Author: admin

The Spymaster caught the recent Beijing (China) auto show and spied Volkswagen’s “New Mid-size Coupe Concept” on display. The “Coupe” is, in reality, a four-door sedan that’s about the size of the current Jetta, only wider like the Passat. VW officials swore that the car would be destined for Asian markets only, but on the other hand the Coupe is the kind of flashy model that the automaker should sell in North America. The Sleuth’s best guess is that the Coupe will become the next-generation CC., which also happens to be called a coupe. The front-end styling cues will most…

Jaguar’s cool roadster has already spawned a coupe version that’s arriving soon. However The Spy Guy has discovered that the F-type lineup will expand even further. At one end, buyers will be able to select a more budget-priced model that will be fitted with a thrifty 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant from Jaguar’s new “Ingenium” family. That engine will also see service on the upcoming 2015 XE small sedan and Land Rover Discovery sport ute (both Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by the Tata Group of India). At the opposite end there are plans for both F-Type R-S and R-S GT…

For the first time since its 2003 inception, this popular tall wagon is getting a through redesign. From the front, the Murano’s grille now resembles the noses of other Nissan vehicles, specifically the Pathfinder the Rogue. However there’s very little change in the powertrain department as the 3.5-liter V6 and continuously variable transmission return, as does the availability of all-wheel-drive.

Colour is a subjective thing. Usually. You could argue all day long that a car should not be painted this shade of green, let alone a Porsche Cayenne. But green seatbelts, too?

“What do you think of these,” Garry says, presenting the bright green ribbon as if it were a mounted trophy fish.

Garry pulls up in what is possibly the most unanonymous anonymous vehicle ever built. A white van with no windows.

We all joke about big, white windowless vans cruising suburban neighborhoods. Get the licence number and call the cops, ASAP. Guess the joke’s on me this time.

– A study from auto data and industry trend tracker, Experian Automotive, suggests that electric-car shoppers are younger and wealthier than hybrid shoppers. Experian reached that conclusion after analyzing data from electric and hybrid car purchases during 2013. – While biodiesel fuel made from plant or animal oils has been around for a while, gasoline from such sources hasn’t. But that might be about to change. A team at the University of California has filed a patent on a new inexpensive technology that offers waste-to-gas yields of more than 60 percent. – The awards keep piling up for Ford’s three-cylinder,…

It’s not unheard of for one automaker to criticize another, but it’s far less common when two companies are technology partners, as in the case with Mercedes-Benz and electric vehicle startup, Tesla. Mercedes’ United States boss, Steve Cannon, recently called out Tesla, telling Forbes magazine that while the maker of the Model S is “great,” other luxury automakers (including, presumably, Mercedes) are bringing plug-in vehicles to market that could be more attractive in the long run. While Tesla is building its own recharging network across the United States, other companies have more extensive dealer networks, multiple peripheral powertrain options and…

HISTORY Toyota’s small sedan has been its anchor model since 1966 and has become the world’s most successful passenger-car brand. With each revision – about every five years or so – Corolla grows in size and power. The tenth-generation Corolla, launched for the 2009 model year, was powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that delivered 132 horsepower. Meanwhile the XLE and sporty XRS, which were available for 2009 and 2010 model-years only, came with a 158-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Either engine was matched with a five-speed manual transmission, or four- or five-speed automatic. The Corolla received a mild makeover for 2011, two…

By RHONDA WHEELER www.wheelbasemedia.com I keep seeing these crazy “Garage Mahals” on TV and on Pinterest and Facebook and wonder what some of these people do for a living to be able to afford such palatial showrooms. For many people, just having a one- or two-car garage is luxury enough, but it will still never be an “anything Mahal” as long as it’s being used to store stuff like seasonal gear and lumber. That certainly doesn’t mean it can’t be a comfortable place to get work done or even hang out and watch a movie with a couple of friends.…

“I think we should just sell all our other cars and each get one of these.”
Garry likes “Big Red,” which is the name I’ve given to the spit-shined Camaro ZL1.