Sexy Aston Martin Vantage a brilliant Le Mans racer ... My appreciation of Aston Martin cars started as a 5-year-old with a little metal Matchbox DB2-4, was enhanced as a teen by watching James Bond mess up the bad guys in his DB5, and finally came full circle when I got to “briefly” test drive... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart’s Audi Sport quattro S1, 1986 Rally Monte Carlo
Twin Audi rally cars are full-featured beasts ... Rally racers are uniquely designed and equipped to crush the outback, the dirt, the rocks and the dust of off-road racing in the world’s hinterlands. Not a big deal in the United States, but with a huge following in Europe in particular, the European car makers have... Continue Reading →
2020 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody
Hellraisin Challenger cures a lot of ills ... I’ve discovered the perfect cure for pandemic boredom. Slip into the camel brown suede and black leather interior of a muscle-bound hot rod, known to the Mopar brethren as a Dodge Challenger. But not the low-end V6-powered SXT, although I’m sure it has its party favors too.... Continue Reading →
2020 Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury
Caddy's CT4 sedan a value leader ... Seemingly forever Cadillac was THE American luxury car, its image built on being big, luxurious, powerful, pricey, and stylish, often to a gaudy extreme! All that changed when Japan’s luxury makes invaded and when coupled with growing sales of German luxury makes, Cadillac’s slice of the U.S. luxury... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: DNA’s Subaru Baja
Subie's small Baja pickup looks great in 1/18 scale ... Leading sometimes is a lonely game. Just ask Subaru. Its Baja, a 4-door compact pickup based on a car platform was one of the first of its kind and can easily be seen in today’s multitude of such pickups. But it was not a sales... Continue Reading →
2021 Kia Seltos SX Turbo AWD
Seltos Turbo a bright spot among crossovers ... Some cars (or crossovers) just make you feel good. VW’s Beetle was one, the Mini Cooper another. It may be their looks, their ease of driving, their usefulness or simply their price. Sometimes it’s all of that, which brings me to this week’s drive, the Kia Seltos... Continue Reading →
2020 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab
New engine improves Nissan's compact pickup ... I’d been looking forward to testing Nissan’s 2020 Frontier compact pickup since hearing about its upgrades at the Chicago Auto Show in February, just before the Covid lockdown. A Zoom update this spring further stoked my curiosity. I much prefer compact pickups to the big boys and Frontier... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart Honda Civic Type R
Autoart's Civic Type R looks ready to rip in 1/18 scale ... When I was a youngster and Honda Civics were new to the U.S. market, they were cute, nimble econoboxes that got great gas mileage and weren’t very expensive. Times change. Now Civic has grown to be as large as an Accord used to... Continue Reading →
2020 BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe
Compact 228i gives BMW a true entry-level model ... Back in the day, less than 20 years ago, BMW was known for its 3 Series compact sport sedans and coupes. They were cute, taut, models that were meant to introduce enthusiast drivers to the Bavarian automaker’s wares. The 3 Series was an entry-level sportster that... Continue Reading →
2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve AWD
Aviator puts Lincoln solidly back in the game ... Lincoln has been struggling for years like a one-armed barista fresh out of java. It’s no secret Lincoln has been looking for a new identity, a new look and hoping to regain its footing in the luxury car market. Finally, it seems to have arrived, but... Continue Reading →