Koenigsegg Agera RS: James Jean Made the World’s Fastest Art Car

by Gabrielle DeSantis

There’s a new art car on the block. This new Koenigsegg Agera RS hypercar has been wrapped in art by James Jean. You might have thought the Koenigsegg was cool enough previously, but that’s not the case. There is always room for more cool.

James Jean made the Koenigsegg Agera RS even cooler

The Koenigsegg Agera RS Belonging to James Jean Is Wrapped in Pomegranate | Tim Cadiente / Ancillary Studios

According to an article by Robb Report, James Jean’s Koenigsegg Agera RS is busy setting records. If you haven’t heard of Jean before, he’s an award-winning artist from Taiwan who grew up in New Jersey. Jean went to school at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and worked for DC Comics after graduating. His piece, Pomegranate, portrays a woman using the color of the fruit as makeup. “The work makes the most of the vivid coloring that is a unique feature of woodcut prints to feature eye-catching contrasts of color,” Jean said of the artwork to Art Collectorz.

The vinyl company, Wrap Legends, took the artwork and turned it into a wrap. Since the artwork and colors were so striking, it took a bit of work to fit the image onto the body of the hypercar. Since the Koenigsegg Agera RS is one of the fastest vehicles on the market, this Pomegranate Koenigsegg Agera RS is the quickest art car.

The Koenigsegg Agera RS is making moves and breaking records

The Koenigsegg Agera, named Ruthie, is a striking hypercar for a variety of reasons. Not only is Koenigsegg one of the more rare vehicles on (or off) the road, but art cars have fallen out of popularity in recent years. However, the vinyl wrap scene isn’t going to sit back and take that.

Between 2015 and 2018, Koenigsegg only made 25 of the Agera RS. Each one came with a 5.0L twin-turbo V8 with 1,160 hp. Ruthie, Jean’s muse for the project, hit the two-way top speed average of 277.9 mph back in 2017. Thus, making Ruthie the world’s fastest production car.

Collectors love art cars such as this one because it makes a rare car one-of-a-kind. What do collectors love more than anything else? Having something that someone else doesn’t have.

This was all for a good cause for the Festival of Children Foundation charity

The Koenigsegg Agera RS Belonging to James Jean Is Wrapped in Pomegranate | Tim Cadiente / Ancillary Studios

The art cars are to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Festival of Children Foundation. The foundation focuses on helping charities “become well-funded, well-marketed and efficient organizations.” Specifically, those who help children. The fine art piece is on display at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa throughout the month if you are in the area.

Ruthie the Koenigsegg has her own Instagram handle at @277.9mph if you are inclined to keep up with her travels. If you appreciate the artwork done for charity, you can also keep up with James Jean at this own handle, @JamesJeanArt. And, hopefully, Ruthie the Koenigsegg Agera RS keeps her world record title for a little longer.

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These Subaru Impreza Model Years Are the Worst at Burning Oil, Consumer Reports Warns

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Buying a used car can save money upfront, but depending on the car you purchase, you may end up pouring more money into it for repairs and maintenance. Subaru is generally a popular choice, but some models are not as well-received depending on the year. The 2012-13 Subaru Impreza falls into that category. Newer models, such as the 2021 Impreza, are typically more reliable and provide a comfortable ride at a reasonable price. However, even with a price under $20,000, it is out of reach for many people, and used cars often offer a cheaper way to get into a vehicle. So, before you buy that used Impreza, check out what Consumer Reports has to say about the 2012-13 model years. 

Consumer Reports: Buy this, not that

The 2022 Subaru Impreza | Subaru of America, Inc.

Consumer Reports recently put out a list of used cars that burn oil that you shouldn’t buy, along with what you should buy instead. Some cars include the 2010-13 Acura MDX, with the 2010-13 Lexus RX as the proposed alternative, and the 2010-12 Audi A4, with the 2010-13 Lexus ES as an alternate option. The 2010-15 Audi Q5 and the 2012-19 BMW M5 also made the list, with the 2011, 2013-14 Acura RDX and the 2013-15 Lexus GS as suggested alternatives. 

