Automotive Trends

      When it comes to easily identified and unique looking cars, there aren’t too many that stand out in a crowd more than the 1997 Plymouth Prowler.  There were only 457 of them built that year, all wearing purple metallic paint. Sadly, this factory “hot rod” was all show and no go as it only had a 214-hp 3.5L V6 under the hood paired to a 4-speed automatic. But considering that most Prowlers racked up the bulk of their miles on the car cruise circuit, this is wholly appropriate. We spotted this paticular model at the 2009 Back to the Bricks.

     Since the mid-1990s rumors of the demise of the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis twins have perpetuated through the automotive press. GM’s relatively unexpected discontinuation of the Caprice in 1996 gave extra boost to the Crown Vic’s sales. Unfortunately, with no competition Ford’s Panther platform soldiered on year after year with changes that were often transparent to their aging target audience. Read more…

      In the winter of 2009 at the NAIAS, Cadillac rolled out the Converj Concept. The Converj is a luxury 2+2 coupe featuring GM’s extended range electric Voltec powertrain. There are 220 lithium-ion cells onboard capable of storing enough energy for 40 miles of travel without using a drop of fuel.  More impressive is the 273 lb-ft of torque available instantly, for claiming stoplight superiority, and 120 kW of power. To further lessen dependence on the grid or the pump the Converj utilizes regenerative braking and has a glass roof housing solar panels. But at the end of the day this is still a Cadillac, and as such occupants are treated to an interior trimmed in Winter White suede, Midnight black leather, polished aluminum and wood accents and even a headliner made of silk.

A Minor Refresh Makes A Major Difference

      The movers and shakers inside Ford had a great idea once upon a time ago. They decided they were going to make a family sedan that was sporty. What could go wrong? They had experience fashioning family sedans such as the Taurus, and sports cars like the Mustang. Surely they could graft the two together. After all, they were starting out with a Mazda6, an astoundingly thrilling car to drive considering it is propelled via the front-wheels. Oh sure, the result was a nice car. They made it bigger so you could stretch out. They made the suspension softer so the bumps wouldn’t fling the contact lenses from your eyes. And they made it heavier by adding fluffy foamy stuff so you can’t hear the engine noises. They made it boring…
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      Getting behind the wheel of the 2005 Ford Thunderbird is like stepping into a time machine. Sans the Flux Capacitor. No, settling into the T-bird takes you back to a time when the waitresses at A&W flew on rollerskates to your car. If you are an empty nester this car is the perfect weekend getaway vehicle for you and the misses. You can put the top down and relax as the Thunderbird will serve up a compliant, comfortable ride free of harshness. Under the hood is Ford’s smooth-running 280-hp 3.9L V8, ready to provide a little extra spirit to drive, but mostly just ready to cruise.

      Mercedes-Benz took a traditional approach (sort of) with the 2011 E550 Cabriolet, shown here at the 2010 NAIAS, and equipped it with a classic soft top. Creature comfort, however, is still Mercedes’ top priority as the Cabriolet features the AIRCAP and AIRSCARF systems. The AIRCAP utilizes a pop-up net above the windscreen and a draft-stop deployed between the rear seats to cut down on turbulence. With AIRSCARF each seat is equipped with HVAC ducts that gently blow warm air around the occupants neck to compensate for otherwise less-than-ideal ambient conditions during top-down motoring.

      The gang is back in rare form to discuss the benefits of diesel engines and run flat tires, plus the downsides of letting Joe Sixpack rent an electric vehicle with a 100-mile range, and why suicidal deer and Mercedes SUVs don’t mix. Just click through to get started.   Read more…

      The vehicle pictured above is really the Ford Flex cleverly disguised as the Fairlane Concept. Ford showed their new take on people moving at the 2005 NAIAS to much acclaim.  The Fairlane feature “French-opening” doors that eased access to the third row, as well as all-LED lighting upfront. But the real story here was how much of the concept Ford was able to deliver to the streets in the form of the Flex. Many of the gimmick features were lost, but the basic shape that inspired so much fanfare carried into production untarnished.

      Few automakers know how to dress up an engine bay nowadays. Too many times a gorgeous engine is covered up with flimsy plastic covers to hide the “dirty” engine or muffle noises coming from under the hood. As automotive enthusiasts we appreciate hearing a good engine note from behind the wheel and especially like to be able to show off what is under the hood. Nothing says “I hate the feel of grease under my finger nails” more to fellow car guys than popping open the hood to reveal an acre of black plastic. Note how the 4.2L V8 Audi RS 4 engine pictured above is devoid of such atrocities save for the clever carbon fiber name plate adorning the throttle body.

      The Lincoln Mark X (Mark Ten), debuted at the 2004 NAIAS, was an elegant luxury roadster built off of the Ford Thunderbird platform. It featured a power folding glass roof that would neatly stow in under 30 seconds without infringing upon the 15-cubic feet of leather lined trunk space. Behind that expansive chromed egg-crate grille was a 3.9L aluminum V8 channeling 280-hp and 286 lb-ft of torque through a 5-speed automatic to the rear wheels. Sadly, the Mark X wouldn’t make it past the show circuit and that awful cheese-grater grille found its way onto the 2006 Navigator and the 2007 MKX.