Dario Franchitti retires after doctors’ crash concerns

Dario Franchitti, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IndyCar titlist, retired November 14 upon his doctors’ recommendations in the aftermath of his crash about five weeks ago in Houston,Texas. Franchitti, 40, fractured his spine, broke his right ankle and suffered a concussion in the Oct. 6 IndyCar race. Franchitti’s car made contact with Takuma Sato’s vehicle on the last lap and sailed into a fence. Debris from the accident injured 13 fans in the grandstands and one IndyCar official. “One month removed from the crash and based upon the expert advice of the doctors who have treated and assessed

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2014 Cadillac CTS gets Car of the Year honors again

For the second time in six years, the Cadillac CTS has been named Car of the Year by Motor Trend, defeating seven other finalists in the 1.1 million circulation magazine’s strenuous testing procedures. In addition to the Cadillac CTS, finalists this year were: BMW 4 Series; Chevrolet Corvette; Jaguar F-Type; Kia Forte; Mazda 3; Mazda 6; and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Ed Loh, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, said in a statement judges were impressed by the sedan’s “responsive powertrains, smooth ride and sporty handling.” The  second-generation CTS sedan also received the car award in 2008. The 2014 award was announced as then new

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric

Mercedes-Benz has waited a long time to enter the electric car business, but it will early next year with 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class. It’s all-electric hatchback with a 24-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack offering a driving range of up to 124 miles on a single charge. Mercedes reports the car will have an electric motor supplying 134-horsepower and 228 pound-feet of torque. The new car can reach a top speed of 93 miles per hour and accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 10 seconds. Mercedes-Benz unveiled B-Class electric vehicle at the 2013 New York Auto Show in March. The new

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CAR REVIEW: 2014 Dodge Durango, roomy, sporty

The sporty, practical 2014 Dodge Durango is an SUV/crossover based on a stretched version of the unit-body platform of the award-winning Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is a really good start. The new Durango looks better with a different, rather sinister-looking front end and revised rear styling with Dodge’s race-style LED taillight design. It has a new responsive eight-speed automatic transmission with a segment-first rotary shifter and efficient paddle shifters for manual operation. The automatic replaces one offered with either five or six speeds. The updated interior has a new instrument panel. A third row 50/50 split seat that’s suitable for

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Ferrari LaFerrari: Fastest Ferrari and it’s a hybrid

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Unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, the LaFerrari is a limited production hybrid sports car built by Ferrari. The LaFerrari is the first hybrid from Ferrari, providing the highest power output of any Ferrari while decreasing fuel consumption by 40 percent. Only 499 units will be built and each will cost more than $1.6 million. LaFerrari’s mid rear mounted V12 Internal Combustion Engine has a 6.3 liter engine capable of 789 horsepower. But it’s supplemented by a 161 horsepower KERS unit (called HY-KERS). It provides short bursts of extra power. The new Ferrari also has a seven-speed,

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Review: 2014 Toyota Corolla: Sporty redesign shines

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Even the most successful car in history has to eventually change with the times. Meet the 2014 Toyota Corolla. Just in time for the sale of the 40th million iconic compact sedan, the redesigned 11th generation has been unveiled. Available in L, LE, L Eco and S models (and a few variants), the 2014 Toyota Corolla joins the Avalon, Camry, 4Runner and Tundra with new designs for 2014. The new Corolla models continue the sedan’s enduring legacy while competitors like the Ford Focus, Kia Forte, Honda Civic and Mazda 3 continue to gain larger audiences. Like other editions of the

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CAR REVIEW: 2014 Nissan Versa Note: Roomy, good value

The Nissan Versa debuted in 2007 and it’s firmly in the mix with a good chunk of quality sub-compacts in a highly competitive segment. For 2014, the Nissan Versa Note is the hatchback version of the Versa sedan. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly driver was the Nissan Versa Note’s top-line SV trim. It adds a lot to the base model and makes the entry-level machine an appreciably more attractive option in its segment. As examples, the SV trim adds keyless remote entry, power locks and windows, upgraded and more cloth upholstery, a six-way adjustable driver seat, a driver-side

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2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith: Powerful, fast, menacing ghost

The 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith, named after the Scottish word for Ghost, was unveiled in March at the Geneva Auto Show. It debuted at dealerships in the United States in October and further added to upscale wonderment of the prestigious brand. The Wraith, which continues the carmaker’s signature of naming cars after spirits (Ghost, Shadow and Phantom are other examples) is the most powerful and fastest Rolls Royce ever built. Its specs are impressive: 624 horsepower; 0-60 mph, 4.4 seconds; top speed, 155 mph. It’s a 6.6 liter, 48-valve, twin-turbocharged V12 with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s also a two-door, four-seat

