elegs

Where are the truly beautiful speakers?

Go to any hi-fi show and you'll see room after room filled with the latest and greatest-sounding speakers, but chances are you won't come away from the experience captivated by brilliant designs. I sometimes wonder if the audio industry will ever get its act together and make speakers you don't have to be an audiophile to love.

Extreme cars, like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, arouse strong, positive reactions from people who would never buy or even drive them, but high-end audio speakers rarely achieve that sort of admiration. My best guess as to why that's so is that truly beautiful audiophile speakers are rare. Or to put it another way, do you have to be an audiophile to think speakers are beautiful? Granted, if you're already an audiophile you might be predisposed to view large speakers in a positive light and see their form as part of their function. For nonaudiophiles, size is definitely a factor, in the opposite direction: the smaller a speaker is, the easier it is to fit into the average person's living space.… Read more

Inifiniti teases the JX crossover on Facebook

Infiniti is giving its Facebook fans an early look at the upcoming JX crossover weeks before the official reveal.

The luxury seven-seater crossover will have its official debut at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 18. To build anticipation, the auto manufacturer is publishing a new photo each Thursday on its fan page. The Facebook page also includes a chance to win a trip for two to Pebble Beach for the big reveal.

Larger than the EX35 and FX35 crossovers, but smaller than the full-size Infiniti QX, the three-row crossover should compete with such vehicles as the Audi Q7. Parent company Nissan expects the crossover to be a large-volume production vehicle, and it will be produced at the Smyrna, Tenn. plant.

The production version of the JX will debut at the 2011 Lost Angeles Auto Show in November, and the 2013 model of the crossover will go on sale some time next spring. … Read more

Infiniti announces 3-row JX crossover

The 2011 New York International Auto Show starts tomorrow, but Infiniti is already looking forward to the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, where it will be unveiling the 2013 Infiniti JX, a larger sibling to its EX and FX crossovers.

Until the concept is unveiled, all we have is the sketch above and a few tidbits teased by the automaker. The large crossover slots in just below the full-size Infiniti QX and will have three rows of seats with room for seven passengers. Externally, the design language that featured prominently on the Infiniti Essence concept car should be stretched … Read more

Video of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in Florida

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 not only showed up at the Amelia Island Concours D'Elegance in Jacksonville, Fla., but Mercedes-Benz Assistant Product Manager William Vetter took a few minutes to host a video walk-around of the race car.

The video shows the race car's features, from the lowered, lightweight carbon fiber body to the features on the steering wheel, from the gear-shift paddles to the button you can push to take a sip of whatever beverage you've got squirreled away.

There are other cool features such as a center console button that literally blows the doors off … Read more

Order your 918 Spyder Hybrid now--for $845K

If you've got a little bit of extra cash lying around, jump on this offer. Porsche today announced that dealerships would be taking orders for the 918 Spyder--and the plug-in hybrid super car will sell for a mere $845,000 in the U.S. (that's 645,000 euros).

The 918 Spyder concept made its debut last year at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and was also spotted last year at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The 918 Spyder design was inspired by the 918 Carrera GT super sports car and the 917 and RS Spyder race cars. Like the 2010 concept car, the production version will be made from a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque. However, the production version will have a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stored in the front luggage compartment, Porsche said.

The speedy hybrid will do 0 to 60 mph in about 3.1 seconds, with a top speed of 199 mph. As previously reported, the 918 Spyder will be powered by a unique plug-in hybrid system that includes a high-revving, mid-mounted V8 engine with a capacity of more than 4.0 liters and producing at least 500 horsepower. Two electric motors--one each on the front and rear axles--together produce additional 218 hp.… Read more

Papal Mercedes-Benz to appear at Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

A 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman landaulet built specially for Pope Paul VI will make its first U.S. appearance at the the 16th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance held March 11-13, 2011.

The pontiff not only rode in comfort, but also stayed protected in the modded 600. The vehicle featured an individual seat that could be raised and lowered during processions through crowded streets. The car also featured an elevated roof, extended rear doors, and raised floor were also fitted along with other special equipment such as bulletproof glass.

The 600 was likely chosen to be modified for the … Read more

Exotic cars from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is known for hosting the greatest examples of historical automobiles in the world, but this car fest attracts even newer vehicles. Traipsing around the lawn, we found some extraordinarily fast cars, some very expensive cars, and often both qualities at once.

Driving the world's second-fastest car

When we first covered the limited-production supercar known as the SSC Ultimate Aero, it had just laid claim to the title of fastest production car in the world. More recently, Shelby SuperCars announced it would install an electric drivetrain and thereby make the SSC the world's fastest electric car as well.

We have yet to see the electric version, and as of late June, the new Bugatti Veyron Super Sport had snatched away the production car speed crown from the Ultimate Aero. But SSC was in Monterey for this year's global pilgrimage of car nuts, and we were able to get some seat time in the car that was the world's fastest for almost two years. It's not an experience for the faint of heart.

SSC was founded in 1998 by lifelong car enthusiast Jerod Shelby, a trained mechanical engineer who had previously helped start a medical-device company. For the record, he is no relation to that other automotive Shelby, but one can be forgiven for assuming a connection based on each company's humble origins as one man's vision, not to mention their penchants for producing seriously hairy-chested machinery.

The Ultimate Aero is a beast by any measure. Its SSC-designed 6.8-liter engine is based on a billet aluminum block, and twin turbochargers boost output to a heady 1,287 horsepower and 1,112 pound-feet of torque, according to current figures on the company's site. Serious rubber is required to keep that power reasonably useful, and that helps push the overall width of the car to nearly 7 feet. Again, the timid or twitchy need not apply. … Read more

Infiniti hots up the G37

In the automotive world, performance lines abound. BMW builds M cars, Mercedes-Benz offers AMG versions of its cars, and Audi puts the RS badge on a few models. Even Lexus got into the game recently with the F version of the IS model.

Among the luxury brands, only Infiniti remained immune from building tuner versions of its cars. Until now.

Enter the Infiniti G37 IPL, being shown for the first time at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The newly introduced performance brand, IPL, stands for Infiniti Performance Line, and uses, in our opinion, a very un-Infiniti-like graphic design.

As … Read more

Proton Persona Elegance unveiled

This shaky, handheld video is the official unveiling of the Proton Persona Elegance (facelift) in East Malaysia.

The video, which appeared on YouTube on Thursday, doesn't offer much explanation. But what I gather is, there have been changes to the design of the car to give it a more pronounced front grill, redesigned headlights, and rear LED lights. The new models also offer comfort and safety additions.

The Persona Elegance is expected to boost sales for Proton by 8 percent.