Acura seems to have a very different approach to the luxury car market than its Japanese luxury car kin, and it’s paid dividends for them over the years. While Lexus and Infiniti chase the big boys in Germany, Acura goes after the lower priced market and does a good job of offering a slick alternative to the norm. The TSX, while in every other part of the world a Honda Accord, is Acura’s entry-level model, but this is no bad thing. Since I wanted to try the wagon out for the sake of a family member who may need one in the near future, I got a set of keys and took a black TSX Tech Sport Wagon for a drive. Continue reading Test Driven: Acura TSX Wagon→
Who knew that a limo could be made to survive an apocalypse?
While in Carmel during Concours Weekend, pretty much anything in the world of cars is fair game. Ferrari F430s become commonplace, Bentley Continental GTs clog all the roads, and a Honda Civic becomes a rare sight. But, of course, there’s always something so unique and off-the-wall that no one expects to see it. In this case, someone took a humble stretched Lincoln Town Car and turned it into something straight out of Jurassic Park, complete with a roof rack, forest camo paint, and a bull bar with fog lights. A raised ride height and off-road tires complete the look on what is, in my personal opinion, the ultimate way to ride through the Apocalypse.
Back in August, Nick and I were at the Pebble Beach Concours, as most of you know. The day we arrived, we got hosed by Air Traffic Control, and missed the debut of the Cadillac Ciel concept car. When we both saw it in the flesh the next morning, I was smitten. While GM is calling it a strict concept, I think that it really does represent a lot about the future of the Cadillac brand in two or three different realms. Continue reading Why I love the Cadillac Ciel→
Mercedes may be the last word in the common man’s luxury car, but the Maybach is the last word in understated luxury and elegance. This summer, at the Pebble Beach Golf Links during Concours Weekend, Nick and I had the opportunity to drive quite a few cars, and the Maybach 57S was one of them. Continue reading Test Driven: Maybach 57S, Al’s Take→
Jaguar is a brand long known for sporty, luxurious British automobiles, but their attempt two decades ago to bring out a fully-fledged supercar did not quite pan out as expected. For the reason, the XJ220 is notable in its development and how it changed when the finished product hit the market. It’s still one of the prettiest cars of the early 1990s, and carries with it a particularly intriguing automotive story. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Jaguar XJ220→
Last winter, I was driving home from a haircut, and decided to take a path through Dover for a slice of pizza. I passed a local body shop and saw a red shape with the prancing horse in the corner of my eye–forcing me to then turn around and pull into the shop. I examined it, and it turned out to be this 599 GTO just sitting in the shop. This was the very first GTO I’d ever seen, which still makes it very special to me.
This past Sunday, Nick and I attended the Scarsdale Concours, just a stone’s throw away from New York City. Started in 2003 by a pair of high-school students, this show has grown to a respectable size. This year, the Best of Show winner was this drop-dead gorgeous 1950 Abarth 205 berlinetta, one of only three ever built. This particular one was the last one produced, and the only one with a two-tone paint scheme. It was shown at the Turin Motor show as well, in this color scheme. Hit the jump for more pictures. This car, thanks to its absolute rarity, classy lines, and race car breeding, definitely deserved its award, and we hope to see it at other Concours in the future. Continue reading 1950 Abarth 205 at the Scarsdale Concours→
Jeep has the reputation that a good many other brands dream of–durability, reliability, and timeless appeal. The Wrangler is probably their best-known product, and having never driven one before, I took a chance and grabbed the keys to a brand-new, 2011 Sport model, in red. While the Wrangler isn’t for everyone, I’ve been appreciative of it for a long time now, and its appeal has not dropped that much even in these times of higher fuel economy and a high demand for safer cars. Continue reading Test Driven: 2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport→
There are many an oxymoron in the automotive market. Some of them include the “car-based pickup” (Honda Ridgeline, Subaru Baja), “sports-activity vehicle” (BMW’s SUVs), and the strangest one of all, the so-called “four-door coupe.” Mercedes-Benz virtually invented the latter back in 2004 with the new CLS model, a four-door sedan designed to moonlight as an exclusive, stylish personal coupe. It was a hit with buyers, and Mercedes saw fit to redesign the car for the 2011 model year. Mercedes-Benz had the top-dog, $100K CLS63 AMG for test drives at Pebble Beach this year, and I was only happy to oblige. Continue reading Test Driven: Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, Al’s Take→
Scion FR-S concept. Although each concept car looks different from the previous one, they share a shape.
While the rest of the world makes sports cars, Toyota is seemingly pretending to make one. The FT-86 has been on the mind of every gearhead in the world since at least 2008, but since then, Toyota has been constantly tossing the concept into a microwave and pressing Reheat for every car show since. Not many specifications have hit the press, and although a tie-up with Subaru has been announced, not a whole lot is really known for sure about it. What is going on here? Is Toyota afraid to release this car? Or will they ever release it? Or is this just a hoax (Just kidding.)? Continue reading Toyota and the FT-86: The Wait Goes On→
Back when Toyota made really fun cars, the MR2 was their answer to the Mazda Miata. Low-slung, small, and mid-engined, the MR2 Spyder represented a true sports car configuration for the price of a milquetoast Corolla sedan. While it never enjoyed the success of the MX-5, they’re a great way to get a little mini-Boxster for a fraction of the price. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: Toyota MR2 Spyder (2000-2005)→
It’s a shark with wheels. I always loved how this car looked when I was little.
It isn’t every day that you find a car in your area that’s one of only 801 like it in the country. Yet, that is exactly what happened to me, when I was surfing the Internet, an opportunity landed in my lap faster than a hot bowl of soup. Just around the bend was a 1997 BMW 840Ci—with less than 90K miles under its belt, I decided it deserved a drive. Continue reading Test Driven: 1997 BMW 840Ci→
Mind Over Motor 