Sports Cars

, , ,

Ford Mustang, Bugatti Share Daily Telegraph's Most Beautiful Car list (No. 60-41)

Several years ago, a friend bought two handmade Bugatti replicas. They’re Bugatti blue, beautiful and pristine miniatures of the real deal. But by their craftsmanship, they’re also a real deal unto themselves and great collectors’ items. Another friend is a Ford Mustang fancier. He bought a new Mustang a few years ago and treasured it. But he sold the car within its first year of purchase because he just wasn’t driving it often enough to justify the joy of ownership. It’s not often the Bugatti and Ford Mustang are discussed in the same automotive conversation. My friends’ tales provide one example. Another mixing of the two diverse cars occurred among readers of the Daily Telegraph, the London-based daily newspaper. Its

Read more
, , , ,

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, Chevrolet Bel Air Make Daily Telegraph’s Beautiful Car List (Nos. 80-61)

Car aficionados likely know such unique cars as the NSU Ro80 or the Hispano-Suiza H6. But almost anyone who’s owned a car or whose parents owned a car has likely at least heard of the Chevrolet Bel Air or a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. All four were selected by The Daily Telegraph, the London newspaper among “The 100 Most Beautiful Cars.” The Weekly Driver continues its countdown with the Nos. 80-61 vehicles, and what a diverse group. The newspapers’ readers sent in thousands of votes representing 367 different cars. Each car is represented by a photo and short description. The accompanying text for the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud (No. 65) is typical of the newspaper’s clever style: “The Bentley S2/S3’s

Read more
, , , ,

London Newspaper Selects 100-Most Beautiful Cars (Introduction)

In the automotive world, it’s possible nothing else could gain as much survey attention as asking readers to either tell mechanic nightmare stories or give their opinions on the most beautiful cars in the world. I prefer the latter subject, and it’s what makes a recent survey in The Daily Telegraph in London, England, a marketing wonderment and a journalistic golden nugget. The newspaper simply asked readers to send it their choices for “The 100 Most Beautiful Cars.” This week, the newspaper began counting down the results in reverse order. It’ll be a few more days before the readers’ top choice among thousands of votes for 367 specific models is published. In the meantime, the multi-part article is a great

Read more
, ,

Volvo P1800 Begins Daily Telegraph's List Of "The 100 Most Beautiful Cars" (Nos. 100-81)

The newspaper commented: “According to one reader, ‘It looks even better when you remove its front and rear bumpers.’ “ Here’s the start of the list, which the newspaper is publishing in 20-choice increments: 100. Volvo P1800 99. Triumph TR6 98. Triumph TR 4/5 97. Triumph Stag 96. Triumph Spitfire 95. Toyota 2000 GT 94. Peugeot 504 Coupe 93. Peugeot 406 92. Nissan 300 ZX 91. Mini 90. Mercedes-Benz Pagoda (W113) 89. Mercedes-Benz 500K/540K 88. Maserati 350 GT 87. Maserati 250F 86. Lotus Europa 85. Land Rover Defender 84. Lancia Aurelia B20 83. Lamborghini Espada 82. Lagonda Rapide 81. Jaguar XK

Read more
,

AOL has its troubles, but its auto channel is cool

America Online, now officially called AOL, began in 1985. And it has arguably had the most tumultuous tenure of any Internet portal or search engine. The site and e-mail system still has an estimated 10 million subscribers and it likely has an equal number of detractors as it does loyal followers. For me, AOL’s auto section may be its best attribute. It’s comprehensive, offers myriad and often-updated features and the editors’ subject choices are relevant. One regular feature is the site’s top-10 most searched 208 vehicles. I’m not certain how often the list is updated, but here’s the current list, an interesting cross-section of the car-buying public’s interests. 1. Chrysler 300C; 2. Honda Civic; 3. Infiniti G35; 4. Nissan Maxima;

Read more
,

Tata Nano, '79 MG, '82 Ram Charger, '01 VW Jetta: For $2,500, You Make The Call

But since the Tata Nano won’t be available in the U.S., what will $2,500 get a car buyer in this country? The New York Times included an interesting comparison in one of its several detailed pieces on Tata Motors, the Nano’s manufacturer. In describing the cost of the Nano, The Times’ reporter said its $2,500 price is about the same cost as an optional DVD player in a 2008 Lexus LX470. I’ve also done a little comparison shopping. Although the price of the Nano may go down (depending in the manufacturer’s reaction to a new, lower government excise tax), and it can go up with delivery charges and options, here’s what I found on a five-minute search Craig’sList, San Francisco.

Read more
, , ,

It's Fast, It's Light, It's A Car & It's Made With Wood

The 4.6 meter-long, two-seater “Splinter” car, is made from maple, plywood and medium density fiberboard (MDF). It has a 4.6-liter V8 petrol engine and a six-speed gearbox. According to designer, Joe Harmon, age 27, his new vehicle weighs 1,134 kilograms — 240 kilograms less than the lightweight Porsche 911 GT3. Despite its power, it will achieve 20 mpg. “Wood is a truly amazing material to work with,” Harmon said. “It has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than aluminum or steel, and it possesses a versatility that makes many different types of construction techniques possible.” The car is due is expected to available to the public later this year. The design company, Joe Harmon Design, has not announced a price for the

Read more
, ,

Consumer Reports Selects Its Top-10 Cars For 2008

Small sedan: Hyundai Elantra, Cost: $18,000 — “The Elantra is a well-rounded small car that provides good fuel economy, a comfortable ride and an interior that’s quiet, roomy and well-equipped.” (TheWeekly Driver.com comment: I drove a 2007 Elantra about 1,000 miles from San Jose to Los Angeles to Sacramento. It performed surprisingly well, particularly over the ominous Grapevine on Interstate 5.) Midsize SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe, Cost: $22,000-$31,000 — The recently redesigned Santa Fe performed better than the Honda Pilot in Consumer Reports’ testing. “It provides a quiet and roomy interior, excellent fit and finish, a refined powertrain, a relatively good ride and an optional third-row seat.” Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, Cost: $27,000 to $39,000 — The Silverado