Subaru has several models listed as big oil burners, including the 2010-15 Forester and Outback models, with the 2010-15 Honda CR-V suggested as an alternative, the 2010-15 Legacy with the 2010-15 Toyota Camry as a suggested as an alternative, and the 2010-14 Tribeca with the 2010-14 Toyota Highlander, picked as an alternative. The 2012-13 Impreza was also known for burning through oil, and Consumer Reports proposed the 2012-14 Mazda3 as an alternative. 

You don’t want a 2012 or 2013 Subaru Impreza

While the Impreza has consistently been one of the lower-priced cars with standard all-wheel drive, its reliability has never been great, particularly for 2012 and 2013 models. In general, these model years performed well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests and had agile handling. However, the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-four engine was known for burning through oil. This was such a prominent issue that Subaru extended the factory warranty for the 2012-2013 models, but only for five years, so these older model years are no longer covered under warranty. 

A better alternative is a 2012 to 2014 Mazda3

The alternative car Consumer Reports recommends, the 2012-14 Mazda3, has a reliability rating of five out of five, as well as a five out of five fuel economy rating. The Mazda3 has a few engine options for 2012-14 models model years. These include a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with the option of an automatic or manual transmission.

All three model years are recommended by Consumer Reports, which is only given to vehicles with consistently above-average reliability that also performed well in safety tests when they were new. They also are a Green Choice, which means the EPA certified each model year as among the 20% lowest-emitting passenger vehicles for that model year. 

If the 2021 Subaru Impreza is outside of your budget and you are set on an Impreza, avoid the 2012-13 models. Additionally, if you are in the market for a used car, and a sedan in particular, and don’t have strong ties to Subaru, the fun-to-drive Mazda3 is a good option. In terms of maintenance costs, reliability, and fuel economy, it is a reasonable choice. The Mazda3 does have a fairly cramped rear seat, and it won’t block out road noise very well, but no car is perfect.

RELATED: Skip the Subaru Impreza for These Alternatives Instead

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These 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Crash Test Results Are Concerning

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Is the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee safe? One look at the IIHS crash test ratings may have you thinking that it’s not. While the Grand Cherokee has a longstanding reputation as a solid, sturdy SUV, two key areas in its IIHS crash test results stand out as being particularly concerning. Let’s take a look at what may cause you to think twice about buying the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Jeep

Is the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee a safe SUV?

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee only gets a marginal rating in the overall small overlap front: driver side test. Within the subcategories, the safety and structure cage also only gets a marginal rating. Safety cages are meant to withstand a crash. They work in conjunction with crush zones which distribute the energy from a crash in a way which should reduce the impact to people in the car. These crash zones are in the middle of the front of the car, which is why it’s important to test the outer edges of the car. 

In accidents like the small overlap crashes tested, the crash energy goes into those front corners. This can include the wheel wells, which can then be pushed into the vehicle. This can cause injury to the driver and passengers in the vehicle. The small overlap tests determine how well the safety cage does when the force on a car isn’t on the crush zones.

How do IIHS crash safety tests work?

The small overlap tests are designed to keep you safer in a frontal crash. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit organization that tries to minimize accidents, deaths, and destruction related to motor vehicle crashes. Part of the way they do this is by crash testing vehicles and publishing the results. This allows consumers to make informed decisions about the vehicles they’re considering purchasing. It also encourages car manufacturers to make their vehicles safer.

The small overlap test is conducted to measure how well a car does when the front left corner of the vehicle hits something like a tree or another car. The IIHS first started doing these tests in 2012. 

Frontal crashes result in more deaths than any type of car accident. To conduct the small overlap frontal tests, the IIHS has a vehicle travel at 40 mph and the front left or right portion of the car (depending on whether it’s the driver or passenger test) strikes a five-foot barrier. Small overlap tests are important because they test how well the airbags and seatbelts do, especially because the vehicle occupants move forward and sideways at the same time. 

