Author: kurt

Tired of seeing spy shots on every auto related internet blog, GM slapped up two pictures of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible on their Facebook page. I’m not sure I would have chosen either to highlight the lines of the car, as the best profile of the new Camaro drop-top is from the side. GM opted for an elevated front view, which makes the Camaro’s already-small windshield look even tinier. Worse, the front view of the convertible is essentially the same as the front view of the hard top; wouldn’t you want to highlight the differences instead of pointing out the similarities?

The rear photo isn’t much better, but at least you can tell it’s a ragtop Camaro. I’d have shot the car from eye level, not floor level, to give a sense of the interior and the lines of the windshield. In any event, at least you can clearly see the styling influence from the first generation Camaro in the rear pic.

Mazda has announced the recall of more than 90,000 Mazda 3 sedans and hatchbacks in their home market and in the Chinese market. Vehicles produced between January 2006 and March 2009 may have an oil hose located too close to the radiator shroud: over time, the oil hose can wear through, creating potential leaks.

Vehicles in the North American market are not effected by this recall.

Source: Mazda Recall Issued On 90,000 Compacts in Asia

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is an electric car; although it has a 1.4 liter, four cylinder engine, this does not power the drive wheels. Instead, the engine is used to generate electricity, which powers the Volt’s electric motor when the batteries are depleted. Chevrolet claims an overall mileage rating of 230 MPG, which the EPA has yet to confirm.

The Volt was designed to have a “battery only” range of 40 miles, and pre-production units have achieved this goal. When the batteries run down, the 1.4 liter gasoline engine fires up to power the car’s electric motor. This gives the Volt a conventional car-like range of approximately 300 miles, making it useful for both daily commuting and vacation road trips.

Prospective buyers (and us media types) have been asking what kind of fuel economy the Volt would achieve when the batteries are depleted and the car is using gasoline to create electricity. Green Car Reports has received confirmation from the Volt’s chief engineer, Andrew Farah, that pre-production Volts are reaching the design goal of 50 MPG when powered (indirectly) by gasoline.

Personally, I can’t wait to drive the Volt, as I think it’s the start of a new chapter in automotive engineering. Using a gas or diesel motor to create electricity makes good sense – this is how diesel electric locomotives have been powered since the early part of the 20th century. As battery density improves, we’ll eventually be able to abandon the internal combustion motor altogether, but the Volt represents a practical bridge between available technology and future tech.

We told you about Consumer Reports findings on the 2010 Lexus GX460 yesterday. Their concerns over the malfunctioning stability control of the Lexus SUV prompted Toyota to issue a sales halt on Lexus GX460s in the United States. Toyota has now expanded that sales stop to include all global markets until the issue can be addressed.

Toyota doesn’t want another unintended acceleration debacle on their hands, so they’re being extremely proactive with this situation. The automaker announced that they’ll be retesting the stability control on all of their SUV models, to ensure consumer safety and restore confidence in the brand.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go see if I can induce drop-throttle oversteer in my FJ. All in the interests of safety, of course.

Source: UPDATE: Lexus expands to global stop sales of Lexus GX 460…

BMW M135i? from MrBTG on Vimeo.

We’re not sure if that’s ultimately what BMW will name this wide-bodied hoonmobile, but it’s probably that or the 135tii in homage to the revered 2002 tii. BMW was pretty clear in saying that it won’t be called the M1, since that name already occupies a significant place in BMW history.

Whatever they call it, the idea of a lightweight, de-contented 1 series with more horsepower and a stiffer suspension appeals to me. No word yet on whether or not we’ll see this in the U.S., or at what price point.

Source: VIDEO: BMW’s Performance 1-Series Coupe with Wide Bodykit Spied on the Track

Ford recently announced production of three new EcoBoost motors, including the 2.0 liter four cylinder variant destined for the 2011 Ford Explorer. By using a combination of direct injection, variable valve timing and turbocharging, Ford is able to squeeze a surprising amount of both power and fuel economy from EcoBoost motors. Final specs on the production 2.0 liter four for the 2011 Ford Explorer haven’t been released, but expect the motor to produce 230 horsepower and 240 ft-lbs of torque. That’s on par with the outgoing 4.0 liter V6, which produced 210 horsepower and 254 ft-lbs of torque.

