Recent Comments:
The good life: getting gifts for test-driving luxury cars {Autoblog}
Jul 19th 2007 6:48PM I would say that is a very targeted gift. You have to think that the people that buy those luxo cars are going to be well off. Probably not well off enough to buy their own plane though. Those headphones drown out noise like no ones business, and are perfect for rich people who travel in first class a lot. They aren't meant to get people to go in solely to get the headphones if they are not in the market, but if someone is going for a test drive in an S600 and they receive that email that their nice maser dealer next door will give them these perfect headphones just for taking the car out, it may get a few customers who wouldn't have bought the maser otherwise.
Yes it may not be worth that much in relation to the car, but it fits the audience very well.
Mazda2 MPS reportedly in the works {Autoblog}
Jul 4th 2007 4:33PM How about a civic Si? It's got good fuel economy. On the level of spectacular fuel economy, why not try a regular civic, a coupe if you want something smaller. They are capable of reaching the high 30's.
Honda fit would be another way to go. Or you could just wait around until the mazda 2 comes to our shores as either a mazda or the ford variant. The one thing about this little hotted up mazda is that you would be struggling to get mid to high 20's if it ever came here.
The last thought I heard was that the Tdi would be a 2009. Now when it would come out is another thing entirely.
Amateur car design: How fast do your dreams go? {Autoblog}
Jul 4th 2007 12:15PM The true successor to the dino in styling, if not engine placement, seems to be the Alfa Competitione. It has all the delicate styling of the original dino. This sketch just reminded me of this fact, as the car pictured here looks so much like the alfa in profile.
Enter the (drivetrain) rumormill: V6, AWD Corolla on the horizon? {Autoblog}
May 24th 2007 9:55AM I think this is a great direction for toyota to go. I just hope they offer a more enthusiast oriented model. AWD, V6, and a MANUAL transmission. That is all I ask for. What with the low insurance for toyota corollas overall, you would have an affordable hit on your hand. Price it in the mid 20's and it could be a real sales leader.
2008 Volvo S40 and V50 break cover! {Autoblog}
Apr 10th 2007 5:35PM I think the freshening of this car came out nice. It looks better than the old car. It does look a lot classier. This refresh came out a great deal better than the S80 did. Volvo has its design language and is sticking to its guns and I think it looks great. They will be going for a more revolutionary design in the future, if their small SUV concept is anything to go by. I like this evolutionary design and think it fits well with Volvo, although I am a bit biased, having driven an 850 wagon for three years.
#15 I recently had the opportunity to drive an S40. The only one they had in stock with a manual was a base car without any options to speak of (very rare at a volvo dealership). Unfortunately, this was also immediately (within 30 minutes) after I had test drove a civic Si on the same loop.
The power wasn't there in the volvo. It wasn't as much fun to drive as the Si. And it really felt like a step down even though it stickered thousands more than the Si. However, this is how Volvos have always been. If you go for a stripped out car, than it really is a stripped out car. The high end ones are the ones that really represent the brand well, with performance, style, useability, and safety. You did hit the nail on the head that price conscience is not a praised Volvo trait.
That is why it seems that they have lost a great amount of their sales to Subaru in New England within the past 4 years. But anyhow, you were obviously driving a stripped out car. To truly get an idea of what a volvo can be like, you should treate yourself to a test drive of a C30 when it comes out. I think it is going to be a big hit for Volvo, because it brings value for the dollar back into the equation.
VIDEO: Subaru Impreza and WRX strolling in the park {Autoblog}
Apr 9th 2007 10:57PM Who cares what it looks like, as long as it performs? I just want to hear that it is better than the outgoing car and you can turn off the stability control.
And the Sti is supposed to be a lot different than this car. They are obviously going to be differentiating it more from the regular WRX. I wouldn't cancel that savings fund any time soon.
As for the VXR. If you like some driving with your torque steer, be my guest. I'll stick with reportedly less power and AWD!
Volvo prices C30 from $22,700 {Autoblog}
Apr 4th 2007 11:21AM I think this pricing is pretty good. I would have liked to see something more along the lines of 22 thousand with destination, but one can only dream of a deal like that. This pricing will make it very competitive.
It reminds me of when volvos used to be affordable. Yes, as you added this and that on they shot up in price, but get a stripper with a manual and they were a great value for the price. I garentee that most people who see even the stripped version will think you paid $5,000 more. That is just the kind of image volvo has.
I just hope that the optional sport suspension will really stiffen up the chassis. Every review I have read rated the C30 well, but said it wasn't that engaging to drive. Which is typical volvo, but I just hope that you can make it a stiffer ride without going to the aftermarket. It has a great chassis under there. This is your euro market ford focus chassis. So for around 23 grand, you can have your ford with some swedish styling.
Road & Track gives best look yet at the new Subaru WRX {Autoblog}
Mar 31st 2007 6:46PM I think these new pictures are like night and day to the old ones. This looks sooo much more aggresive, with the nearly matte grille. Much better than the sebring-ish way the grill looked when photographed by motor trend. I think you just have to get past how you had hoped the car was going to look and know that it is going to be extremely aggressive when the Sti version comes out. The idea of a factory installed power pack which would boost power by 20HP is also an awesome thing to have. A 246 horsepower hatchback with a warranty and AWD? Sign me up.
And I actually was waiting for this car, so I will be signing up for it as soon as I can.
New York Preview: Subaru Impreza WRX gets early release on cover of MT {Autoblog}
Mar 27th 2007 12:34AM The fact that no one else has dumped their official photos out for us online would indicate to me that there has been no real break of an embargo, because no one else has these photos. I think these are just photo shopped photos. Doesn't make sense to me that no one else has put up their photos of the WRX. The last time an embargo was broken everyone was quick to get their photos up.
I'll wait until the auto show comes up. Car magazine did a very similar thing when they posted what the next M3 would look like. They knew basic info, but had no real photos. I think this is a similar thing. I just hope subaru made is more aggressive.
It's coming... Subaru counting down the days {Autoblog}
Mar 26th 2007 11:32AM What about a 22B Sti coupe? I have been waiting for a new impreza. If it isn't the new impreza, I am going to be upset. I think the SVX is the past of Subaru, and until they make a concerted effort to move upmarket, something more along the line of a 22B version of an impreza coupe would be more in keeping with the current state of subaru. Price is at 35 grand and give it performance to shame an M3.
But really, this is just going to be the new impreza.
