Who knew the Mazda MX-5 Miata would create such a stir. For over twenty-five years this car has prowled the planet and has been the symbol of fun offered by Mazda. What the Miata has taught us thus far is that we don’t need massive horsepower to have fun. What we do need is the right balance between horsepower and the curb weight of the vehicle in order to offer the right dynamics to be fun and agile. This synergy has finally made it way to Toyota and at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month there will be a new Toyota on the platform.
Intriguing
Are we Witnessing Another Tesla Killer
The entire automotive industry seems to have it out for Elon Musk and his team at Tesla Motors. Whether it’s because they blatantly ignored tradition in every way or because they showed up the rest of the world with their luxury performance cars that are powered only by the batter cells in the floorboard is hard to say, but the fact is many automakers have bulls-eyes on Tesla and are more than happy to produce what we would call a Tesla killer, especially if it offers a longer range than the Tesla models. With word of what Aston Martin is working on I wonder if they have the next Tesla killer coming.
SEMA is About to See Some Cool Fords
We have an expo show for just about everything and with vehicles that even means the SEMA show where the aftermarket expo allows automakers and aftermarket companies to team up and show us some amazing creations . These are the creative additions that can be made on a vehicle to allow those of us who buy these amazing four wheel works of art to enjoy the individuality that comes with many of them and the parts that have been added. When you want to see different ways a vehicle can be set up in order to give you the vehicle that does what you need, SEMA is the place to go.
2016 Cadillac ATS: Luxury and Agility Combined
The Cadillac ATS is one of the newer models on the market today and certainly is one that gives the BMW and Mercedes- Benz engineers nightmares. How could an American car offer some of the same luxury features as their beloved 3 Series and C-Class? The ATS answers every question asked of it from the equipment, drive, power, performance and prestige aspect to give us a car that we can turn our attention to and love one of our own domestic models and thumb our noses at the competitors and their haughty ways.
Where is Jeep Going with the Wrangler? Everywhere.
The Jeep Wrangler has been a steadfast design and build from Jeep that has yet to be duplicated by any other automaker. This vehicle gives us the best way to enjoy an off road experience that can be exciting and active with the Wrangler. The wheelbase, tall build and exceptional entry and exit angles are exactly what make the Wrangler one of the most adventurous and enticing vehicles ever found anywhere. With that in mind there have been some interesting variations that have shown up in a lot of different places to make us wonder what is going on with this vehicle that has only had a few changes since WWII just to keep up with technology.
Kit Car or Not, This Thing is Awesome
When you take to the task of building a kit car it’s hard to know what is going to come out of it. Yes the creations can be unique at the core, but most kit cars are boring, barely offering any power and usually poorly designed; that is unless you are Ferris Rezvani and the kit car you create is called the Beast. This is no typical car that comes out of several boxes (some assembly required) instead it appears Rezvani has his heart set on proving his cars are worth the time and effort put into them.
Safety in an SUV
The need for safety on the road is one of the most important features of any vehicle. The fact that we can end up on a collision at any time because of the carelessness of another driver or a spot on the road that was slick or unsafe means we need to be aware of what safety features the vehicles we purchase have aboard and pay attention to IIHS scores. Because the SUV category is only getting bigger many manufacturers are placing more emphasis on these vehicles for safety, creating a place in the cabin where you and your passengers will be able to survive.
A New Mercedes-Benz at Frankfurt
The Frankfurt Motor Show is better known as the IAA which is the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (obviously not an American English spelling at all). This might make you think the new Mercedes-Benz concept car was named after the show, but it wasn’t. The confusion is the fact that this new car is called the Concept IAA which actually stands for Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile, which might be a boring name, but it’s certainly not a boring car at all.
The Wrong Decade but the Right Cars
The 1980s was a very unique decade in the automotive world. While the time was mired by cars that felt underpowered and less capable than ever before because of the massive emissions regulations put on the industry there was also a great deal of awesome vehicles that become the bedrock for the vehicles we see today. The Volkswagen GTI was begun in the 80s as was the BMW 3-Series. This decade also featured such high end exotics as the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa both of which adorned the walls of many a teenage boy during this decade. With the good in mind from the decade that wasn’t for the auto industry here are some of the coolest cars of the 1980s.
When You Need a New Car
There is nothing wrong with appreciating an older model car and actually driving it until it won’t go anymore, but there comes a time when a new car can really make the difference. If you have been driving the same car for the past ten, twenty or thirty years then you are missing out on all the amazing new technology and performance that you can enjoy in a new car. With the 2016 model year nearly upon us, I offer you ten of the new cars you will see on dealer lots for this next model year.