Ignition

On the premiere episode of Ignition, Carlos Lago conquers the legendary Nardo Ring in the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4. Come along for the ride as the most powerful bull ever enters the world's fastest ring.

Carlos Lago lights the fuse on the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Joined by pro race driver Randy Pobst and armed with miles of empty racetrack at Inde Motorsports Ranch in Willcox, AZ, we finally find out if the mythical ZL1 is worth the wait.

In this episode of Ignition, Michael Febbo tests the all new 2012 Bentley Continental GTC stateside, then crosses the pond for some Old World cruising in Croatia.

On this episode of Ignition, Carlos Lago gets rained-out at the test track, and decides to head out on the open road in search of adventure in the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392.

On this episode of Ignition, Carlos Lago finds out if the 2013 Scion FR-S blazes a new trail for affordable, real-wheel drive enthusiast cars. Pro racer Randy Pobst also gets in on the action, pushing the FR-S to its performance limits with hot laps around Streets of Willow racetrack.

On this episode of Ignition, Carlos Lago digs deep into the concoction of turbochargers and aluminum that is the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550. Does the latest and most powerful version of the big bad Benz do the SL name justice?

Carlos Lago hits the road and the test track with Jeep's Hemi-powered 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8.

Carlos Lago sizes up Hyundai's new "hot hatch", the 2012 Veloster Turbo.

Carlos Lago puts the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 Black Series to the test and explores what makes it so special.

Carlos Lago tests out the hotly anticipated 2013 Cadillac ATS. Ever since its "Art and Science" rebirth, Cadillac has made it clear its gunning for BMW. With the 2013 ATS, they've finally locked in on their primary target - the benchmark BMW 3 Series.

Carlos Lago drives the groundbreaking all-electric 2013 Tesla Model S. We've already conducted our range-verification road trips with the Model S, but now its time to find out just how fast and how fun this Tesla is to drive at the test track.

Carlos Lago is seduced by the Italian sound and power of the recently renovated Maserati Granturismo Sport. It's not without faults but as Carlos explains, they are easily justifiable soon after taking the helm.

Carlos Lago tests the new Porsche Boxster S. Sporting a new electric steering system and a wider track than before, Carlos puts the smallest Porsche through the Ignition paces to find out if it retains the fun and liveliness of its predecessor.

Carlos Lago tests the Europe-only Volkswagen GTD. With its odd combination of turbo diesel drive train and sporty, GTI-based chassis, will the VW hatch be as popular with Carlos as it is across the pond?

Carlos Lago flogs the 1000+ horsepower AMS Alpha 12 GT-R up and down the runway in pursuit of a sub-10 second quarter mile.

Motor Trend Technical Director Frank Markus heads to the Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France. Here he will test the most powerful iteration of the Mercedes SLS AMG, the Black Series. While there, Mercedes pulls wheels out its ecofriendly brother, the Electric Drive, and let's Frank have a go at it.

Carlos travels to France to test out the two door version of the soon-to-be-released US spec four dour Fiesta ST hatchback, to see how it holds up next to other sport compact hatches, and its slightly bigger brother, the Ford Focus ST.

Frank Markus heads to Saint Tropez to test out the CLA, which is Mercedes-Benz's brand new entry into the youth market. The idea sounds fraught with danger: another sub-$30,000 Benz, this time with a 2.0l 208hp transverse engine, 258 lb-ft of torque, and a front-wheel drivetrain. Will this new entry level kinder-Benz find the same fate as C230 sport coupe from several years ago, or is this a completely new philosophy on an entry level luxury car?

Carlos Lago gets behind the wheel of the newest iteration of Porsche's Cayman line, the 2014 Porsche Cayman S.

Carlos Lago drives the Mazda Super20, a former SEMA show car built to celebrate 20 years of the Miata and to highlight the car's ties to motorsports.

Carlos Lago tests the Bentley Continental GT Speed.

Carlos Lago finally tests the most powerful production Ferrari yet: the 2014 F12 Berlinetta. Our brief drive of the 731-hp, V-12-powered machine in Italy last year simply wasn't enough. But now that it's stateside, we can strap our test gear to it and see how fast it can go in the hands of pro racing driver Randy Pobst at famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Carlos Lago gets behind the wheel of a Jaguar XFR-S, an even more powerful and limited production version of the already lively XFR. As competitor to the BMW M5, and also Jaguar's fastest Sedan, the XFR-S is packed with a supercharged V-8 that produces 550-hp and 502 lb-ft of torque, and is also given an assortment of new exterior upgrades that truly separates this cat from the rest of the pack.

