This Week in Motoring: October 26, 2015

Aston Martin goes down the electric avenue, Ferrari goes public, Ken Block gets an Escort and more.

On the Radar

The Latest in Motoring News

Honda Announces VFR 1200X

Adventure motorcycling is blowing up right now with dual sport options coming in from nearly every manufacturer. And so, Honda is doubling down. There was no shortage of excitement surrounding the newest Africa Twin, but now Honda has just announced the VFR 1200X for the US market. Until now the only real big-bore dual sport choice has been the BMW R 1200GS. Honda is looking to push the market along with the competition — competition we riders will benefit greatly from.

Saab, Back from the Dead — Sorta

In an interesting (and unexpected) twist of fate, the rights for the Saab 9-3 have been bought by Scientific and Technology Research council of Turkey in a bid to create the “National car of Turkey.”

Ferrari Goes Public

Ferrari going public with the IPO RACE earlier this week made big headlines. But don’t think you can go and buy a controlling stake — the Ferrari family and the family behind FCA have an agreement to not relinquish their control shares.

Electric In Vogue

Tesla has the luxury electric car market pretty much cornered with the Model S and X. Aston Martin, in conjunction with ChinaEquity, revealed the RapidE — an electric version of the four-door Aston, set to hit the road as early as 2017.

A Quieter Ride

Anybody who has been on a motorcycle, on the highway, for an extended period of time knows wind noise is painfully defining. The Sena Smart Helmet uses active noise cancellation to drown out the harmful noise, decreasing rider fatigue.

Wet Cold American GP

The outlying effects of Hurricane Patricia dumped inches of rain onto Circuit of the Americas, postponing qualifying. But the wet conditions made for an interesting battle for first: not only did Rosberg and Hamilton duke it out, but Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat joined the front of the pack until the track finally dried up. In the end Hamilton took first and locked in his third F1 World Championship.

Things Get Ugly at MotoGP Malaysia

Meanwhile in Malaysia, a fight for third place at MotoGP turned physical. Season leader Valentino Rossi kneed Marc Márquez mid-turn, causing him to fall off and retire the race. In front of the pack, Dani Pedrosa put forth an amazing effort and took first place, while Jorge Lorenzo took second, closing the gap between him and Rossi in the overall season standings.

A Personal Escort

Ken Block has now christened his first RWD Hoonigan-mobile: a MkII Ford Escort.

Reviews and Buying Guides

Advice from the Crew

Redefining the Morning Commute on the Honda CB300F

Small cc motorcycles are a growing trend in the US, and the Honda CB300F is the best option yet. Read the Story

Semi-Autonomous Cars Bring the Self-Driving Car Closer to Reality

Fully autonomous cars are still a long shot, but semi-autonomous cars are here, now. Read the Story

The Find

What to Buy, Now

1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet

Some classic cars are hidden away in garages, never to see the great roads they were destined for. This ’88 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is not one of those cars.

Noteworthy Reads

Stories from Around the Web

In this day and age, brand loyalty can become so extreme, it borders on legal blindness. Ferrari has put out some beautiful cars in the past, but the past decade? Not so much. Taverish over at Jalopnik presents a damn fine argument.

We said it before (just now, in fact): old Porsches are meant to be driven. Sometimes in excess — just because. Even the most sacred 356 deserves to see the open road.

Looking Ahead

What We’re Testing Now

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