? It’s a design thing. And it drives like a dream. Step on the gas and it feels otherworldly in the explosive way it delivers those 617 horseys. Coco the Clown being ejected from a Ringling Brothers circus canon doesn’t feel this much thrust. It’s not just off-the-line sprinting where it excels either. Merging from a freeway on-ramp, scything through slower traffic, blasting out of tight curves. All just breathtaking. And this forward motion is accompanied by one of the sexiest, deepest, rumbliest soundtracks this side of Pavarotti hitting the low notes in Nessun dorma. This is truly one of the world’s great engines. That said, fuel economy sucks. Don’t expect much more than 13 to the gallon around town and just 18 on the highway. The EPA’s combined figure is a miserable 15 mpg. Show it a curvy backroad however, and it all makes perfect sense. Surgically-precise steering, low-roll cornering and the kind of grip you only get with a gallon of Gorilla glue, makes the X6M a sportscar in disguise. One downside is size. On the road the X6M feels big and bulky, and rides with no shortage of jolts and jitters. Even with the adaptive suspension set in ‘comfort’ mode, potholes and sharp ridges send jolts through the body. It’s the price you pay for that Competition badge on the trunk lid and 21-inch front, 22-inch rear wheels. Talking of trunk, while the X6’s fastback rear does shave a few cubic feet off the load space compared to an X5, it’s still an accomplished load carrier. Think 27.4 cu ft with the back seat in place, and a whopping 60 cu-ft with its folded flat. As you’d expect of a $133,000 BMW, the cabin is a wonderful place to be. It’s all glorious, hand-stitched leather – sexy red with our test car – with lovely diamond quilting. New last year was the 27.2-inch sweeping curved center touch screen that looks like it came out of your local cineplex. The graphics are needle-sharp. No, this latest X6M Competition won’t be for everyone. But for anyone looking for a modern-day musclecar in an SUV coupe body, it’s an enthusiast’s dream come true.
Spin Class: 2025 Mercedes-Benz all-electric G 580
Talk about a cool party trick guaranteed to gain you celebrity status at the next Cars and Coffee gathering. Mercedes-Benz’ brand new, all-electric G 580 with EQ Technology has, among its considerable technical repertoire, the ability to do a “G Turn”. G What, I hear you exclaim? Courtesy of its four potent electric motors – one for each wheel – which can spin in opposite directions, the 580 can rotate in its own length. Just like a tank. Or Mark Wahlberg in his Marky Mark days doing a break-dancing shoulder spin. You get the picture. Some technique has to be mastered before you try it out for yourself. Start by pressing the “G Turn” button, then pull back and hold either steering wheel paddle shifter – left for a left spin, right for a right – and then hold tight and keep the steering wheel centered. Now mash the throttle and experience the highly-unnerving, overwhelmingly-nauseating sensation of spinning inside this three-and-a-half-ton automotive blender. Thankfully you only get two full pirouettes. No doubt to preserve tires and the contents on your stomach. But pray explain what is the point? I don’t think there is one, bar blatant exhibitionism and providing thrill rides for the kids and grandma. Just maybe, on a snowy trail up to your Aspen ski lodge when you’ve forgotten the Dom Perignon, you’ll appreciate a rapid U-turn – or make that G Turn – to get you back to the wine store pronto. Thankfully there’s are more serious distinguishing features to this latest version of Mercedes’ beloved Geländewagen luxury off-roader, now in its 46th year of production. Electric power, and heaps of it, for starters. With a 116 kWh lithium-ion battery pack juicing those four two-speed electric motors, there’s an impressive 579-horsepower and stump-lifting 859 lb-ft of torque on tap. As you’d expect of an electric ‘Benz, off-the-line acceleration is up there with a rock exiting a catapult. A mere 4.6 seconds is all it takes to lunge from standstill to 60 mph. For something tipping the scales at close to 7,000 pounds, that’s pretty impressive. As for the 112 mph top speed? Maybe not so much. Definitely less impressive is the 580’s EPA-estimated range of 239 miles. These days, 300 miles and above is the norm. Rivian’s long-range R1S SUV is good for 410 miles. Cadillac’s new Escalade IQ can whizz along for up to 460 miles on a single charge. I suspect however that few G 580s will be called on to go the distance, being relegated to school runs, commutes to the golf course, yacht club or fine dining. That said, your 580 will come with a Mercedes fast charging adapter to let you connect to one of Tesla’s 20,000-plus Supercharger stations. Here, the Merc’s 400-volt charging system can suck-in up to 200kW of charge, taking the battery pack from 10 per cent to 80 per cent of capacity in 32 minutes. Or plug it in at home and you can go from empty to full in 13.5 hours. If you have to take the road less traveled, and splatter mud on that pricey paintwork, know that this new electric G is a superstar when the going gets tough. For starters it can wade through water 33.5 inches deep, which is 5.9 inches more than the gas-engined G 550. That’s a major plus in these times of hurricanes and storm surges. Back on the blacktop, electric power makes this new G 580 a more luxurious alternative to its dead dinosaur-fueled siblings. Around town there’s nothing but spooky silence, aided and abetted by the new acoustic glass and re-shaped windshield pillars to cut wind noise. All the better for experiencing the ear-bleeding Burmester 3D Surround Sound system. While nothing too much has changed style-wise with this new 2025 G range, you can spot this new 580 by its new, flat-panel grille ringed by a white LED strip, to match the ring of LEDs around the headlights. At the rear, instead of a hard cover for the spare wheel, there’s a slimmed down version to hold the charging cable. Pricewise, you’re looking at a starting sticker of $161,500, which is roughly middle ground between the $148,250, 416 hp G 550 V8 and thundering $186,100, 577 hp twin-turbo V8 G 63. As for the ability to perform G Turns on your neighbor’s gravel driveway? Just tell ’em you’ve joined a Spin Class.
