I suppose it was inevitable really. I mean if you think about it, all the major German automobile manufacturers have some type of sporty moniker to designate their go-fast models. BMW has their coveted M cars, Mercedes has AMG and Audi, the RS line. Now it seems that Volkswagen wants to jump into the fray by adding an R to the VW line. The R line of cars and SUVs will be more performance oriented and will likely offer up more power, enhanced trim options as well as suspension upgrades.
Hey ladies! Do you like cars? Turn your own wrenches? Care more about camber adjustability than the number of cup holders? Do you enjoy writing and have visions of becoming an automotive journalist or are you simply sick and tired of reading about the auto industry from a man’s perspective.
If you answered, “yes” to any of the above then here’s your chance to be heard. Ridelust.com is currently seeking female contributors to come on board and share their deepest automotive thoughts. We’re looking for a serious sense of humor, a fair amount of wit and those who are not afraid to share their unbridled opinions about the automotive world around them.
Ok, so you’ve got this car in your garage that you’ve done a butt-load of bodywork to. It’s straight as an arrow with a quick primer coat on it. The interior and gauges are installed and mechanically your baby is ready to roll. There is however one small problem. You’ve put so much money into the car already to get it to this point that you don’t have the capital for the paint job. Now it’s springtime and the car you thought would be ready will now just be taking up space in the garage unless you find an alternative.
Things are tough all over these days, including things at Lamborghini. Hit hard by the global recession, the companies sales plummeted nearly 38% in 2009, resulting in a pretax loss of $47.6 million. Unit sales fell from 2,430 in 2008 to 1,515 in 2009.
Ironically, most of Lamborghini’s customers work in banking and finance. Declining profits (and public outcry) reduced many of the sizable bonuses often paid to senior banking executives, forcing Lamborghini order cancellations worldwide. Not to mention the fact that it’s in poor taste to drive a Lambo when your brother / sister / best friend is being foreclosed upon. Especially when its your bank doing the foreclosure.
Far be it from me to call bullshit on tragedy but the last few days have caused my skepticism meter to go into the red. Yesterday we heard about a gentleman by the name of Jim Sikes who claimed that his Toyota Prius took him on a 90 mph joy ride that almost ended up launching him over a cliff. Sikes said that when he attempted to pass a car on while traveling on Interstate 8 in San Diego, the accelerator pedal did something funny… meaning it was stuck to the floor.
What’s got 556 horsepower, goes 0-60 in around 4.2 seconds and has room for 4 adults and their luggage? Well the upcoming Cadillac CTS-V Wagon of course. I LOOOOOOVE this thing. I mean I really love it. Wagons are some of the most versatile road going machines out there. They’re big, comfortable and can carry all the junk that you and your family need for a weekend getaway to the Pocono’s. Combine that with the fact that you’ll be able to crush 99.9% of all other road going vehicles out there and you got yourself one hell of a grocery getter.
You didn’t know that Malaysia produced automobiles did you? Well, they do and to be quite honest, I think they’re pretty damn horrific. Bufori is the company I speak of, and momma mia’ if they don’t produced some ugly-ass automobiles. Their tag line reads: “Statement of Pride”, but what I’m seeing doesn’t relay that message.
God bless the Ford Motor Company. We’ve dealt with a lot of automotive garbage over the last year at the hands of U.S. auto manufactures. They’ve laid off thousands of workers, closed assembly plants and taken government bailout money.
Unveiled at the Geneva International Auto Show the Bentley Continental Flying Star is one hell of a head turner. The custom fabricated uber-wagon was build by Italian Car maker Touring Superleggera at the request of one very persuasive customer and the end result is simply stunning. I love this thing… it’s big, muscular and in your face with the power to back up the attitude. Don’t believe me? How does 560 hp / 479 lbs. tq. grab ya’.
In the wake of their public flogging, Toyota is desperately trying everything it can to get people back into the showrooms. Beginning this month Toyota will be offering zero-percent financing for 60 months to all U.S. consumers on certain 2010 models. To entice those who already own a Toyota product the Japanese automaker is also offering their new “Toyota Auto Care Premium Package” that includes multiple maintenance services including free oil changes for two years – this will be available on new car purchases. Combine that with incentives that range from $500-$3000 on certain models and that makes for one pretty good sales event.
