April 2013

April 25, 2013: We're taking the week off here at TVD, but will be back next week with new features and reviews. In the interim, take the time to tour the site, see some things you might have missed, and leave comments for our staff.

April 19, 2013: The race engineers at Prodrive have gotten together with the production engineers and created a formula by which they can create an optimized race car for a reasonable amount of money. Though it sounds like heresy, they claim to have developed the idea while creating the Mini Countryman World Rally car, a vehicle that proved quite successful straight out of the box. Perhaps more bizarre are the chairs designed by Maserati and Mazda for Milan Design Week. The Maserati seat looks more comfortable, but it is Mazda’s Kodo Chair that has the sleekness you would expect from a maker of expensive Italian sports cars. At Shanghai’s motor show, Mercedes pulled the wraps off its Concept GLA. This small SUV has many over-the-top features you expect from a concept, but is very close in look and feel to the production GLA that launches next year. Shanghai also is the venue at which BMW launched its X4 concept. A bite-sized version of the X6 SUV coupe, the X4 seems like the answer to a question nobody asked. However, when you run the numbers, the idea behind these vehicles makes a lot of sense. Continuing with the BMW theme, the company’s heritage division teams up with transmission ZF to make a limited number of new transmissions for its 1930s 328 sports car to the original design, only better. Lastly, Al Vinikour questions whether or not anyone at the car companies is paying attention to the design of steering wheel controls, or whether they consider it enough just to have them.

April 12, 2013: Sunday April 7^th was the 45^th anniversary of one of the saddest days in motor racing. On that day in 1968, two-time F1 World Champion Jim Clark was killed while competing in a F2 race at Germany’s Hockenheim. A man of incredible talent, Clark was admired by fans and competitors alike, and his death shook the foundations of the sport. We have downloaded a documentary on the life and times of the Scottish champion that originally appeared on BBC Four. If you know nothing about the man, take this as an opportunity to learn about the quiet sheep farmer turned race driver. Conversely, if you are familiar with Clark, become reacquainted with his accomplishments and gentle nature. Speaking of Formula One and heroes, the new Ron Howard film, Rush, which chronicles the story of Niki Lauda’s near-fatal crash at the Nurburgring in 1976 and his battle for the F1 driver’s title against James Hunt, premiers later this year. Chris Sawyer looks back to that time, and recounts a chance encounter with an American hero who played a pivotal role in Lauda’s survival. On a completely different note, Yamaha introduces a product that bike owners, especially those who go off road, will appreciate. It’s not what you expect from the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. Finally this week, our own Al Vinikour has a solution for interminable construction delays. It’s a simple common sense solution that could cut construction time in half, and drive everyone wed to the old ways crazy.

April 5, 2013: We were there for the launch of the Prius v, but now we’ve had the chance to spend a week behind the wheel. Is it a hybrid SUV alternative or just a glorified Prius wagon? And why is Mazda’s full-size CX-9 not one of the most popular crossovers in the market? Based on our time with the Japanese mild-roader, it should be at the top of shopping lists. Nissan released two videos this week. This first looks at digital versus analog design, and reminds us of time spent in Canada with a famous designer. The second shows the post-war ancestor of the all-electric Nissan Leaf, and an innovative answer to difficult times. Fancy a quick cup of espresso? How about one brewed in a V10 or V12 engine? However, if you really fancy the best of the best, you might want to consider buying the Ferrari F1 team, which gets plenty of perks from the FIA. Speaking of initials in place of names, Al Vinikour vents about the recent spate of alphanumeric car names.

March 2013

March 29, 2013: The auto show circus stopped in New York this week. Plenty of new sheetmetal, new tech and new ideas mixed with enough facelifts, refreshes and updates to keep journalists on their toes. Even Hyundai, which showed off its revised Equus luxury sedan, got into the act with a reveal that combined lounge and trendy eatery on the show floor, and made company President and CEO John Krafcik look as though he was trying out for Leno’s slot on The Tonight Show. You can read about the more interesting models in our New York coverage. Under the Driver’s Seat heading you’ll also find a comparison of Toyota’s Camry and Ford’s latest Fusion. The best-selling Camry had a higher trim level than the Ford, but that didn’t hold Dearborn’s mid-size sedan back. It came out swinging. See if it landed a knockout or got its clock cleaned. On the lighter side, though the folks from Consumer Reports probably didn’t intend it that way, is a report on motorcycle reliability. It’s an eye-opener for reasons other than the obvious. And Al Vinikour tells tales of car salesmen and their tricks.

