Nissan GT-R surprisingly put the engine up front ... Since the mid-1960s most Le Mans-style prototype racers have put the engine behind the cockpit. Certainly the winning cars have featured this layout. So it was a surprise in 2015 when Nissan opted to swap that layout, putting its muscular twin-turbo V6 back in front of... Continue Reading →
2018 Toyota C-HR XLE Premium
Toyota C-HR takes cute, useful and fun to drive to a new level ... Mini has had cute pretty well sewed up among small cars with four doors, but now Toyota has stepped up to the plate with its latest C-HR crossover. The tested C-HR (cute hot rod?) was the top-level XLE Premium model decked... Continue Reading →
2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
Mazda CX-5 remains a sporty crossover ... As the world turns toward an all crossover and SUV automotive market it’s encouraging that the likes of Mazda continues to try and design sharp-looking vehicles that drive more like sports cars than trucks. This week’s fun four-wheeler is the midsize CX-5 crossover in top-level Grand Touring 4x4... Continue Reading →
2018 BMW M550i xDrive
BMW's M550i a hot, but sophisticated, rocket! ... BMW 5 Series sedans still rock. I know I about drooled myself silly praising the BMW 530e xDrive I tested about six weeks ago. I lauded it as epitomizing BMW’s motto of The Ultimate Driving Machine, and I still believe that. But … Along comes its sister... Continue Reading →
2018 Nissan Titan XD Diesel Pro-4X 4×4
Nissan Titan XD diesel, the locomotive of pickups . . . Let’s be honest, all the large heavy-duty pickups are pretty much alike in how they drive and the features they pack. Pricing is also very close. But some just look more serious than the others and I think of this week’s test truck, the... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz 1925 Duesenberg Indy 500 winner
Pete DePaolo's Duesenberg is a beauty ... Last time we laid eyes on Replicarz’s 1/18 scale Indy-winning Duesenbergs they were prototypes. Now comes the real deal, and just in time for next month’s 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Granted Duesenbergs haven’t been ripping up the Speedway recently, but they were a force in the... Continue Reading →
2018 Ford F-150 4×4 Supercrew Platinum
F-150 Platinum is both a work truck, luxury hauler ... Ford’s F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the United States because it’s both a muscular work truck and a macho man’s luxury family hauler. That dichotomy is precisely represented by this week’s test vehicle, the upscale F-150 Supercrew Platinum. Anytime you see the word platinum... Continue Reading →
2018 Audi A5 Sportback quattro
Sporty Audi A5 Sportback looks slick, fast ... Fastbacks look, well, fast. Audi has decided its sportbacks will look slick too and that’s what Audi calls its new A5 hatchback. This is a sedan with a hatch that in profile is reminiscent of Audi’s spectacular A7, a good thing indeed. In addition to styling panache,... Continue Reading →
2018 Buick Enclave Premium AWD
Buick Enclave among elite luxury crossovers, really ... There’s no foolin’ around here, the Buick Enclave has been remade for 2018 and it’s among the best luxury crossovers/sport-utes out there. It was good before. It’s better now. First, it’s restyled so it looks more sleek and modern outside. But the wheelbase has been stretched to... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz’s 1985 March 85C, Indy Winner
Spin and Win Indy 500 winner a beautiful race car ... The March chassis was a dominant one in Indycar racing during the 1980s, and it was a beautiful racer. That’s what makes Replicarz’s new 1/18 scale March 85C, the Miller beer-sponsored red and white beauty driven to the Indy 500 win by Danny Sullivan... Continue Reading →