The 2011 Ford Explorer is the company’s first with a four cylinder motor, and it will feature unibody construction instead of body-on-frame construction when it’s launched later this year. Fuel economy ratings have yet to be published, but expect a significant increase from the outgoing Explorer v6’s EPA rating of 14mpg city, 20 mpg highway.

Thumbs Up: You’ll run out of nerve before the 2010 Jeep Wrangler runs out of capability.
Thumbs Down: Optioned out, they can get expensive quickly.
Buy This Car If: You want to go off-roading top down, you appreciate a ride with personality and you want an SUV that can be uniquely your own.

At first, I just didn’t understand the 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sahara’s appeal. It had too many compromises for my practical sensibility: it’s got four seats, but getting into or out of the back with the hard top on requires some agility. Rear seat in place, you won’t be carrying much luggage in the rear hatch. The venerable 3.8 liter V6 motor is hardly state of the art, and fuel mileage isn’t great partially because it’s mated to a four speed automatic transmission. Supremely capable off-road, it’s on-road ride comfort isn’t what most drivers are used to. The icing on the cake for me was the window sticker; as equipped, this 2010 Sahara Edition Jeep Wrangler had a $31,190.00 price tag. Sure it’s got a good nav system and a decent stereo, but that’s a big check to be writing for a daily driver with more than a few quirks.

After a few days behind the wheel, I began to get it: very few people buy a Jeep Wrangler for its practicality, and most Wrangler buyers could care less about ride comfort. Like Harley Davidson motorcycles (another iconic brand), Jeep Wranglers are generally bought for entertainment, or in recognition of their astonishing heritage. If you need passenger and cargo room with go-anywhere capability, you buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you want top down, off-road fun, you buy a Wrangler. In fact, the Jeep Wrangler is the last of the convertible SUVs, which should make your new car shopping list that much shorter.

It didn’t take long for the Wrangler to win me over, once I figured out the secret. Is it crude? Sure it is, but that’s part of the Wrangler’s personality, part of its appeal. You get the sense that, should something break on the Jeep, it could be fixed trail-side with a bit of JB Weld, some Gorilla Tape and a multitool. If you don’t like any one thing about the Wrangler, there’s an aftermarket company that sells just what you’re looking for to address it. In reality, the Jeep is a blank canvas, just waiting for an owner to personalize it. Besides, the Wrangler has more history behind the marque than any other vehicle still in production.

So what about the motor? Jeep Wranglers now use a 3.8 liter V6 that’s been in the Chrysler parts bin for a while. In stock form, it makes 205 horsepower and 240 ft-lbs of torque, which is fine for most owners and good enough to get you from zero to sixty in under ten seconds. If you want more grunt from your Jeep, the Wrangler responds really well to intake and exhaust system upgrades, which won’t break the bank. Personally, I’d really like a diesel or turbo diesel motor option, such as the new 2.5 liter Delta motor from Fiat. Hint, hint, Chrysler.

I put around two hundred miles on the Wrangler, and it was plenty comfortable for multi-hour driving. The hardtop sealed well and made highway driving more enjoyable; if you live in a cold climate, or regularly park your Jeep outside overnight, the $1,625.00 hard top is a must-have option. Driver and passenger seats are supportive, but would benefit from additional lumbar support and a little more side bolstering. I much prefer cloth seats over leather, especially in a truck that’s going to get dirty, and the Jeep’s were nicely finished in a two tone, stain resistant fabric. The in-dash nav system was fairly intuitive, and the seven speaker Infinity sound system was far better than I expected.

