The Top Selling Cars of 2014

TOYOTA PRIUS (HYBRID)

This little hybrid is as popular in Europe as it is in the United States. After Toyota’s success with this model, they produced two more versions: Prius V (the bigger version) and Prius C. The interior of Toyota Prius is comfy and looks decent, but the best thing about it is its fuel economy and the fact that it is a hybrid, of course. And it is affordable – around $24,000

HONDA ACCORD

Another Japanese beauty ranks quite high in all lists of top selling cars for this year: Honda Accord. Owners say it is comfy, fun to drive and easy to handle, even in bad road conditions. There are 4 and 6 cylinder versions. The first one comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, and the other one comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission (you can also opt for manual transmission if you buy a model with V6)

TOYOTA RAV4

This SUV ranks high in nearly all lists of good affordable cars. The engine power, spacious interior, quality materials, nice exterior and good fuel economy make this car worth the money. They wanted to improve this model even more, so they also reinforced the windshield so you don’t hear the noise coming from the outside.

HONDA CR-V

A beautiful and reliable car. Whatever you need it for, you will be happy with it. And there is one more thing that makes this car worth your money: fuel economy. There are very few cars in this class that can compete with the CR-V.

FORD FUSION

This sedan is not too big, so don’t expect it to be good for longer rides. Its four cylinder engine is not too impressive, but if you need it for city rides, you will be happy with it. It also looks quite good. The interior is spacious, comfy and made of nice looking materials.

HONDA CIVIC

Another Honda that deserves to be on this list. They made it better than most other cars in this class. It normally comes with accessories like Blutooth connectivity for phone and a camera. It is very easy to drive and there is enough space inside the car. If you decide to sell it, you might still get good money for your used Civic.

TOYOTA CAMRY

One of the most popular midsize sedans. If you are looking to buy one, you might want to wait for an even better version: 2015 model. If you want to buy a Toyota Camry this year, you will still be happy with the current model. Its V6 provides enough power, the car is comfy on the inside and looks good on the outside. There is also a hybrid version.

KIA OPTIMA

This midsize sedan is beautiful and made with taste. Evethough it comes with a V4 engine, owners say they are happy with its power. It performs quite well, even on winding roads and in bad road conditions. The brakes are excellent. The current model comes with some additional cool stuff, like cooling glove box, Bluetooth, satellite radio, etc.

TOYOTA COROLLA

Some owners complain about bad acceleration, but that was expected, considering the fact that it comes with a weak four cylinder engine. However, fuel economy is good, and the ride in general is comfy (unless you plan to use it for long rides ouside the city). The interior could have been made nicer, with less plastic in it.

NISSAN ALTIMA

Evethough it comes with a V4 engine, it feels like it has enough power, which makes it fun to drive and easy to handle. It performs well even on the highways. If you still want more power, you can get one of these with a V6 engine. Owners are also happy with the interior and space. The car looks ellengant, both inside and out.

Honda Pilot Vs. Toyota Highlander: Compare Cars

If you recoil at the prospect of driving a minivan, the roomiest seven- and eight-passenger crossovers are pretty good substitutes. And if your escape from sliding doors brought you to either the Honda Pilot or the Toyota Highlander, you're on the right path.

But which fits your family better? Read on carefully, as it comes down to a few subtle yet important points. Both of these models are among the best three-row crossover SUVs—affordable yet comfortable, safe, and well-equipped — but the Pilot is brand-new this year, and it's a considerably improved vehicle, and to our eyes, the far more appealing one to the eye, with softer styling that suits its roadgoing mission.

The Highlander scores well for its variety of powertrains. A base four-cylinder earns very good fuel economy (up to 20/25 mpg); it's topped by a fairly expensive Hybrid model that's rated at up to 28 mpg Combined by the EPA. The strong V-6 version is best for towing or carrying a full load of passengers often.

The Pilot comes with a stronger 280-hp V-6 in base versions; the engine is coupled to either a six- or a nine-speed automatic, with a smart all-wheel-drive system that can shift power front to back, and between the rear wheels. With either, you probably only need AWD if you live in a place where rough weather lasts for more than a month a year. Honda's best fuel-economy number is 23 mpg combined for a pricey front-drive Touring model.

