With a fairly large hurricane barrelling towards the Northeast, it’s pretty clear that many will be evacuating the coasts, and others might also try to get to a shelter as well. While this is all a good idea, getting there is going to be tough, and if you’re one of the unfortunate number of people to get caught in either the storm itself, or in any storm in general, you might end up dealing with one of the most dangerous wet weather instances. I’m talking about hydroplaning–many have heard of it, but few know what to do or how to spot it.
This week Audi announced the details on their new A8 Hybrid. It will be powered by the same system as the hybrid Q5: the 2.0T with an electric motor. This setup makes 245hp and 345ft/lbs of torque. While this is “decent” we must not forget that the A8 is in fact the flagship Audi model, so it is not good enough. Continue reading Audi’s A8 Hybrid is doing it wrong→
The Crossfire was probably one of the more visible results of the DaimlerChrysler conglomerate. Born as a concept around 2002, it garnered immediate applause among the automotive faithful for being a strikingly beautiful car with the potential to break Chrysler into an entirely new market. Continue reading Secondhand Saint: Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6→
I’m not normally the guy who will say that a car is completely faultless in the way that it drives. I like to pick things apart, try to find a flaw, no matter how hard it may be to do so. I do it because I know nothing’s perfect and I’d rather not blow sunshine up anything’s rear end without reservation. But, Porsche’s Boxster Spyder was so good, that I gave up looking. Continue reading Test Driven: Porsche Boxster Spyder PDK→
The Fisker Karma is for people who would buy a Chevy Volt…. if they were poor. It offers the same sort of hybrid setup as the Volt just with alot more power (around 400hp and 960tq, look at that torque figure again), alot more luxury, and looks that are breathtakingly beautiful. The Karma is well explained here except for when he tries the launch from a stand still. The Fisker’s traction system will not allow all 960ft/lbs to reach the road from a dead stop for safety reasons. If you want to experience that savagery, then you need to punch the throttle from probably 50 or 60mph. It is quite a cool car though, and hopefully it will open up a new luxury market segment.
These specifications found on all cars, but many people don’t really know what they mean, even if they know what sorts of numbers constitute a lot or a little. There is a very detailed answer for defining each of these terms but this is Cars 101 so we will keep it simple and applicable to what most people can recognize. Continue reading Cars 101: Horsepower vs. Torque→
I still can't see the point of buying one, especially when a Civic Hybrid is a more efficient and practical car for not much more.
Smart has been operating here in the US of A for about 3 years now, and they seem to be the perfect example of an automotive fad. While it’s been successful in Europe, I’m not quite sure that it’s been a big hit in the States, and I have reason to believe that the car is flawed in more ways than one–and the market itself hasn’t been helping, either. Continue reading Is Smart really so “Smart”? I’m not thinking so.→
Just keep staring at it. I know I can't stop staring at it.
Before the Nissan Skyline GT-R, there was the Toyota 2000GT, widely regarded to be the first truly collectable Japanese car, and one of the first true Japanese supercars. Toyota, up until that point, was widely considered to be the producer of rather dull, basic automobiles. When the 2000GT hit the streets, though, the notion of Japanese cars being “boring” was shattered. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Toyota 2000GT→
Ford has made some great improvements over the past few years, however they have still not gotten it through their heads that Lincoln, their “luxury” division, is in need of a serious overhaul. Ford killed the Mercury brand last year, a great move in my opinion because Mercury was 100% pointless in the market. Lincoln is in a similar situation though, a luxury brand that doesn’t have many relevant cars. The auto industry is rapidly globalizing, and with that comes standards in each segment, as of right now Lincoln meets none of them in the luxury segment. Continue reading Why Lincoln is in serious trouble→
How often should you really be using this? Well, read on, folks.
Cruise control has been around since the Sixties, but it has evolved as the car around it has evolved. It’s useful for long, punishing drives, such as one I took just yesterday from northern New Jersey to Long Beach Island. That said, there are some times when it’s useful, and others when it should be avoided. Continue reading Cars 101: Cruise Control→
Since it’s mandatory for a car site to feature Ken Block’s videos, here you go. Its a good one, by far the most theatrical yet. We have also decided to feature the other 3 Gymkhanas, and one good spoof, below so you can see where all of this has come from. In my opinion these videos were much better when he was driving a Subaru, but I’m biased as hell. Enjoy watching.
This epic monster is a very special supercar called the Mega Track. It is basically a supercar taken to an entirely different level in that it is off road capable. Back in the mid ‘90s there was nothing else like it, and today there isn’t either. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Mega Track→
Mind Over Motor 