Archives for July 2012

NASCAR – Hamlin Scores The Pole For Indy – Edwards Finds His Stride – Allmendinger Accepts His Fate

July 29, 2012 by Jay Tomchuk 2 Comments

Denny Hamlin Set The Pace for the Brickyard.

Toyota is always looking to do something they have not done yet, and Denny Hamlin gave them something just like that this weekend. Taking his first ever pole at the Brickyard, also a first for Toyota, Hamlin set a pace to take his 11th career pole at 49.244 seconds (182.763 mph) that no one even came close to. Toyota has still not won a race at the Brickyard so Denny still has some work to do to complete the wish list for NASCAR’s newest manufacturer.

“I think, if you put me out front on the last run, no one’s going to get around me,” Hamlin said. “So it’s all going to be about maintaining track position and maintaining the balance of your race car. I’ve been good here before and not been able to pass.

“There’s always been about two cars, in every single race here, that’s been capable of passing. Everyone else just kind of runs where they’re at. All you can do is hope that you’ve got a fast enough car to be one of those two, where, if you do get set back, you can be one of the cars that can get back to the front.

“One thing about it is having the No. 1 pit stall now. That’s going to be an advantage on pit road. I think it’s hard to point to the outfield right now, but we’ve got the bat halfway raised.”

Carl Edwards looked competitive for the first time in a long time out on the track. Taking the second position along side Hamlin for the start of the race, Edwards is in a position to get a much needed win if he hopes to keep his chase hopes alive. With changes happening this season with his team and undisclosed health issues for his crew chief Bob Osbourne, Edwards team has been struggling since the start of the season. Uncertainty seems to remain in the Roush stables about what will happen with the make up of this team, but they remain strong willed and are taking things as they come, and standing strong together.

“Everybody knows that what we’re trying to do right now is make the team better, and to fix any issues we might have,” Edwards said. “… If we don’t do any better here, and Bob’s up to it, we’ll probably put Bob right back in as soon as he’s able. But if this goes well — if Bob’s doing well in his new role and that’s the best thing for him, and Chad’s doing great — we’ll move forward doing this. Nothing is in stone right now. It could be a whole different scenario next week. Everybody knows that. We’re just doing all that we can right now to be as good as we can right now.”

A.J. Allmendinger has been dealing with his own personal scandal now like he faces everything on the track, with determination and confidence. After both of his test samples came back positive for an illegal substance under NASCAR’s drug and Alcohol policy, Allmendinger will enter a recovery program, while he works with an independent lab to determine how exactly he gave a positive result. Allmendinger still claims that he at no time knowingly took any drug that is on NASCAR’s list, he is determined to get back to racing whatever the cost. By entering the recovery program he is taking the correct track in getting back to racing.

Everyone appears to be in Allmendingers corner here as he enters the program and continues to try to clear his name.

“We’re very pleased that A.J. Allmendinger has chosen to participate in the NASCAR Road to Recovery program,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said. “It’s designed, as proven, to provide a road map leading to a return to competition, and we wish him the best of luck. As we have with other competitors, we look forward to the day when the program administrator recommends him for reinstatement.”

Review: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

July 25, 2012 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

Funny, it doesn’t seem that long ago when I started writing for The Garage, but longtime readers may recall a series I started known as ‘Forgotten Sporty Cars’. Odd thing is that was four years ago, and one of my featured cars was Hyundai’s first attempt at a sporty car, the long forgotten Scoupe. A modest but well-intentioned effort, the Scoupe was replaced by the far more credible Tiburon. With the Tiburon’s production ceasing in 2008, a gap was left in Hyundai’s otherwise aggressive product portfolio for an affordable, small sporty coupe. The gap was finally filled by the all-new Veloster.

Style-wise, the Veloster is speaking to a young audience, but not to the extent that a guy in his mid-40’s would look silly driving this car. The design is up to the minute without being faddish. I particularly admired the headlight design, sculpted hood scoops and our test car’s handsome and sporty 18″ alloys. Yes, color is a matter of personal choice, and our car’s Century White finish would rank last on my color choice, but it did nothing to take away from the Veloster’s good looks. The most interesting feature of the Veloster is that it is a three door hatchback. By that, I don’t mean it has two doors and a hatch, it really has three doors. The passenger side rear door can open on its own, a first in the car business. As a car journalist with a six year old son who samples a lot of coupes, this feature was a blessing. Not to mention the coolness factor that he had his own ‘secret door’.

The Veloster is an economy car, but the interior is built to a high standard and available with an astonishing amount of equipment. Even with my 6’1″ frame the Veloster offered plenty of room. The seats were comfortable and offered a decent amount on support. All controls were easy to read and use, and the infotainment was simple and intuitive. A pity the German luxury makers don’t spend some time seeing how easy it can be. For the Veloster’s swoopy styling, I was grateful our car was equipped with a rearview camera and parking sensors, a must-have given the obscured rear view. In sum, the Veloster’s interior is definitely contemporary and feature laden, is handsome in execution but felt a bit cold.

