When you’re choosing a car to compete in an off-road race spanning thousands of miles from Argentina, through Bolivia, and ending in Chile, your first choice may not be to turn to the MINI Countryman. But Stéphane Peterhansel and the Monster Energy X-raid team are doing just that as they prepare for the 2014 Dakar Rally with a massively souped-up Countryman.

While we covered the major features of the 2015 Ford Mustang when it was revealed earlier this month, Ford chief engineer Dave Pericack later revealed there is a “secret feature” which they won’t yet talk about.

In 1964, famed rally driver Paddy Hopkirk won the Monte Carlo Rally with his car number 37, a Mini Cooper S, which won the race despite being pitted against far more powerful vehicles. XCAR paid homage to Hopkirk’s historic race by reenacting a portion of the race in a new MINI Convertible.

Why the Jaguar XF is the “bottom of the line” car you can buy from the British manufacturer, it’s still no slouch. Other than its steel instead of aluminum construction, it’s every bit as good as Jaguar’s other current line-up.

While the Pagani Zonda is nearing the end of the line, that still doesn’t stop us from still having a spot in our hearts for this track-ready monster. The Pagani Zonda Revolucion is supposed to be the final variant of the Zonda before it’s retired, and it’s recently been spotted burning it up on the track as it gets ready to go into final production.

The AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept supercar that was created by Mercedes-Benz for Gran Turismo 6 is astounding. Now the Mercedes-Benz designers have stepped forward to discuss the process behind the design of the vehicle. Steffen Köhl, Director Advanced Design Global, and other members of the Mercedes Design team explain that the team had the freedom to create without the constraints of the real world, while still making a car that drives realistically within the game.

Lincoln’s entry into the luxury small SUV space does what crossovers do best, blending sportiness with utility. The 2015 MKC is built on the same platform as the Ford Escape, but with fairly substantial changes. To help set it apart from its Ford cousin, the MKC has a wider stance, and lower track, both of which contribute to its sporty looks.

Toyota debuted the four-seat, fuel cell powered FCV Concept at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The vehicle has an electric engine powered by electricity generated via a hydrogen fuel cell. The FCV Concept joins the ranks of the Honda FCEV and the Hyundai Tucson fuel cell vehicles we’ve also seen recently.

The Google Street View team continues their plan to map out as much of the world as humanly possible, this time taking their panoramic lens inside McLaren’s Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, UK. What makes this particular Street View special is that the facility isn’t open to the public, so for most of us, it’s the only opportunity we’ll get to see these amazing vehicles in such detail.

We’ve seen a Corvette raced down ice-covered roads and a Formula 1 car taken around the Nürburgring in ice and snow, but when it comes to high-speed potential on snow, the Nissan GT-R may be tough to beat.

The Land Rover Defender is a utilitarian SUV that gives a sound nod to the classic Land Rovers of decades ago. Its looks beg you to take the vehicle to Africa for a drive across the Serengeti, or whatever one does with a Land Rover in Africa.

Bugatti unveiled the second in its “Legend” series of six cars, the Jean Bugatti model, in honor of the one-time leader of Bugatti, Gianoberto (“Jean”) Carlo Rembrandt Ettore Bugatti. Based on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, the changes to the vehicle are purely aesthetic, with no changes made to the vehicle’s already astounding mechanics.

The McLaren P1 is the unofficial successor to the incredible supercar the McLaren F1. The P1 is a 903 horsepower plug-in hybrid costing $1.15 million and McLaren brought it to the historic track outside Nürburg, Germany with the sole purpose of setting a sub-seven second lap time.

The 2014 BMW M5 is a beautiful performance coupe right off the assembly line. But the folks at Vorsteiner, a a California-based luxury vehicle tuner, always seem ready to try to boost things a little bit more anyway.

Bringing in a total of more than $26 million, the Ecurrie Ecosse collection owned by businessman and automobile connoisseur Dick Skipworth was recently auctioned off for record prices. The collection, from the legendary Scottish racing team that won two consecutive Le Mans 24-Hour races in 1956 and 1957 was made up of a number of Jaguars as well as a three-car transporter (which surprisingly sold for more than $2.9 million).