Still in the Game: 2025 Ford Explorer Platinum
A lot happened 35 years ago in 1990. The Dow closed above 2,800 for the first time ever. Tim Berners-Lee created the internet. The Exxon Valdez dumped oil in Alaska. And Pretty Woman opened at the movies. It was also the year Ford unwrapped its tall-riding Explorer and introduced those three little letters – SUV – to our vocabulary. Designed to replace the much-maligned Bronco II, the boxy Explorer became an instant hit. To date, almost nine million have been sold, making it the best-selling sport utility vehicle ever. In 2000 alone, Ford sold a staggering 445,000 Explorers. That’s a lot. Thirty-five years on, and it’s still going strong, holding its own despite buyers having more choices of mid-size SUVs than cheeses at the Fresh Market deli. Those three-row rivals include the likes of Kia’s Telluride, Toyota’s Grand Highlander, Mazda’s CX-90, Hyundai’s Palisade and Jeep’s Grand Cherokee L. To keep the Ford high on the shopping list of buyers tempted by more dynamic rivals, the trusty Explorer has just had a mid-life makeover to cement its appeal. Nothing too radical, mind. It gets a bold new grille, new sparkly LED headlights and taillights, and a more beefy lower front bumper design. It also got a refreshed interior with some cool, new tech. Like its BlueCruise hands-free driving feature, and Disney-sounding Ford Digital Experience. This offers a new Google-based operating system with 5G connectivity, a built-in wi-fi hotspot and Alexa to answer all your queries. Hey Alexa, how do I turn this thing on? Ford also took a hatchet to the model range for 2025, culling it to just four models; the base Active priced from $41,380, the ST-Line from $46,190, the fancy Platinum from $53,695, and performance-focused ST at the top of the range from $55,835. I’ve just spent the week in the company of that swanky Platinum model, with the so-called Ultimate Package. This adds a twin-panel panoramic roof, lovely leather seats, second-row captain’s chairs and dark-painted 21-inch alloys. Definitely pricey at just over $60,000. But it came with one of the best engine/transmission packages in the business; Ford’s 3.0-liter Ecoboost twin-turbo V6 packing a punchy 400 horsepower, and coupled to a swift-shifting 10-speed automatic. While the Platinum’s base engine is a 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder with 300 horseys on tap, it’s the V6 you want, simply for the extra performance zip. How much extra zip? Pedal to the metal, you’ll rush from standstill to 60 mph in right around five seconds, compared to six with the four-cylinder. And this Usain Bolt sprinting is accompanied by a decidedly rorty exhaust note from the quad exhausts at the rear. Dial up ‘sport’ mode and the steering firms up and the shift points for the transmission change to boost low-end power. In addition to the meaty power, the V6 offers an impressive 415 pound-feet of torque to slingshot you out of freeway on-ramps and give confidence when passing on a two-lane. For a near-4,800-pound trucklette, it also feels surprisingly light on its feet through the twisties. Steering is precise and responsive, body lean is well-contained, and grip is plentiful. Yes, the ride can get a little fidgety over lumps and bumps, but it’s never uncomfortable. Add a few warm bodies in the three rows of seats, and things smooth-out nicely. And talking of seats, the Explorer’s enduring appeal is its family-sized accommodations. While that third row has decent kneeroom, its flaw however is that the seat cushion is too low to the floor for real comfort. No problem for short trips, but the kids will be whining after a few miles. While this Platinum model has plenty of luxury accoutrements, like nicely-stitched perforated leather on the seats with quilted inserts, quirky cloth dashboard panels, and a thumping 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, to me it’s still no match for high-luxe rivals like the Telluride, Palisade and Cherokee L. Yet this Built-in-Chicago family hauler is still very much in the game. Thirty-five years of being king of the hill makes sure of that.
