Monthly Archives: October 2015


2016 Honda Civic Sedan – A Great Starting Point for the Type-R 1

2016 Honda Civic first drive - 1 of 44

In recent years, many critics have accused Honda of losing its way. The lightweight, fun-to-drive cars that helped build the Honda reputation from the 1970s through the early 1990s had given way to increasingly bland cars devoid of character. Chief of among the models that seemed to suffer was the Civic. First launched in 1973, the Civic wasn’t Honda’s first American model, but it really gave the brand momentum that picked up significantly a few years later with the debut of the Accord. The most recent Civic which debuted in 2011 seemed to epitomize everything wrong with the brand. Honda heard the complaints and tried to address them for generation 10 that goes on sale in November. However, hearing complaints and adequately resolving them are two different things and only time behind the wheel would tell us if Honda has been successful.

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It's time for regulators to look at requiring source code to be submitted…

It's time for regulators to look at requiring source code to be submitted before certifying cars for sales and conducting audits

VW Diesel Cheating Could Lead to Auditing of Automotive Software
The cars and trucks that we drive today are better performing, more efficient and higher quality in almost every measurable way compared to the machines of 20, 30 or 40 years ago. For this, we can thank electronic control systems and the software that makes it all work. As computing […]


Sadly, someday we will no longer be able to enjoy the wonderful symphony of the V8 engine, until then thankfully we still have Corvettes

+Chevrolet

2016 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible – Plastic is Still Fantastic
For more than 30 years, ever since the launch of the C4 Corvette, I’ve been hearing Chevrolet talk about America’s longest running sports car being ready to take on the best in the world. Unfortuna…


2016 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible – Plastic is Still Fantastic

2016 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible - 3 of 41

For more than 30 years, ever since the launch of the C4 Corvette, I’ve been hearing Chevrolet talk about America’s longest running sports car being ready to take on the best in the world. Unfortunately, while each subsequent edition was a significant advancement on what came before, Corvette never quite hit the mark. While the 2005-2013 C6 came tantalizingly close to fulfilling that promise, especially from a performance perspective, the interior continued to be a let down. Two years ago, Chevrolet brought us an all-new seventh-generation model and I just got to spend a week with a ragtop variant.

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I sent back the +Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec just one day before the VW diesel scandal broke but I liked it overall anyway

The current E-Class is nearing the end of its lifecycle but the current model is still worth a look even if the infotainment interface is getting long in the tooth and the auto stop start isn't as smooth as most newer models. 34 MPG!

2015 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec 4Matic –
Mercedes-Benz is a brand that has been associated with firsts throughout its long history which of course began with the very first car, Karl Benz’s 1886 Patent Motorwagen. Along the way, Mercedes …


2015 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec 4Matic –

2015 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec AWD - 2 of 28

Mercedes-Benz is a brand that has been associated with firsts throughout its long history which of course began with the very first car, Karl Benz’s 1886 Patent Motorwagen. Along the way, Mercedes has launched gasoline direct-fuel injection, anti-lock brakes and many other technologies including the compression ignition cycle developed by Dr. Rudolph Diesel. As we approach the 80th anniversary of the 1936 260D, Mercedes-Benz currently offers diesel engines in several of its current U.S.-market models including the midsize E-class sedan. I recently spent a week with the diesel-powered E250 BlueTec AWD just before the news broke about the big Volkswagen diesel emissions cheating scandal.

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Vectors Aeromotive was nominally in the car "business" for more than two decades and yet only ever managed to build and sell a couple of dozen vehicles

Vectors Aeromotive was nominally in the car "business" for more than two decades and yet only ever managed to build and sell a couple of dozen vehicles. Among those, the most "popular" was the M12 of which this is one of 14 "production models"

 

In Album 10/3/15