March 22, 2013: The weather in The Soo, as it’s called, was great, and so were the technologies shown by Continental Automotive Systems. You can read about them here. Speaking of technology, it’s a big week for new tech at The Virtual Driver. Xtrac shows off a hybridized automated manual gearbox for supercars that cuts emissions, increases efficiency, improves shift quality and costs less than a DCT. Not to be outdone, the folks from CVT maker Torotrak have taken a financial interest in Flybrid, makers of flywheel-powered hybrid units. McLaren Automotive, meanwhile, put out a video to celebrate the Stateside arrival of the MP4-12C Spider, and shot it on a cold and snowy pass in Colorado. Speaking of marketing, why is Chrysler doing better than Lincoln despite spending far less money? We have an opinion. Saab’s creditors are auctioning off the last 78 vehicles in their possession, including a few rare treats. Detroit Electric rises from the ashes with two ex-Lotus types at the helm, and promises a new electric sports car that’s built in Detroit with the help of a “global manufacturer.” Meanwhile, Hyundai teases its next-generation Genesis Coupe with a concept to be shown at the South Korean Motor Show. And Al Vinikour goes off on a tirade about gas caps and the people who ignore them.

March 14, 2013: We’re a little early this week as the staff is heading for beautiful Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to drive vehicles with new technologies from the folks from Continental Automotive. Given that this Upper Peninsula paradise just got seven inches of new snow, it might be a great place for the Ford Explorer Sport we just tested. The Terrain Management System and all-wheel drive would be a big help, but its relative thirst and sporty pretensions might not. Another non-starter in the snow sweepstakes would be Harley-Davidson’s new bike, the Breakout. The chopped fenders and fat rear tires are best left for sunny weather. Speaking of vacations, how about renting a supercar the next time you travel to Europe? Hertz Supercars has a lineup you won’t want to miss. However, if low-volume exotic that doesn’t need constant care is more your style, check out Infiniti’s QX60 Hybrid. It’s powered by a combination of a supercharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor. Speaking of force-fed small displacement motors, the rumor mill is full of talk that McLaren will dump Mercedes power for Honda in 2015. And our own Al Vinikour spouts off about manually shifted automatic and automatically shifted manual transmissions. He’s not happy, though that’s nothing new.

March 8, 2013: The Geneva Motor Show was this week, and saw the introduction of a number of new cars. Perhaps the most interesting, as much for its technology as its name, was the Ferrari LaFerrari. (You read that right.) This hypercar brings F1 technology to the street, and is a direct competitor for the McLaren P1. Speaking of the LaFerrari, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo’s statement about who the car is for is perhaps one of the most cynical utterances ever, and raises the question about the need for such machines. You can read our take, here. At the show, Rolls Royce pulled the wraps off its gargantuan Wraith Coupe. And Toyota and Buick (through Opel/Vauxhall) showed a pair of convertibles destined for these shores. Back in the real world, we test a Mazda MX-5 Miata in the snow, and like it. Ditto the Mercedes C300 Al Vinikour piloted, though with the bonus of 4Matic all-wheel drive. Al also takes to task the “geniuses” who measure out parking lot slots.

March 1, 2013: We spend time with Jon Bereisa, spiritual father of the Chevy Volt and all-around smart guy to talk about EVs, hybrids, Tesla and more. Bereisa pulls no punches, lays out the plusses and minuses of our current trip down the road to vehicle electrification, and gives a fascinating look into what the cars of 2040 might be like. Closer to this decade, Al Vinikour drives the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and disses a girly-man who gets in his way. Chris Sawyer takes a first look at the 2014 Kia Forte. But does this handsome compact sedan promise more than it delivers? Finally, Al gets a truck delivered to his home, and finds technologies he forgot existed inside.

February 2013

February 23, 2013: After we sent the issue live, Chrysler revealed official photos of the new Jeep Cherokee. Rather than wait until next week, we thought we’d being them to you now. Click the link to go straight to the story.

February 22, 2013: It’s a big truck issue this week. First we look at the speculation surrounding the next Ford F-150. Will it be the Atlas Concept in aluminum, or will Ford supplement it with a unit-body F-100? Maybe… not. Check out what we hear Ford might have up its sleeve. Speaking of pickups, Al Vinikour takes a spin in the 2013 Chevy Avalanche, a SUV/pickup combination that started fast, but faded quickly. Chris Sawyer, meanwhile, tests the Ford Flex. Part minivan, part SUV, it’s a unique market entry that isn’t quite what the Fairlane Concept promised. Also, we take a first look at Toyota’s new RAV4. It’s a huge improvement over its predecessor, and enough to make folks in Korea nervous. We also review actor James Garner’s memoir, and discover what Steve McQueen really thought about Garner replacing him in the movie Grand Prix. And we round out the week with another Tirade by Al Vinikour. This time he harkens to those days of yesteryear when your car’s interior was as dangerous to your health as a gun-toting maniac.

