New Acura RLX sport sedan does it all ... I quickly feel in love with driving the new Acura RLX Hybrid, a sport sedan that does everything right from a performance standpoint. One could argue that its looks are pedestrian, and they are mid-pack at best. But driving the RLX is like flying under the radar of... Continue Reading →
2016 MINI Cooper Clubman
Bigger MINI makes Clubman more useful ... When does a MINI become so big that it’s not, well, mini? There’s a fine line to be sure, but the new MINI Cooper Clubman seems to straddle it pretty well. Visually the Clubman is still cute with the round headlights and profile of a MINI, but there’s no... Continue Reading →
Audi Q7 3.0T Quattro
Audi's Q7 ute lives up to its hype ... I’d read some early reviews of the Audi Q7 full-size sport-utility and thought them suspiciously glowing, like a parent telling how great their kid’s violin concert had been. Well, count me among the converted. Big sport-utes are generally luxurious land barges that’ll pull a load and haul... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Automodello’s 1972-79 TVR Taimar
Automodello cranks out impressive collection of TVR Taimars ... Say TVR to any sports car fan and their eyes will light up as they think of the M Series of sports cars the British automaker cranked out from 1972 through 1979, sporty two-seaters with plenty of oomph. TVR was founded after World War II by... Continue Reading →
2016 Audi TT 2.0T Quattro
Audi's latest TT is slick, squatty, luxurious, sporty Sports cars seem an endangered species and nearly as hard to find as polite political discourse. So my recent landing of a new Audi TT coupe seemed quite a coup. I hadn’t driven a TT for nine years. That’s how rare they are in the automotive test fleets. But... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz’s 1967 Paxton (STP) Turbine
STP's 1967 Indy 500 Turbine is a sure winner this time! Say turbine car and Indianapolis 500 and most car lovers and race fans will picture the 1967 STP-sponsored day-glo red racer that Parnelli Jones darned near drove to victory that year. It was nicknamed Silent Sam and the Whooshmobile for its turbine power that... Continue Reading →
2016 Jaguar XF 35t R-Sport RWD
Jaguar XF R-Sport has the looks and the handling ... Jaguars look better than most other luxury cars, and that matters in a world and a time when all luxury cars offer similar features and performance. The Jaguar tradition is one of lean looks and mighty power, plus excellent handling. This new XF sedan fits that... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart’s Alfa Romeo 4C
Alfa Romeo 4C an Italian beauty ... Alfa Romeo has come and gone and come again to the U.S. market, but it has held a special place in the hearts of performance-oriented drivers in Europe consistently for 100+ years. Now Alfa is back at it with the 4C in the United States, sold through its... Continue Reading →
2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited
A happy surprise, new 2017 Elantra arrives early ... Looks like 2017 is already here, at least at Hyundai. My test car was a sparkling white 2017 Elantra Limited, the compact sedan that improves with each iteration. One thing that hasn’t changed is its stellar looks. Hyundai and its cousin Kia have been leading the styling... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Auto World’s 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee
Dodge Charger Super Bee looks fast Remember when some drag racers still looked like real cars? In the early 1970s the car bodies still closely resembled the real deal, so manufacturers lent their name and expertise, not to mention engines and other equipment, to rule the nation’s dragstrips. The Dodge-sponsored Rod Shop race team was... Continue Reading →