Olds' Cutlass 442 was a beautiful beast ... One of the cars I learned to drive on was our family’s 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass S – no power steering and a big throbbing V8 under its long hood. The car was a beast, but beautiful dressed in its Aztec Gold paint scheme. For that matter, the... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: CMC’s 1934-’38 Mercedes-Benz race car transporter
CMC creates a breathtaking Mercedes racer transport ... OMG, the detail here is incredible, breathtaking. Put this in a case, atop a desk, in any room and it’ll be the center of all conversations. Put one of CMC’s 1930s Mercedes race cars on it and, well, folks will be speechless. CMC is known for nailing... Continue Reading →
2017 Lexus LX 570
Pilot wannabes will like button-happy Lexus LX 570 ... If you’ve always dreamed of being an airline pilot, but never got the training, you should try landing the new Lexus LX 570. Lexus has created a cockpit fit for a pilot wanna-be with buttons galore. About the only thing missing is an altimeter. Here’s a... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz’s 1970 Indy winner, Al Unser driver
Replicarz goes big with its 1/18 scale PJ Colt ... One of my favorite race cars, and that of many other youngsters in the 1970s was the PJ Colt that Al Unser drove to back-to-back Indianapolis 500 wins in 1970 and ’71. It was colorful and with its lightning bolts on the nose and tail the... Continue Reading →
2017 Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription
Volvo's S90 a near perfect blend of sport, luxury ... There are many truly wonderful mid-size, luxury, sport sedans, both heavy on the sport and heavy on the luxury. Few blend the two as well as the new Volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription. The S90 may be the best driving car I’ve tested this past year.... Continue Reading →
2017 Nissan Rogue SL AWD HEV
Hybrid Rogue pulls up a bit short ... I’m always thankful to get an early crack at a new vehicle to market, and that’s what I had with an early release 2017 Nissan Rogue SL hybrid. Nissan has revamped the popular Rogue for 2017 with a new gloss black V-Motion grille, wider headlights and restyled taillights... Continue Reading →
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd. 4×4
Jeep's Grand Cherokee touts power, toughness and luxury ... What could be more patriotic than a Jeep? And the brand, now part of Fiat-Chrysler, is celebrating 75 years of Jeepdom, although the test model wasn’t specially adorned. This was a dark metallic gray Grand Cherokee Limited with 4-wheel-drive, starting at a relatively sane $39,895 and... Continue Reading →
2017 Acura MDX SH-AWD w/Advance & Entertainment
MDX loaded with luxury, high-tech goodies ... Acura’s big MDX sport-ute is loaded with luxury and high-tech items and graced with a quiet interior and powerful V6. The top-of-the-line test model was a bright white MDX SH-AW with both the Advance and Entertainment packages. The SH-AWD stands for Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive. Not sure I’d tout the... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: NEO’s 1948 Chevy Fleetline Aerosedan
1948 Chevy Fleetline Aerosedan a slick family sedan . . . Cars that bridged the gap between pre-war America and post-World War II are an interesting lot, often dowdy and pedestrian of styling. Most consider the 1930s and 1950s as primo styling eras. But Chevrolet’s hot-selling Fleetline series, starting in 1941 is an exception, particularly... Continue Reading →
2017 Ford Escape Titanium FWD
Ford refines its Escape crossover . . . For 2017 Ford has restyled its popular Escape inside and out, plus developed two new engines for the entry-level sport-utility, er crossover. There’s no mistaking the Escape for something else as its profile remains much the same, but there’s a new hexagonal grille, LED trim headlights and revised... Continue Reading →