Automotive Trends

Electricity Powers The Stars In Detroit

     From our vantage point it appears that Ford can do no wrong and for evidence of that claim we’d like to submit Exhibit A: Ford’s sweep of the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards. Absolutely nobody was surprised that the tech-heavy Fusion Hybrid wooed the judges, but the jaws of automotive journalists everywhere (not to mention GM Executives) hit the floor when Ford’s quirky little Transit Connect pulled off a stunning upset and beat out the Chevrolet Equinox for Truck of the Year. That’s right, the underpowered panel van from Europe beat out Chevrolet’s hot selling 32mpg Equinox, much to the delight of flower shop delivery guys everywhere. As Exhibit B we submit the 2011 Ford Focus. The days of building one Focus for America and another Focus for the rest of the world are over. This car was developed to be sold in more than 120 countries around the world with minimal differences and annual production north of 2 million units. A new Direct Injection 2.0-liter I4 and a selection of 6-speed transmissions will provide more power and improved fuel economy compared to the current Focus. Read more…

  If ever a vehicle defined excess, it would be the Cadillac Escalade.
For years, this monster Caddy has represented the epitome in American automotive hedonism — so powerful, so luxurious, so big. Everything about it is over the top, from its tugboat engine to its hide-covered seats to its dinner-plate-sized Cadillac logo on the back. It’s extravagance on a grand scale. Read more…

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder…

      …And this auto scribe thinks someone whacked the 2010 Mazda3 with an ugly stick! But regardless of what I think of the wrapper the real measure is whether or not the 2010 3 follows the formula that Mazda patented with the original. That is to pack this entry-level compact hatch with as much content as they can squeeze between the sheetmetal and offer it at a value you just can’t resist. Read more…

      Some time ago I had expressed concern about the popularity of so-called entry level luxury cars. I feared they were cheapening such storied nameplates as Cadillac, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. My biggest concern was with Cadillac, whose luxury cars once had an unmatched presence on the road due – in part – to a combination of massive size, flawless proportions, and trend setting styling. The CTS was a great car, I argued, but just ‘inexpensive’ enough that it was perhaps too accessible. Read more…

Entry-Level Luxury Never Looked So Good

    Driving the new 2009 Audi A4 helps explain a lot of things. Like, for instance, how Audi actually set a new sales record of 1.03 million vehicles in 2008 while most other automakers’ showrooms looked like ghost towns. It’s not that there’s simply more power (there is) or a new technology (several, in fact) it’s that every single facet of all new Audi’s is an improvement over the replacement. And the latest A4 is no exception. We’re here to tell you the 2009 model is more comfortable, more powerful, more dynamically satisfying, more efficient and more luxurious than ever. Don’t believe us? Read on. Read more…

      In search of something to do on a chilly fall day, Gernand and I hopped in the Fiero and pointed the bow west towards Hickory Corners, MI to visit the Gilmore Car Museum. Arguably, Gilmore is one of Michigan’s better kept secrets, but nonetheless it is home to some real gems of automotive history. What we found in the beautifully preserved barns of Gilmore were V16 Cadillacs, Packards, Pierce-Arrows, a 1906 Waltham Orient Buckboard, a 1948 Tucker, and a Mercedes-Benz once hidden away from Hitler himself just to name a few. But don’t stop there, click into the gallery to peruse all the treasures we found and think about taking your own trip to Gilmore next summer. Read more…

      Back to the Bricks isn’t Woodward per se, but it does take place on the same day and more importantly, the same stretch of road. If you travel Woodward to The Loop in Pontiac and then take Dixie Hwy and follow that until it becomes Saginaw Street you will end up in Flint. Some 34 miles north of the action happening at the Dream Cruise there is a party going on in downtown Flint. Contrary to popular belief Flint is not a dead town as these photos taken at 7:30 in the morning will atest too! Nope, Flint Vehicle City is alive and well to the sounds of classic cars rumbling up and down its brick paved main street. Read more…

      Sure Woodward is a great place to see a lot of great cars spread out over miles of fun. But quite honestly it is information overload for those who truly take the time to enjoy each and every piece of factory stock that goes rolling past. That is why local car shows draw our attention. There is nothing better than to getting to spend a little time getting to know each car and its proud owner. Check out the shiny metal we found at the June 2010 edition of the Faith Missionary Church Car Show!! Read more…

Road Trip!

      The peace and serenity of Monday morning was interrupted by Dye making an announcement that we had to drive to Asheville, NC, tonight! An Imola Red BMW M Coupe just hit Ebay and he had to have it. So before all productivity went flying out the window we grabbed the keys to the Volkswagen CC that just arrived and pointed the bow south. We then spent the next 10 hours of drive time thoroughly discussing the merits of adding an M Coupe to the personal fleet. Read more…

With Every Birthday Mazda’s Best-Selling Roadster Redefines Perfection

    Those of us in this business have now been trying to explain the Miata’s magic for 20 years. We use poetic superlatives and proclamations like “thrilling!” and “unbeatable!” and even with a heaping helping of exclamation points we can’t always convey its awesomeness. You must simply experience the pure driving pleasure Mazda’s minimalist roadster continues to provide two decades after its debut to understand its enthralling charm. Our real job, then, is to keep you up to date on the little changes Mazda makes every few years to keep the MX-5 on top of its game. For 2009 Mazda made just enough tweaks to make a revisit worthwhile for the AT staff. Who are we kidding, a smile occupies our faces every time Mazda sends one our way. Here then is what’s new in the land of Miata. Read more…