Test Driven: 2012 Mazda Mazdaspeed3
Posted: August 30, 2012 Filed under: Cheap Fun!, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 2.3, 240, 263, 3, 4, 5, back, Car, compare, cylinder, door, Drive, driving, dynamics, Evo, Fast, four, front, fun, FWD, Hatch, hp, Japanese, Liter, manual, Mazda, MazdaSpeed, Mazdaspeed3, Mind, moded, Modified, motor, new, Nick, Over, pleasure, practical, Ralliart, space, speed, Sport, STi, stock, Transmission, tune, tuning, turbo, Used, vs, Walker, wheel, whp, WRX 1 Comment »
I have yet to meet an owner of a Mazdaspeed3 (MS3) who didn’t legitimately love their car. Something about the car seems to inspire people, they always have that “I know something you don’t” smirk on their face. Mazdas have always had a good sporting dynamic to them, but the enthusiasm that owners seem to have about this car goes beyond that. I have always known about the MS3, but somehow, while I’ve been out driving all sorts of fun cars over the years, it has eluded me. So recently, I decided it was time I take one out for a spin to see what these owners are so smug about. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Mercedes Benz C180 Blue Efficiancy Estate
Posted: July 19, 2012 Filed under: Sports and Executive, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 1.8, 2.0, America, Austria, autobahn, Automatic, Benz, Blue, C180, C250, cylinder, Drive, efficiency, engine, Estate, EU, European, four, Germany, limiter, Mercedes, Mind, motor, Over, rear, Rental, review, speed, Trip, turbo, wheel 1 Comment »
Mercedes C180 Bluet Efficiency Estate
My family and I had this Mercedes C180 Estate for two weeks during our recent trip to Germany. Here in America we have the Mercedes C class, but we do not have the wagon version nor the C180 model, so it was cool to try something a bit different. I have driven a few previous generation C classes over the years, however this was my first experience with the current generation, and this car was fitted with many of Mercedes’ newer gizmos and gadgets. So all in all this C180 offered many new things for me as an American driver, including driving in Germany for the first time. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
Posted: June 28, 2012 Filed under: Cheap Fun!, Road Review, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 2.0, 237, 270, 275, 280, 4B11, baby, clutch, cylinder, DCT, different, Drive, Dual, Evo, evolution, four, How, hp, Japanese, Lancer, Liter, Market, Mind, Mitsubishi, motor, Nick, Over, owned, Pre, Ralliart, review, SST, Test, Transmission, turbo, Used, Walker, whp, x Leave a comment »
The Lancer Ralliart is the second born of the Mitsubishi clan, overshadowed in many ways by its older brother the Lancer Evolution. The Evo has made a huge name for itself in automotive performance over the years, and the Ralliart is clearly riding that wave in the market. It is placed to compete with Subaru’s WRX, but Mitsubishi waited 3 model generations into the US market before they finally produced a true, turbocharged competitor for the highly successful Subaru. What you see here is that car, the supposed “baby Evo”, but I will tell you right up front, that the Ralliart is far from that. It is something all its own, and it should be more widely recognized as such. This Ralliart belongs to my friend Josh, and he agreed to let me take the wheel for an afternoon to discover what it’s all about. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Scion FRS Automatic, Nick’s Impressions
Posted: June 21, 2012 Filed under: Cheap Fun!, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 200, 4, Automatic, boxer, BRZ, cylinder, Drive, engine, FRS, handling, hp, Mind, motor, Over, review, RWD, Scion, sharp, Subaru, Test, Toyota, Transmission 4 Comments »
I was able to take a short drive in an Automatic Scion FRS recently. The drive was kept brief because I had asked for a manual, and was “just getting a feel for it so I could see if I wanted to order a manual”. Obviously this was not an ideal situation for a review but it did get me some seat time in this hot new car that is selling off the shelves, so I took what I could get for the time being. What follows are my first impressions on the Scion FRS, expect a full fledged review once I am able to get my hands on one with a clutch pedal for a decent amount of time. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: 2009 Chevrolet HHR SS
Posted: March 29, 2012 Filed under: TEST DRIVEN, Used Gems | Tags: 2.0, 260, 4, back, Chevrolet, Chevy, cylinder, Drive, ecotec, FWD, GM, Hatch, HHR, hp, manual, milk, Mind, motor, Over, review, Small, space, SS, steer, SUV, T, Test, Torque, Truck, turbo, Wagon 2 Comments »
Chevy HHR SS
The HHR is a car that is definitely overlooked by most people. It was a reaction to the Chrysler PT Cruiser, but it took GM 5 whole years before it was in showrooms. The HHR was often referred to as a small SUV, but honestly its proportions are only slightly larger than those of a Mazda3, and it lacks the ground clearance of a true crossover. It is a bit of an oddball car, and it looks like an old milk truck to boot. That however does make it more interesting than the average car, especially the SS, where Chevy decided to throw in the same turbocharged 2.0L motor from the Cobalt SS. In fact I got the idea to do this review off of a whim when a bright red HHR SS pulled up next to me at a light. The car looked cool, and it peaked my interest enough that I went out and found one to test drive. Read the rest of this entry »
Dodge Dart SRT-4, part of “Second Half America”
Posted: February 14, 2012 Filed under: INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 2012, 2013, 2014, 300, 4, all, America, AWD, competitor, cylinder, Dart, Dodge, Drive, Evo, front, FWD, halftime, hp, Mind, motor, Over, Sedan, SRT, SRT-4, STi, turbo, wheel, WRX Leave a comment »
Motor Trend's rendering of the Dart SRT-4
Chrysler’s Superbowl ad with Clint Eastwood was a nice way to incite faith that the American auto industry will recover. Chrysler has shown much improvement in the last few years, and as soon as I saw the new Dodge Dart I knew they were on the right track. It is based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, meaning its European roots should make it much more attractive than the Civic or the Corolla, which are both shamelessly boring at this point. There is however another market segment that exists with cars in that segment, one where engines are turbocharged, suspensions are stiffened, and priority is given to high MPH over high MPG. Dodge has competed here before with their SRT-4 Neon and Caliber, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the Dart SRT-4 in the next few years. Prior SRT-4s were relics of first half America though, the one that had to be bailed out, so the question is now, what should the SRT-4 of the second half be like?