What impressed me the most was the overall improvement in build quality. I’ve driven pre-JK series Jeeps, and was always less than impressed with how well they were put together. Even new ones squeaked and rattled off a dealer’s lot like a chorus of chipmunks on speed. Not so with the new Wranglers; their build quality is rock solid, and the Sahara never had a squeak or rattle, even over rough pavement. The dash and surround is multi-textured hard plastic, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s easy to clean and visually more appealing than acres of solid plastic or cheesy faux woodgrain. Instruments are clear and well laid out, with the space between the speedometer and tach reserved for warning lights. The trip computer in this Sahara version gave me a readout on miles traveled, time elapsed, MPG since reset, direction traveled and outside temperature.

I averaged 20.6 miles per gallon in a mix of city, highway, 2wd and 4wd driving, far better than the EPA estimate of 17 mpg combined. As you would expect from a vehicle with a short wheelbase and a high center of gravity, it can feel twitchy over uneven pavement (or in crosswinds) until you get used to the handling. The ride certainly isn’t car-like, but it’s not unpleasant, either.

On sunny days when you want to drop the top and head for the beach or the trails, there is no substitute for a Jeep Wrangler. The Wrangler will get you anywhere you need to go, limited only by your off-road driving skills and sense of self-preservation. It’s easy to drive in the loose stuff, and even the stock tires give a decent amount of grip in sand. Surprisingly, they weren’t noisy on the highway, either.

The 2010 Sahara is as luxurious as you can order a Wrangler, and features color matched fenders, two toned seats, height adjustable driver’s seat, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry, an alarm system, a seven speaker sound system with subwoofer, Sirius satellite radio, traction control and 18” wheels. All Wranglers now get four wheel disc brakes with ABS, stability control with rollover sensor and hill start assist. They’ve earned a five star rating for frontal impact protection.

So in the end, I came to terms with the 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. I’m not ready to go out and buy one just yet (although my wife is damn close), but I have to say I was more impressed with it than I expected to be. Personally, I’d opt for a less equipped model with the six speed transmission and the hard top, and I’d be ordering parts from the aftermarket as soon as I got back from the dealer (because I can’t stand a blank canvas). If Chrysler drops in a diesel motor, I’d be hard pressed to ignore the Wrangler much longer.

Acura has announced the recall of it’s ZDX crossover for potential airbag deployment problems. During manufacturing, certain vehicles did not receive sufficient laser etching on the underside of the dash, which could effect proper airbag deployment in the event of an accident. A total of 2,455 vehicles will be recalled (1,850 in the U.S. and 605 in Canada) when the campaign begins later this month.

Dealers will inspect the underside of the dash for proper scoring; if defects are found, dealers have been instructed to replace the dash assembly. Customers in the U.S. with questions on the recall should contact Acura Client Services at (800) 382-2238. Canadian customers with questions can reach Acura Client Services at (888) 922-8729.

This week’s piece on BMW got me thinking: we’ve previously told you how to break into a car (bad idea, if you ask me), but we’ve never covered how to keep your car from getting broken into and / or stolen. There’s good news and bad news on this topic. First the bad news: if a professional wants your car, there probably isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. Now the good news: unless you drive something really expensive or in high demand, car theft is generally a crime of opportunity. Make it difficult for the thief, and chances are they’ll look elsewhere.

Want to avoid coming out to an empty parking space or a seat full of shattered glass? Here are a few pointers that should help.

Know what thieves steal in your area.

BMWs are a dime a dozen in California, and the theft rate for BMWs isn’t particularly high there. In the NYC area, you’d be hard pressed to find a two year old BMW that hasn’t been broken into. Why? Years ago, some NYC area BMW dealers used to leave valet keys in the owners kit. Thieves quickly learned that BMWs are easy to break into and even easier to steal if you have a key. Want piece of mind? Ask your insurance agent or a cop friend what cars have the highest break in or theft rates in your area.

Don’t leave ANYTHING visible in your car.

Know what that GPS system on your windshield looks like to a tweaker? A fifty dollar bill and more meth. Know what that empty GPS or radar detector mount tells him? You probably left it in the glove box or under the seat. Either way, your window is getting smashed and your electronics are gone, sold to the nearest pawn shop.

