Category Archives: Opinions

Discussion of matters in the automotive industry and in car culture. Our opinions on what is going on, manufacturer’s products, etc

Opinions

The C7 Corvette Stingray is here!!!

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The new Corvette has finally been unveiled, and my, oh my is it stunning. Other Corvettes have all been a bit plain at their unveiling, but this new Corvette Stingray is legitimately stunning. I would even venture to say it is the most stunning Vette at its launch since the original Stingray, the C2. You can see all the details on Jalopnik, but in short its got a 450hp V8, all of GM’s latest tech toys, a 7 speed manual transmission, and higher quality befitting of a world class sports car. All in all, I am thoroughly impressed. Great job GM!!!

-Nick Walker

Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

Obscure Auto: Qvale Mangusta

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The name “Mangusta” is one that gets all motorheads giddy.  It’s the Italian word for “mongoose”–a perfect animal name for the car that it was bestowed upon.  The De Tomaso Mangusta is still ranked highly as one of the best combinations of Italian style and American power, with its stunning, menacing early 1970s Giugaro lines, gull-winged engine bay, and stump-pulling Ford small-block V8 (a few had the 351 V8).  Only 401 were ever built from 1967 until 1971, but in the 1990s and early 2000s, someone brought the name back–and the car had some strikingly similar characteristics to its namesake. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Qvale Mangusta →

Opinions

Badge Engineering: How one got it right, and one got it utterly wrong.

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The Cimarron, by Cadillac. A.K.A. The Cavalier, by Chevrolet.

Back in the 1970s, Cadillac and Lincoln were facing an onslaught of luxury imports. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar were all moving in on their sales and they needed to adapt to the newbies, which were just as luxurious (if not more) for a decent price, with better economy and reliability. Both brands went to the drawing board, and within two years of each other debuted a new, smaller model which was designed to give an owner the same experience as the bigger cars, but with a nod to better economy and practicality. Continue reading Badge Engineering: How one got it right, and one got it utterly wrong. →

Opinions

2014 Audi RS6 released, now for some speculation

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RS6

The new Audi RS6 Avant has just been revealed online, and my how badass it is. However, me being the ever curious sort, I must wonder about the engine they have put in it. They claim it to be a 560hp version of their trusty, and ever underrated, 4.0L turbocharged V8.

Lets take a look back at Motor Trend’s Audi S6 test (from 3:57 to 5:36) from a few weeks back. On paper the S6 is a 4700lb, all wheel drive sedan with 520hp from its 4.0T engine. However Motor Trend’s tests yielded a 0-60 time of 3.5sec and a quarter mile run of 11.8sec @ 118mph, number that do not fit with the car’s on paper figures. They decided to test the S8 on a chassis dyno, and it put down 480awhp… translating to around 580hp being produced from the engine. Could this be the exact same version of the 4.0T that we are now seeing in the RS6?

If you consider the cost of developing even a moderately different version of an engine for a company like Audi, then it would make sense to use it in more than just one place. This is just a hunch, but it’s an educated hunch, and we will find out for sure when test of the RS6 come out. That makes the S6 an incredible value in its class, and the new RS6 exactly what we would like it to be. Despite the outright lying on their power claims, Audi is continuing to take the industry by storm.

We aren’t big on reposting dry press releases, so you can find the full list of impressive details on the new RS6 here.

-Nick

Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

Obscure Auto: Toyota Prius

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Yes, the Prius. A different sort of car than we normally feature in this section, yet a car that has had a resounding impact on the automotive world in recent years. Everyone knows a Prius when they see one, and most people know that the car has become as much a political statement as a mode of transportation. Whether you buy into the whole Green movement or not, there is no denying that the Prius has been an incredible marketing success. It paved the way for an entirely new sort of car in the world, one that puts priority on efficiency and cleanliness over all else. We all know the car, but behind every car there is a story to tell. This is that story.

Continue reading Obscure Auto: Toyota Prius →

Opinions

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster released… all that waiting for a predictable result

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Yea this is an incredible car, yea I can’t wait to see one on the road, and  yea I really can’t wait  to drive one. It is awesome, as is any drop top Lambo. But after all the hype and build up after the last few years of spy shots, and Lamborghini test drivers chasing paparazzi, I look at this and find my self saying, “Okay, next”. Everything about it is just so predictable, the car looks fantastic but it also looks exactly how everyone knew it would look. I am thrilled this car is finally out, but for me it is hardly a showstopper when other cars, like the Mclaren P1, have come out and really dropped people’s jaws. They should’ve made the Jota instead of this, then I would really be excited.