Fastback Flair: 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T
Such an odd word ‘coupe’. Back in the day it covered everything from a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, to a fancy glass for serving Champagne. In car-speak, it tended to describe a two-door with a slanty rear window. Who can forget Cadillac’s mile-long, two-door Coupe DeVille, derived from the French word couper, or to cut, and ville for town? Of course, me being from Merrie Olde England, I pronounce it coupe-hay and might even write it with an accent on the ‘e’ as in coupé. That said, English friends can’t quite understand why we Americans would name a car after a place chickens call home. More recently, the word has been used to describe four-door SUVs with their boxy rear-ends given a more sloping rear window. BMW’s X6 is widely considered the first coupe SUV when it launched back in 2008. Today, there’s a multitude of ski-slope-roofed SUVs, including everything from a Buick Envista, to Porsche’s Cayenne and Mecan Coupes, Audi’s Q8, Mercedes’ GLE and GLC Coupes to Lamborghini’s blunt-instrument Urus. The newest coupe SUV joining the ever-growing list is the 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe I’ve just spent a blissful week piloting, base price $81,300 or $87,100 as tested. As you might expect, it’s closely based on the regular, square-back Genesis GV80 sport-ute. This new Coupe though, with its slanted rear end, more chiseled nose, and new 22-inch rims, really does look gorgeous. That fastback rear window does, however, mean the regular GV80 SUV’s third-row seat is jettisoned, so there’s now only room for five instead of seven. And with the rear seat folded, luggage space is shaved by 9.6 cubic feet, mainly in reduced height at the rear. Those big boxes from the big box stores might have to get delivered. So what’s the appeal? It’s all about style. Coupes look sexier than squared-off sport utes, hinting at sportier performance and a sportier lifestyle. Think of it as panache over practicality. In the case of the GV80 Coupe, there’s no shortage of performance. Powering this feisty fastback is Genesis’ glorious twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 which makes 375 horsepower in base form. But you can opt, for an additional $6,000, for the e-Supercharged version, like our test car, that ups the horseys to a stampeding 409-hp. It uses an electric supercharger to fill-in the gaps in the engine’s torque curve, especially at low rpms. It makes for zippier sprints away from stop lights, more solid response merging from freeway on-ramps, and smoother engine stop-starts. Alas, even with 409-hp the GV80 doesn’t morph into a Porsche Cayenne or BMW X6. The focus here is still on Genesis-famous silky-smoothness and rolling refinement. But to add to the giddy-up, the Coupe does come with a new Sport+ driving mode. This supposedly sharpens the steering, quickens the transmission shifts, and tightens the suspension. Not that you’d really notice. As for that all-important 0-to-60 mph time, think 5.2 seconds. No, what this new GV80 Coupe 4×4 does exceedingly well is transport you down the road in sublime comfort, with astonishing mechanical refinement and Teflon-like smoothness. And the Coupe’s cabin would provide plentiful pampering for going the distance. Everywhere you see there’s gorgeous, diamond-quilted, glove-soft leather, with contrasting red stitching and piping. Sumptuous doesn’t even come close. Those front pews are supremely comfy, with lots of power adjustment, along with cooling and heat. Rear seat space is up there with a prom stretch limo, with the huge panoramic glass roof flooding the cabin with light. The only miscue is the suprisingly cheap and almost tacky-looking plastic trim across the dash and on the center console. Genesis calls it carbon fiber, but it’s nothing of the sort. But the chunky, flat-bottomed steering is a joy to hold, while the 27-inch digital display sprawling across the dash has pin-sharp graphics and easy commands. Nice-to-have standard features include heated armrests, a fragrance diffuser that doesn’t smell like a New York taxi cab, and a UV light above the wireless charger to sanitize your smartphone. Genesis really does luxury brilliantly well, and this new GV80 Coupe couples luxury with head-turning fastback style. It really is one heckuva super coupe.
Hot Wheels: 2025 Subaru WRX tS
Driving should be fun, right? Slingshotting away from the stoplight. A tsunami of power when you pull-out to pass. The feeling of running on invisible rails as you rocket round a tight freeway on-ramp. Of course, any serious sports machine, from Porsche to Ferrari, from Lamborghini to Lotus, will check all those boxes. But at a price. Looking for sportscar fun on a budget, with the bonus of four doors? May I present the brand new Subaru WRX tS, a pocket rocket that’s more of a blast than a day at Disney, more of a thrill ride than SkeiKra at Busch Gardens. And all for $46,875, adrenaline included. It’s the new flagship of Subaru’s performance-focused WRX line-up that’s been specially tuned by the company’s fabled Subaru Technica International division – that’s STI, for short. Enthusiasts still go gaga remembering the legendary, big-winged WRX STI rocketships that were the performance car to have back in the 2000s. Remember the WRX STI that Ansel Elgort drove in the hit movie Baby Driver, or the Impreza WRX STI that Paul Walker drove in Fast and Furious and Furious 7? Just magical action. Enthusiasts are still furious that Subaru abruptly ended STI production in 2018. While this new tS is no STI, it’s the closest you can get today. Under the hood there’s Subaru’s 271-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-4 ‘Boxer’ engine, coupled to a slick-shifting, six-speed manual transmission. Yup, a stick. And don’t go looking for an automatic on the options list. There isn’t one. It’s manual or nothing. Add to that, there’s a Christmas wish-list of performance-focused componentry that helps transform the Scoobie tS into the funster it is. Take the brakes. Here are high-performance Brembo stoppers, with six-piston units up front clamping 13.4-inch rotors, and dual-piston versions at the rear paired with 12.8-inch discs. And gold-painted calipers all round. Maybe the pieces de resistance are the electronically-controlled adaptive dampers, tuned by STI especially for the tS, that give you the choice of Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+ setting for truly