Automotive Trends

Lotus Says the S Stands for Supercharged, We’re Thinking More Like Stupefying

      Lotus, like other conventional automakers who like to drop an “S” or a “T” somewhere in the name of a car to denote the presence of a supercharger or turbocharger, would have us believe that’s all the suffix represents here. But Lotus is no conventional automaker, and one run through the gearbox of the quickest Lotus roadcar available and you’ll agree that a rechristening is in order here. My dictionary says something that is stupefying will “make somebody unable to think clearly because of boredom, tiredness, or amazement”. We can testify from experience that when piloting the Exige S it’s not boredom or tiredness you’ll be feeling. Even on the mind numbing interstates of Metro Detroit, where driving joy seems a thousand miles away, you’ll be too busy avoiding pot holes and lane-drifting, slack-jawed hooligans with cell phone cameras to ever get bored. Now being unable to think clearly because of amazement, that’s something you’ll experience with every flex of your right foot. That means one thing: this must be the Lotus Exige Stupefying Edition. Read more…

Stiff Competition Makes Life Difficult For The Improved XL7

     Here’s a good example of just how competitive the auto industry is in 2007. Let’s be honest, Suzuki’s XL7 has been rubbish since it debuted. But when the details on the new generation started to leak out there was a lot of reason for hope. The whole thing was going to be based on a stretched version of GM’s Theta architecture, which works fine in the Chevy Equinox, and even better news was Suzuki’s decision to drop their old, underpowered engine in favor of GM’s 3.6-liter V6 and smooth shifting 5-speed automatic. Read more…

An Econobox With Traction!

     Visually the Suzuki SX4 registers exactly nil on the coveted Muxlow fun-o-meter. It looks about as enticing as an emergency escape capsule from a space ship, and I don’t desire to pilot one of those either. But this little orange pumpkin was my charge for the week and I gave it all the tender loving care and affection I show all my cars. Well…sorta. Read more…

I’m Cool Because I Said So!

    Sport means cool and/or active. (Ed’s Note: Webster disagrees) I drive a sports car; I am cool. I drive a sport utility vehicle; I am active. My presence on the road is commanding. I work a 9 to 5 during the week in the city. On weekends I ford rivers and leap boulders. Read more…

This Is The Ford Edge You Really Want

    You’d never believe it after driving the two vehicles, but the Ford Edge and the Mazda CX-9 share an engine and a good chunk of their architecture. We say that because the Edge, like too many of Ford’s recent products, is ho-hum and the CX-9 is a serious contender for the large crossover crown. Both CUVs are handsome, but the Mazda is far better to drive and its interior offers superior materials, three rows and something we like to call design. But this isn’t a comparison test; we’ll get to that some day. This is a review of the biggest vehicle Mazda has ever built, and somehow still managed to inject with a little soul. Read more…

Slick Sierra

    We feel sorry for the Dodge salesman stuck peddling Ram pickups in today’s market. Aside from some small updates along the way the Ram hasn’t had much to write home about since the current generation debuted with the famous Hemi V8 back in 2001.
     Sure, the sales guys can still say our truck has a Hemi, but the window sticker says it’ll require 13 miles per gallon in the city and 17 miles per gallon on the highway. That’s pretty thirsty in today’s world of $3-a-gallon gasoline. Besides, even if a prospective customer can overlook the thirsty engine and tired styling there’s no getting past the interior, which is a rolling exhibition of the plastic automakers should never use. It’s really rather awful. Read more…

Making 400 Horsepower Feel Slow

    When the current generation of Range Rover debuted back in 2002 it was embraced by wealthy suburbanites and praised by the media as the greatest luxury vehicle since the S-Class. Ok, maybe nobody stood in front of a banner declaring such, but that seemed like the general tone to us. Its distinctive retroish body shared the same unimaginative upright greenhouse and short wheelbase that Range Rovers have always shared. But the only real important part of the exterior was the large Range Rover lettering just above the grille that let everyone know this was an expensive SUV far above the realm of mere Escalades and Navigators. In our opinion the contemporary interior was the crowning achievement, although BMW power and plenty of luxury features didn’t hurt the vehicle’s prospects for success. But all that can be gleaned from the glossy brochure photos and slick television commercials. We recently spent a week with a nearly six figure fully loaded Range Rover Supercharged model, and we have to admit we were disappointed. Read more…

     The Kettering University Firebird’s Car Club put on yet another spectacle of a car show for their parents. Don’t worry Mom and Dad, I’m sure they didn’t neglect any homework during the prepartion of the show! Click through our gallery to see what they rolled out this year.

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You Might Just Forget You Drove To Work

     I absolutely love my job. Most days I spend pondering the industry, debating our Executive Editor on all the fine points of the upcoming Camaro and Challenger muscle cars; or laying on my back in the front lawn gazing at the mechanicals tucked between the frame rails of a 1-ton pickup. The point is this: cars fascinate me. All cars, including everything related to and revolving around this industry. But occasionally, a car happens across my path that just does nothing for me. Read more…

Big Power In Mazda’s Little Hatch

     The evidence against turbo-haters is growing rapidly. In the past few years we’ve seen automakers turbocharge tiny engines to make far more power than anyone would have dreamed even 10 years ago. And still more impressive than the mighty dyno figures is the civility of the power. Turbo lag is far from the enthusiast slayer that it once was. Read more…