Author: Tabitha
Yes, it’s true but weÕ’e going to have to wait a while longer for the next Supra to make its debut, The Sleuth surmises. The car, which is expected to look similar to the FT-1 concept model that dates back to 2014, will share platforms (but not powertrains) with the upcoming BMW Z5 roadster that’s due out in 2018. The Supra (still the most likely name) coupe will also roll off the assembly line at about the same time. Both cars will be built in Austria by Canada-based Magna Steyr. That company currently assembles the Mini Countryman and the Mercedes-Benz…
Rumors have been circulating for some time that Chevrolet would be switching the Corvette over to a mid-engine platform from the current front-engine layout. A mid-engine car puts the engine behind the cabin, but ahead of the rear wheels. Your Obedient Sneaky One now confirms the scuttlebutt is true and that the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., will serve as the launching pad for the most radically different ‘Vette ever. Initially, the current 6.2-liter V-8 will be used, but other variations will probably follow suit. Another major change will be a base price reaching the $80,000…
The makers of The Club are known for their theft-deterring steering-wheel-locking bars. However the company also produced an external locking device that prevents thieves from stealing your car, trailer, or all-terrain vehicle. The Tire Claw XL uses the same principle as those larger ‘boots’ that bylaw enforcement agencies use to immobilize vehicles, only on a somewhat smaller scale. The manufacturer claims the device is easy to install and fits any wheel width up to 12 inches. It also comes with three laser-encrypted keys that cannot be copied. The product retails for $100 plus $27 for the optional lug-nut protector. Order…
If you want to get the kids away from their video games for some good fun, check out the toy lineup from Automoblox. The company specializes in assemble-them-yourself wooden cars and trucks. Each one is made from European beech wood along with plastic parts and rubber tires. The neat thing about Automoblox is that all of the pieces are interchangeable with any other Automoblox vehicle, allowing for plenty of design creativity. Kids can also register their cars with the company (each has its own ID number) to receive all sorts of free stuff, such as posters and decals. Automoblox toys…
The Spymaster is giddy with anticipation over the fall launch of a third addition to the Civic line. The forthcoming hatchback joins the sedan and coupe models and will be a first for the brand in many years. It will go toe-to-toe with compact hatches from Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Subaru and many others. Even Chevrolet is getting into the game for 2017 with a hatchback version of the Cruze sedan. The Civic hatch will come with a turbocharged 174-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which is the optional powerplant for other Civics. By the new year, the hatch will be joined by…
If you’re a fan of Chrysler’s big 300 sedan, you might consider purchasing the current model before the string runs out after the 2017 model year. According to The Sleuth’s sources, Fiat Chrysler head honcho Sergio Marchionne is hinting that the next-generation 300 that’s due for 2018 will use the same front-wheel-drive platform that underpins the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan. Granted, the 300’s rear-wheel-drive architecture hasn’t changed much since the car’s 2005-model-year introduction and is certainly due for replacement, not to mention that Chrysler has been slowly weening drivers off the Hemi V-8 (especially when it comes to all-wheel-drive). Does…
Reports from Japan suggest Toyota might build a smaller, cheaper version of its Mirai hydrogen-fuel-cell car as soon as 2019, to be showcased at the 2020 summer Olympic games in Tokyo. Japan newspaper Asahi Shimbun reports the new Mirai would be priced about 20 percent below the existing four-seat Mirai sedan, a strategy that Toyota used to promote the smaller Prius C hybrid as an option to the larger Prius liftback model. Toyota thinks it could sell 30,000 or more hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles a year by 2020, provided fueling infrastructure expands accordingly. Initial Mirai sales in Japan, Europe and North…
Self-driving electrified cars are about five years away from legal road use, not 20 years as others have suggested, says the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Sergio Marchionne. The company is working with Google to develop a self-driving hybrid version of the new Pacifica minivan. Marchionne made the bold prediction to reporters in an interview at the automaker’s assembly plant in Windsor, Canada, adding that the pace of development for autonomous cars has accelerated to where such vehicles are not far from being showroom-ready. ‘It isn’t pie in the sky,’ he said. ‘People are talking about 20 years; I…
Clothing made from recycled materials sounds like an environmentally and financially responsible alternative to buying new. California-based Platinum Dirt is taking the concept in a whole new direction by creating clothing and accessories sourced from the leather seat covers of decommissioned automobiles. For example, the company’s line of VIN Jackets (so called because the Vehicle Identification plate from the donated car is attached to the product) is made from the stuff. As you can imagine, no two items are exactly alike, but all are painstakingly tailored and many come with stitched-in brocade (silk) linings. Prices range from $37 for a…
Back in the early days of open-air travel by motorcar, a blanket was a necessity for staying warm. That tradition continued through most of the 20th century and is still a good idea today. Pendleton is of the more iconic blanket makers in existence (the company opened its first woolen mill in Oregon back in 1889) and one of its more popular items remains the Motor Robe. The 100-percent virgin-wool product is available in one of eight unique patterns and can be ordered with a leather carrying strap (another Pendleton classic). The blanket measures 52- by 66 inches, not including…