dynamic handling. Then there’s the “look”. See this new tS on the street and it oozes broody, street-fighter aggression, a little like Jason Statham in The Beekeeper. There’s nothing flashy here; but one look and somehow you know it means business. Put that down to the big, air-gulping hood scoop, the black wheel arch extensions, sculpted sills, and 19-inch multi-spoke, satin-gray-finish rims. Love too the cool, roof-mounted, shark-fin antenna, along with the rear trunk spoiler and quartet of shiny exhausts. Stick numbers to the front doors and oh the fun you could have at your local SCCA autocross events, and club track days. This Subaru was born to run. Climb aboard and the cabin matches the sporty exterior. Big, side-bolstered Recaro sports seats grip you like a welcome hug from Mike Tyson. They’re trimmed in Alcantara ultra-suede with bright blue leather edging, with bright blue leather accents on the doors and center console. Love the big red start button too, with an STI logo, plus the standard Harman Kardon 11-speaker, 504-watt stereo, and sporty drilled aluminum pedals in the footwell. The beauty of this new WRX is that it’s also practical, with plenty of rear-seat kneeroom and a decent-sized trunk. But it’s on the road where it really shines. While 271 horseys doesn’t sound like a stampede, the little four-cylinder turbo feels as eager as Sea Biscuit out of the starting gate. Let the revs soar to the 6,000 rpm red line and you’ll hit 60 mph from zero in around 5.5 seconds. And that six-speed stick really adds to the fun, having a lovely hot-knife-through-a stick-of-Land-O-Lakes action, complimented by a smooth, progressive clutch. Find yourself a twisty back road – difficult, I know, here in the Sunshine State – and this feisty Subaru feels like a go-kart on steroids, its Bridgestone Potenza rubberware gripping like chewing gum on velvet. No, this new WRX tS won’t be for everyone. Not everyone wants a stick shift, for starters. And all of the Subaru’s key rivals, like the Honda Civic Type R, VW Golf R, Toyota GR Corolla and Hyundai Elantra N, boast more horsepower. But the Subie offers a unique brand of fun, and as a performance package, it’s tough to beat.
Electric Avenue: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV
Talk about surprise and delight. My first mile in Chevy’s electron-powered Equinox EV and I’m nodding my head in approval and mouthing the word “Hmmm”. Which is proving a little disconcerting to my wife in the passenger seat. By mile 10, I’m pulling over to Walgreens to buy flowers and chocolates and declaring unrequited love to this hugely-appealing electric crossover. My wife? Oh, she’s taking an Uber home, and booking me in for therapy. No, Chevy’s 2025 Equinox EV doesn’t do anything ground-breaking compared to the ever-growing cadre of rivals, like Tesla’s Model Y, Hyundai’s Ioniq5, Kia’s EV6, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E or VW’s ID4. What it delivers, however, is a supremely-lovable, all-round package of features and qualities that, for me, really boosts the appeal of this jack-of-all-trades Chevy. And builds a strong case for switching to electric. Take range. This front-drive, single-motor Equinox LT I’m driving, will whirr along for 319 miles on a single charge. Unless you’re making road trips to grandma’s house in Biloxi every weekend, that’s more than sufficient for the commuting, shopping, school and beach-runs. And if the ohms start depleting, the Equinox comes with a NACS DC adaptor that gives you access to over 20,000 Tesla Supercharger stations for fast charging. Plug in, and you should be able to add 70 miles of range to the battery in as little as 10 minutes. Then there’s the sticker. A base single-motor LT kicks off at a blue-light-special $34,995. Who knows how long it will last, but for now Uncle Sam will still give you a $7,500 tax credit on the Equinox, bringing it down to just $27,495. Then there’s the way it looks. I think GM designers have hit one right out of the park with those zoomy, futuristic lines. I just love the high-waist, low-roof profile, that raked-back windshield and muscley haunches over the super-cool 21-inch rims. And this thing has a most distinctive snout than Adrien Brody’s. It’s all funky curves and different textures and blade-like wrap-around LED lights. See it in your rear-view and it looks like an extra from a Tron movie. Of course our test car’s striking Riptide Blue Metallic paint with contrasting white roof adds to the visual drama. Climb aboard and there are more surprises and delights. Like the impressive 17.7-inch diagonal touch screen, plus 11-inch digital instrument cluster, that sprawls across the dash. With its pin-sharp graphics and vibrant colors, it’s like being at the movies. And the cabin feels huge inside. Climb into the back seat and old Lincoln Town Cars didn’t offer this much legroom. And the $1,500 it costs for the panoramic glass roof is worth every cent. Talking of cents, Chevy, somewhat strangely, offers a $11,400 30-option package it unimaginatively calls “Convenience Package II”. This comes with all the goodies you’d ever desire, including standouts like Super Cruise self-driving, those 21-inch wheels, heated and vented front seats, wireless charging. The list goes on. And on. But don’t go looking for Apple Car Play or Android Auto connectivity. It’s not even offered. Welcome back to the Nineties. On the road, the Equinox’s 220-hp single electric motor up front juiced by an 85 kWh battery, delivers ample though not quite athletic performance. While anyone expecting typical EV rock-out-of-a-catapult off-the-line sprinting, the Chevy’s more leisurely performance might disappoint. Here we’re talking 0-to-60 mph in around 7.5 seconds. But in day-to-day driving it feels plenty sufficient, with a focus on Teflon-smooth power delivery, relaxed rather than jack-rabbit acceleration and easy cruising. Need more? Splash the extra cash for the dual-motor, all-wheel drive Equinox and you get a nice round 300 hp and more zippy 0-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds. Range, however, drops to 307 miles. But it’s the one I’d go for. Add to all that a suprisingly smooth and supple ride, nicely weighted and precise steering, and plenty of poise, balance and grip through the curves. Excellent one-pedal driving too, where you lift off the “gas” and it slows without touching the brakes. As for those Walgreens flowers and candy I bought, I guess I’ll just leave them in the back seat.
