Auto Shows/Museums

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Tour de France, 2012: Citroen exhibit showcases iconic French carmaker

Bugatti, Citroën, Peugeot and Renault are the current major French automakers. With the exception of Bugatti, French highways and country roads are often crowded with many models, new and old, from the other three carmakers. And also with the exception of Bugatti, I've driven new models of Citroën, Peugeot and Renault as rental cars in different years since I began attending the Tour de France in 1997. French cars, like other countries' cars, have strengths and weaknesses, Yet, French cars often get criticized unfairly. While none of the carmakers' vehicles I've driven could be described as performance cars, all three got me through three weeks and about 4,000 miles of driving, including some treacherous ordeals in the Pyrenees and the

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Volvo XC60, 2012: New style dispels rocky SUV crossover reputation

The boxy Volvos of the 1980s almost seem like classics, and few would have guessed  then the automaker would make a premium, sporty crossover such as the 2012 Volvo XC60. Although large and heavy, the mid-sized XC60 has shapely sculpted styling, with sexy chromed exhaust outlets, and drives much like a smaller sports sedan. In fact, it’s based on Volvo’s athletic S60 sedan architecture. The firm steering is quick, handling inspires confidence during hard driving, backed by stability and traction control systems.The ride is a bit firm, but supple. Powerful anti-lock brakes have a nice pedal action. Rivals include the BMW’s popular X3, and other formidable competitors such as the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, Infiniti FX and Mercdes-Benz GLK350. The

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Dick Clark: rock & roll icon, purveyor of 1957 classic car museum

Dick Clark was synonymous with rock & roll. But like many celebrities, the host of American Bandstand who died April 17 of a heart attack at age 82, was an avid automobile collector. Of course, 1957 was an iconic year for the music, the man and the cars, most notably the ’57 Chevy. Clark had many cars in his collection, including the iconic ’57 Chevy Larkspur Blue drop top with a dual-barrel 283 V8 with a Continental kit. Clark’s collection was located in a museum called the 57 Heaven Museum in Branson, Missouri. It was part of one of Clark’s many businesses, the American Bandstand restaurant chain. The 57 Heaven Museum closed in 2009, and the cars were sold by

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Rhode Island, Chicago, Baltimore among February car show locations

Five major car shows are scheduled in North America in February beginning with the Northeast International Auto Show scheduled Feb 2-5 at the Rhode Island Convention in Providence, R.I. Automotive shows are also scheduled in Baltimore, Chicago, Iowa in Toronto during February. Dates, locations and websites of February car shows are listed below: February 2-5 Northeast Int'l Auto Show Rhode Island Convention Center Providence, R.I. www.ProvidenceAutoShow.com February 9-12 Motor Trend International Auto Show / Baltimore Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD www.AutoShowBaltimore.com February 10-19 Chicago Auto Show McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. www.chicagoautoshow.com February 10-12 Iowa-Illinois Regional Auto Show River Center Convention Center Davenport, IA www.quadcityautoshow.com February 17-26 Canadian International Auto Show Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Rogers Centre, Toronto, CANADA www.autoshow.ca

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NAIAS 2012: Honda Accord Coupe 2013, Scion FR-S 2013, Toyota Prius C 2013

Honda Accord Coupe Concept Honda unveiled the Accord Coupe Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, providing the first official glimpse of the athletic styling direction, as well as revealing new technologies for the ninth-generation 2013 model. It's set to go on-sale this fall. The 2013 Accord will feature three new powertrains, including the first U.S. application of both a 2.4-liter direct-injected engine and two-motor plug-in hybrid system from Honda's suite of next-generation Earth Dreams powertrain technologies. In addition, the V-6 Accord will be the first Honda sedan to feature a six-speed automatic transmission. The Accord Sedan and the Accord Coupe models are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy ratings and will be available many new safety

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NAIAS 2012: Acura NSX, Acura ILX, Hyundai Veloster Turbo, Hyundai Genesis Coupe

By Megan Green Acura ILX Concept As the Acura brand enters its second 25 years as Honda’s premium luxury-performance automobile brand, a concept version of the Acura ILX luxury compact sedan and a prototype of the 2013 RDX crossover sports utility vehicle were also unveiled. Acura has big plans for the 2013 ILX Concept, a luxury compact sedan, to attract a new generation of buyers to the brand. The aerodynamic, fluid lines and understated Acura design cues might just be inviting enough to achieve this goal. Acura introduces its first ever gas-electric hybrid in the 2013 ILX with a 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain; two standard gasoline powertrain options will also be available – the base model will have a 2.0-liter

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NAIAS 2012: 2013 Cadillac ATS, 2013 BMW 3-Series, 2013 Ford Fusion

By Megan Green Cadillac ATS Cadillac kicked off the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan with the much-anticipated launch of the 2013 ATS. Revealed in the rooms that once were Harley Earl's legendary 1950's design studio, Cadillac's lightweight, rear-wheel drive compact sedan challenges the European stronghold on the luxury segment. Weighing in at less than 3,400 pounds, the ATS structure uses high-strength steels (HSS) and ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) for crash protection, with a broad use of aluminum in the powertrain and suspension systems, as well as an aluminum hood and magnesium engine mount brackets. The ATS claims an almost 50/50 weight balance with the weight of the engine and transmission complemented by a mostly steel rear

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Auto Shows, 2012: Sexy women Detroit to Tokyo and new cars, too