Over a couple of generations, both the Pilot and the Highlander have proven themselves worthy for family-utility duty--they're modern station wagons with cavernous interiors. Yet if there's one distinct thing that separates the Pilot from the Highlander, it's the Honda's driving feel. The revamped 2016 model has a fairly firm, well-damped ride (for the most part--see our 2016 Honda Pilot full review for more details) and light but responsive steering.

You'll enjoy driving the Pilot, and though the Highlander has improved remarkably in this regard, it still suffers from more numb steering and a harsher ride in heavier versions. The Honda, across the lineup, has better ride control; it's supple and absorbent.

Both of these models are tall and spacious, as well as easy to load and get into and out of (despite the lack of sliding doors). The Pilot's caught up to the Highlander in terms of second-row seating, with a new option for captain's chairs, a one-touch sliding mechanism and a lower step-in height. The Pilot's third-row seat isn't so easy for adults to access, but once in, they fit--something that's less true with the Toyota.

Both interiors brim with useful cubbies and bins, and convenience and luxury features abound. Both can be fitted with a power tailgate, DVD entertainment systems, Bluetooth, navigation, and other luxury features. If you're on a budget, Toyota's edge has disappeared, now that both carry similar base prices and equipment, including a USB port, Bluetooth audio streaming, and Bluetooth hands-free calling connectivity.

In safety, the Pilot has earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. The Highlander, with its combination of 'good' safety ratings in most categories plus an 'acceptable' small overlap result, is a Top Safety Pick+ selection as well. Visibility has vastly improved in the Pilot, with its slimmer roof pillars and its standard wide-angle rearview camera.

When we tally up our numeric ratings, it's the Pilot that now comes out on top. It's an energetic performer, and a good-looking one, with slightly better interior space and comfort. If you're looking for the ultimate in fuel economy, the Highlander gets the nod as a Hybrid, and for now at least, its safety scores are superior.

2016 Ford Focus Electric - Review

The 2016 Ford Focus Electric is fun to drive, though its range is lower than the Nissan Leaf and others; its "regular car" looks may appeal to some, but it's sold only in small numbers in a handful of markets.

The 2016 Ford Focus Electric, now in its fifth model year, remains the only battery-electric car sold by Ford anywhere in the world. It's the most energy-efficient car the company sells. The compact five-door hatchback is an adaptation of a gasoline model, built on the same assembly line in Michigan as all other North American Focuses, but it's sold only in small numbers in specific regions--and only in low numbers.

The Focus Electric competes with the Nissan Leaf, by far the world's highest-volume electric car, as well as the Volkswagen e-Golf, both of them similarly all-electric compact hatchbacks. Ford's electric Focus also faces off against a handful of smaller electric cars from other makers--the Chevy Spark EV, Fiat 500e, and Mitsubishi i-MiEV--also sold only in small numbers in limited markets.

Over five model years, the electric Focus has changed very little. While it was initially distinguished by a unique grille design, a 2015 restyle of the gasoline Focus gave the whole lineup the same look. Now, aside from a couple of chrome "Electric" door badges and the charging port on the left front fender, you'd never know just by looking that the Focus Electric has no engine.

The sole change to the 2016 model is the addition of Ford's latest Sync 3 infotainment system, which promises an easier-to-use interface and menu design than the much-reviled MyFord Touch system it replaces.

The powertrain of the Focus Electric remains a 23-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that provides energy to a 107-kilowatt (143-horsepower) electric motor that drives the front wheels. The battery cells are provided by Korean maker LG Chem, which supplies similar cells for the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car--meaning that Ford has piggybacked on GM's extensive cell test and development work. The Focus Electric pack is liquid-cooled--unlike that of the Nissan Leaf, which is only air-cooled--and that should make it somewhat more resistant to temperature extremes.

On the road, the motor is powerful enough to spin the inside front wheel when accelerating out of turns. Ford has tuned the regenerative braking to be somewhat on the aggressive side, but its acceleration and deceleration will still be relatively familiar to drivers used to automatic-transmission cars.

Despite several hundred pounds of extra weight, the Focus Electric has the same enjoyable roadholding of the gasoline Focus models. Its weight sits low, with the battery under the floorpan, so the car feels well planted, and its torque makes it a particularly good car for urban traffic jousting. It does start to run out of steam under heavy load approaching highway speeds, say above 50 mph. It runs well enough on the highway, but like most electrics, it's punchiest away from stoplights.

