Discussion of matters in the automotive industry and in car culture. Our opinions on what is going on, manufacturer’s products, etc
There has been more and more talk about a possible upcoming SUV from Maserati. Today more details broke and it is clear to me that this Fiat-Chrysler relationship is going to be mishandled. Continue reading Hi, my name is Jeep Grand Cherokee, but you can call me Maserati
Recently, Ford pulled the plug on the Panther chassis, which underpinned the Crown Victoria and its brothers. Continue reading Barges: What’s the deal?
I’m starting with this car because I learned to drive stick on a ’90 944 S2, so I have a special spot in my heart for it. The 944 was Porsche’s base model back in the 1980s and early 90s. It was very controversial at the time, and, like the Boxster today, was seen as “the poor man’s Porsche.” I can attest to the contrary 100%. The 944 is a fantastic sports car with great handling, 50/50 weight distribution, solid power and speed in the upper trims, fairly light weight (2700lbs or so), and a good look and feel to it. Back in its day the upper models would have competed with the likes of the BMW E30 M3, Lotus Esprit, Toyota Supra Mk3 Turbo, etc. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: Porsche 944
Ever since Al Gore’s little film there has been a bit of a frenzied panic going on in many areas, but especially in the car industry. Everyone has sudden obsession with green technology in an effort to save the earth from turning into an igloo in two days time without warning. Now I’m not one of those people who says that global warming is not real, not by a long shot, but the overwhelming majority of people do not actually know anything about what actually it is, and have just jumped onto the panic bandwagon like a bunch of spontaneous, ignorant, morons. This hysteria has become a detriment to much of the automotive industry because it has forced many companies to rush development and quality has suffered. Continue reading My thoughts on the whole Hybrid/Electric thing….
Since the explosion of the SUV market in the mid-1990s, many different companies have touted various forms of vehicles designed to take the driver where they please, rocks and mud be damned. Continue reading 4WD vs. AWD: What’s the difference?
Cadillac is working on a large sedan they are calling the XTS. It is to replace both the STS and DTS, and if GM is smart they will aim to make a legitmate flagship sedan of global standard like those offered from Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, and Lexus. Continue reading Cadillac XTS: “Standard of the world”? Doesn’t seem so.
Although GM’s turnaround has been the work of all four of its brands, Buick is the one that seems to look the most different than its previous self. With the loss of Oldsmobile and Pontiac over the past 10 years, Buick is now the mid-level brand of the family, which is an extremely difficult position to be in during this time, as Cadillac struggles to move upmarket and its closest competitor, Mercury, is finally put to bed by Ford. Continue reading Dear Buick: I see what you did there.
In order to discuss this question we must first have a definition of “art” itself. The definition of art is largely personal will vary between individuals to some degree to be sure. There is some consensus though. “Art” consists of a deliberate action that is meant to evoke an emotional or sensual response, or meant to convey a message from the creator. It is a medium with which people may express themselves, and can really be anything at all. The factors defining “art” exist more in the reasons for doing something than the actual tangible result of such an action. This is because the motivation of the artist is what will ultimately determine the potency of their work’s effects on others. Continue reading Art of the Automobile: Can cars be “art”?
Both occur at the handling limit of a car under hard cornering.
Understeer: the front of the car loses grip and the car will not seem to be able to turn enough.
Oversteer: the rear of the car loses grip and the car fishtails or will spin around. It will turn too much. Continue reading Cars 101: “Understeer” vs “Oversteer”
The ZR1 is undoubtedly the most bad-ass ‘Vette since we were still fighting in Vietnam–that much is clear. But why on earth would anyone actually buy one? This may seem like a stupid question, but I have a rather non-canon take on it that many will surely disagree with. But, I’m going to say it anyway. Continue reading The ZR1 is a fantastic rip off…yeah, I said it.
Subaru’s WRX has seen immense success here in the States since it first came to these shores in 2002. The car’s mix of practicality, reliability, and affordability, along with some very useable high performance makes it one of the best overall cars that money can buy. This includes the even higher slated WRX STi model that offers even more in the performance realm. The whole model line continues to see successful sales and a still growing fan base, including myself, so the issues I am about to bring up by no means imply that I dislike the cars as they are. I do however have some issues. Continue reading The STi’s Greatness, Fading Away
The Dodge Viper is a pure American outlaw designed with nothing but naughty behavior in mind. Since it first came out in the early Nineties, it has established itself as some stiff competition for the Corvette, but with a more exotic and hardcore appeal. Chrysler recently brought production of the previous generation Viper to an end and now the world is eagerly awaiting the release of the next generation. So what do I want to see from the new Viper? Continue reading Dodge Viper, What’s Next?
Mind Over Motor 
