Author: Tabitha
The Sleuth was blown away after ogling the Toyota FT-4X concept at the recent New York International Auto Show (April 14-23). The boxy show car displays elements of past iconic FJ models, but is smaller and more fashionable with the latest in connectivity. The FT-4X’s most noticeable design element is an oversized circular rear handle that rotates in one direction to open the hinged rear doors, or in the opposite direction to open a one-piece liftgate. The load floor also slides outward for easy loading/unloading or for use as a seat. There are also plenty of latches and hooks inside…
One-upping the mighty 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat probably seemed impossible, but there is another Challenger. Literally. The new Demon uses a similar supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, but with 840 horsepower and 770 pound-feet of torque (on 100-octane racing fuel). The internal components have been strengthened to accommodate the extra grunt, while a larger supercharger produces additional boost. A ‘Power Chiller’ also directs cool air from the air conditioning system to help reduce the power-robbing heat soak that occurs between runs down the track. The Demon loses, among other things, the front passenger seat and rear bench, for a 200-pound weight reduction…
Nissan ships eight Micras to The Big Apple from Canada to demonstrate how gridlock can be tamed. By MALCOLM GUNN WWW.WHEELBASEMEDIA.COM ‘You can’t buy it here,’ was the often-repeated response to inquisitive New Yorkers who saw the little Nissan Micra on the congested streets of Manhattan. As if to tease the residents of NYC’s largest borough, Nissan Canada brought in eight Micras for a group of visiting auto journalists to drive, ahead of the 2017 New York International Auto Show in April. It was really a two-way-street scenario. The writers experienced Manhattan’s criss-crossing crowded streets while avoiding contact with…
Fumbling in the dark while loading/removing the contents of your pickup’s bed is thing of the past with an Automatic Cargo Light from 4zproducts. The company produces a variety of lighting systems for a variety of truck needs and box sizes. All automatically switch on when the tailgate is lowered. The starter package uses a single incandescent light, but for extra-bright illumination you can purchase single or dual LED four-foot-long strips that attach without tools. Also included is a built-in override switch if you want the lights to remain off. Prices start at $55 and run up to $125 for…
In 1956, Aston Martin of England produced a handful of DBR roadsters to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) and other world-class endurance-racing events. With Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby and other legendary drivers behind the wheel, the DBR claimed victories throughout Europe and America between 1956 and ’59. The winning Le Mans entry is worth millions of dollars, but now anyone with $13,000 can purchase a replica kit from Exomotive of Roswell, Ga. The basic package includes a fiberglass body attached to a space frame (tubular) chassis that’s designed to accept the running gear from a 1990-2005…
The Spymaster has had a good look at what was to be the next Scion model, but with the brand’s 2016 demise in, the new CH-R wagon has been moved to the Toyota lineup. As such, it’s not exactly a submodel to the RAV4, which is really what Toyota needs. The C-HR’s looks are an odd assortment of creases and squiggles that one auto reviewer described as ‘astonishing’. Nevertheless, the little wagon should draw in a younger audience, or those who find the Nissan Juke, Kia Soul and Jeep Renegade too conservative for their liking. Since both of those choices…
Nearly all vehicles sold by the Japan-based automaker have enjoyed rousing success over the past decade, but the seven-passenger Tribeca wagon that disappeared after the 2014 model year wasn’t one of them. However, according to The Sleuth’s sources, Subaru will give it another go with the 2018 all-wheel-drive Ascent (its current working title) that’s expected here as early as this fall. Clues as to the Ascent’s looks were revealed last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show in the shape of the Subaru VIZIV-7 SUV Concept. That vehicle’s bold look will be visible on the Ascent, but modified (toned down)…
Ford’s next-generation Fiesta ST subcompact will lose a piston, but it will have all the power of its outgoing four-cylinder counterpart, and should be quicker in a straight-line sprint. The turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine makes the same horsepower (197) as the outgoing turbocharged four-cylinder. But with less vehicle weight and advanced technologies, Ford says the new ST will reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.7 seconds, which is about a half second sooner than the outgoing model. It will also be the first production three-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivation, shutting down one cylinder under light load conditions to aid fuel…
The recently launched the front-wheel-drive Toyota C-HR subcompact utility vehicle will almost certainly get a Lexus counterpart, and quite possibly a hybrid version that the C-HR won’t get, says alternate-vehicles Webmagazine Green Car Reports. Using the C-HR’s platform, it likely will borrow its design and name from the Lexus UX concept that Toyota debuted at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. The Toyota C-HR sports one gasoline-powertrain option in the United States, while Europe and Japan will also get a hybrid version. The hybrid Lexus version likely will also offer all-wheel drive in addition to hybrid technology, as do the Lexus…
These days many parents and grandparents are seeking toys for their toddlers that are safe and sensitive to environmental concerns. California-based Green Toys Inc. claims to be focused on this concept. The company’s fire truck is one of a number of available vehicles made from recycled, color-injected (paint-free) plastic milk containers. The company says that the toys take less energy to produce this way while emitting less greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide). Even the packaging is 100-percent post-consumer material. Prices start at $28 for larger-size trucks and buses and $15 for their smaller counterparts. See them all at www.greentoys.com.