Read more
, ,

VW Beetle To Ford Model T: The Top-5 Best-Selling Cars In History

Personally, I liked to see more Model-Ts. But according to the automotive news web site, Automoportal.com, the Model T and the Corolla have a lot in common. Both are among the top-five best-selling cars in history. Here’s the list of the top-five best-selling cars in history and a comment on each vehicle: 1. Toyota Corolla. It’s now more than 40 years and it’s been manufactured in nine generations and more than 35 million have sold.  It’s topped the all-time bestseller list since 1997. 2.  Ford F Series Pickup. So far, 25 million have been sold. At a rate of 1 million cars sold per year, that translates into one every 30 seconds. 3. Volkswagen Golf. With 24 million Golfs sold

Read more
, ,

General Motors' latest shocker: $38 million loss in 2007

How’s it possible to loss $38.7 million in a year? Not even General Motors is like sure exactly how it happened. But the world’s largest automaker has annnounced that’s the amount it lost in 2007. As a result, GM will again offer a new round of buyback offers to 74,000 hourly workers, all of whom are represented by the United Auto Workers. GM said the loss largely was due to a third-quarter charge related to unused tax credits. The 2007 loss topped GM’s previous record in 1992, when the company lost $23.4 billion because of a change in health care accounting, according to Standard & Poor’s Compustat. Excluding the tax charge and other special items, GM lost $23 million, or

Read more
, , ,

Pontiac, Citroen Get Dubious Honors In Top-10 All-Ugly Car List

Car lists are subjective. There are best sports cars, best luxury car lists and even an extreme list like the Top-10 Ugly Cars. And since everyone is entitled to an opinion, the “All-Ugly” list is a lot of fun. Thomas Bey, writing for the web site, www.Bankrate.com, has compiled the latest Top-10 Ugly Car list. The criteria for Bey’s new list is two-fold” 1. “The ugly cars are production vehicles sold in the U.S. at one time or another; 2. “No more than one car from a manufacturer will be on the list.” Here’s Bey’s list in reverse order and a brief comment of each vehicle. 10. Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible — “To hell in a handbasket” is an expression

Read more
,

CarMax Makes Fortune Magazine's Top-100 List, But Only Employees Really Know

The recruit, face painted, a full pack strapped to his back and rifle in hand, shouts out, “Good morning, first sergeant.” I’ve never been in the military, but from the stories I’ve heard from friends who served, it’s not quite what the commercial represents. Which brings me to the announcement this week of Fortune Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies To Work For.” Only the employees of the companies know for sure. But in terms of the automotive industry, the Fortune list may provide an insight into part of the problem for the workforce employed by auto working manufacturers and their affiliated companies. Only one automotive industry company, CarMax, made the list — at No. 46. Based in Richmond,

Read more
, ,

Hyundai Earns Three Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Awards

For the first time, three Hyundai models have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award. The Hyundai Veracruz and Santa Fe received awards in the midsize SUV segment and the Hyundai Entourage in the minivan segment. All winning vehicles are recognized for their ability to protect people in front, side and rear crashes. This marks the third straight the Entourage has received the highest honor — the IIHS Top Safety Pick award in the minivan category. All three vehicles also earned five-star crash test ratings, the highest government rating under NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program, for both frontal and side impact. Top Safety Pick awards recognize vehicles that do the best job of protecting people

Read more
,

Mazda RX-8, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sports cars are rarely known for comfort or convenience. But Mazda does a good job of overcoming the stigma with the RX-8. It’s a coupe with four doors (sort of) and it’s about as comfortable as sports cars get. Mazda further differentiates itself in the sports car class via its signature rotary engine. It’s the system that replaces pistons pumping in cylinders with triangular rotors spinning in oval chambers. My weekly driver was the 2008 Grand Touring model, the most expensive of the three options, including the Sport and Touring. Each has a 1.3-liter, 232-horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission or a 1.3-liter, 212-horsepower engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. (The automatic allows manual shifting via floor lever or

Read more
, ,

Ford Debuts Mustang (Again) To Honor Steve McQueen's Driving Legend

Approaching three decades since his death, Steve McQueen remains the “King of Cool,” most notably when it involves cars, motorcycles and high speeds. The latest homage to McQueen will occur Nov. 16-25 when Ford Motor Company introduces  a special edition Mustang to honor the 1968 vehicle McQueen drove in the movie Bullitt. The new vehicle will be available in black and in dark highland green, similar to the color of the Mustang used in the movie. Seven years ago, Ford manufactured its first McQueen commemorative Mustang. In the film, McQueen played Lt. Frank Bullitt and he often drove around the hilly streets of San Francisco in the Mustang and at excessive speeds. The climactic chase scene in the film is

Read more
,

Auto World Museum: Fulton, Missouri

Upon my arrival and two hours into my drive from St. Louis to Kansas City, I stopped for the night near Fulton, Mo. And as I pulled into the parking lot of my motel, I noticed another connection to transportation and travel — a dimly lit road sign for the Auto World Museum. Since it was nearly 10 p.m. I waited until the next morning to explore. The following day, I had about a 2 1/2-hour drive to Kansas City, so I figured a brief stop at the museum would be a beneficial way to start the day as well as the pending long week of driving throughout the 600-mile race. The Auto World Museum, 200 Peacock Drive, Fulton, Mo.,

Read more
Previous Next