Little Italy: 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Tributo Italian Hybrid
Typically, when someone asks you what you’re driving, it’s a one or two word answer. Oh, it’s an Audi Q5. Or BMW X1. Or simply, a Corvette. Or Mustang. But with the latest Alfa Romeo I’ve been piloting this week, you need to take a deep breath, and maybe adopt a Tony Soprano accent. Which might just scare a few people if the conversation is in the Whole Foods parking lot. Say it after me: Alfa Romeo Tonale Tributo Italiano Utilita Sportiva eAWD. Capisce? The pint-sized Tonale – it rhymes with Denali – has been around for a couple of years now, providing the first rung on the Alfa ownership ladder. No, it hasn’t been the total success Alfa hoped for. Maybe because its biggest competitor has been its larger, and more dynamic big brother, the Alfa Stelvio. That, and the fact that the Tonale is a re-skinned version of a mechanically-identical Dodge Hornet, which undercuts the Tonale by thousands of bucks. Remember Dodge and Alfa Romeo are part of the Stellantis automotive group. But hey, it’s an Alfa Romeo with that glorious, iconic scudetto, or ‘little shield’ triangular grille on the nose that has been a feature of every Alfa Romeo since 1934. And still one of the coolest exterior features of the Tonale is the stunning triple-U LED headlight design which gives a slightly menacing look to the front end. To celebrate its Italian heritage, and hopefully woo a few more buyers, Alfa has introduced this gussied-up, limited edition Tributo Italian version for 2025. It’s a sweet package that includes body-colored lower trim, a black-painted roof, gloss-black window surrounds and a set of those lovely 20-inch Grigio alloys, plus red-painted Brembo brake calipers and a pair of chrome exhaust tips. And talking of paint, splurge the $2,200 on the truly-glorious Verde Fangio Metallic paint which is greener than the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa on St. Paddy’s Day. Inside, the Tributo Italian package includes lovely paneled-leather sports seats with teeny perforations that show red through the holes. The cabin itself is surprisingly roomy for a compact SUV, with decent rear-seat space, with seats that fold flat for a spacious luggage area for all those cases of Prosecco you’re bringing home from Trader Joe’s. But the headline feature of this latest Tonale is its feisty hybrid powertrain. Here there’s a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic that’s juiced by a 90 kW electric motor driving the rear wheels. Gas and electric power combine to deliver a non-trivial, and best-in-class 268 horseys and 295 lb-ft of torque. Its party piece however is the 15.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor which, when topped-up, can take you 33 miles on zero-emission, stealthy-silent, electric-only power. Perfect for zipping around town. And when you plug in to a typical 240-volt home charger, you can replenish those Duracells in around two and a half hours. So how does it all come together on the road? Two words: Mamma Mia. Stomp on the sporty aluminum accelerator pedal and the Tonale scoots away from a stop light like a spooked gecko. Click the stopwatch and you’ll see 0-to-60 mph in 5.5 seconds. That hybrid assist also provides plenty of punch when you’re pulling out to pass, or merging from a freeway on-ramp. No, it’s not the sweetest-sounding four-cylinder, getting a little harsh and throbby as the revs rise. But at 75 on I-75 it’s as smooth as Tuscan olive oil. The electric-assist steering is also not as laser-precise or as responsive as you’d expect of an Alfa Romeo, especially the sibling Stelvio. But it’s nicely-weighted and, coupled with standard all-wheel drive, makes the Tonale fun through the curves. As for the price of all this Italian brio, this limited edition Tonale Tributo Italian is a biggish hit at $53,400, or $59,500 for our tester. Base versions are a better value at around $45,000, or $36,500 for the new-for-2025 non-hybrids. But for a little taste of Italy with fun hybrid power, this newest Tonale has a lot going for it.