February 14, 2013: There’s a lot in the Driver’s Seat this week, starting with the new Ram ProMaster. A modified Fiat Ducato, this front-drive cargo van replaces the Dodge Sprinter, and competes head-on with Ford’s new Transit. Continuing with Fiat, the production-ready Alfa Romeo 4C makes its debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month, and we have the details of the carbon-chassis sports car to be built by Maserati. Yes, Maserati. Speaking of carbon fiber, McLaren has released pictures of the P1 supercar’s interior, which is a textile weaver’s dream. Next up is an American diesel… from GM. It’s taken decades to overcome the Oldsmobile V8 diesel debacle, but GM’s finally ready to offer a diesel in an American car. The Cruze Diesel looks ready to take on VW’s Jetta TDI, and exorcise some old demons. Even more shocking (sorry) are the new electric police/security bikes from Zero Motorcycles. Available in Street and Dual Sport versions, they are aimed at the global police, security and military markets. Finally, Al Vinikour writes an open letter to municipalities suffering from the economic downturn. You might not like his ideas, until you realize he says nothing about speeding…

 February 8, 2013: Al and Chris are back from Scottsdale where they drove the 2014 Kia Sorento. It my not look different, but nearly everything is new under the skin, including new engines and drivetrains. Al does something unusual this week — a technology piece! He talks to the folks at Energy Power Systems about the “new” technology of lead-acid batteries for hybrids and EVs. Speaking of technology, Chris discovers a new safety system that, in essence, taps the driver on the shoulder to get his attention. Finally, Mercedes-Benz furthers the cause of keeping the public informed about its history by selling a comic book about company founder Carl Benz.

January 2013

January 30, 2013: The next three weeks are crazy busy, starting with a trip out to Arizona to driver the new Kia Forte. That’s the reason for the early issue this week, and the abbreviated content. Next week it’s off to Chicago for the auto show, and the following week it’s back to Arizona for a drive of Toyota’s new RAV4. In the interim, Al Vinikour weighs in on winter driving, specifically the careless louts who drive off without adequately cleaning snow from their vehicles. And Chris Sawyer comments on the mad dash to increase the ethanol content in our fuel and the damage it might do to your car. Who wins in this battle? Certainly not the consumer.

January 25, 2013: After the rush and bother of the Detroit auto show, this week’s issue is quieter and more eclectic. First up is a look at the technology used by Mercedes to set an on-road speed record in 1938, and the Porsche-designed vehicle they built in hopes of bringing the land speed record to Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, automotive analysts are singing the praises of Tata’s Jaguar Land Rover unit, but Chris Sawyer wonders if they have missed the point; can it sustain its current pace and pay the price to do so? Finally, we have the third episode of Cars In Context Television, co-hosted by John Clor and Editor Sawyer. Make sure to pay close attention as barbs fly early and often. And, just to show he’s a nice guy, Sawyer has given Al Vinikour the week off. (He's not fooling anybody, especially Al.)

January 18, 2013: It’s been one heck of a week. First, the annual North American International Auto Show took place in Detroit’s Cobo Hall. Not only did Chevy launch its latest Corvette, many automakers brought their best to the Motor City in an attempt to impress the natives, the press, and each other. This gathering of global automakers got our own Al Vinikour thinking about cars as teaching tools, and how their diverse places of origins could lead today’s youth to become interested in geography and geopolitics. (Editor’s note: Despite what Al wrote in his last sentence, we have a hard time imagining him on the couch grooving to Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) or Itchycoo Park for that matter, nursing the munchies.) Finally, The Virtual Driver was contacted by representatives of TheStreet.com and asked if we might be interested in reprinting its coverage of the top car auction sales in 2012 in our Lifestyle section. They didn’t have to ask twice.

January 11, 2013: Next week, it’s the Detroit auto show. This week, the world’s automakers descended on Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. CES continues to grow in importance as car companies add more software, hardware and capability to their products. First up is Delphi, which introduced a plug-and-play connectivity solution that can do some of the things OnStar can, and some things it can’t. Next up is Hyundai. It showed its ideas for future on-board electronics, including connecting to Apple’s Siri and Nuance’s Dragon Drive. Finally, Ford gave notice that it plans to be an even bigger player in the automotive electronics field. On the lighter side, the folks at Laguna Seca have created a run of Corvette t-shirts to celebrate the marque’s 60^th anniversary, and Mecum Auctions has a 1954 Corvette that has risen from the dead, so to speak. Al Vinikour spends a week with the Prius c and comes back smitten, despite its diminutive size. Finally, Al remembers those thrilling days of yesteryear when new tires would get you to the lake, and old ones would keep you afloat.

January 4, 2013: How many times have you perused the news section of your favorite magazine or blog, and read something that never came true? The many, many iterations of the mid-engined Corvette are a prime example; lots of coverage, but no vehicle. Chris Sawyer may have an answer as to why this phenomena keeps happening, and its stems from a conversation he had years ago with a former colleague. Speaking of ghosts, Sawyer was certain the last appearance he made on the In a Heartbeat TV would never get aired. Technical difficulties made it impossible to upload the show, but perseverance has paid off. You can see the show here. Al Vinikour returns from vacation with a story about driving the new Land Rover LR2 in snowy Montreal. Plus, he takes time out to take owners of rusted out vehicles to task, and question why vehicles built in the “quality years” rust so quickly.