Auto shows give the media time to preview manufacturers' new models and they give the public several days to ponders at least two things. They can further study the new car they're about to purchase or have a wont to buy. Or, they can dream about and stare at cars they'll never own. Cars shows in the United Sates as well throughout North America, Europe and Asia are also are also well-known for the tradition of having sexy models, present the cars and represent the brands as ambassadors. There are regional car shows and national events. Carmakers take diverse approaches, some subtle, others with elaborate displays. Automakers also try to outdo each other the debuting car descriptions and there are

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Porsche Reunion 2011 at Laguna Seca gets Speed TV slots

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV, held Oct. 14-16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and presented for the first time on the West Coast, will be broadcast on Speed TV five times beginning at noon (PST) Nov. 13. More than 350 of the rarest Porsches competed in the famed track on the Monterey Peninsula with more than 1,300-plus Porsches staged in the traditional car corral area. Here's the schedule (all times are PST): Sunday, Nov. 13, noon; Monday, Nov. 14, midnight; Saturday, Nov. 19, 1 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 30, 11 p.m; Thursday, Dec., 1 a.m. Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV was the final event of the race season for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which also included Ferrari Racing Days; Continental Tire Sports

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Best of the Women of the Frankfurt Auto Show, 2011

The Frankfurt Auto Show, one of the oldest and largest in the car industry, concluded Sunday with another varied display of vehicles — entry level to luxury, concept to electric. Production cars in the biennial show that began in 1897 ranged from the Abarth 695 to the Volkswagen Up! and concept offerings ranged from the Alfa Romeo 4C to the Volvo You. Like many auto shows in recent years, luxury cars and electric cars garnered a good share of attention, But ike any decent auto show, the beauty of the showcased vehicles was only outdone by the beauty of the women who showcased the cars. Here are the Best of the Women of the Frankfurt Auto Show, 2011. James RaiaA

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New Porsche 911 set to debut at 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

The new Porsche 911 is set to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The Porsche 911 is an enigmatic vehicle which has a presence of its own, not to mention the breath taking power it holds in the rear engine. It’s the latest offering by the German auto manufacturer, well known for the fleet of Carrerras and Cabriolets. The new 911 will likely stand out among its automotive siblings. Above image is a “leaked” image of the automobile, although its specifications won’t be released until the Frankfurt Motor Show. Porsche has kept the designed as promised, without major changes. But the new 911 have slimmer tail lights, downward mirrors and an electric parking brake. James RaiaA sports,

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Monterey Auto Week: Concours on the Avenue back in style

The Concours on the Avenue was an ideal way to begin Monterey Auto Week. The nearly 200 showcased cars and trucks ranged from new and vintage Ferrari models to collectors’ Mercedes-Benz sedans and Porsche cabriolets. The free one-day show in Carmel, which returned Aug. 16 after a one-year hiatus, offered arguably the most varied selection of cars scheduled in the weeklong automotive celebration. There were myriad muscle cars, iconic Packard and Rolls Royce models and restored Volkswagen bugs to attainable Volvo coupes all presented on Ocean Ave., the quaint city’s main “thoroughfare,” as well as several side streets. Officially, the Concours on the Avenue, was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. But two hours earlier, many vehicles were already

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Napa Main Street Reunion will feature 400 vintage cars

The 10th annual Main Street Reunion, which will feature more than 400 pre-1976 cars and newly added collection of motorcycles, will be held Aug. 20 in downtown Napa. The free event is open to the public and will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The show features car owners from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Napa Valley Cruisers, an antique car club. Cars (and motorcycles) line the streets of downtown for display and judging. Registered vehicles are judged in one of 30 categories, with the Best of Show and The Publishers Award the most coveted awards. The two winning cars will be photographed and printed on t-shirts for the next year’s event. Downtown Napa businesses will be

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New York Auto Show: Beautiful women model new models

Automakers may not be willing to admit it, but who presents their new models at auto shows around the world may be as important as the cars presented. That means pretty women. Car show models at auto shows are a longstanding tradition, with its history chronicled in a 2008 book called “Sirens of Chrome” written by Margery Krevsky. Even National Public Radio produced a recent story about Auto Show Models called “Want To Chat Up An Auto Show Model? Talk Cars.” The recent New York City International Auto Show, of course, continued the car show model legacy. And certainly while visiting the New York Auto Show or any major auto show is an eye-opening experience for car fanciers, none of

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Rodeo Drive Concours honors Italy and its legendary cars

The Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance will celebrate “The Art of Italian Motoring” on June 19, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. The annual event will take place as the country of Italy marks the 150th anniversary of its unification. In celebration, Rodeo Drive will pay tribute to some of the most famous names in Italian design and lifestyle. “The annual Father’s Day event will highlight a WORLD CLASS combination of automobiles, motorcycles and designers featuring Italian makes and models,” said Bruce Meyer, event chairman. “We hope to curate the best selection of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia and Maseratis from Southern California and the Western United States for this year’s tribute to Italy.” Legendary Italian motorcycles are also invited to

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Women of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show

The idea of models representing manufacturers at car show dates more than 80 years. Eight women wearing what were then considered skimpy bathing advertised the 1927 Packard 343 Series. They were called the Damsels of the Dance. Forty years later, the once provocative idea had become commonplace in the auto industry. And in the book Chrome Sirens – The Enduring Allure of Auto Show Models, published in 2008, details the history of car show models is documented. Fast-forward to 2011 and the idea of car models is going strong at the Geneva Motor Show. A photo gallery of some of the models follows. For more information, visit: Geneva Motor Show James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than

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