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Test Driven: 2012 Hyundai Veloster
Posted: February 10, 2012 Filed under: Green & Economical, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 1.6, 2012, 3, 4, cheap, CRX, cylinder, DCT, door, Drive, economy, four, fun, FWD, GDI, handling, Hatch, Hatchback, Hot, Hyundai, Mind, motor, Nick, Over, reliable, review, Test, three, Veloster, Walker Leave a comment »
Hyundai Veloster
In the world of small, economical cars it is hard to find something that is remarkable. Most cars offer basically the same package as all of their competitors, making any differentiating factors superficial at best. Hyundai has changed this game with the Veloster dramatically. Everything from its design, to its features, to the driving experience, the Veloster has charged into the market with a new and unique package, and it is selling like hotcakes. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Range Rover Evoque, Nick’s Take
Posted: December 30, 2011 Filed under: Off-Road Able, Sports and Executive, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: all, AWD, Beach, beauty, California, Car, Concours, Cross, Crossover, cylinder, design, Drive, driving, Evoque, four, fun, Impressions, Inline, Land, Luxury, Mind, motor, off, Over, Pebble, Range, review, Road, Rover, Style, SUV, Test, turbo, Turbocharged, versitile, wheel Leave a comment »
Range Rover Evoque
As soon as I first laid eyes on the Evoque I knew it was going to be a game changer. It was a completely new formula for a luxury SUV that, not only, drastically redefined style, but also drivability and usability as well. Being the founding member of what seems to be an emerging segment in the high end market, the Evoque sets the precedents for future entries. I have pointed out this segment before in articles concerning the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, however the Evoque represents the first full on luxury offering of this sort. This past year, at Pebble Beach, Land Rover was holding Evoque test drives, so having been eager to try it out since I saw it, I signed the papers and took one out for a spin. Read the rest of this entry »
Donkervoort GTO, this is what the Lotus Seven has come to
Posted: December 18, 2011 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE | Tags: 2.5L, 5, 7, Audi, cylinder, D8, design, Donkervoort, GTO, Lotus, Mind, motor, Over, Seven, TFSi, TT-RS, turbo Leave a comment »
Donkervoort D8 GTO
The Lotus Seven offered a bare, simple design for a sports car, even by the standards of the 1950′s, when it came out. Many companies still build Seven based cars, and I must say that this Donkervoort D8 GTO is one of the most far out iterations of the design I have seen. It is powered by the 5 cylinder turbo motor from the Audi TT-RS, and comes in either 340hp or 400hp trims. That is plenty for a car like this, and the whole package seems really well done. Check out the video of the making of the D8 GTO inside. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR
Posted: October 27, 2011 Filed under: Sports and Executive, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 10, 4, 4B11, aftermarket, all, Car, charged, cornering, cylinder, DCT, Drive, evolution, four, Inline, Lancer, Mind, Mitsubishi, modifications, motor, MR, Over, paddle, Rally, review, Sedan, shift, Test, turbo, wheel, x 3 Comments »
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR
The great Evo in all of its glory, is not a car most dealers will let people test drive. I however lucked out and played the situation to my advantage and was able to get behind the wheel of a gorgeous dark gray Evo X MR equipped with the Dual Clutch SS-T transmission. This particular Evo also had some light mods including a gutted cats and a chip, but was otherwise stock. Read the rest of this entry »
The new Toyota Supra
Posted: September 28, 2011 Filed under: INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 2013, 2014, 2015, 6, Car, cylinder, engine, FT-86, Lexus, LFA, Market, Mind, motor, new, Over, planned, possible, rumored, RWD, Sports, supra, Toyota, turbo, Upcoming 2 Comments »
Unofficial rendering as seen on Jalopnik, boy does it look good though
Toyota seems to maybe be on the verge of ending their tasteless vow of mediocrity. There is much talk about the possibility of a new Supra that is brewing, some say it will be a hybrid, others say it will be a supercar like the Nissan GTR, and some even would say both. Toyota will be on thin ice with this project though, they have vastly disappointed enthusiasts all over the world with their modern “beige” attitude, and the quality of their cars has greatly suffered for it. A new Supra would grant them the chance to hop back in the ring with the big boys, and hopefully get their engineering back on track because it is performance and racing programs that drive technological progress over all else. Toyota must get it right, let’s see what that would mean. Read the rest of this entry »
Spotted! Ferrari 512M, Pebble Beach, CA
Posted: September 1, 2011 Filed under: Exotics, SPOTTED! | Tags: 12, 512, 512M, Blue, cylinder, engine, Ferrari, Flat, H12, light, M, Mind, motor, Over, Rare, rossa, spotted, testa, Testarossa, TR Leave a comment »
Ferrari 512M
Spotted this beautiful blue 512M in the parking area around the auction at Pebble Beach. The 512M was the final version of the famous Testarossa, and the immediate predecessor to the 550 Maranello . They are quite rare, something like 500 were built, and it is even more rare to see it in this light blue color. Read the rest of this entry »
