Purchasing a downsized vehicle often means you get less of everything, including space and power. But there’s nothing downsized about Porsche’s new 718 Boxster and Boxster S companion, other than the engines located directly behind their cockpits.
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An acquaintance brought her Honda in for an oil change. She casually asked how long it was going to take to get the recalled air bag replaced. She was shocked to find out there is a six-month backlog.
You have to give Cadillac full marks for introducing a constant stream of new or reworked models to tempt us. We’re only part way into the 2016 model year and already this General Motors premium division has introduced two new 2017 vehicles.
By now much has been written on autonomous cars. They are vehicles equipped with special sensors and terabytes of data that help propel them down the road sans human driver.
It’s easy to forget that many buyers with the means and desire will forgo upscale sedans and head for something a bit more substantial. That’s especially true for people with families to tote around and recreational toys to haul.
A longtime friend was writing about collector cars recently. He referred to the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, which became an instant collectible when collectors feared it would be the last convertible ever because of proposed tough government regulations.
The Sportage was one of the first Kia models to land in North America. Four generations later, it’s an entirely different vehicle that plays in an entirely different league of competitors.
The world is seemingly awash in tall wagons (aka crossovers) of all sizes that provide plenty of passenger and cargo space. It’s sort of a rebirth of the sport utility craze that took the 1990s by storm, but this time around the vehicles are smaller, lighter, more versatile, better on fuel and not based on hard-edged truck platforms.
There’s nothing more thrilling than dropping the top of a convertible on a sunny day and hitting the open road. Like all fun things automotive, though, there is a major consideration when it comes to convertible tops, especially in arid climates like Las Vegas: Should you have a hardtop or cloth-top convertible?
When it comes to automotive design, probably gullwing doors exude luxury. The way they slice upwards at the push of a button to allow egress and ingress is a thing of beauty.
A few years back, I was at a presentation for the Bentley Mulsanne in New York City. An abundance of fabulous features stood out, like the customized umbrella that fit in a special slot in the driver’s door.
Just how significant is the new Pacifica minivan? Important enough to obliterate the Town &Country name, because, quite frankly, Chrysler doesn’t want you thinking about it. At all. Ever. The Pacifica is mind bleach. Your memory wipe.
When is a transmission not just a box of gears? When it’s the 8P75XPH, a brand-new device — and concept — from ZF, the German supplier of automatic transmissions to many high-end cars. Not only does it offer eight speeds ahead and one in reverse, it also tucks a powerful electric motor inside its housing, where it can help out a vehicle’s gasoline engine right at the source, as it were.
The Passat is the roomiest sedan that Volkswagen offers in the U.S., and not only has it been thoroughly “Americanized,” it is also built here — in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volkswagen rolled out the first Passat back in 1973, making it older than many of the people who buy it today, and the 2016 version is its eighth generation.
What sedan is the poster child of the entry-luxury segment? The BMW 3-series, of course.