For 2012, the Veloster is available with one engine, a 1.6L four rated at 138hp. Transmission choices are either a six-speed manual, or a six-speed automated dual clutch tranny. Our test car was equipped with the latter, and I have to say it was pretty slick in operation, and I would argue it is far smoother in operation than the VW GTI’s. Most car writers start to get all whiny when talk comes to the Veloster’s engine. The good news for them is the Veloster Turbo is on its way. I, however, will not whine. On a gorgeous summer weekend, I whisked my wife and son to the lovely village of Katonah, New York. Carving up lush, curvy country roads from Connecticut to New York, the Veloster was a joy to drive. Steering felt sharp, and handling was comfortable, crisp, and not at all punishing. Even from the passenger seat, my wife commented the Veloster must be a fun drive.

For 2012, the Veloster is available in one single model, with optional packages. With the dual clutch automatic, our test car starts at $18,550USD. For that, standard equipment like paddles shifters, XM satellite radio and LED headlight accents as well as Blue Link (it’s Hyundai’s version of GM’s OnStar) is impressive. Our test car included the Style Package, which added 18″ wheels, a panoramic sunroof, 8 speaker premium audio, and alloy pedals, and the Tech Package, which includes back up warning sensors, navigation, rear view camera, proximity key and push button start. Our fully loaded Veloster rang in, as delivered, with an MSRP of $23,235. Not a bad price for a car with so many features and style.

Sure, the Veloster was built as an inexpensive, fuel efficient run about. But Hyundai did more than that. Sitting on the main street of upscale Katonah sipping a Stella Artois, our little Veloster looked perfectly at home as we watched the New York City dwellers hop the train back their urban jungle. Back at home, I was asked about the Veloster at the Whole Foods parking lot-lined with all the usual European and Japanese luxury brands. Yet the Veloster is what caught their eye. With the Veloster, Hyundai has built an excellent, affordable coupe, that, dare I say, carries the tradition of the Honda CR-X. As I said when I first started here at The Garage, it seemed like the affordable sporty car was forgotten. It’s back, and it’s the Hyundai Veloster.

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Gallery: Thursday in the paddock at Grand Prix of Mosport

July 20, 2012 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Race fans start showing up at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park today for the Grand Prix of Mosport, but for the teams, the action started yesterday. As the LMP 1 & 2 teams set up their paddock and pit spaces, the support series spent the day testing on track. Me, I spent part of the day wandering with the camera and the rest of it in the press room doing stuff for my gig at Wheels.

Check out a gallery from yesterday after the break.
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Review: 2012 Nissan Maxima

July 18, 2012 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

It may be hard to believe, but the Maxima has been carrying the mantel as Nissan’s premium sedan for 31 years. While that first generation Maxima bowed our after the 1984 model year, it’s interesting to note it was the first and only Maxima to have rear wheel drive. And the Maxima’s of the day were fine cars indeed, but when the third generation Maxima arrived in 1989, it carried a small sticker in the rear window, reading ‘4DSC’. Four door sports car. The car was a revelation at the time-European sport sedan performance but at a much more attainable level.

But it’s not 1989, and much has changed in the sport sedan world since then. So it was time to meet the current Maxima, which Nissan continues to bill as ‘The 4-Door Sports Car’. Is the Maxima still deserving of that title? Read on to find out.

The current Maxima has been around since 2009, but a mild refresh was done for the 2010 model year. I have never been a fan of the blunt-faced front end grill treatment, which is neither sporty, elegant or aggressive, just unattractive. Otherwise, the Maxima presents itself well with sporty, distinctive headlamp bezels, and the chromed dual exhaust hints at the performance under the hood. The Maxima is well executed with the exception of the grill, but unfortunately is sort of forgettable.

The interior of the Maxima is an extremely pleasing place to spend time, with a bright cabin highlighted by very high quality materials that were both pleasing to the touch and to the eyes. Despite a raft of high-end tech features, the Maxima’s controls were intuitive and easy to use. Exceptionally comfortable seats front and rear with plenty of room for all, I would have no reservations in recommending the Maxima for a comfortable highway cruiser.

The Maxima is offered with one drivetrain only, a 3.5L V-6 rated at 290hp, paired to a CVT (continuously variable transmission), and of course, since 1985, driven through the front wheels. And this is where I have trouble with the notion of the Maxima being called a four door sports car. Out of any automaker out there, I will credit Nissan for building what are arguably the best CVT’s available, but to an enthusiast, it literally sucks all the fun out. As recently as 2006, you could order a Maxima with a six-speed manual, but those days are long gone and do not look like they will ever return. The Maxima is quick and pulls hard, but keep your hands on the wheel, as there is some torque steer under hard acceleration. Otherwise, the car is well composed with a very comfortable ride.