This is so obvious, I don’t even know why I have to say it. Don’t leave ANYTHING visible in your car. Use a GPS on a windshield mount? Make sure to clean the suction cup circles from the inside of your windshield, because they broadcast “look in the glove box” to a thief. Use a radar detector? Don’t leave the power cord visible when you leave the car. In fact, make sure you snap the 12v accessory cover over the outlet when you leave the car. Nothing to see here. move along is the message you want to convey.

Don’t give a car thief concealment.

Never park between two trucks, because they give a car thief plenty of cover to work on your locks. Don’t assume that parking under a light will help either, if the light is next to foliage or a dumpster. Car thieves don’t like to work in the open; the better line of sight you have to your car, the less attractive it is to car thieves. Ditto for crowded areas; the more people walking by your car, the less likely it is that a thief will target it.

Use a secondary locking device, especially in high theft areas.

Let’s face it: steering wheel locks (like The Club) are a pain in the ass to use and can be defeated in under a minute. As an anti-theft device, it’s not much good on its own. As part of a layered defense, on the other hand, it makes your car less attractive than the similar one without the steering wheel lock. A car thief isn’t going to do more work than he has to.

Always lock your car and keep your windows rolled up.

Again, this should be obvious. So why do I see so many cars with unlocked doors and partially opened windows? Unless you’ve got a 130 pound Rottweiler in the back seat, it’s a bad idea to keep your windows down. On the other hand, if you do have a 130 pound Rottweiler in the back seat, leaving your car unlocked may cut down on your food bill.

Don’t make it easy for a carjacker.

Always make sure your doors are locked when you’re driving. At an intersection, leave enough room between you and the car in front to allow an emergency exit. Above all, have situational awareness: see that dude in the hoodie (hood up, of course), rocking back and forth on his heels, with his hands in the front pocket? The one trying real hard to make it look like he’s not eyeing you? I always notice things like this, but most people don’t. The most dangerous place you’re likely to be? A shopping mall or discount store parking lot. Ask any cop to recite crime statistics for his area, and I guarantee these places will make the top 10

This isn’t a piece on defensive tactics (although I’d be happy to teach you that as well), so I’ll keep it simple: if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Do whatever you have to do to get yourself out of the situation.

Don’t keep your insurance and registration in the vehicle.

Yeah we all do this, myself included, but it’s a bad idea. If someone breaks into your car, now they have your address as well. If they’ve stolen a garage door opener, chances are they have your address and an easy way into your house. Even if you have a house alarm, how much stuff can you lose in the two minutes a smash and grab guy is in your house? Think you have a hiding spot he hasn’t already seen?

If your car has a Homelink transmitter and you keep it parked in the driveway, don’t program it to open your garage. If a thief snatches your GPS in the driveway, do you really want to give him free access to your garage as well?

Wheel locks aren’t foolproof.

How do you think the garage gets your wheels off when you forget to give them the key to your locking lug nuts? They have a universal key, one that works on nearly every wheel lock made. Guess what? So do car thieves.

Nice wheels and tires are serious money and can easily be sold on the street. Want to minimize the chances of getting yours stolen? Use multiple wheel locks on each wheel (preferably from different manufacturers) and don’t keep the keys in your car’s tool kit like everyone else.

Car alarms won’t deter a serious thief.

So you just spent good money on a top-shelf car alarm. It’s got a motion sensor, a glass breakage detector, an ignition interlock and shifting codes. It’s powered by a bigger CPU than we used to put a man on the moon. And it won’t even slow a determined car thief down, because he’ll just tow or flatbed your car with the alarm going off.

Think about it – when was the last time you paid any attention to a car alarm? Think the police pay attention to them, with false alarms caused by everything from open-piped Harleys to a poorly tossed Frisbee? Alarms are for your piece of mind – if you need one, great; just don’t expect it to stop a car thief.

Beware of high theft areas.