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NEW CAR REVIEW: 2014 Volkswagen Beetle shines

The Volkswagen Bug has endured many name and design changes since it debuted in the Unites States in 1949. With the 2014 Volkswagen Beetle R-Line, another chapter in the carmaker’s legacy as one of the top-10 best-selling cars in history has begun. The new limited edition is the most upscale and most powerful Beetle to date. The Beetle as a sports car isn’t quite accurate. But for 2014, the upscale trim features a larger turbo-charged engine, new front fascia, a metal dash plate and a host of R-Line, sporty badging throughout the car. The styling is not only more sporting,

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BEST — — USED CARS: 2011 Honda CR-V

Now a teenager and offered in its third generation, the Honda CR-V remains one of the country’s most popular compact sport utility vehicles. It debuted in Japan in 1995, arrived as a Chicago Auto Show display in 2006 and debuted in United States dealerships in 2007. A decade later, the CR-V overtook its toughest competitors in sales, even the segment leader Ford Explorer. It became the country’s top-selling SUV with more than 219,000 sold units. The Ford Explorer had been top-ranked for 15 consecutive years. The CR-V hasn’t reached its 2007 sales total since, but it still remains a favorite

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NEW CAR REVIEW: 2014 Land Rover: Less weight, more sport

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The new Land Rover Range Rover Sport fits perfectly in the best country club parking lot, but is like a mountain goat when driven off road. For 2014, the Land Rover Range Rover has been redesigned to be the fastest, most agile ever. That’s largely because it’s shed a whopping 800 pounds. Most automakers strive to cut just a fraction of that weight loss for better performance and fuel economy. The Sport still is no lightweight at 4,727 to 5,093 pounds, and you can feel the weight when driving rapidly through tight curves or making quick moves. But it’s a

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Kaiser-Darrin: Odd, elegant sports car in demand

I’ve been fascinated by the Kaiser-Darrin for the past several years. It looks unlike any other sports car. Its prototype debuted in 1952 and it was available in dealerships two years later Built from fiberglass, the Kaiser-Darrin is both odd-looking and elegant. It has odd-shaped front grille, sliding doors and its was the second carmaker after Nash to have seat belts. The 1954 Kaiser-Darrin also had bucket seats, full sports-car instrumentation, a floor shifter and cost $3,668, slightly more than the newly arriving Corvette. The buying public was at first enamored by the Kaiser-Darrin. It had a standard three-speed manual

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Volkswagen: Bugs, Beetles, Bliss

Like several friends, my first car was a Volkswagen. It was a family friend’s car and the 1962 VW Bug was pristine. I bought it for $500 in 1972 when I was age 17. The memories of learning about its simple engine and driving it everywhere are still vivid 40 years later. All these years later, I just drove a 2014 Volkswagen Beetle R-Line for a week. It’s still unmistakably a Volkswagen, but it’s also a completely different car. The new VW Beetle has five times the horsepower of my Bug from yesteryear. And the driving difference, from what I

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NEW CAR REVIEW: 2014 Ford Fiesta: Sub-compact star

Now 38 years old and a half-dozen generations into its tenure, the Ford Fiesta joins its siblings, the Ford Escort and F-Series trucks, to complete the trio of the manufacturer’s top-selling vehicles. Since its debut in 1976, more than 16 million Fiestas have sold for several simple reasons. As the third best-selling car in the Ford lineup, the little car provides solid transportation, strong gas mileage and dependability, and at an economical price. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in four trim levels and as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback, the Ford Fiesta is a surprisingly peppy sub-compact. My

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Bugatti Veyron as a police car? Sure, in Dubai

Chevrolet and Chrysler is understood. But a Bugatti and an Aston Martin as police cars? It can’t be true, can it? Turns out it is the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai. The Emirate of Dubai, including the modern City of Dubai, are wealthy places where excess is the norm — including cars. People in Dubai drive fast and the policemen of Dubai drive past or at least they hope to drive faster than the public considering the cars in their force. There’s a Ford Mustang GT and Camaro SS in the fleet. But both are pedestrian compared to the vehicles.

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2015 Hyundai Genesis gets makeover

The 2015 Hyundai Genesis will feature a low vertical grille, higher quality cabin controls and a safer seatbelt system, the South Korean manufacturer has announced. Hyundai detailed its new Genesis is the result of a four-year project that cost nearly $500 million. The carmaker said the new Genesis will have the best chassis in its class, plus drivability that matches European luxury cars. Hyundai detailed it has tested new Genesis on the famed Nurburgring circuit in Germany. Hyundai calls its latest design “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0.” Updates from the current Fluidic Sculpture 1.0 include an edgier, flat-bottom hexagon in the Genesis

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