and sometimes I write about them here
It’s fast, it’s wider than all the other 911′s and it has dynamic aero bits and pieces to help it from taking off. Oh, and 0-60 in 2.9 seconds in case you were wondering. And of course, no manual option on this one either (which was hardly surprising given the GT3 release earlier in the year).
This post was almost titled “What happens when you make really cute really ugly” but I backed off. This is arriving on this side of the Atlanta in June apparently, and AutoBlog has a first drive review here if you’re interested. I think I’ll pass on this one….
Some things should only ever be done for charity. This is one of them.
Today Mini announced that they had sold over half a million cars in the US since their launch in 2002. That’s pretty good for what was supposedly a nation that rejected small cars. Now if only they didn’t start bringing out all of those stupid variations on the original theme to dilute the brand…..
Subaru finally showed a bit of life for the WRX and wheeled out this fantastic looking concept at this weeks New York Motor Show. No word on whether or not it will be built yet, but I’m definitely hoping a production version is on the cards. More photos below.
After the early release courtesy of the (now world famous) window tinter, the official launch happened last night with lots of juicy details, plenty of pics and a live drive by James Bond (maybe the Aston’s just aren’t cutting it for him now).
So, what do we now know? As predicted, a whole bunch of weight has been shaved off (over 4oo kg which I think is a tonne in real money), which in turn should improve the handling and fuel efficiency of the car (we get about 15 mpg or so from our current model – it’s not what I’d consider frugal). It’s actually now based on the bigger Range Rover, rather than the previous version which was technically built on top of the underpinnings of the LR3.
Big on the parent front is the (optional) extra couple of seats in the back – mainly for the kids from the looks of it, but can make the difference between having the grandparents with you, or leaving them on the side of the road 
The base 5.0 liter V8 engine has gone, replaced by the (very highly praised in other cars) 3.0 Supercharged V6, but the supercharged V8 remains, still pushing out 510 bhp. Stop/start tech is now included, as is the 8-speed automatic from it’s big brother.
So, improved significantly in a number of important ways (or should that be weighs), pretty much the same price as before (think there is planned a $1,000 or so increase) and it’s available towards the end of the year. Tempting, very very tempting….
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of hanging out around the ski resorts in Colorado, you might have had the pleasure (or terror) of driving Loveland Pass. There’s actually two ski “resorts” on either side, A-Basin and Loveland, both popular with locals for the decent skiing, a season that typically starts early and finishes late, and the fact that they’re a decent bit cheaper than the Brecke’s and Vail’s of this world.
Anyway, I digress. The road can be a little sketchy in winter – plenty of snow most of the time, a lot of trucks, and people who don’t know what they’re doing. I’ve actually been skiing at Loveland when I saw a Jeep come over the edge and tumble down three of four rolls before gently coming to a stop about 30 feet above the snowboarders getting off the lift. Kinda scary. But when you’ve got Pike Peak champion Rhys Millen at the wheel, I guess it’s not too much of a problem, even when you’ve got two driven wheels and lots and lots of horsepower and torque to contend with. Actually looks like a lot of fun.
As another aside, I highly recommend (if you can board and don’t mind doing a little back country) snowboarding down Loveland Pass under a full moon on a clear night. Did it once the year after I moved here, and it was nothing but spectacular and amazing.
Those nice folks at Mercedes released a few details about the upcoming S-Class along with a few tasty pics of the interior for us to feast our eyes on. The S Class has become something of an icon in terms of predicting future technology in cars – those who now enjoy the radar speed sensing cruise control in most luxury vehicles owe a small piece of gratitude to the S Class as the pioneer of this technology for example. So people often get excited for the latest gadgets and gizmos that this new model invariably includes.
And this release doesn’t really disappoint, with the replacement of their regular analog gauges with a fully integration screen that seems to stretch right along the dash (kind of reminds me of the old Rover SD1 dash a little, give or take 30 years). There’s a bunch of things this model will do, with specific attention being paid to the back seat driver passenger given all those nice people these days that prefer to be driven rather than drive. Fully independent entertainment options for each of the 4 seats will no doubt please the 3 families that buy this model (or I might in 10 years when the price comes down to something reasonable that I can afford), but the big talking point is the “active perfuming system” (I kid you not). You get the new car smell for the life of the vehicle, and can turn it up or down, on or off, with the twiddling of a switch (although more likely pressing some of those buttons on one of the fancy screens).
Not quite sure when it comes out over here in the States, but given it’s being pushed as a model year 2014, I’d put money on August or September if I was a betting man.
Men after my own heart – read their take on the new 911 GT3 here
Also known as “how a real engine should sound”. Turn up the volume for this one