-Nick

Opinions

The Jaguar F-Type–Keeping Calm and Carrying On.

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Jaguar F-Type - Front Angle, 2014, 800x600, 5 of 39

Jaguar’s been one of the few companies in the past couple of years that hasn’t made a huge mistake with the models they sell. Yes, their product line isn’t as diverse as the competition, but what they have invested in is paying dividends, and the new F-Type is proof that their current focus is one I’m going to keep a close eye on in the near future. From the styling to the engine options revealed recently, I’m unashamed to say that I love this car even before I’ve seen it in the flesh.

Continue reading The Jaguar F-Type–Keeping Calm and Carrying On. →

Opinions

Why young people aren’t buying cars, debunking the hysteria

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There has been tons of talk lately about young people, or “millennials”, and their lack of interest in cars. This summer I was working on some aspects of the Chevy Spark launch, and all we talked about was how to make the car appeal to fictional young people whom nobody has ever met. As an actual member of the “millennial generation” I can tell you that this is all extremely frustrating; a bunch of idiotic older people trying to read all sorts of fantastical reasons into an answer that is really quite simple. Now, I am obviously a car enthusiast so my own tastes are not representative of my whole generation, however many of my friends fit the norm much better. I will try and make things clear, from the perspective of someone who is actually a part of the generation in question, and not some foolish marketing person in a panic.   Continue reading Why young people aren’t buying cars, debunking the hysteria →

Opinions

Jalopnik: Small Vans for Gen-Y

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I don’t normally like to repost articles without attaching my own opinion on here, but this article just posted on Jalopnik hits the nail on the head I think. I spent my whole summer working on the PR for the Chevy Spark, and the talk was about how to get young people interested in cars. I was a huge fan of the VW Bulli when the concept was released, and I still think it would be quite successful. Give this article a read and see what you think.

-Nick

Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

Obscure Auto: Lamborghini Miura Jota/SVJ

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The Miura Jota is one of those unicorn cars, one that everyone who knows about it wants, but that none will ever have. The Jota is a legend because it was the most extreme example of Lamborghini’s beloved Miura, the car that really put the marque on the map. The Jota has a particularly interesting story though, because its fame began with its own fiery death in 1972. The Jota had been a side project of famed Lamborghini test driver, Bob Wallace, and it was the news coverage of the car’s destruction that informed people of the project to build a faster, more racy Miura. The original Jota was damaged beyond repair, never to be rebuilt, but it did peak the interest of several Miura owners, and six Miura SVJs were created. These SVJs are probably the most valuable Lamborghinis around at this point, and they carry on the legacy of their doomed predecessor.

Continue reading Obscure Auto: Lamborghini Miura Jota/SVJ →

Opinions

Reacquainting myself with my Miata

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The weather in the Northeastern US was incredible this weekend, so I took a nice long cruise in my Miata. This was the first cruise of this sort I have taken in it since I got back from my summer in Michigan a few weeks ago, and in a lot of ways there was some reacquainting that needed to be done. Before I left for the summer I uncovered a few issues with the car that needed, or still need, dealing with. I subsequently found myself second guessing the financial aspects of it all the whole summer, even thinking it may be easier just to part it out. This cruise gave me some much needed quality time with the car, with the perfect weather and on perfect roads I was reminded why I bought the Miata in the first place.

The timing of all this was interesting because Chris Harris had just released a video on the Miata where he second guessed his now infamous stance against the MX5. His conclusion was that the Miata is a great roadster but a mediocre sports car, and one of the most fun ways you can spend a few thousand dollars (or pounds). I have to agree, there are better driver’s cars out there, and it took a few modifications to my car to get it where I wanted it to be dynamically.

The roadster experience though, is second to none, and every time I drive my car I cannot help but thinking the newer, more expensive Miatas could not possibly offer anything more. Sure if you line mine up against the current NC Miata I would lose in a drag race, but neither car is fast by anyone’s standards, and neither car is meant to be.

So what do you really get by spending more than just a few grand on a Miata? Maybe a warranty if it is new enough, but as far as the experience goes you get nothing more for your money. What I’m saying here is that there is really two ways to buy a Miata, brand new, or as cheap as possible. Any other way and you are just wasting money. All of those NB Miatas around $10k are worthless, because a $2800 NA Miata like mine will give you the exact same experience.

I do love my car, and it reminded me why during our cruise on Saturday. A Miata is an experiential machine, and despite my car’s flaws it still puts a huge grin on my face.

-Nick Walker