The EPA rates the Focus Electric at 76 miles of range (on combined city and highway cycles) and 105 MPGe, or miles-per-gallon-equivalent, an efficiency measure that specifies the distance a car can travel electrically on the same amount of energy as in 1 gallon of gasoline. While the efficiency is about average for the class, the range is slightly lower than the comparable Leaf (84 miles) or VW e-Golf (83 miles). That discrepancy will become more marked when a model of the 2016 Nissan Leaf is launched with more than 100 miles of rated range.

Because its charger operates at up to 6.6 KW, for Focus Electric can fully recharge its battery pack in no more than four hours when using a 240-volt Level 2 charging station. The Focus Electric offers no option for DC quick charging, however, which the Nissan Leaf and VW e-Golf do.

Inside, the Focus Electric is largely identical to any other Focus five-door hatchback. There are different screens in the digital instrument cluster display and center-stack display, of course, showing energy consumption and remaining range. The main difference--or drawback--inside the electric version of the Focus is in the rear load bay, due to the onboard charger sitting in a box that spans the area between the rear wheel arches, creating a hump perhaps 10 inches high. Ford has fitted a clever movable floor that either tilts down to meet the bottom of the hatchback opening or lifts up to provide a level floor in what remains of the load space, but it's a major compromise.

The Focus Electric was launched at a price of $40,000, but as electric-car prices have fallen, Ford has had to follow suit. The car now starts at about $30,000, very much line with the base models of the Leaf, which is now the standard to which other makers must compare. Buyers of the car qualify for a $7,500 Federal income-tax credit, a $2,500 purchase rebate in California, and a long list of other state, regional, and corporate incentives--including single-occupant use of the carpool lane on California freeways.

Putting the Focus Electric in perspective, it's a very low-volume entry that is available only in limited regions. It can be viewed either as a cautious experiment in which Ford dips its toe into the electric-car market or solely  a "compliance car" that enables the company to meet its requirement for sales of zero-emission vehicles in the state of California. It's a perfectly competent electric car that has seen no quality issues, and owners are generally satisfied with their electric Fords.

But the company puts far more marketing effort behind its C-Max and Fusion Hybrid models, both of which also offer Energi plug-in hybrid versions as well. Ford appears to believe that plug-in cars will be much more popular if they have gasoline engines as well.

Mercedes CLS 350 Shooting Brake 2015 review

Whether you view the CLS Shooting Brake as a practical coupé with five doors and a large boot, or an estate that places style above practicality, Mercedes has succeeded in creating another niche in the premium class. To prove it, the CLA will get the swoopy estate treatment and Shooting Brake name later this year, too.

But before that, the existing CLS has been madeover – and we’ve driven it in the UK. In place of the two-bar grille is a ‘diamond’ version, while the bumper has also been reshaped. At the rear there’s a more aggressive-looking bumper and the tail-lights have been darkened.

But the big news is the headlamps, which now use Multibeam LED tech. On full beam the 24 LEDs fan upwards and outwards, giving unparalleled vision. What’s more, Highbeam Assist – which senses an oncoming car and shuts off the relevant LEDs shining at it – means it’s possible to drive at night with the full beams on all the time.

The refreshed Shooting Brake range offers two diesels, plus a 5.5-litre V8 petrol twin-turbo in the CLS 63 AMG S. There’s a 2.1-litre four-cylinder, but we’d recommend spending an extra £3,305 for the 3.0-litre V6 in the 350 BlueTEC. With 258bhp and 620Nm of torque it’s the perfect engine for the 1.9-tonne estate, delivering 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.

Refined, flexible and powerful, it’s barely audible, and the stop-start springs to life with little vibration. The new nine-speed auto shifts even more smoothly, boosting economy and emissions to 49.6mpg and 149g/km respectively.

Image 9 of 10

This car enjoys being hustled along on country roads; the box is quick to respond and power delivery is linear. But ultimately the Shooting Brake is a grand tourer, and it cossets its occupants in near-silence on the motorway.