Airports, sporting events, shopping mall parking lots, concerts and university parking lots are all great places to get your car broken into or stolen. If you regularly park in any of them, think about what you’re buying: sure, an M5 is cool, but it’ll be snatched in no time if you take it to the airport every week. Store manager at a shopping mall? That new Mustang GT will net someone good money when the thief unloads it.

LoJack and OnStar work.

You can’t stop someone from stealing your car, but you can help in locating it after it’s been stolen. Services like LoJack and OnStar cost money, but they can seriously increase the odds of getting a stolen car back before it’s parted out or containerized for overseas shipment. They’re a better investment, in my opinion, than even a good vehicle alarm system.

With 25% of the country above the Arctic Circle, you can bet that Finnish engineers spend a good deal of time indoors, especially in the winter. In the case of the engineering team at the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, that’s a good thing. It gave them the time and motivation to develop the Electric Race About (ERA), one of the more attractive electric cars built to date.

Built to compete in the Automotive X-Prize competition, the ERA features AWD via four electric motors powered by lithium ion battery packs. The engineering target weight is 2,750 pounds, and the ERA design features even front-to-back weight distribution and a low center of gravity. The goal is a 0 to 60 time of under 5 seconds, with a top speed of better than 120 miles per hour. Target operational range (at less than full throttle, of course) is greater than 180 miles.

If the car sees production, it won’t be cheap. It’s built by hand and relies heavily on carbon fiber to keep the weight down. Components will be sourced from best-in-class suppliers in limited quantities, but you can rest assured you won’t see too many other ERAs on the road. Exclusivity, performance and environment consciousness should hit the right buttons for the affluent eco-hoon.

Source: ERA – The Finish Electric Sports Car

One of the often-overlooked factors in buying an exotic car is the cost of maintenance: even if you can afford the price of admission, can you afford to write checks when service is due? Take the Ferrari 308, for example. You can find plenty of examples in the $30,000 to $35,000 range, but a 15,000 mile service will set you back around $5k. Need an engine rebuilt because you didn’t do the required maintenance? Best plan on spending $10k and up at your Ferrari shop.

Ferrari’s may be expensive to maintain, but they look like sensible economy cars when compared to the Bugatti Veyron. Britain’s Autocar did a piece on Veyron ownership costs a few months back and the numbers were staggering. Let’s start with a “routine” service, which will set you back roughly $20,000.00. There’s no word on service interval, but let’s assume that your Bugatti dealer wants to see you back annually. I’m not guessing they publish a 10% off coupon for service, either.

You’ll go through tires on a somewhat regular basis, especially if your Veyron sees track time. A new set of rubber (which you can’t buy at Pep Boys) will drain your bank account another $36,000.00, and I’d plan on at least one set per year. Still interested? At every fourth tire change, the wheels must be inspected and stress tested for cracks. Let’s hope your dealer doesn’t find any, because each wheel has a price tag of roughly $11,000.00.

Used Veyrons have hit eBay at the $1,000,000.00 price point, a depreciation of roughly 40% from new. Even if they eventually depreciate to the point of attainability, not many of us will ever be able to afford the costs of Veyron ownership.

Can’t get enough of the Fast & Furious franchise? Secretly wish you were Vin Diesel? You should probably talk to a therapist about that, but now you can buy one of the movie cars used by Vin in Fast & Furious IV.

Dubbed the ‘F-Bomb’, this ’73 Camaro wears a matte green and black paint job and sports a 350 horsepower V8 under the hood. Unlike most movie props, this one is fully functional and has working gauges, heater, wipers and lights. It’s not wearing a license plate, but you can probably get it by most DMVs as a ’73 Camaro.

I’m not really sure what the purpose is, so the $39,998 asking price isn’t for me. That 350 horsepower motor isn’t going to rock anyone’s world in the 1/4 mile, especially in a car as heavy as a ’73 Camaro. With those skinny front tires, it isn’t going to work real well on a road course, so track days are out. You can’t even spend your down time waxing it, since it’s got matte paint. Still, if Vin is your man and you’ve got a thing for the second gen Camaros, this may be the car you were waiting for.

