Archive

Posts Tagged ‘V8’

2004 Pontiac GTO

February 8th, 2010 No comments

No Style But A Little Substance

     As I stated in my review of the Ford Mustang Mach 1, muscle cars are about two things and two things only. Style and power. Having one without the other is a recipe for poor sales and even poorer reviews from guys like us. General Motors however, was faced with the reality of not having an affordable sports car in its lineup after the retirement of the Camaro and Firebird models. It didn’t take Bob Lutz long to realize GM needed to offer some performance, especially in its so-called Driving Excitement division. The most time and cost-effective solution was to borrow the big coupe from Holden, a division of General Motors in the land Down Under. After all, the well-finished 2 + 2 was already powered by the Corvette’s small-block V8 and adapting the car to meet some of our stricter regulations would be rather easy. The green light was given to get the car badged as the GTO and on sale in America as soon as possible. Sounds good, right? Read more…

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2004 Audi allroad

February 8th, 2010 No comments

Soft-Roading

     Logically, one would not even consider putting an Audi in a cornfield. But photographers don’t exactly adhere to the same brain patterns when logical thinking is involved. Thus, we tread many a dirt road and cattle path in pursuit of photog satisfaction. Is the allroad (not a typo, Audi is case sensitive) capable of traversing lightly beaten paths while coddling passengers listening to classical music with the A/C purring away? Yeah, something like that, but you will have to read on to find out. Read more…

2004 F-250 Super Duty King Ranch

February 8th, 2010 No comments

Oh, If Only My Office Chair Had A Hide This Nice

     As you are reading this 2005 Super Dutys are arriving on dealer lots and hitting the roads. However, we got the impression that there were enough diehards out there in favor of the old trucks that we figured we would give ‘er a final go round. Not to mention there are plenty of 04’s still on the lot ready to be put to work. So keep reading, because this truck is a workaholic and there is always another tree that needs pulled, or a horse trailer needing hauled.
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2004 Lexus GS430

February 8th, 2010 No comments

     In the rarified realm of luxury cars, there are two basic flavors.
     One is the traditional road yacht that floats down the highway with grace, style, and gluttonous size. The other is the midsize sports sedan that aims to exhilarate the driver with sharp handling and gobs of power while coddling passengers with a modestly upscale cabin.
     Lying somewhere in between is the Lexus GS sedan.
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2004 Pontiac GTO vs. Holden Monaro (Design Critique)

February 8th, 2010 2 comments

     With the introduction of the Holden Commodore Concept Coupe at the turn of the millennium, it looked as if the designers at Holden had found a way to breathe some new life into GM’s slowly aging RWD midsize platform.  By merely changing the roofline and stretching the front doors, the conservative sedan was transformed into an attractive coupe.  Read more…

2004 Nissan Armada

February 8th, 2010 1 comment

     The Spanish were an ambitious bunch, at least in the 16th century.
     That’s when King Phillip II ordered 30,000 people onto 130 warships to create what he called an “invincible armada,” the most powerful naval fleet in the world. It set sail in 1588 to invade and conquer England.
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2005 Ford Super Duty (Preview)

February 8th, 2010 No comments

     News has finally broken on the revised 2005 Ford Super Duty pickups and we can now shed some light on what Ford has in store for us. Since we have been receiving so much mail about the spy shots we took back in November, we are taking this opportunity to answer some of your questions now that the trucks have broken cover. Read more…

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2004 Toyota Tundra

February 6th, 2010 No comments

     Hear that nervous clattering noise coming from the North? That’s the sound of Detroit shaking in its old, worn-out boots.
     After watching the Japanese steal sales year after year in the small, midsize, and luxury car markets, the folks in northern Michigan are surely biting their fingernails at the thought of Japan swooping in for another conquest. This time, though, the fight will be over the mainstay of all-American transportation — the full-size truck.
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2004 Cadillac Escalade ESV

February 4th, 2010 No comments

     If Cadillac’s mammoth Escalade isn’t big enough for you, take a look at this brute.
     It’s the giant Escalade ESV, one of the most overindulgent vehicles available today in terms of size, power, and electronic gadgets. It has the same fabulous engine and luxurious amenities as the regular Escalade, but those three magic letters — ESV — make a world of difference in roominess.
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2004 Volkswagen Touareg

February 4th, 2010 No comments

     Well, the folks at Volkswagen have finally gone off the deep end.
     Or maybe they’re just marketing geniuses, because the new Touareg — the largest, most expensive vehicle ever to wear the VW badge — represents one of the biggest strategy shifts in automotive history. It’s quite a gamble for this German company, which for decades made nothing but low-priced economy cars and faces an uphill battle to change its public image.
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