There’s only one spec. All AMG Lines have 19-inch rims, AMG styling, lowered suspension, LED lights, heated leather seats, powered tailgate, sat-nav and climate control. There are numerous options, too. The update has made the car even more appealing – it’s an eccentric choice, but one that always feels special to drive.

from http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/

2015 Audi A7 - Review

The A7 is handsome no matter how you slice it, but it's the brawn S7 and brutish RS7 that really gets our blood flowing.

The 2015 Audi A7 is one of the best-looking vehicles on the road today, wearing its four-door coupe curves with grace and style. Sleeker, more beautiful, and, in some ways, even more practical than the excellent A6 sedan it shares much of its componentry with, the 2015 Audi A7 is a remarkable offering in a competitive segment. 

Add to those looks the utility of a hatchback rear cargo area, and you have an intriguing combination of style and practicality. 

In the fuel-economy race, the new A7 TDI aims to emerge at the top of this segment. The new turbodiesel model earns impressive EPA numbers of 24 mpg city/ 38 highway/ 29 combined. It's offered with standard all-wheel drive and the eight-speed automatic, and with 240 hp and 428 lb-ft torque, it's said to be capable of a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds. Street performance is just as expansive as the supercharged six; the differences come down to price and preference.

Further down the scale is an engine that's probably smaller than what might have been installed in it a few years ago. Audi's supercharged V-6 makes 310 horsepower and can get the base A7 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. At 18 mpg city, 28 highway, it arguably has V-6 fuel efficiency, too, via its standard eight-speed automatic. A few small gripes aside, the A7 is quick, it handles shockingly well for such a large car, exhibiting little of the nose-heavy understeer Audis are often known for in hard driving--yet it still rides comfortably.

A step up the ladder is where the Audi S7 lives. It shares a similar turbocharged V-8 to the highest-performance RS7, only it's reduced to 420 hp--but still capable of getting to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. It has a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox coupled to quattro all-wheel drive, and much of the same adept handling, fluid road manners and outstanding acceleration--just not all of the outrageousness.

Last year, the A7 adopted two new models into its breathtakingly pretty lineup, and one finishes that oxygen-extraction process. It's the RS 7, the most powerful Audi you can buy, even more powerful than the V-10 R8 sports car. The $105,795 RS 7 punches out a gulpworthy 560 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, straps it to an eight-speed, paddle-shifted automatic with an active rear differential and a variable-torque-splitting quattro all-wheel-drive system, to throw down one of the most tastefully tailored gauntlets of all time. It thrives in the same extremely thin air as the CLS AMG 63 and M6 Gran Coupe: with 0-60 mph times of 3.7 seconds, it's no longer just a rival for the usual luxury sedans, it'll hound a Corvette Stingray down the straights while evading gas-guzzler taxes through the miracle of cylinder-deactivation technology.

From the front, the A7 strongly resembles the A6 that shares its mechanical layout, its instrument panel, and most of its features. Walk around the A7 and where a trunklid should be lies a hatchback, long and wide, opening up into a shallow cargo floor under the gracefully curved roofline. The grand-tourer outline gets played here for maximum practicality. Subtle details distinguish the base cars from the uber models: chrome grilles become black honeycombs, simple exhausts tap out for diffusers and oval tailpipes, and matte aluminum and carbon replace gloss black trim. The dash is a chorus of cutlines, but Audi's mastery of materials carries it off without a hint of chaos.

It's not over in the corners, either. The air suspension that's standard can be adjusted into dynamic mode for flatter cornering, and steering can be dialed into a direct-ratio mode, too. (A DRC steel suspension's coming but won't be very common.) All told, the RS 7's rear-biased all-wheel-drive system can't erase its built-in understeer, but it can neutralize it so the RS 7 dives into corners flatly, predictably, at incredibly lofty speeds. We imagine a four-door GT-R might feel like this, if it let its richer instincts take the wheel.

No matter which A7 edition is hosting your passengers, they'll all be warmly welcomed. It's a top-notch luxury-car interior, with supremely comfortable front seats, although the back seats are a little tight for lanky adults. The S7 and RS 7 are four-seaters; other versions have five seats, nominally. With the seats down, the Audi A7 and S7 are limited only by the sloping glass in terms of capacity; there's a lot of room here, and a lot of utility--even though the space is a bit shallow.

