Author: Mark Savage

Mark Savage is a writer and editor. He wrote a car review column, Savage on Wheels, for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from 1989 through 2019 and was a business news reporter there for 16 years. He now writes car reviews for WUWM (NPR-Milwaukee) and for his own site. He also has served as editor and publisher of several hobby magazines and a snowmobile title, all the while writing about diecast cars and for various hobby magazines. He is an avid Indy 500 fan, attending races since 1962, and an IndyCar enthusiast, and Formula Ford race school graduate.

2012 Subaru Impreza

Let’s get this right up front, I like the looks, ride and handling of the restyled 2012 Subaru Impreza. The small sedan’s chiseled nose and flattened wheel flares give it a much more exciting appearance than its predecessor. But the variable speed 5-speed transmission is a stumbling block. The continuously variable transmission (CVT), like so... Continue Reading →

May 16, 2012 0

2012 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L Nav

The Honda CR-V has been a solid compact sport-utility vehicle for years, so it should be no surprise that the restyled 2012 model remains simply that. Naturally some changes were made. CR-V adds a few more horses (5 to be exact) under the hood, but it also rounds its styling to the point of being rather... Continue Reading →

May 16, 2012 0

Slot cars: Scalextric Can-Am Lolas rock

Lola racing cars continue to be some of the most successful racers in the world, but in the 1960s and ’70s Lola chassis were popping up in every series – and winning! Noted Ford GT and Formula 1 car designer Eric Broadley was instrumental in the Lola T-70 sports car design. This was a semi-monocoque... Continue Reading →

May 16, 2012 0

Diecast cars: Autoart ’54 Vette

Diecast car: Autoart builds iconic ’54 Vette Reviewed by Mark Savage Mechanically cars weren’t fancy in 1954. But some were drop-dead gorgeous, like the then new Corvette. This was Chevrolet’s early foray into the burgeoning sports car market. GIs returning from Europe after WW II had fallen in love with two-seat sports cars they saw overseas,... Continue Reading →

May 15, 2012 0

Slot cars: Scalextric Ford GT40

Ford’s GT40 is a legend that won the 24 Hours of LeMans four straight years, from 1966 through 1969. But there wasn’t just one GT40 design in that stretch. The pre-1966 Mk I was probably the most beautiful, but the Mk II was the model that got Ford into the fabled LeMans’ victory lane, with... Continue Reading →

May 15, 2012 0

Slot cars: Monogram’s ’67 Pearson Ford

Back in 1967 stock cars weren’t anything fancy, in fact, they were pretty much just that, stock cars with headlights taped up and numbers painted on the sides. They still had stock bumpers and bodies – no templates! There were a select group of top drivers then, just as now. But long before Jimmie Johnson,... Continue Reading →

May 15, 2012 0

Slot cars: Scalextric Aston DBR9

Aston DBR9 packs power, nice detail Long-time exotic sports car maker Aston Martin returned to racing in 2005 with its sleek DBR9 racer modeled after its DB9 street car. The intent was to challenge the likes of Audi and Porsche on the road courses of Europe and the United States. The car, racing in the... Continue Reading →

May 15, 2012 0

2012 Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai has done it again, created a styling home run, a car that people talk about. This time it’s the diminutive 2012 Hyundai Veloster, a sporty coupe/hatch with a bonus back door on the passenger’s side. Ah, you say, “Didn’t Saturn do that years ago?” Yes, but that car wasn’t nearly as attractive as this one,... Continue Reading →