King of the Hill: GMC’s 830-hp all-electric Hummer SUV
Big news. No, really big news. The all-electric GMC Hummer EV SUV you see before you, may look as gargantuan and ungainly as a Waste Management dump truck. But surprise, surprise, it might just be the most fun and feisty SUV you’ll drive this side of a Lamborghini Urus. A lot of that comes down to raw power. This thing is a Hoover Dam on wheels, a road-going Saturn V rocket. Three humongous electric motors – one up front, two out back – deliver a combined 830 horsepower and an astonishing 11,500 pound-feet of stump-pulling torque at the wheels. Engage the insane Watts to Freedom launch control – yes, as in WTF – and the Hummer’s bank of Cray super-computers primes the systems for max power. Now squeeze the brake pedal while stomping on the gas and Jeeez Louise. Big Daddy Don Garlits in his Swamp Rat dragster probably never felt this much thrust. Click a stopwatch and zero-to-60 mph comes up in a crazy 3.5 seconds. It’s the kind of instant acceleration that will steal your breath, turn belly-button innies into outies, and have you the driver struggling to resist throwing your hands in the air as if riding SheiKra at Busch Gardens. Yes, a rival Rivian R2 electric sport ute is good for standstill-to-60 sprints in around three seconds. And the aforementioned Lambo Urus Performante will rocket to 60 in 3.1. But what makes the Hummer’s acceleration so insane is that this towering rocketship tips the scales at a truly elephantine 8,673 pounds. That’s a hair over four and a half tons. And that weighty weight is only matched by the truck’s oversized footprint. Bluff nose to upright tail, it measures 197 inches long, a massive 87-inches wide and up to 83.6 inches tall. No wonder climbing aboard feels like scaling the side of El Capitan. Now you’d think that with these XXL-sized dimensions, the Hummer would feel like a bull in a china shop manuvering into any parking space that wasn’t the size of a football pitch. Not so. The party trick here is its rear-wheel steering that, at low speed, turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts. It gives the Hummer a pinch-tight turning radius of just 35.4 feet. That’s a foot tighter than a Toyota Corolla’s. GMC’s Hummer SUV is the follow-up to the Hummer EV Pick-up launched in 2021. It’s a welcome 20 inches shorter, and to my eyes, visually more interesting. I love the light bar on the front grille that spells out Hummer in brighty-white LEDs. Love too that when you’re charging, the lights turn neon-blue showing the level of charge. Love that high waist and low roofline. And talking of charge, the EPA estimates a range of 314 miles, though the best I could get was 304 miles. Owning this Hummer EV however, you’d need to have a Level 2 home charger; re-juicing the massive 170 kWh battery pack from a standard 120-volt plug would take a day, as opposed to eight hours with a Level 2. Finding a DC fast charger is the best solution where you can add 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Climb aboard – thankfully there are side steps and meaty grab handles to help – and the Hummer’s cabin is a lovely place to be. Especially if you unclip the four lightweight, transparent rooftop Sky Panels, which store easily in the front trunk. Closed to open in five minutes max. The roomy cabin holds five in comfort with acres of rear seat legroom and elbow room. Fold down the back seats and there’s a whopping 82 cubic feet of cargo space. Out on the streets, the Hummer impresses with its magic carpet air suspension ride, its low-roll cornering courtesy of that low, low center of gravity, and its surprisingly precise steering. Only the downsides are a bit too much wind and tire noise. GM currently offers a pair of 2025 Hummer EV SUVs, kicking off with the twin-motor 2x at $96,550 and topping out with my favorite, and the one I’ve been driving, the triple-motor 3x starting at $104,650. Paint mine this stunning shade called Solar Orange. Of course, no one needs an electric Hummer SUV. But oh the fun you’ll have driving one. And it makes way more sense than the senseless Tesla Cybertruck.