Source: Vin Diesel’s 1973 Camaro F-Bomb from Fast & Furious 4 up for Sale

Compact pickup trucks are the Swiss Army Knives of the automotive world. When properly equipped, they can be configured for everything from daily commuting to hardcore off-road adventure. They can tow trailers or get groceries, move furniture or haul junk to the dump. They’re easy to drive and park, and the extended cab versions even have decent backseat accommodations. Need to haul sheets of drywall home from the lumberyard? Good luck doing that in a Taurus.

With so many options, how do you know what to buy? That’s where we come in: below are our top five compact pickup trucks in order of preference. All of them can be ordered in two wheel drive or four wheel drive, and all come with the option of an extended cab. If you need a cheap, base 2wd pickup for hauling your pool cleaning supplies, one of these will fit the bill; on the other extreme, if you’re planning an arctic expedition and need a bulletproof truck, all of these can be built up to take whatever you can dish out.

First Place: Toyota Tacoma

Likes: Damn near everything about it, including high resale value
Dislikes: Priced for its reputation, may be too “truck like” for some
Buy this truck if: You want bulletproof reliability and solid build quality

What can I possibly say about the Toyota Tacoma, the truck so tough that not even Top Gear could kill it, that hasn’t already been said by a thousand other reviewers? You’ve got 18 flavors to choose from, depending upon your needs. The starting point for a base rear wheel drive model, with the bench seat, the four cylinder motor, the manual gearbox and the six foot bed is $15,345. By the time you option out the 4wd V6 Double Cab, you can easily break the $30,000 barrier. The sweet spot is probably somewhere in between, depending upon your needs.

Personally? I’d opt for the 4wd version with the V6 and the extended cab, which gives you short term seating for four if you need it. The 4.0 liter V6 is a great motor with decent power, but it can get thirsty if you’re not careful (it’s rated at 18 mpg highway). It’ll tow up to 6,500 pounds, enough for a good sized boat, a compact travel trailer or a race car on a flatbed. If you need a compact pickup truck, you can’t do better than the Toyota Tacoma.

Second Place: Nissan Frontier

Likes: The most civilized of the compact truck choices
Dislikes: A turning radius befitting an ocean liner
Buy this truck if: You really want a big sedan, but need a pickup truck

The Nissan Frontier is available in a mind-blowing 27 different versions, which makes me wonder how even Nissan assembly line workers can keep the models straight. You’ll find a truck for every purpose in their lineup, ranging from a no-frills RWD model with the manual gearbox and the 2.5 liter four for $17,540 to the top-of-the-line Crew Cab with the V6 and the automatic that can easily top $30k when fully loaded. The Frontier drives more like a big sedan than a truck, with the notable exception of its turning radius; think “mining dump truck” and you get the picture.

Like the Tacoma, the V6 version isn’t for those worried about gas prices. It’s rated at 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway, but this gives you the ability to tow 6100 pounds. Unlike the Tacoma, even the base model Frontier gives you an extended cab, which amy make the Frontier a better buy depending upon your configuration.

Third Place: Dodge Dakota

Likes: Bigger than a compact, smaller than a full size; available V8
Dislikes: Build quality has improved, but early models were questionable
Buy this truck if: You need more room than other compact pickups

Technically speaking, the Dodge Dakota isn’t a compact pickup, it’s a midsized pickup. I’m splitting hairs on this, so I decided to keep it in the mix. The good news is that a properly equipped Dakota will tow more (6,700 pounds) than any other pickup on this list. The bad news is that an option rich crew cab, with 4wd and the 4.7 liter V8 will sticker out at close to $40,000, which is serious money for a compact / midsized pickup.

Even with the V8, fuel economy is on par with V6s from Toyota and Nissan (the Dakota with the 4.7 liter motor is rated at 15 city, 17 highway). The Dakota is available with a longer bed than either the Taco or the Frontier, which may or may not factor into your decision. If you need a truck that is bigger than a compact but smaller than a full size, the Dakota may be your only option.

