by Frank S. Washington LAS VEGAS – Lexus always seems to be rolling along unaffected by the ups and downs of the auto industry. But times are different and the launch of the Lexus 2013 GS 350 midsize luxury sedan is an awfully serious matter. Lexus climbed atop the U.S. luxury market in terms of…
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by Frank S. Washington DETROIT – Three thoughts came to mind when I was walking around the cavernous COBO exhibition hall that houses the North American International Auto Show that this city has hosted for more than a century. The first was more horsepower but better fuel efficiency. The second was alternative powertrains. And the…
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by Frank S. Washington DETROIT – When you’re dealing with near automotive perfection, improvement comes in inches, ounces and tenths of a second. So it is with the venerable Porsche 911. Porsche Carrera GTS silhouette is instantly recognizable. Although the 911 first appeared in 1964 as a 1965 model, don’t let the “venerable” fool you.…
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by Frank S. Washington DETROIT – Audi’s 2012 A6 sedan was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Its single frame grille and LED headlights as well as LED running lights presented a distinctive frontal view. But though it had clean and contemporary lines, from the side the A6 looked fairly conservative. However from the driver’s…
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by Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman – MyCarData – Hyundai broke into the U.S. car market with a roar in 1986 when it sold more than 100,000 sub-compact Excels at a bargain-basement price. Although the South Korean automaker — which starting building cars in the late ’60s — had gained an instant foothold, its North…
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by Casey Williams – MyCarData.com – When the Chevy Volt-based Cadillac Converj concept hit the show circuit a couple of years ago, it knocked attendees on their butts. It was futuristic, ran on the world’s most advanced powertrain, and was instantly recognizable as a Cadillac. Then, GM’s little financial crisis hit, and the coupe was…
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by Frank S. Washington – ROMEO, Mich., – I spent the better part of a day here at Ford’s Michigan Proving Ground sampling some of the automaker’s offerings for 2012. The news from Ford is that it’s going to continue to push its fuel saving EcoBoost technology that has boosted sales and helped it to…
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by Frank S. Washington NOVI, MI – When the Honda CR-V went on sale in 1997, competition was scarce. The small utility vehicle was one of only two on the market. Now as the market for crossover utility vehicles grows, Honda told us that 21 CUVs will be on sale by 2015. 2012 Honda CR-V…
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by Mary Chapman Toyota has re-upped its membership in the micro-subcompact club with its offering of the all-new 2012 Scion iQ, hopeful competition to the – duh! – Smart car, among other bird-like sippers. The 10-foot-long little guy stands a good chance, since it excels at the segment’s top two requirements, in my view: saving…
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by Frank S. Washington LAS VEGAS – Lexus always seems to be rolling along unaffected by the ups and downs of the auto industry. But times are different and the launch of the Lexus 2013 GS 350 midsize luxury sedan is an awfully serious matter. Lexus climbed atop the U.S. luxury market in terms of…
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by Mary Chapman It happened and it was significant, so let’s broach it right now: following the Ford-Firestone tire kerkuffle, sales of the Ford Explorer went from dependably robust to essentially flat. The once-radiant brand had lost its shine. But as they say, that was then. With introduction of the all-new 2011 iteration, Explorer’s back…
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