History will undoubtedly look back on the 2010s as a golden age for the automobile: Cars became more powerful while also becoming more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly. Design, too, hit a high point in many ways, as cars shed the anonymous blobbiness of the early 2000s and some real rock-star designers emerged. But every silver lining has a cloud, and we saw some horrifically ugly cars in the previous decade. Here are the ones we think are the worst offenders.
2010 GMC Terrain
What separates SUVs from a wagons? Or a good-looking cars from ugly cars? Apparently, it’s fenders. Back in 2010 you could draw no other conclusion from the plethora of black-plastic wheel-arch extensions that separated wagons from SUVs. That must have been GMC’s thinking when it developed the squared-off monstrosity known as the Terrain, which echoed the blocky shapes of the Sierra pickup in a compact [...]
The Jeep Gladiator pickup‘s new Mojave variant is due to get an SUV sibling in the form of the predictably named Wrangler Mojave, according to the enthusiast website Mopar Insiders. The online publication spoke with unnamed sources at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles who claim the upcoming, “Desert Rated” SUV will arrive for the 2021 model year in both two- and four-door body styles.
None of this is especially surprising, given the vague mechanical and size similarities between the Gladiator and Wrangler models. Like the Gladiator Mojave, the Wrangler Mojave will all but assuredly feature off-road performance items such as a set of Fox 2.5-inch internal bypass shock absorbers, additional frame reinforcement, a one-inch front-end suspension lift, cast-iron steering knuckles, and 33-inch tall Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. Similarly, we expect the Wrangler Mojave to adopt its truck counterpart’s hood (the one that features a mailslot-like center scoop), as well as the special trim’s orange-painted tow hooks, more [...]
Getting a docent-led tour of a museum can offer so much more insight than you might get just wandering the galleries on your own. Getting to tour a private collection led by its owner is an even more exclusive and educational experience, and that’s excactly what the Petersen Automotive Museum is offering this Sunday, May 3, when it will host a virtual tour of the Galpin Auto Sports collection led by Galpin president and star of the new show Car Kings Beau Boeckmann.
Watch Car Kings And Loads More Great Car Content On The MotorTrend App, Currently Available For Just $1/Month!Located in Van Nuys, California, the Galpin Auto Sports museum isn’t normally open to the public. But starting at 11:00 am PST on May 3, you’ll be able to tune in to a livestream on the Petersen’s YouTube channel and see one of the most ecclectic car collections on Earth. The best part? Boeckmann [...]
Like any manufacturer who builds $200,000 vehicles—not to mention $2 million convertibles—Bentley pays attention to the small details. Something as simple as a badge is even made with the utmost care. No surprise, then, that the British marque is using fancy 3D electroforming to affix its badge onto the carbon-fiber side sills of certain models.
Electroforming is a method of depositing metal onto an object through the use of an electrochemical cell. The object is then discarded, and the metal formation remains. It creates an entirely new product, unlike electroplating, in which a thin coating of metal becomes a permanent part of the object. Think of electroforming as a more precise alternative to 3D printing.
Saleen has tuned many Ford Mustangs in its day, but did you know it also turned up the heat on the Ford Explorer way before high-performance SUVs became a thing? Yep. Case in point is this big ol’ blast from the past—a 1998 Ford Explorer Saleen XP8 Supercharged that is making the rounds on Bring a Trailer. The souped-up SUV appears to be in practically new condition with only 23,000 miles on the clock.
About 300 examples were made between the late 1990s and 2001, and this one is number 28—it says so right on the Toreador Red painted bumper below the headlight in gold lettering. Pretty sweet. But wait, there’s more—way more! Check out those 18-inch gold rims shod with Pirelli Scorpion Zero rubber, retro Saleen decals, and a funky body kit with a rear spoiler. The tuned suspension was dropped about 2.0-inches by the SoCal tuner. [...]