Fourth Place: GMC Canyon

Likes: Engine choices, including a V8; hungry dealers = bargain pricing
Dislikes: Build quality not on par with full sized GMC pickups
Buy this truck if: You like engine choices and are loyal to GM

The GMC Canyon and it’s sibling, the Chevy Colorado, are both getting up in years. The good news is that this makes the Canyon a less-than-popular choice among compact truck buyers. Why is that good? Because it generally means that GMC dealers are ready to maker deals on existing inventory. There are 14 models of Canyon pickups to choose from, but I’d immediately eliminate the four cylinder versions unless you’re just looking for a bargain basement truck. The inline five cylinder isn’t a bad option, but it’s no match for the V6 motors from Toyota or Nissan. If you need your Canyon to tow something, your only real option is the 5.3 liter V8, which give you the ability to tow up to 6,000 pounds.

Fuel economy with the V8 motor is about what you’d expect. For a four wheel drive version, the Canyon is rated at 14 city, 19 highway; the two wheel drive V8 fares a little better at 15 city, 21 highway. If you’re a loyal GM customer shopping for a small pickup, your choices really come down to the Chevy Colorado or the GMC Canyon; personally, I’d opt for the Canyon.

Fifth Place: Ford Ranger

Likes: Compact size, affordable price, hungry dealers
Dislikes: Dated interior and exterior, last model year?
Buy this truck if: You’re a Ford guy and are looking for a good deal

The Ford Ranger, in its current form, has been around for a long, long time. That can be viewed as a good thing (why mess with success) or a bad thing (evolve or die). It really comes down to this: you’ll buy a Ranger because you’re a loyal Ford customer or because they’ll cut you one hell of a deal on existing inventory. You won’t buy a Ranger because it’s the best in class at anything.

Don’t get me wrong, the Ranger is still a decent truck. It’s just not as good as the compact or midsized pickups from the competition. Ford has focused so much attention on the F150 over the years that the Ranger has been neglected like the red headed stepchild. Rumor has it that this will change in 2011, when Ford scraps the Ranger for a new model tentatively called the F100.

If you like the current Ranger (or it’s twin, the Mazda B Series) and can live with its shortcomings, you can probably cut a killer deal on one. If you need to buy a Ford and want something more competitive with other compact trucks on the market, then I suggest you nurse your current ride along for another year. Good things are coming from Ford, you’ve just got to be patient.

Are you tired of turning hot laps on your new BMW S1000 RR? Looking for some other way to impress your friends and neighbors? Why not rent an airplane hanger, set up for a formal dinner and do the old “pull the tablecloth off without disturbing the place settings” trick with your bike?

Cool vid, courtesy of BMW.tv and my buddy Dan. Personally, I’d have gone for a surface with a little more traction than polished concrete, but these guys pulled it off anyway.

“Custom bulletproof limousine for $2,500? How can I go wrong?”

From: You Drive What?

German heavy equipment builder Liebherr (literally translated, in case you were wondering, as “love man”) recently filmed a stunt for the German TV game show “Wetten Dass?” (Wanna Bet?). Did you know that an excavator, controlled by an operator with no sense of self-preservation, could climb a sixty-five foot tall vertical tower? Did you know it could then do a headstand atop the tower? Yeah, neither did I.

Enjoy the Vivaldi (a little culture for your Monday afternoon) and don’t sweat the fact that you probably don’t speak German. Insanity is a universal language.

Source: Hooniverse

Good news for GM: it’s not just the Chinese who like Buick. Per GM’s own market research, the average age of a Buick buyer has dropped from 72 to 65. The reason is cars like the new LaCrosse, which has Lexus squarely in its sights.

The demographic for LaCrosse buyers is even more promising, with thirty three percent falling into the “under 55” category. This is double the number of younger buyers than the outgoing Buick Regal was able to draw in, and GM is taking this into consideration when designing new models. If the upcoming Regal GS hits the right marks for performance, features and pricing, Buick may be able to pull in buyers who never envisioned themselves in a Buick.