Clockwork Orange: McLaren Arturo Spider
A big round of applause please for Britain’s McLaren Racing. If you follow the cut and thrust of Formula 1, you’ll know the team took home the coveted Constructor’s Championship at the end of last season. The last time this happened was 26 years ago. It was a big deal. Right now I’m seeing a wave of orange mist – orange is to McLaren what red is to Ferrari – wafting over me as I settle-in behind the wheel of this newly-minted 2025 Artura Spider hybrid supercar, painted in a retina-searing shade, aptly-named McLaren Orange. While this Artura Spider is the first-rung on the McLaren road-car ladder – not that something costing $278,800, or $344,700 very nicely loaded could be classed as entry-level – it feels every bit the road-going Formula 1 car it is. No, it’s not the fastest or most-potent McLaren you can buy. That honor goes to the rolling insanity that’s the brand new W1, with its 1,258 horsepower, 217 mph top speed, and $2.1 million price tag. But to us mere mortals, who don’t drive with a full-face helmet and a Nomex racing romper suit, it’s how we imagine a F1 car to be. It certainly has the power. Mid-mounted behind the cockpit is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 nuclear reactor juiced, in hybrid fashion, by a torque-rich electric motor. Combined they deliver a mighty 690 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. SpaceX rockets make do with less. It has the performance too, boasting standstill to 60 mph sprints in 2.8 seconds, standstill to 124 mph in 8.4 and a top speed of 205 mph. And with the car’s 7.4 kWh battery fully charged, it’ll go for 11 miles on zero emission electric power. Perfect for not annoying the neighbors when you sneak out in the wee hours. But there’s another 11 that’s just as impressive. That’s the 11 seconds it takes for the Spider’s one-piece glass roof to glide rearwards and tuck beneath a rear-hinged carbon fiber cover. Splash an extra $9,400 and you get the must-have electrochromic glass that, at the touch of a button, goes from clear to opaque in an instant. Perfect to temper the Florida midday sun. Like McLaren F1 superstar Lando Norris’ weekend driver, the Artura’s cockpit is all-business, no nonsense. It’s acres of coal-black Alcantara suede and black carbon fiber. Only slender ribbons of bright orange piping break-up the Darth Vader look. Seated behind that pool-noodle-thick wheel, held tight by seats that embrace you like a John Cena body-lock, and you’re ready to roll. Press the big Tropicana-orange ‘start’ button, hit D-for-drive, and ease away. Instantly you’re aware of the car’s incredible lightness; at around 3,200 pounds, it’s supermodel-skinny, weighing just 136 pounds more than the coupe. Put that down to the Artura’s I-beam-stiff carbon fiber monocoque that incorporates much of the black art that goes into Lando’s F1 racer. Now floor the gas, feel the tumultuous forward thrust and try not to scream too many expletives. Yes, the off-the-line acceleration is mind-altering, but arguably it’s the mid-range thrust that thrills the most. Lunging out of a freeway on-ramp, or blasting past slower traffic on a back-country two-lane? Insane. And oh the noise. Admittedly it’s not as soulful as McLaren’s V8-powered rocketships. But as the V6 spins towards its 8,200 rpm redline, there’s a deep, urgent, intense howl made even more thrilling by having that top down and windows lowered. Find yourself a tight curve or two and you’ll discover the sheer brilliance of the McLaren’s steering. It’s old-school hydraulic-assist rather than modern-day electric. But the astonishing level of feedback, the perfect weighting, the laser-sharp precision is, undoubtedly, this car’s greatest attribute. Yet the genius of this new Spider is just how easy it is to drive. Hit the comfort setting, and it can glide around town, usually in electric mode, with a ride that’s as smooth as a Lexus. And for a hip-high supercar, all-round visibility is impressive. While this new Spider costs $24,700 more than the fixed-roof Artura Coupe, it’s worth every penny. It may just be my favorite McLaren. I’d take mine in orange please.
Space Jam: 2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country
To quote Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise as he signed-in to each new episode: “Space. The final frontier”. It’s hard to introduce you to the 2025 Chevy Traverse High Country I’ve been driving, without gushing about the SUV’s cavernous, humongous, supremely-practical space. For a mid-size sport-ute, this thing is huge. Three rows of seats, space in the third row for a couple of adults, and with the second and third rows folded, the load space of a Mayflower moving truck. Thinking about buying a new full-size Tahoe? You may want to take a look at this freshly-minted Traverse. It’s big. The Traverse line-up got a full-body makeover last year, with all-new styling to replace the previous, tofu-bland model. It came with more curves than J.Lo in Spandex, a sexier waistline, and a bolder, more Tahoe-like front end with slimline LED lights. Under the hood, the previous, wheezy 3.6-liter V6 got ditched. In its place a new, small-but-mighty, 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder packing a muscley 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. For 2025, Chevy brought back the fancy High Country trim that adds shiny chrome to the grille and around the bodywork, and towering 22-inch rims at each corner. Climb aboard and coal-black leather covers the seats – soft gray is the other choice – with nice bronze-colored contrast piping, perforated panels in the middle, and heating and cooling for the driver and front passenger. The comfy second row captain’s chairs also get heating, while both the second and third rows can be power-folded flat at the touch of a button. The High Country trim also includes such niceties as keyless entry with remote start, walk-up lighting and unlocking, rear pedestrian alert and thumping 10-speaker Bose premium sound. Leaving the best for last is GM’s impressive Super Cruise semi self-driving system which is standard. It works on almost 750,000 miles of divided highways across the US and Canada. Find yourself on one of those approved roads and you’ll get a green light on the dash. Set the cruise control, hit the Super Cruise button on the wheel. Now take your hands off the wheel and the Traverse will literally drive itself. And its cool party trick is automated lane changing. Tap your blinker, sensors will make sure there’s enough room to change lanes, and it will do the rest. Spooky at first, but impressive when you get used to it. While that High Country badge might suggest some serious off-road chops, the big Traverse actually comes standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive a $2,000 option. But even then, it’s more of a soft-roader for light off-road duty than a mountain climber. Leave the rocky stuff to the V8 Tahoe. Talking of pricing, the 2025 Traverse line-up kicks off with the base LT at a bang-for-the-buck $41,995. Next up is the Z71 at $48,995, with the range-topping RS at $56,795. Our 2025 High Country came in at $54,995 including destination and $56,900 out the door. The only options were the must-have $1,500 panoramic glass roof and that deep Radiant Red paint for an extra $495. Fire-up the new turbo four-cylinder mill, tap the new steering column stalk shifter for the Traverse’s new eight-speed automatic to hit ‘drive’ and you’re away. While a 2.5-liter four-banger might seem a little puny to be motivating a 4,700-pound SUV, it’s like The Little Engine That Could. Off the line it sprints away with enthusiasm and punches above its weight, with enough oomph to pass slower traffic and merge easily from on-ramps. Yes, the motor can sound a little strained when revved hard, but ease off and the Traverse becomes a haven of hush. Highway cruising at 70 mph is nothing less than serene making it a perfect long-distance family hauler. It also steers nicely, carves curves with ease and rock-solid stability, brakes strongly, and rides like a Town Car. As you’d expect in this hugely popular segment of the market, rivals for the big Chevy are plentiful. Heavy three-row hitters include Kia’s Telluride, Toyota’s Grand Highlander, the lovely Mazda CX-90, Hyundai’s Palisade and the Honda Pilot. But the Chevy, especially the High Country, shines with its cool styling, super-roomy and versatile interior, impressive level of standard equipment, and terrific pricing. Captain Kirk would have approved.
