Automotive Trends

While we’ve highlighted a few of the Show Stoppers of the 2005 NAIAS, there is still plenty more to see. Click into our gallery and peruse the rest of the show!! Read more…

A Little Bit Of Everything

    Following last year’s theme of “The Year of the Car”, automakers are preparing an even bigger wave of new products for the upcoming year but this time there is a bit of everything in the pipeline. This year’s show stoppers spanned all categories from two door two passenger glorified golf carts to car-like trucks and the ultimate in Detroit muscle cars. Below we’ve broken down what made news and why. Read more…

Blueberries In My Lunchbox

    Like kids on recess we scramble out to the garage to collect our toys. My latest being a little blueberry-hued Mazda. Sliding the shift lever into D, I scoot off for the weekend. Did I win or did I lose; considering the prized H1 Alpha was now in the hands of Exec Dye who was already rolling over all manner of boulders and compacts in his path. It’s the sandbox for me, my little ride possessing neither the clearance nor the desire to hop more than the Meijer parking lot curb. Read more…

     Ever since the Japanese earned a reputation for building top-quality cars, American automakers have been copycats.
     In fact, today’s American cars are in many ways hard to tell apart from their Japanese rivals after decades of copying the technology, construction, materials and even styling of their competitors from the Far East. Read more…

     With so much new product being rolled out one can get overwhelmed pretty easily. So, we are going to do a little warm-up for this weekend’s main event, the 2005 North American International Auto Show. Do your best to keep up as we show you what LA has shown us thus far and what Detroit still has in store. Read more…

The 6 Gets A 6-Speed     

     The Mazda6 has been a shining example of what a sport sedan from a mainstream automaker should be. We’re not talking BMW or Infiniti here. This is Mazda, purveyor of increasingly desirable, affordable cars with sporting intentions. And the 6 has been near the top of our favorite sport sedans list since its debut as a 2003 model. Since then it has offered plenty to like, (sharp style, 220hp, available manual) all for around $25k. Luckily, Mazda knows not to let a good thing go bad. So for 2005 they’ve upped the ante in the midsize sport sedan market by including the segment’s first 6-speed automatic transmission. The only people not happy about this? Mazda’s competitors. Read more…

       If you’ve been waiting until Toyota introduces a new Celica to buy one, your wait is over.
     The Celica is dying.
     After a 35-year run as a popular sports coupe — especially popular among young buyers — Toyota announced that Celica production will end in July because of sagging sales. Read more…

      Well it’s getting to that time of the year again. No I am not referring to the time when you blow your whole years’ earnings on Christmas presents and festivities, but the time of year when auto makers start bringing out their finest. Yes, auto show season is upon us and this year’s wave of new products is sure to be as exciting as ever. So as soon as the Christmas leftovers have been put away and the holiday joy is thoroughly spread our editors will be headed back down to Cobo Hall for more fun than any one automotive journalist should be allowed to have. In an effort to kick off the new show season we have compiled the latest buzz to keep the excitement peaked and the saliva flowing (careful not to drool on the keyboard). Below we have broken down the news, by manufacturer, of what we expect to see in January. Enjoy! Read more…

       If you want a glimpse at the future of automobiles, take a ride in this Lexus.
     It’s not a “car of the future” in the sense of GM’s Autorama show of the 1950s, which featured cars with wild styling and out-of-this-world gizmos that never made it into your garage. Read more…

The Nicest Electric Shaver We’ve Ever Driven

     GMC’s Envoy has been carrying cargo and towing trailers in its current form since the 2002 model year. During that time owners have come to like its smooth ride and responsive, fuel-efficient I6. But the competition is getting tougher all the time and more power and luxury never hurt any vehicle’s chances for continued success. To that end, GMC has applied the Denali touch to the Envoy lineup, including things like more power courtesy of a V8 and revised styling via a “Denali-style” grille insert. The changes are enough to get us curious about how well the Envoy is holding up 3 years into its model cycle. Read more…