I’ve driven the 2010 LaCrosse, and was suitably impressed at the build quality and features. The interior workmanship was certainly the equal of anything from Lexus or BMW, and the electronics are clearly aimed to draw in younger buyers. How many 65 year olds, for example, will use a built in flash drive to upload music?

Where Buick still suffers, in my opinion, is handling. No one expects the LaCrosse to handle like an M5; on the other hand, it should be firm enough to be on par with a Lexus ES. While I haven’t driven the two side by side, my initial impression is that the Buick is still tuned for comfort at the expense of handling. Buyers in the 65 and older demographic may like this, but those of us in the under 55 demographic still want a sedan that handles.

Reference: Buick’s average buyer age drops from 72 to 65

If you live in or visit the Newark, NJ area long enough, sooner or later your car will be stolen. At the very least, it will be broken into, as I learned the hard way when I parked a new BMW 325Ci at Newark Airport. I was gone for ten minutes, which was long enough for some asshole with a slide hammer to punch my door lock and break into my car looking for the valet key. They didn’t find it, of course, but they managed to do $800 worth of damage to the driver’s door in about 15 seconds. I won’t give you detail on the internet, but let’s just say that BMW’s are REAL easy to break into and their factory alarms are as useless as rear wings on FWD street cars.

BMW also learned this lesson, when six new cars imported for the New York Auto Show “disappeared” from the Port of Newark. Ironically, the thefts occurred in three separate incidents, with the first theft occurring three weeks before the show. A partial list of the missing includes two five series (a 535 xDrive and a 550i in a special paint called Sophisto Gray), a 650i and a 750iL. Details on the other models “liberated” from Port Newark weren’t released.

Let’s be careful out there, and if you need to visit Newark for any reason (although I can’t think of a good one), be sure to lock your doors, use The Club, pull your plug wires, take your wheels with you and chain your car to something solid. This will probably reduce your chance of theft by at least 10%.

Reference: Grand Theft Auto at the 2010 NYIAS

Want a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, but can’t afford the $63,000-and-up price of admission? Have the money, but need something to remind you of your new car while it’s being built?

Fear not, as Write in Style has created a custom pen set, licensed by Shelby American, to commemorate the building of the new GT350 model. The pens, like the actual GT350, are built by hand in limited quantities. The pen bodies feature images of the 2011 Mustang Shelby GT350 on one and images of the classic 1960s Shelby GT350s on the other. Each set of pens comes in a maple presentation box with the Shelby logo and a serial number plate.

Only 200 sets will be produced at $195.00 each, so if you want one you’d best get your order in quickly. These pens won’t rock your world in quite the same way as the car would, but hey, they take up much less garage space.

I’ve had a long-standing love for the original Datsun Z cars, and finding this example on Bring a Trailer makes me wish I had the spare coin to give it a good home. The original 240z cars, sold in the U.S. from 1971 to 1973, were probably the purest sports cars of the Z car line; the lineage began to evolve from sports car to luxury GT car with the introduction of the 260z in 1974.

This very clean example features coil overs with new Koni race shocks, new Eibach springs, welded camber plates, ducted cooling for the front brakes, new paint, three sets of wheels, newish Nitto tires and a motor built to SCCA ITS specs. Inside, it’s got a full roll cage with NASCAR bars in the driver’s door, driver / passenger race seats and full AutoMeter instrumentation. The wipers and lights are functional, and the car comes with most of the original interior pieces. Need a trailer to tow it home? The seller has a wooden deck car hauler up for grabs as well.

At $9,950.00, this could be the race car bargain of the year. Although the car is currently run in SCCA Solo 2 competition, it sounds like it would be eligible for the ITS class just in case you felt the need to trade paint. It would work well for track days, and it’s old enough for vintage racing and vintage tours.

Want to park this in your garage? You’ll find it here.