If ever there was an iconic British car, this is it ... I was surprised when I started writing this article that fuel shortages are nothing new. It was one in 1956 that was the push British Motor Corp. needed to develop the Mini. Introduced in 1959, it was the car's space-saving transverse engine and... Continue Reading →
2023 Range Rover Sport SE
Sport is strong on power and price, weak on practicality .... Driving a Range Rover Sport feels a bit like embarking on a world cruise. Rovers are designed and built in England. Yet Rover is owned by the Indian firm Tata. And the tested Sport SE was bathed in Giola Green. For the uninitiated Giola... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Rare 1979 VW Convertible
UPDATE: How I was the temporary Caretaker ... This is an update of a blog post I did a year ago in February. When you think about all the cars that were made since the history of cars, there's one that just about guarantees a smile every time you see one, the VW Beetle. I'm... Continue Reading →
2023 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Pro AWD
Kia just keeps improving its luxurious, stylish SUV ... Even perfection can be improved upon, but often it’ll cost you. In Covid-crushing 2020 I selected Kia’s magnificent new mid-size SUV, the Telluride, as my Zoomie Vehicle of the Year. The tested top-level SX AWD version hit roughly $44,000 at the time and was as near... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
A James Bond car I'm always on the lookout for my next good spot but the other day, out for a ride on my bike, I spot "The Spot" this Aston Martin Vanquish Boy did I make a quick U-turn after seeing it drive by. I was lucky that traffic was light on Easter Sunday,... Continue Reading →
2023 Nissan Leaf SV Plus
Leaf is a low-cost leader among EVs ... All credit to Nissan for being the first major car maker to launch an all-electric model, the Leaf. Seems like yesterday. But no, Leaf has been around more than a dozen years and remains the most affordable electric, and one that still is eligible for a $7,500... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1980 Briggs & Stratton Six-Wheel Hybrid Concept
Yup, the people known for making great small engines came up with this. This spot is sort of special to me because Briggs & Stratton is located right here in Milwaukee, and has been manufacturing small engines since 1908. If you have a lawn tractor, chances are it has an engine they manufacture. It also... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
How can an SUV be ugly and extremely expensive at the same time? "From urban adventures to journeys into the wilderness" from the description on their website. Really? So you mean to tell me that I might see owners of this vehicle, which can cost close to half a million bucks, on the same trails... Continue Reading →
2023 BMW X1 xDrive 28i
BMW delivers spunky small crossover starting below $40k ... Small crossovers are a dime a dozen, but spunky luxurious ones are a bit rarer. And spunky ones starting below $40,000 are as precious as that last hidden Easter egg found before the cat discovers it. BMW offers several luxury spunkmobiles, as do a couple of... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: The AMC Mighty Mite
The Jeep before they bought Jeep. Being an AMC guy, I get a fair amount of abuse but I remind those abusing me of the innovative vehicles the company came out with in response to the market. One example is this week's car spot, the Mighty Mite. Found this example at the Russell Military Museum... Continue Reading →