Waterfront Living: Arkup 50 Livable Yacht
Don’t call it a houseboat, it’s an Arkup 50 Livable Yacht. Yes, if offers two roomy bedrooms, two ensuite baths and a rooftop terrace as big as Kansas. But it can up-anchor and cruise the inland waterways under its own zero-emission, solar-electric power. Yet what really sets it apart, are its spud poles. Excuse me, spud what? These are hefty steel tubes hidden out of sight in the four corners of the Arkup. At the press of a button, they descend to the sea bed, then lift-up the yacht so that it sits out of the water, away from those pesky waves or swell. On a grander scale, it’s the same design used for offshore oil rigs. It means no rocking and rolling, no queazy tummies for sea-sickness sufferers. And the electro-hydraulic poles extend 17 feet so in, say, 10 feet of water, they can levitate the Arkup up to seven feet above sea level. Think of the possibilities. Cruise to your favorite bay or sand bar, lower the spuds – it takes around five minutes – then sit back and relax. And the catamaran-hulled yacht is completely self-sustained, courtesy of its 75 kWh bank of lithium-ion batteries juiced by a full-length, top-deck roof frame that holds 30 12 kW solar panels. Not only do the batteries deliver the power to run the Arkup’s air conditioning, but everything else, from the induction cooktop and electric grille, to the washer/dryer, lighting and TVs. You name it. And most important, it delivers ample amps to power the yacht’s 80 hp electric propulsion system. Indefinitely. How come? On a sunny day, the solar system can generate enough electricity to push the Arkup at its five-knot cruise speed without draining the batteries. Need to speed-up to punch against that incoming tide? Top speed is 8.5 knots. What happens when the sun goes in? There’s a diesel back-up generator. Miami-based Arkup has been around since 2016. Founded by French engineers Arnaud Luguet and Nicolas Derouin, their first ‘Livable Yacht’ was the massive Arkup 75 with 4,000-square-feet of living space, six bedrooms and a $5 million price tag. If you’ve ever driven along cruise-ship alley in Miami, you’ll have seen it parked outside a home on ritzy Star Island. According to Arkup business development manager, Jared Pearlman, who gave me a tour of the new 50 during last year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the builder created the yacht to widen the appeal of this intriguing home on the water. “Its uses are infinite. While we see it being used primarily as an extension of a waterfront home, it could also be a luxury guest apartment, an office, luxury rental or a weekend retreat.” The version I toured was configured with a two-bed, two-bath layout, though Arkup can design it as a one-bedroom with one bath, or open-plan studio. What comes standard however, is 660 square feet of living space under a/c on the lower level and another 660 square feet on the top deck. Opt for the power-deploying, wrap-around side decks and the 50’s total square-footage soars to 2,200 sq ft. The beauty of these side decks is that they provide water-level space for reclining on a sun lounger, or tieing-up a tender alongside. And, as Pearlman points out, with the decks raised up and positioned flush against the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass windows, they seal-up the yacht “like a turtle in its shell”. That gives peace of mind in a storm, or hurricane, or to lock-and-leave when you’re away. As for that roof deck, it is truly vast and just perfect for outdoor entertaining, movie watching, alfresco dinners, or just lounging. Arkup can even install a hot tub. And the helm station is here, where the Arkup can be maneuvered using the 180-degree steerable stern propellor, together with the forward bow thruster. As a floating villa without the all-important spud poles and fold-down terraces, an Arkup 50 will set you back around $900,000. Add those items, plus a few other luxuries and you’re looking at close to $1.6 million. Delivery is via a couple of 18-wheelers from the company’s Bedford, Indiana manufacturing facility. No, you won’t be crossing any oceans in an Arkup and you’ll want to avoid big winds and waves. But as a luxury pied a l’eau, it’s a terrific concept.