October 2017

October 27, 2017: The Tokyo Motor Show is a sensory overload. This year, automakers ran with the concept of mobility, creating everything from autonomous vehicles to personal mobility units. Not surprisingly, this focus also included electrification and Artificial Intelligence (the new industry buzzword), but did not totally crowd out the conventionally unconventional. We take a look at some of the key concepts from Nissan, Yamaha, Honda and more to see what might be on the horizon. Not everything took place in Tokyo. Audi introduced its new A7 Sportback, a car that didn’t need to be on show in Tokyo to use the AI buzzword.  With the right equipment, it can autonomously maneuver in and out of a garage or parking spot, and connect with similarly equipped Audis to create “swarm intelligence.” Less bee-like is BMW’s new X2, a coupe version of the small X1 SUV. Both share their UKL platform with the new generation of Minis, but the X2 does it with more swagger and style. However, it can’t match Aston Martin’s new DB11 Volante when it comes to those attributes. The four-seat convertible gets turbocharged Mercedes V8 power, an eight-layer insulated roof, and an eye-watering price tag. The financial pain should be less with Volvo’s Polestar 1 coupe, as you never actually own the 600 hp high-performance hybrid.  Customers sign up for a subscription service that charges a flat monthly fee for the use of the car, and provides insurance and other amenities as well. No more than 500 Polestar 1s will be built each year. Also entering the low-volume vehicle production business is Gordon Murray. The mastermind of the McLaren F1 is readying a modern interpretation of the iconic supercar using his patented iStream production process. We can’t wait to see what he creates. Creativity is a given in racing, and the latest Virtual Collection looks at Bob Tullius  and the Triumph TR8 with which he laid waste to the competition in the SCCA’s Trans-Am Championship. Filled with the visual aggression the production car lacked, Group 44’s racing wedge has both presence and style. It’s well worth the imaginary cash we spent adding it to the collection. We spent time with the folks from German door latch manufacturer Kiekert a while ago, and examined their  latest technology. Never ones to stand still, the company has bundled three new entry technologies to create what it likes to call “autonomous” doors. It may sound strange, but we’re pretty sure the inventors of central locking and power door systems has something future luxury vehicle buyers will demand.

October 13, 2017: American Expedition Vehicles is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year. From its first long-wheelbase TJ Wrangler in 1997 to the latest JK Wrangler Brute Double Cab pickup, AEV has been a hotbed of off-road innovation. Ensconced in a modern assembly facility in Wixom, Michigan, the specialty manufacturer has branched out to build uprated Rams, but stills hews close to the rules founder Dave Harriton created in Missoula, Montana. We tour the facility, drive a modified Wrangler, and see what it takes to build a factory quality specialty vehicle. Ever wonder what the difference is between McLaren’s carbon fiber Monocell and Monocage chassis? We did. So we rang the folks in Woking, and asked to talk to their production chassis expert. From the boarding area of an Italian airport, Adam Thomson explained what defines a Monocell and Monocage, and outlines the technology that goes into making the chassis for one of the world’s preeminent supercar brands. Eager to change things up a bit, contributing editor and Virtual Collection creator Bill Sawyer searched for an addition to our simulated museum that hit all of the hot buttons: sex, power, and a fall from grace. He found it in a wooden boat Henry Ford had built for and named after his mistress, Evangeline Cote Dahlinger. It’s a gripping story about lust, betrayal, and restoration in the early years of the auto industry. The only thing missing from this tale is a happy ending.