Posted by Peter on
November 30, 2009
Top Gear Says Lancia Is The Best Automaker. Ever.
Ok, that’s not an exact quote, but Episode 3, which aired last night, was the best of Season 14 thus far. If you haven’t seen it yet, go here and enjoy it. Am I the only one who noticed the increasing friction between Jeremy and James? If looks could kill, Jeremy would be deader than John Candy.
The episode feature saw Jezza and the Hamster testing Lancia’s notoriously poor reliability record in an endurance race before thrashing a Stratos and a Delta Integrale along UK’s stunning and picturesque coastal B-roads. The cinematography was its usual high-calibre and the banter was its equal.
This summer, I also had a Lancia experience. It’s below.
Posted by Stirling on
November 30, 2009
2011 Ford Mustang V6 To Get New Engine, Performance Package.
Even though the new Ford Mustang was just just released a few months ago, Ford is already drastically reworking for the LA Auto Show. The 2010 model sports a 4.0 V6 which only manages a disappointing 210 horses. If ze Germans can get the same output from a two liter, Ford’s engineers need to get their act together. Luckily, they just told us that they have. Find out how after the jump.
Posted by Janaki on
November 30, 2009
Rallye du Var: Rally Prowess Runs in the Loeb Family
What’s that, you say? No 2009 WRC round in France? That’s OK. French fans instead got a treat when multiple world champion Sebastien Loeb brought the show to them once again, at the ultimate round of the French National Championship at Rallye du Var. Follow the jump for more. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Janaki on
November 28, 2009
Geely Almost Proud New Swedish Car Company Owners
Ford is apparently pretty serious about finding a new home for Volvo—so serious, in fact, that it seems a tentative agreement has now been reached between it and “preferred bidder” Geely, of the People’s Republic of China. More after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Mark on
November 27, 2009
Review: 2009 Porsche Panamera Turbo
Let’s get this one out of the way early: Yes, the Panamera is all Porsche, and deserves its place among the rest of the brand’s revered portfolio. Ignore all the little voices chirping on about how since it has four doors, it can’t be a Porsche. Screw the voices – think of the Panamera as a 928 for the new millennium, and you’d be pretty close.
I had the chance to drive the Panamera on a couple of occasions. The first was at Road America with all three versions on both the track and the pastoral roads of Wisconsin, while the other was during the annual AJAC Test Fest in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, which focused more on street driving with a short airport circuit included too. There was not one situation where the Porsche felt at all out of sorts, out of breath or out of place.
First, some numbers.
Posted by Peter on
November 26, 2009
Video: 2011 Kia Cadenza – How Very… German?
Say goodbye to Kia’s hackazoarus E-Class poseur, the Amanti, and say hello to the Cadenza (which looks remarkably like the KND-5 concept we saw in April). If you’re wondering why it looks so sharp, so Teutonic, look no further than Kia’s current design director Peter Schreyer. On this man’s back alone, Kia is poised to reinvigorate the inexpensive car segment. Together with parent company Hyundai’s supreme powertrain development (most notably with GDI), Kia is doing what Honda did in the early 70’s.
For those self-loathers in need of an Amanti memory refresh, see below.
Posted by Peter on
November 26, 2009
For Sale: 1988 BMW M6
Just look at the size of that greenhouse! You could fit Rita McNeil through that window!
Uninterested in the 500 hp 5.0L V10 underhood of the current E63 BMW M6? Think that the current model is too bloated, too complex, and too expensive? Me too, me two, and me three. Thankfully, in the late 80’s BMW’s M division had their Bavarian mitts in more than just the E30 M3 (with its pitiful little four-pot), they also produced the E24 M6 for those looking for a more stately and refined BMW coupe experience. Powered by the M88 3.5L inline-6 from the M1, the M6 made 256 hp in North America, a full thirty less than the Euro models on account of the castrating catalytic converter. Still, this was enough oomph to make the M6 one of the 10 fastest cars in North America at the time with a 0-60 mph of just over 6 seconds.
The lines of the E24 embody the classic “shark nose” philosophy of being more aggressive and purposeful than Mercedes, a design element that BMW’s current design director Adrian Van Hooydonk is currently re-imagining, starting with the F01 7-series and continuing with the F10 5-series.
Price and gallery below.
Posted by Peter on
November 25, 2009
Pic of the Day: Steve McQueen Is Cooler Than You
True Story. Ten points to the first one to identify the car.
Posted by Janaki on
November 25, 2009
Is Saab Done?
As we all know, GM’s been anxious to get rid of Saab for some time. The Swedish car manufacturer has been hemorrhaging dollars and Swedish crowns since GM took it over. A deal had almost come through when Koenigsegg, backed by the Chinese company BAIC, made what seemed a fairly solid bid. However, that’s now fallen through as well…and currently, no one else is in line waiting for a swipe at the Saab piñata.
Does this mean Saab’s done? Follow the jump for more info. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jonathan on
November 24, 2009
Parts Cars I Have Known – My Life With BMWs
People who know me know I have a problem. I collect old BMWs, specifically the models fewer people care about. I have had E3 (the Bavarias) and E12 (the first 5 Series) sedans, as well as one garden-variety 1985 535i. Anything with an ‘M’ prefix? Nope. A beautiful CS coupe? Not yet. The iconic 2002? One, briefly, in ‘tii’ form though I never drove it because the burning oil fumes would get sucked into the cabin through the rotted spare tire well.
I don’t care, because the cars that have stuck around are like family members. Like Max the 1972 Bavaria and Chuck the 1981 528i, owned 12 and 10 years, respectively.
Relatively recently, we shipped the 528i from California to its new home in Minnesota. While it is straight and rust-free, and sports a freshly-rebuilt 3.5-litre engine, Chuck has lots of needs. And those needs, apparently, required a donor. Enter one 1976 530i, also known as Sam the rusty parts car, purchased over the summer and driven around since.
Recently, however, Sam shuffled off his mortal coil due in no small part to the liberal application of wrenches and sockets. Yes, it was time for him to donate his remaining worthy bits for the potential betterment of the other children. Kind of like the Donner party, but with a transmission and dashboard instead of legs and a spleen.
