Tag Archives: Everyday Cars

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Shows, Cars We've Seen, Random Cool Stuff

Is it a Ford? Or is it a Mercedes? That infamous advertisement, 40 years on.

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Back in the Seventies, Ford boldy advertised a number of self-determined similarities between the Mercedes W124 E-Class sedan with their newly-launched Granada sedan. While it didn’t exactly draw buyers to the showrooms away from the three-pointed star to the Blue Oval, it certainly got people talking at the time and was unconventional for the time. 40 years later though, I think Mercedes may have won the war. Take a look and tell me–do you see a difference? I can see it, but after a few whiskey sours, maybe I can be convinced that the Granada and the 230-E are the same car. Continue reading Is it a Ford? Or is it a Mercedes? That infamous advertisement, 40 years on. →

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Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

Dodge Mirada at the AACA Fall Meet, Hershey

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Here we have a bit of a Malaise Mopar Unicorn. While everyone knew the Chrysler Cordoba, the Dodge twin of it was always less common during the period. The Mirada, produced only from 1980-1983, is the final iteration of the RWD Dodge personal coupe, and was the last four-seat 2 door RWD domestically produced vehicle under the brand name until the Challenger came out in 2008. This was one of the most well-preserved examples I’ve seen in a very long time, and ran quiet as a church mouse. Enjoy the photos of this rarely-seen Mopar classic. Continue reading Dodge Mirada at the AACA Fall Meet, Hershey →

Automotive Lifestyle

Welcome to the E38–or, the best 7 Series ever produced.

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When I was a kid, my friend’s dad gave me a lift home in his brand new 1999 BMW 740iL. I was blown away by how nice it was to just sit in even as a nine year old. Since then I’ve wanted a BMW 7-Series from this generation. Here, Doug Demuro walks us through the highest end version of the era–the 750iL V12 with the M Sport package. Enjoy the video.

-Albert S. Davis

Automotive Lifestyle, SHOWCASE

Joe Rogan Interviews Elon Musk: A Fascinating Conversation

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This has to be one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve heard in a long time. Anyone interested in cars, space, weapons, technology, the future, artificial intelligence, or business should really take the time to listen to this whole interview.

Yes, they spend one single minute out of 2.5 hours smoking a joint, and that has taken all of the headlines, but anyone reporting like that is simplistic and stupid and has completely missed the value of this conversation. (Plus it’s 2018 and if you’re still worried about the evils of people smoking pot you really need to find a new hobby.)

Seriously, you should watch/listen to this.

-Nick

Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

1978 Ford LTD Brougham 2 Door at Das Awkscht Fest

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Ford may have been late to the party for downsizing their full size sedans, but they made sure the glitz and the glamour of the LTD Brougham stayed as gaudy as possible. Vacuum-powered headlight doors? Check. Color matched interior and landau vinyl roof? Double check. Whitewall tires and chrome wheel covers, complete with gorgeous door edge molding? Triple check. This car has the Malaise Era credentials that only President Gerald Ford could hope to match (or Carter). It’s a big red party, and we’re all invited. Continue reading 1978 Ford LTD Brougham 2 Door at Das Awkscht Fest →

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars, SUVs and Crossovers

Test Driven: BMW X3 xDrive M40i (Grade: B)

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BMW X3 XDrive M40i Cargo Area

Compact crossovers have taken the American market by storm in epic proportions. Sales of sedans are declining, and sales of luxury crossovers from brands like Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, and the like have gone through the stratosphere. Cadillac’s best selling vehicle is the XT-5, the replacement for the SRX. Meanwhile, BMW started working this segment with the first X5 way back in the Bush Administration. Two Presidents and eighteen years later, we face the new X3, a car that I mocked often when it launched in 2004. Now in its third generation, I took the keys to this blue M Sport (as ridiculous as it sounds) and found it to be quite an eye-opener. Continue reading Test Driven: BMW X3 xDrive M40i (Grade: B) →

Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

1977 Checker Marathon at Cops and Rodders 2018

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Checker Marathon Rear 1

At one time, almost every single taxicab in New York City was the same shape. Unlike today, when you hail a checker cab and it could be a Toyota, Ford, or a Nissan, all “checker cabs” were indeed made by a company called Checker. The very last one of these finally went out of commission in 2001, twenty years after the last one rolled out of the factory. These were a hodgepodge design–they used GM engines and steering columns, but the front end interchanged with a 1956 Ford. The bodywork, however, was in-house. Not a lot of them are on the road today, but those that are always draw a good amount of attention for their tough-as-nails engineering, cavernous interiors, and retro styling (for the Seventies, anyway).
Continue reading 1977 Checker Marathon at Cops and Rodders 2018 →

Cars We've Driven, Cheap Fun Cars, Dynamic Duels, Luxury Cars, Performance Models, Used Car Gems

$25K Used Car Shootout: Audi B8 S4 vs Lexus IS F

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For $25K you have many great options for a high-performance daily driver. If you want a brand new car you can get a Honda Civic Si or a Volkswagen GTI, both great “hot hatches” with amazing handling and turbocharged power. Looking a couple years used, you can find a current-gen Subaru WRX, or variants of the Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro. But what if you want something even more serious with more emphasis on luxury and even higher performance? For $25K, the cars will be a few years older, 8-10 years old in this case, but you are getting $60K worth of car for less than half the price.

I’m starting to look around in this general price range for my next step, and I have various options depending on what I decide to do with my current stable of cars. I decided to go have a drive in some of the cars I’ve been looking at to see what they’re really like from behind the wheel.

I went to a local dealer to check out two Audi B8 S4s, and low and behold, they had a Lexus IS F on the lot as well – it hadn’t been listed online yet. IS Fs are pretty rare, and this one was in my range, so I added it to my list to drive.

The S4 and IS F are a somewhat strange comparison, the Audi is AWD with a supercharged V6, and the Lexus is RWD with a 5.0L V8. When it comes to driving in bad weather, they don’t really do the same things. That said, both are midsize sedans that offer high performance with a lot of polish. Overall, they serve the same basic function for the same basic price, so, despite their vast differences in many areas, that means they compete.

Continue reading $25K Used Car Shootout: Audi B8 S4 vs Lexus IS F →