Road of the Month: Caliente-Bodfish Road, Kern County, CA

CBRoad9

Posted by on March 23, 2012

This month’s Road of the Month is some distance north of Los Angeles and east of Bakersfield, up in the Tehachapi mountain range.  The route is spectacular, covering all types of terrain – mountains, deserts, forests, rivers, oil fields, urban sprawl, and pure nothingness.  There are also lots of activities that can be intertwined with the drive, ranging from fishing to sushi, track days to apple orchards.  Sound like fun?  Then keep reading!

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Forbidden Fruit: BMW M550d xDrive

M550d1s

Posted by on March 19, 2012

Peak oil and global warming have made this millennium a sensitive one for car enthusiasts.  Even huge racing organizations like F1 and ACO must walk a fine line, promoting speed and competition while maintaining a green image.  That’s why I’ve been an avid supporter of diesels: they can produce massive acceleration while keeping emissions and fuel consumption very low.  BMW supports this concept by producing the BMW M550d xDrive.  The M faithful say a diesel car has no right to receive the vaunted badge, but I totally disagree.

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Review: 2012 Chevy Cruze

Cruze0

Posted by on March 5, 2012

I admit it: I was probably the first person on Earth to be excited about spending 1500 highway miles in a rented compact car.  The fact that a lifelong import driver could get excited about GM’s Cruze bode well for the little car.  Read on to find out whether it delivered or disappointed.

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Forbidden Fruit: SEAT Exeo

Exeo3

Posted by on February 13, 2012

Let’s set up an interesting theoretical scenario. I have about $30,000 in the bank with no foreseeable large expenses coming up. I realize I’d be better off with a new car instead of helping an evil bank. A 2012 Acura TSX 5AT costs $30,695. A similarly equipped 2012 Honda Accord EX-L I4 5AT costs $28,050. I find those prices rather steep, considering a friend bought a new Accord EX-L in 2004 for $22,000. I walk out of the dealers, sad and empty handed, and spend the $30,000 migrating to Canada with a snowmobile.

What if there was a third option? How about if Acura built a car based on the last generation TSX, with updated styling and engines? Acura says it would have the same power and equipment as the new TSX, better ride/handling than the Accord, and would cost $24,550 – 20% off the current TSX. The catch is they won’t recognize it as a Honda or Acura – their marketing department tells them to call it an Aconda. The “what if?” has been answered by Volkswagen in Europe, with a car called the SEAT Exeo.

The 2012 Seat Exeo has been refreshed with Audi-style daytime running lights.

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Road of the Month: Pikes Peak

PikesPeak9

Posted by on February 9, 2012

The road up to the summit of Pikes Peak is legendary among those in the car community, thanks to the hill climb held there every summer.  Just this June, 60 year old “Monster” Tajima finally smashed the 10 minute barrier in the race to the top.  However, despite this road being spotlighted every summer, Pikes Peak still needs more attention.  Why?  Because there must be millions of car enthusiasts out there who still think of it as just another road.  They’re wrong, just like I was wrong.  This is a road that has to be driven to be fully appreciated.  This is a road that has to be on every car nut’s bucket list.  HAS TO BE!  Just watch the video below if you’d like proof.

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Road of the Month: Mt. Hamilton Rd.

MtHamthumb

Posted by on January 17, 2012

This month, we head back up to NorCal for a quickie up to the peak of Silicon Valley – Mt. Hamilton. This is one of my favorite routes for many reasons. One, enthusiasts have used these roads responsibly and kept the shiny side up, so there’s not a ton of patrols. Second, the road is similar to Lockwood Valley Rd in that it goes to nowhere, so there’s very little traffic on weekdays. Best of all, it is a shorter route with low speeds, meaning that lots of fun can be had for a long time, while keeping the gas bill low.

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Forbidden Fruit: Citroen DS5 HYbrid4

Posted by on January 16, 2012

Some say its computing power could fly the Space Shuttle, and that it once out-polluted a Hummer.  All we know is, it’s called…the Toyota Prius?  The cheeky little car has revolutionized American roads in the last decade by both saving gas and stirring up debate as to whether it is actually good for the environment.  Despite that, its tiny 4 cylinder engine and advanced battery pack have managed to smother all competitors, both in terms of sales and gas mileage.  Toyota plans to capitalize on its success by expanding the Prius hybrid line, with the new Prius V and Prius C.  However, new designs with the same type of drivetrain can hardly be called innovative.  What, then, is the logical next step for a large automaker that wants green-cred?

2012 Citroen DS5

French automaker Citroen thinks it has the answer, and it’s called the DS5 HYbrid4.

2012 North American International Auto Show: Winners & Losers

naias

Posted by on January 12, 2012

The 2012 Detroit Auto Show has brought a surprising mix of introductions, considering recession-level auto sales in the United States.  It has once again brought hope to my eyes for the near-future of the automobile.  However, not all the concepts and production cars shown were deserving of being called winners.  Follow the jump for a breakdown of the hot and the not-so-hot entries in this years show.

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New Car Predictions for 2012

New-Years-Eve-2012-10

Posted by on December 5, 2011

Fast paced times and ever-evolving technology has made it hard to keep up with the car market.  It seems like every other week, there is some new rumor or model introduction just around the corner.  This makes it almost impossible to decide when to buy a new car, especially if your current one is still going strong.  After all, who wants to plunk down 30 grand on a discretionary purchase, only to find out months later that they have last year’s news?

Fortunately, carmakers usually have some semblance of predefined schedules for model changes.  For example, Honda cars are typically redesigned every five years (changed from four years for models introduced before the new millenium).  Based on these model cycles and spy shots from around the world, accurate predictions are easy to make these days.  We’ve decided to help consumers by posting our predictions for new cars coming out within the next 1-2 years, in one easy to find place.

Keep in mind that these are only predictions based on previous and current trends, usually with no first hand insider information unless otherwise linked/indicated.  These cars could be introduced sooner (or more likely, later) than originally thought, with different equipment or specifications than we predicted.  A final warning: although we try our best, this is by no means a comprehensive list!

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