In addition to the phenomenally good interior appointments, it's technology that also makes the A7 a standout. Most of what's great in the new Audi A8 flagship has been handed down to the lower-priced A7, either on the standard-equipment list or as part of the options list. The A7 comes standard with 12-way power heated front seats, and a choice of trim to go with standard leather. Ventilated seats are an option. The S7 and RS 7 come standard with Valcona leather seats and ambient lighting, while the RS 7 offers up a three-spoke steering wheel; a sport shift knob; and a gorgeous, natty pinstriped black-and-aluminum trim.

A night-vision display, blind-spot assist, and a system that can anticipate a collision all elevate the A7's safety roster above many luxury sedans. But it's the infotainment systems that are truly memorable: they include 3D Google Earth maps with Sirius Traffic updates, Google Voice search, an awesome Bang & Olufsen sound system, Audi Connect (in-car data services with a wireless hotspot), and MMI Touch, which lets you enter destinations, phone numbers, and the like by simply tracing a letter or number at a time on a little scratchpad.

This year, Audi's signature LED headlights have been updated for the A7 lineup. It's one of few changes that do nothing to alter the A7's stunning shape.

The A7 doesn't make waves inside the way it does on the outside, but it does show the best of Audi interior design, which includes some of the best-coordinated materials and trims on the luxury-car market. With a look that's essentially borrowed from the A8 flagship sedan--though slimmed down a bit and sitting low to fit the A7's more rakish look and feel. The smoothly styled, straight-across instrument panel helps maximize interior space, while matte-metallic finishes and two-tone soft-touch surfaces, along with some woodgrains and flowing door and dash contours, altogether make this interior feel special.

A centerpiece of the instrument panel is the MMI touch controller, pop-up nav screen, and rather thick, low center console; they're much the same as in the bigger A8, but the interface itself is even more cleaned-up and simplified.

The A7 is Audi's purest design statement, the culmination of a culture of curves. The A7 has its rivals--the very handsome Mercedes-Benz CLS and BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, and the very controversial Porsche Panamera--but none can claim its surfacing or its fine detailing. It's a beautiful piece with just a hint of quirky sensibility. If there's a flaw to be found, the A7 can look a little thick at the tail. Which modern car could be described differently?

Raising the ante to S7 and RS7 trim brings a discreet application of logos, wheels, and an automatic rear spoiler. There's a fantastic matte grey available on the RS 7, and painted brake calipers are on the order sheet too, to compliment its black honeycomb grille.

2015 Chevrolet Tahoe - Review

The 2015 Chevy Tahoe is the anti-crossover--except where its savvy cabin and infotainment features are concerned--with almost all the capability of a full-size pickup.

The 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe is all-new for the new model year, but it’s also one of a dying breed: the full-sized, truck-based SUV. Capable, comfortable, and more high-tech than ever, the Tahoe makes an authoritative case for the true SUV—especially for the buyer who still needs to tow or haul boats or tools in addition to family.

It's a derivative of GM's big pickup-truck and SUV family of vehicles, so the Tahoe's look is familiar. The front end's close to that of the 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500pickup truck, but Chevy says the two vehicles don't share any sheetmetal. Elsewhere, the Tahoe's very crisply folded wagon body has much more in common with the 2015 Chevy Suburban--its long-wheelbase companion--and with the 2015 GMC Yukon.

The Tahoe sits on a wheelbase 116 inches long; the Suburban's span is 130 inches. (GMC's Yukon has the same parallel with the Yukon XL.)

Aerodynamically, the new Tahoe improves on the outgoing model, despite sheetmetal that's lost almost all the softness introduced with the last-generation Tahoe, back in 2007. The cabin is the relief from all the hard, straight edges that define the new Tahoe: the cockpit, if you can call it that on an eight-passenger vehicle, is soothingly smooth and curved, with an 8.0-inch LCD touchscreen centerpiece and more overt car influences than ever.

