Obese Cars… and Obese Drivers

Posted on Apr 15, 2018 in Safety | 2 comments

The subject of obesity is often a very sensitive one. I have a close relative who is enormous and who gets very upset if you mention diets, exercise or heart conditions. Imagine how fat car owners feel. If they think about it, they might realize that cars have gotten very much bigger and heavier over the years, in part to accommodate them. One study now reveals...

Audi A7 Debuts Today, R8 Prices Announced, E-tron Wins Rally

Posted on Apr 9, 2018 in Racing | Comments Off on Audi A7 Debuts Today, R8 Prices Announced, E-tron Wins Rally

Audi has come a very long way in the U.S., recently announcing it has sold 2 million cars here. From only two models in its early days (40 years ago), we now have I don’t know how many. And another is launching today: the A7 Sportback (above). Based on a 2009 concept shown at Detroit, the A7 is going to challenge the Mercedes CLS andBMW’s 5 Series GT—or maybe...

James Garner – A True Gearhead

Posted on Apr 7, 2018 in Antique | Comments Off on James Garner – A True Gearhead

“I’d rather live my life accepting that I’m not perfect, than spending my whole life pretending to be.” By now, I am sure everyone in the car world has heard that James Garner, star of television’s Maverick and The Rockford Files has died at age 86. Garner was also well known for his movie roles, starring in iconic films likeGrand Prix, Support Your Local...

Stile Bertone – Not Anymore!

Posted on Mar 17, 2018 in Antique | Comments Off on Stile Bertone – Not Anymore!

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” – Mitch Albom Bertone, once considered the Michelangelo of automotive design has filed for bankruptcy. Founded in 1912 by Giovanni Bertone, the company thrived under son Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone until his death in 1997. Since that time, Gruppo Bertone began an arduous death march into financial disaster, highlighted by...

BMW and Toyota to Partner in Battery Development Deal

Posted on Mar 17, 2018 in Technology | 1 comment

When the automobile launched into the 20th century, the ripe and untapped market had every little auto builder in the United States fighting for recognition on their own terms. During a early 1900s where the American automobile industry was controlled by a broad-covering Selden patent (that threatened to once destroy the Ford Motor Company), the European...

Ford introduces the wonderful new world of its 1960 models

Posted on Mar 14, 2018 in Featured | 2 comments

New car introductions were quite a bit different in 1960 than they are today, and to roll out its space-age 1960 models, Ford spared no expense. Complete with its own musical score and revelers bedecked in formal attire, this short video is a glimpse at the zeitgeist of postwar, pre-Cuban Missile Crisis America. The 1960 model year was an important one for...

Tax Day Blamed for Driver Deaths

Posted on Mar 12, 2018 in Safety | 2 comments

Do taxes early, stay alive! We all know the bit about the certainty of death and taxes. While cliche, it’s absolutely true that both are darn near impossible to avoid. We should, however, be able to avoid death and taxes happening on the same day. At least death by car accident. A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and...

Absurd Texting-While-Driving Stories

Posted on Feb 19, 2018 in Safety | 1 comment

Here she is, folks, the texter of the week, maybe of the year. Her name is Shawndeeia Bowen, and she got pulled over on an L.A. freeway after texting with a baby on her lap while driving. Two small kids were in the back, unsecured and without seatbelts. Over the past three years, Ms. Bowen has had two accidents and numerous citations, including not using child...

Sunroofs Are Weird

Posted on Feb 14, 2018 in Editorials | 2 comments

After considerable thought, I have come to a conclusion: sunroofs are weird. I mean, think about it: it’s a hole in the roof of your car, designed to allow you to … what, exactly? Look up at the sky? While you listen to the incessant rattling caused by the fact that there’s a hole in the roof of your car? Yes, folks, I’m being serious. Today I’m writing about...

Buick Introduces Apple CarPlay Capability

Posted on Feb 9, 2018 in Technology | Comments Off on Buick Introduces Apple CarPlay Capability

As the world becomes increasingly connected, Buick remains at the forefront of new applications and connectivity that provide customers with a seamless, integrated driving experience. Apple CarPlay is standard in the 2016 model year Buick Regal and LaCrosse, providing a smarter, simpler way to use an iPhone while on the go. Buick is committed to providing the...

Electric Mustang records 1.94-second 0-60 time, builder sets 200 MPH goal

Posted on Feb 7, 2018 in Featured | 2 comments

In the old George Romero zombie flicks, the living dead shuffled around like narcoleptic grannies in their bunny slippers. More recent movies have the undead jumping, climbing and running as fast or faster than those fighting them off. Mitch Medford’s zombi-fied electric Mustang falls squarely into that latter camp, as shown by the 0-60 time of 1.94 seconds...

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Regains World’s Fastest Car Title

Posted on Feb 4, 2018 in Racing | 5 comments

As far as supercars go, the Bugatti Veyron could easily win the title of least attractive. While that’s a designation open for dispute, no one can argue that the Veyron buries the needle deeper than all others. As of this weekend, the title of World’s Fastest Production Car belongs to the latest version of Bugatti’s hypercar: the Veyron Super Sport. Previously,...

American Elegance – The Cars of Elwood Engel

Posted on Feb 4, 2018 in Antique | Comments Off on American Elegance – The Cars of Elwood Engel

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci The designs of Elwood Engel can be best described as masculine American elegance. His style marked an end to the era of flamboyant ornamentation, pretentious colors and over stylized designs frequented by the designers of the 1950’s. In that time, cars were targeted to the new middle class and the...