RideLust

We won’t even pretend to think that Lotus won’t tweak, snip or otherwise improve upon the 2010 Exige Cup 260. Each time we conclude they have taken the current model of their street-legal race car to the highest levels of performance, (and minimalism), they come back with another slightly improved version that tops the last. But nevertheless, even knowing that an even better Exige will surely be forthcoming, at least right now, the 2010 Exige Cup 260 is the best Lotus ever. Read More…

At Least SRTs Are Now Covered

If you would have been swayed to purchase a new Chrysler product because of its promise of a “Lifetime Powertrain” Warranty, you are now out of luck. After consulting with their dealership network, Chrysler announced this week that it is dropping this incentive in favor of an alternate, and shorter powertrain guarantee. Read More…

You May Want To Ease Off The Throttle There Mario

Is it something we said? Like a cold sore, apparently our complimentary views are the kiss of death when it comes to the recall explosion that has spread throughout the industry and bitten Toyota twice in recent memory. Just days after largely patting Toyota on the back for their updated Matrix hatchback, the Japanese automaker is reporting that approximately 95,500 vehicles sold in America have a potentially serious brake issue. Read More…

We can think of at least a half dozen other BMW models that we would have preferred Hyundai draw inspiration from, and none of them would have fallen into the “crossover” category. Still, when you consider that the ix35 (even the name is BMW-esque) is replacing the undeniably ugly Tucson, the production version of the newest Hyundai could change quite a bit and still be a success on that front. Read More…

It has been a few years now since the Ford GT arrived, lived its short life in production and then passed through the gates into supercar Valhalla. But as awesome as the GT was, it may not have even been the best performance model Ford had in its arsenal. The car that helped reinvigorated the automaker’s performance future, and paralleled the GT’s production, was actually one that was never built: the Ford Shelby GR-1. Read More…

Although the variety of alternative fuels, hybrids and electric vehicles being pursued may project a serious commitment by the automakers to explore a new path, the long term viability of all of these different solutions and approaches is probably not sustainable indefinitely. Just as the internal combustion gasoline engine emerged out of a number of early contenders to dominate the automobiles life up to this point, one or two of these technologies will most likely be successful enough that ultimately it is adopted more than any of the others.

This, in part, explains why Mazda has remained on the periphery of the hybrid/electric discussion. Mazda’s approach has instead turned towards replacing gasoline with hydrogen. Read More…

Danica Patrick: The Epitome Of Professionalism

The new American F1 team launching in 2010, US F1, has essentially taken themselves out of the courting to win the racing services of Danica Patrick for next season. US F1 leader Peter Windsor is not convinced that the 27-year old mega-endorser would be a good fit for the smaller F1 racing market, which clearly does not have the exposure of NASCAR. Although lots of people would love to see her trading paint and shmoozing the Budweiser crowd, at least one prominent racing owner believes Patrick’s racing career would be best served by staying put in IndyCar. Read More…

Most Of That Will Buff Right Out

The H1N1-like defect bug that has recently been making the rounds with BMW, Toyota, Honda and Subaru may have unfortunately now infected the Jeep Wrangler. But if you drive a Wrangler, don’t be alarmed just yet, this is still in the investigation stage. That is unless you find yourself ankle deep in hot transmission fluid; then be very alarmed. Read More…

Even though Hennessey encourages comparisons of their VENOM GT to the Shelby Cobra, in reality, the concept car is the combination of two other automotive icons: the Lotus Exige and Chevrolet Corvette. As you could probably guess, one provides the chassis and the other the powerplant. Compared to any car, the expected performance figures are pretty staggering. Read More…

There are conflicting reports over whether Toyota is really preparing a hybrid version of their subcompact Yaris for sale. Is there really a point in making a hybrid Yaris when the standard version already sips gas and the Prius leads all contenders? As a matter of fact there is.
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