Last year the Tahoe dropped its hybrid edition. For the major model change, it fits just a single drivetrain, GM's latest 5.3-liter V-8 coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. It's rated at 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, in both rear-drive and four-wheel-drive form.  GM claims the Tahoe will be best in its class--largely due to direct injection and cylinder deactivation. We find it to be remarkable, however it stacks up against the competition. The new Tahoe's manners on the road are impeccable, from the strong new V-8 engine to the smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. The cabin is also much quieter than the previous Tahoe's, matching nicely with the more comfortable seating and more stylish look. The Tahoe can tow up to 8,500 pounds when properly configured, too.

The Tahoe now benefits from the fuel-saving assistance of electric power steering, too, and its body is constructed of more high-strength steel, which GM claims will deliver a better, stiffer, body. The standard suspension is a live-axle, leaf-spring rear, but the Tahoe LTZ offers GM's Magnetic Ride Control, which uses shocks filled with magnetically charged fluid that changes damping rates every few milliseconds. When equipped with the Magnetic Ride Control system, body control of the large SUV is remarkable, even on winding roads, while comfort is maximized.

GM says it's put a lot of engineering effort into improving the Tahoe's functionality, safety, and infotainment features. Third-row access is better because the seats fold flat now, and getting in the way-back is easier thanks to a couple more inches in second-row leg room. The cabin's storage bins are more useful too, with a center console bin deep enough to hold tablet or small notebook computers. There's even a power-folding option for the second and third row, making it quicker and easier to convert from passenger duty to cargo-hauling mode.

The Tahoe tops off a revised safety package with GM's new front-center airbags, on models with front bucket seats. Adaptive cruise control is an option, as are a lane-departure warning system with seat-mounted haptic alerts, blind-spot monitors, forward collision alerts, and front parking sensors.

Other available features include keyless entry; pushbutton start; an 8.0-inch LCD touchscreen radio with Chevy MyLink connectivity; a head-up display; a power tailgate; a cargo-management system; and up to six USB ports and six power outlets. A Blu-Ray DVD entertainment system will also be an option on the Tahoe, as will wheels sized up to 22 inches.

Pricing starts from $45,980 for the 2WD LS model (including the $995 destination and delivery fee), rising to $50,995 for the LT, and $59,995 for the top-spec LTZ. Adding 4WD raises the price an even $3,000 on each trim level.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition

There is only one Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition on the planet, and its owner is standing patiently in the hot pits at Oklahoma's Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, watching attentively as his prized possession circles the challenging road course at speed.

I'm the lucky soul strapped firmly in the cockpit of the white-and-blue racecar. The tight carbon-fiber seat is cutting into my hips, the racket from the gearbox is making me deaf and a river of sweat is flowing off the tip my nose – blame the high ambient temperatures combined with the stress of driving someone else's expensive machine on an utterly unfamiliar circuit.

But don't expect me to complain, gripe or come into the pits early, as I'm having the time of my life – I've eagerly waited nearly half-a-year for this moment, and short of me blacking out, there's no way I'm cutting it short. 

It's been said that ANDIAL-prepared cars and engines have claimed victories on every major racetrack in this country.

Belting into the driver's seat of an ANDIAL-prepared Porsche fulfills a personal dream that started decades earlier when I thumbtacked a picture of a white Porsche 935 on my dorm room wall, its colorful bodywork stenciled with "ANDIAL" along the bottom of the driver's door. In the 1980s, the name of the privately held racing company was synonymous with Porsche and victory – it's been said that ANDIAL-prepared cars and engines have claimed victories on every major racetrack in this country.

As its founders retired and the company focused on smaller specialty projects, ANDIAL's business model changed, but its relationship with Porsche remained strong. In early 2013, it was announced that the Porsche Motorsports North America, Inc. (PMNA) had purchased the brand – yet there was still no word as to how the famed ANDIAL name, an anagram made from the names of the founding members – the late Arnold Wagner (AN), Dieter Inzenhofer (DI) and former PMNA president and current consultant Alwin Springer (AL) would be used.

Some answers emerged in February of this year when I received a phone call from Porsche. The company offered to have me to visit ANDIAL's shop in Southern California, which is now operating entirely under the direction of PMNA. Entering one of the shop's bays, I found myself face-to-face with a lightly used 997 GT3 Cup racecar. The vehicle was in the early stages of a complete teardown and rebuild – in preparation for its rollout in traditional red, white and blue ANDIAL livery.