Obviously, a marginal rating isn’t exactly a selling point for a vehicle. And things only get worse for the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

The small overlap front: passenger side is even worse

If the driver side small overlap test in the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee crash test ratings are concerning, the passenger side is even worse. Once the IIHS started conducting the driver side small overlap crash test, car manufacturers responded by making the driver side safer. Not all of them made the passenger side safer, so the IIHS started testing the passenger side also. (That’s why independent testing is so important.)

The overall evaluation of the passenger side small overlap front: passenger side is poor, which is the worst rating a vehicle can get. The structure and safety cage is only marginal. Within the passenger injury measures, the head/neck gets an acceptable rating, while the lower leg/foot gets a poor rating. Additionally, the passenger restraints and dummy kinematics are poor. 

Is the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee safe? These Jeep Grand Cherokee crash test ratings certainly don’t make it seem so. If you’re looking at the Grand Cherokee, you should be aware of these marginal and poor safety ratings. Then you can make an informed decision about which SUV you want to purchase. With so many great choices on the market, don’t feel limited in your options.

RELATED: Fido Friendly: The 5 Best Cars for Dog Owners

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The Lotus Emira Uses a Toyota Engine to Go Really, Really Fast

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Lotus Emira really is for the drivers. Frankly, it’s a brand for those who care more about the experience of driving a sports car than anything else. If you want to be seen, buy a Ferrari. If you want to be heard, buy a Lamborghini. But if you want to drive? Lotus wants to talk to you. However, the heart of the new Emira starts from a rather mundane place: A Toyota factory.

Lotus power, Toyota reliability

This is where the Lotus V6 starts life | Yichuan Cao via Getty Images

That’s right. The Lotus Emira has the heart of a filthy economy car. Moreover, this isn’t even the first Lotus to have the heart of a filthy economy car. In fact, the Lotus Evora started that trend way back in 2009. So, at the very least, that means that the Lotus Emira’s Toyota engine has had some time to grow into its sports car shoes. And boy, did it need to grow.

The Toyota 2GR-FE V6 motor is pretty much your standard V6 engine. It makes… some horsepower, and some torque too if you ask real nice. But, by the time Lotus gets done with it, it’s making a healthy 400 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. It’s also breathing through a new exhaust and supercharger. Best part is, all that Toyota reliability makes its way into something that’s widely held to be notoriously unreliable: a British sports car.

How fast is the Lotus Emira?

The new Lotus Emira, seen in blue during a photoshoot
400 hp should be plenty | Lotus

RELATED: Lotus Launching 4 New Electric Vehicles, Including 2 SUVs

So, with 400 hp and an optional dual-clutch transmission, you can expect the Lotus Emira to be plenty fast. MotorTrend says that Lotus told them the Emira will get up to 60 MPH in right around 4.5 seconds. No, that’s not Tesla Model S Plaid fast, but not all cars need that to feel fast. Having driven a few Lotus’ (Loti?) before, I can tell you firsthand that their small dimensions and pared-back interior make them feel plenty fast. Oh, the Lotus Emira will also do 180 mph.

The best part? That isn’t even the only powertrain option. You can also have a Mercedes-AMG four-cylinder motor, which, complete with turbo, makes 390 hp. That’s not too shabby, but I’ll take the proven reliability of Toyota’s V6 over that every day of the week. That is unless Lotus can make me change my tune.

Toyota’s V6 is the end of the line for gas-powered Lotus cars

Lotus' last gas-powered sports car: the Emira
The last gas Lotus is a sign of the times | Lotus

No matter which powertrain, the Lotus Emira will be the last gas-powered Lotus. It’s the end of a very long line of legendary cars, from Formula 1 to the street. It’s a crying shame, yes, but attitudes have shifted towards EVs, and the company’s own Lotus Evija is evidence of that. For now, customers will have to be content enjoying the gas-powered Lotus cars that are around, and hopefully, preserve them for those of us that can’t afford a new one.

RELATED: How Does the Toyota MR2 Spyder Actually Compare to the Lotus Elise

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