Carlos Lago takes the brand new 2014 Mercedes Benz CLA45 AMG to the Hyundai Proving Grounds, to find out what makes this high-strung turbo four-cylinder AMG sports car so special. With it's engine producing 355 horsepower and 332-lb-ft of torque, the CLA45 AMG easily packs one of the most powerful factory turbocharged four cylinder engines in the world, but with extra options, can it live up to it's near $60,000 price tag?

Carlos Lago reviews the extremely limited Subaru Impreza 22B STI. Created to celebrate the automaker's 40th anniversary and multiple consecutive World Rally Championship wins, the 22B is a wider, more powerful, and very special version of the STI. And when we found out there was one in the country, we had to drive it.

Carlos Lago tests Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG S-Model. Mercedes calls it a coupe, despite the fact that it has four doors, but what really matters is underneath the sheet metal: A 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 that sends 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque to all four tires. Its performance will be exceptional, but will the styling be enough to warrant the extra cost over the E-Class on which the CLS is based?

Carlos Lago tests the Porsche 918 Spyder in Spain. Boasting an electric motor on the front axle and a parallel hybrid setup for the rear, this hypercar produces a combined 874 hp and 944 lb-ft of torque and aims to set a new precedent for performance and efficiency.

We're starting where we left off with our 1993 Nissan 240SX, by finishing the brakes and upgrading nearly the entire suspension system. Also being installed are Recaro seats and a wide body kit to clear the massive wheels and tires we installed last time. Finally, we get the Nissan firing on all cylinders and test it to see how much a difference the new parts have made.

Carlos Lago heads back to Italy for a rare opportunity to drive Ferrari's latest flagship car, the Ferrari LaFerrari. Featuring a high revving 6.3 liter V12, and the industry's latest and most advanced hybrid engine technology, this $1million+ hypercar produces a combined 950 horsepower, and is so special that the company named the car after themselves. In the world of the Mclaren P1 and Porsche 918, how does the LaFerrari stack up? Stay tuned to find out.

Carlos Lago heads to a rain soaked Road America to test the limits of the all new BMW M3. Reworked from the ground up, the 2015 M3 ditches the screaming V8 of the last generation for an all new twin turbocharged inline six producing 425hp and 406lb-ft of twisting force.

Carlos Lago tests the ultimate drop top McLaren.

Jonny Lieberman tests the second generation Cayman in its most potent form yet.

Randy Pobst tests the overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the infamous Audi R18 e-tron.

Angus MacKenzie heads to Italy to drive Ferrari's newest mid-engine supercar, the 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB. The 488 GTB is the first turbocharged mid-engine Ferrari since the legendary F40, and the successor to Motor Trend's 2011 Best Driver's Car winner, the 458 Italia. So it has some big shoes to fill.

Randy Pobst takes on the legendary Pikes Peak Hillclimb in a Nissan GT-R racecar. Packing nearly 700 horsepower, a full rollcage and slick tires, this race prepped GT-R was designed and built for the sole purpose of conquering the peak. With mechanical issues surfacing mere weeks away from the race, will Randy and the team be able to sort out the GT-R in time, or will they have to go back to the drawing board?

Jonny Lieberman heads to Scotland to get his hands on the latest iteration of Mazda's famed and legendary roadster, the Miata. Motor Trend, having much to do with the creation of the first generation of this car, was particularly excited about covering this new model, considering the last generation model debuted nearly 10 years ago.

Meet the latest Lambo Superveloce on this week's episode of Ignition, presented by Tire Rack.

Jonny Lieberman manages to get a hold of two McLaren 650S.

Motor Trend Senior Editor Jason Cammisa takes the M2 to the back roads, and brings SCCA Hall of Fame inductee Randy Pobst along to the Streets of Willow to find out if the M2 is a worthy successor to the laugh-a-minute 1M Coupe.

We enlist the help of Hall of Fame race car driver Randy Pobst to determine whether the newest Italian, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, can keep up with the latest hot German, the BMW M3 Competition package.

Jonny Lieberman sets out to discover just what makes the new Camaro ZL1 tick -- tick like a bomb, that is. The new ZL1 is the most powerful production Camaro ever. With 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, the ZL1 sports more grunt than most supercars.

Jonny Lieberman takes the all-new, all-aluminum second-generation Ford Raptor off the beaten path. Actually, he takes it off all paths.

Jonny Lieberman investigates whether the fabled Italian brand can actually build a decent SUV. Long known for racing glory, the Maserati Trident has never before graced the body of an off-roader. Furthermore, can the Levante actually survive off the pavement?

Jonny Lieberman takes a look at a 700hp British luxury sledgehammer, the second-generation Bentley Continental Supersports. The first-generation Supersports was, in Lieberman's mind at least, the greatest Continental ever made.

We take McLaren's newest supercar and find out if it eclipses the supersophisticated, incredibly expensive hybrid hypercars of just a few years ago