Porsche had plans to convert a very small number of customer-owned 997 GT3 Cup cars to ANDIAL specifications.

Klaus Viljanmaa is a Porsche aficionado by all definitions of the term. Born and raised in Finland, he moved to the States less than a decade ago after his family sold its ownership of the Jalas shoe company, which it had held privately for more than 90 years. Klaus' automotive passion led him to racing Porsches, at a club level, in the Midwest. After owning and competing in most of the automaker's late-model 911-based racecars, including the formidable GT3 RSR, he was seeking something new and interesting to feed his track passion. A conversation with Jens Walther, President and CEO of PMNA, introduced him to a small project ANDIAL was beginning to work on.

In a nutshell, PMNA had plans to convert a very small number of customer-owned 997 GT3 Cup cars to ANDIAL specifications – reincarnating the type of build programs that made ANDIAL a trackside name more than 30 years ago. Klaus eagerly placed his order for car No. 1 – securing the first of just five planned Porsche GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition racecars.

Klaus purchased a used 2011 Porsche GT3 Cup car, which was brought into ANDIAL's shop for a complete disassembly and inspection that was followed by a comprehensive reconstruction – if it couldn't be rebuilt to new standards, it was replaced with original Porsche parts.

The hand-assembled engine emerged as a 4.0-liter, boasting GT3 R internals and with an output bumped to 515 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque.

While the chassis was undergoing its restoration, ANDIAL's engine shop was tearing the vehicle's stock 3.8-liter flat six apart so it could be completely rebuilt. The hand-assembled engine emerged as a 4.0-liter, boasting GT3 R internals and signature gold intake manifolds, with an output bumped to 515 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. The new redline was a stratospheric 8,500 rpm. The suspension was upgraded with two-way adjustable Motion Control Suspension dampers, the brakes were enhanced with an ABS M4 kit from Bosch Motorsport and the G97/63 six-speed sequential dog-type gearbox was fitted with a pneumatic paddle shift system from K-M-P. The completed car was delivered to Klaus in April of this year. Instead of locking it up as a museum piece, he immediately began successfully campaigning it on the track.

After carefully following the build, I was eager get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts kept me out of the car when it was in Southern California, so I flew to Tulsa, OK and made the 30-minute drive to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit for my date with the GT3. The track at Hallett is only 1.8-miles long, but its 10 varied corners and elevation changes make the course quite challenging, definitely enough to keep things interesting.

The TOPP Racing team has the car ready when I arrive, so following a briefing I climb into the driver's seat. After a few master switches are flipped to initiate power to the electronics, fuel and cooling systems, I press the ignition button and the 4.0-liter flat-six roars immediately to life and settles down to a turbulent and impatient growl. The clamor inside the cabin, which is devoid of any material even remotely resembling acoustic damping, goes from near-silent to rambunctious – loud enough to drown out all conversation with the outside world (I am wearing an earpiece, so I can still hear the pits). I resort to hand signals to communicate with the crew, which has assembled around the vehicle.

I keep my foot on the accelerator and increase my velocity as a 90-degree left hander looms ahead.

Thankfully, the track is wide open – Klaus has generously rented the entire circuit for the day – so I gingerly pull out of the paddock and onto the hot track. Still in first gear, I run the 4.0-liter up to redline and give the right paddle a sharp pull. Instantaneously, the sequential gearbox grabs its next ratio and the chassis lunges forward as if rear-ended by a tank. The forceful shift is much harder and quicker than expected (explaining why the pneumatic paddle shift upgrade shaves seconds off lap times), but the gearbox seems unruffled by the abuse. Undeterred, I keep my foot on the accelerator and increase my velocity as a 90-degree left hander looms ahead.

Entering the corner in third gear, I guide the Porsche wide to the right side of the track before dialing in a few degrees of left steering as I sight the apex. There is a slight imbalance coming through the three-spoke OMP wheel – likely rubber buildup on the slicks from a previous session – but the vibration and steering resistance is all part of the braille-like communication coming through the steering allowing my gloved fingertips to read the track's surface.

A massive rear wing, sticky tires and a low center of gravity ensure that the Porsche is more planted than the tall Blackjack trees that line the circuit's outfield. Its predictable mannerisms buoy my confidence and my speeds steadily increase. After several more reconnaissance corners, I am ready to push – so I open her up.

