Automotive Trends

Serious Zoom-Zoom

    There are other turbocharged performance sedans on the market but the two we think of first, the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru WRX, are considerably more manic than the thoroughly upgraded MazdaSpeed 6 we had the pleasure of driving a few weeks ago. We recently tested the Evo and were—not surprisingly—impressed by the sheer power of the tiny 2-liter and the fierce acceleration it provides. But the Evo is tuned heavily toward hardcore and not everyone wants to sacrifice a decent ride, sound insulation, and luxurious interior accommodations in the name of horsepower. Some will willingly trade a few tenths of a second in the 0-60 mph dash for something that can serve family sedan duty at the drop of a hat. Those people will find such a ride at their Mazda dealer. Read more…

Finally A Saab To Be Proud Of?

    It’s been anything but smooth sailing for Saab since being acquired by GM in 1990. The quirky Swedish automaker has often been criticized for relying on outdated, back-of-the-pack products that cause it to lose money on a scale that impresses even Mike Tyson—and that’s not easy to do. Most of the time Saab opponents seem to outnumber supporters 100 to 1. The latest death threat came from Jerome York, a newly appointed GM board member and investor Kirk Kerkorian’s right-hand man, who called for the company to cut its losses and dump the brand. The latest rumors suggest York has since warmed up to Saab and now believes, as many others inside GM do, that the future business case for the troubled brand might be enough to turn the dim light at the end of the tunnel into a new dawn for Saab. The 9-3 SportCombi we recently tested suggests Saab’s sun may rise sooner than expected. Read more…

Something MoRe

       It’s probably appropriate that the high-performance version of Mitsubishi’s Lancer sedan is called the Evolution. Every couple years the die-hard speed junkies inside the three-diamond division tweak the look, and if we’re lucky, the turbo engine of this all-wheel drive monster and add one to the Roman numerals. Right now we’re flying around corners in the ninth version of the entry-level sedan cum serious sports car. Of course, when we think it can’t get any better the Evo will evolve again, and we’ll be blown away—again. Sadly, the 10th generation is still a ways off, but in the meantime the Evo IX is more than capable of serious entertainment. To be sure we were as amused as we could be we asked for the top dog MR edition. We haven’t had this much fun since the office Christmas party. Read more…

Peace

     Everybody loves the Beetle; it’s just such a happy vehicle. I think it has something to do with the smiles. I mean, just look at the thing. It smiles coming at you and it smiles going away. I don’t know how anybody could be upset with a face like that looking back at you. Implied emotions aside, guess who wound up at the mercy of the little car quota again. At least the Beetle is well received by the female half of the species. This could turn out all right after all. Read more…