The computer-controlled paddle shift system is bloody quick, but it adds a bit of brutality to the game.

Pedal to the metal brings the ANDIAL 4.0 to life. It breathes deeply and returns a punch of horsepower that pushes me hard enough into the seat that the tightly cinched harnesses on my shoulders feel as if they have been loosened. The sound is deafening, but the commotion isn't coming from the twin exhaust pipes. Instead, there is an overpowering mechanical whine from the race gearbox that infiltrates everything, right down to the marrow in my bones. The wail rises and lowers with each shift, overpowering everything. From the driver's seat, there is no wind noise, no tire roar and no exhaust note – just the sound of the sequential gearbox howling away. It's nothing short of earsplitting.

With ambient temperature nearing triple digits, there is heat in the tires in short order. Once hot and gummy, they return enough grip to bruise both of my hip bones and cause the muscles in my neck and shoulders to be sore for days (earlier in the day, Klaus ran a dozen laps taking visible enjoyment cornering hard enough to lift the two inside tires over the many rises – mechanical grip doesn't seem to be an issue).

The computer-controlled paddle shift system is bloody quick, but it adds a bit of brutality to the game. A factory GT3 Cup with a traditional manual lever shifts rapidly, with an authoritative kick in the tail while under power. Yet the ANDIAL Edition takes it up a notch – from firm to fierce – resulting in a gear changes that rock the chassis as if a minor explosions are blowing off its tail. Noting that the ferocity of the shifts slightly unsettles the rear end while under power, and even during deceleration, this driver chooses to hold gears until the racecar is traveling in moderately straight trajectories.

For someone used to driving supercars and exotics that weigh a half a ton more, Klaus' car feels light, agile and joyfully tossable.

As is often the case with racecars, I find the pedal effort on the brakes to be high. A very firm foot is required to bring the Porsche down from speed. The six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers are up to the task, but I am betting that Klaus is running a hard (endurance) pad compound. I normally avoid ABS levels of braking on a racing circuit, leaving the electronic nanny in my back pocket as a last resort, but I deliberately bash the center pedal to test the anti-lock system fitted to Klaus' car. Unlike some civilian systems, which prevent wheels locking at the expense of stability, the specially adapted ABS on the ANDIAL Edition is notable for its rapid actuation and being completely unobtrusive.

Porsche estimates that the GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition weighs just over 2,600 pounds, which is about the same as the factory GT3 Cup offering. For someone used to driving supercars and exotics that weigh a half a ton more (Porsche's own 918 Spyder tips the scales at 3,692 pounds), Klaus' car feels light, agile and joyfully tossable. The reduced mass is most evident during the braking phase – despite its blistering acceleration and impressive cornering grip – as I continuously find myself bleeding off far too much speed before the next corner.

After a dizzying number of laps, I've got a routine going that allows me to focus on the engine. A professionally set-up racecar is a real jewel on a good track, but the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter ANDIAL, running without a restrictor plate, is the well-cut diamond that sets this car apart from its brethren. The engine build may be the best execution of Porsche's legendary flat-six that I have ever sampled – angry and powerful, with a chilling exhaust note – and I am plenty lucky to have experienced it mounted at the tail end of a masterfully tuned car.

This GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition is significantly more devilish than a factory GT3 Cup.

This GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition is significantly more devilish than a factory GT3 Cup, with a distinctly evil personality, which is exactly what Klaus was seeking. Its deep-breathing 4.0-liter engine, taught suspension, firm brake pedal and lightning-quick reflexes deliver every challenge and ounce of performance an enthusiast could want on a track – but the motoring bliss doesn't come without a price. The ANDIAL conversion adds a hefty $95,000 to $120,000 above the cost of a suitable 997 GT3 Cup donor, plus several months for the build.

But if its villainous racecar personality hasn't left you convinced, remember that this car results from a program that's a marriage of Porsche and ANDIAL, two names synonymous with motorsports proficiency and victory. Then ponder the exclusivity and potential collector value of just five planned cars, which have likely already been spoken for. Taking everything into account, my unlikely day in Oklahoma suggests the GT3 Cup ANDIAL Edition is a racecar bargain.