The 2012 Maxima is available in either base S or SV trim. Our test car was the SV, which carried a base price of $34,450USD. For that, you get 18″ wheels, power seats, leather interior, Bose audio, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth, dual-zone auto climate control, push button start, power moonroof, and LED fog lights. Our test car included the Premium Package (dual-panel moonroof, rear power sunshade, xenon headlights, heated seats, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, rear bucket seats, USB port), rear spoiler, and Premium Technology Package (Navigation, XM Traffic/XM Weather). Including delivery, our Maxima rang in at $40,930. Yes, it was optioned out to the hilt with a host of premium features, but even so, when people asked me about the cost of the car, $40,000 seemed to turn off everyone I talked about paying that much for a Maxima.

There was a time when the lines between the Altima and Maxima were so blurred, I couldn’t make sense of why the Maxima was still around. Nissan has wisely moved the Maxima upmarket, but with the upcoming 2013 Altima, Nissan has also moved its best seller upmarket as well. You may think I have an axe to grind with the Maxima, but in reality, I don’t. It does everything it is asked to do, and very well. My only complaint is Nissan lost the right to call this a 4-Door Sports Car when they yanked a six-speed manual in favor of a CVT. As such, I think Nissan should face reality and recognize the Maxima’s competition with cars like the Buick LaCrosse and Lexus ES350. Nissan diehards, do not despair. Your company still builds a four door sports car. It’s called the Infiniti G37.

Review: 2012 Kia Soul

July 16, 2012 by Tom Williams 2 Comments

Kia’s advertising slogan is ‘The Power to Surprise”. So when people who know about my work in auto journalism saw me roll up in this quirky little box, they asked me what I thought of it, and I could see in their faces they were waiting for me to trash it. My answer? “I love it.” Hey, surprise!

Those who are more in the know about the Soul, this feeling comes as no surprise at all. The Garage’s Founding Editor, Gary Grant was first to get his hands on the 2010 Kia Soul, it’s first year of production. We even took the new Soul out on a soaking wet race track (click for the video). While it’s fun for us in The Garage to reminisce, Kia is having none of it. Fueled by its initial success, Kia has introduced a revised 2012 Soul that is anything but a mild mid-cycle refresh.

The Soul retains its signature look, but for 2012 the front and rear fascias and lighting have been updated for a current, cutting edge look. Our test car, finished in Shadow black offset by chunky 18″ alloys and ultra-cool LED exterior lights gave the Soul a serious, sophisticated look. Kia stylists are to be commended for straddling the fine line between interesting automotive design and design being outrageous for the sake of it. The Kia Soul is definitely the former. The 2012 update is a welcome update on what was already an exceptional, yet practical design. Call me crazy, but I predict in twenty years well-kept Kia Souls will start rolling on collector car auction blocks as entry-level classics.

Inside the Soul, I had to keep in mind this is a car with a base starting price of under $14,000USD. The truth is, the Soul is quite a pleasant place to be. It takes only a quick scan of the controls to know where everything is. The Soul is definitely a car you can simply climb in and go-there is no learning curve. Yes, the Soul is inexpensive, and has its share of hard plastics, but you never get the sense that the car was built to a price, and corners were cut. The Soul’s cabin is easy to live with, comfortable and practical. The contrasting black and tan interior livened things up a bit, but the houndstooth pattern on the seats was absolutely perfect in this car. MINI Cooper owners would likely blush in envy on how Kia cribbed a Scottish design and make it work so well in the Soul.

Kia Soul buyers again have a choice between two engines, both vastly improved from last year’s cars. The base engine is a 1.6L four rated at 138hp, available with either a six-speed manual or automatic. The Garage has sampled this engine in other Kia/Hyundai products and can verify it is indeed a fine engine. Our test car was fitted with the optional 2.0L four, rated at 164hp. Again, buyers can choose between six-speed manual or automatic, but not if you want the top spec Soul. Our 2.0L Soul with the automatic was still an enjoyable ride. Acceleration was spry, the car can turn on a dime, and despite the 18″s and short wheelbase, the Soul delivered a fairly pleasant ride. The Soul lives for carving out downtown streets, but is more than ready for a ride on the interstate.

The Kia Soul is available in Base, + or ! trim levels. Our test car was the !, which comes with an impressive list of standard equipment. In addition to the goodies mentioned earlier, standard is a rear camera display, Infinity audio, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth, auto dimming rear view mirror, and power sunroof. Including delivery charges, our 2012 Kia Soul ! rings in at a very reasonable $20,350.

From a car business point of view, what Kia has done here is outstanding. The funky, boxy compact hatchback is not a new concept. The Kia Soul owns this market segment and is driving its competitors out of the market. I still recall my wife telling me how silly I looked driving a Nissan Cube, a slow seller for Nissan who maintains they will keep the car in its line. The Honda Element, the ground breaking car in North America, is gone. The breakout car for Toyota’s Scion, the xB, was emaciated in its quest for a broader audience, and is now concluding its final year of production.

The Kia Soul triumphs for its combination of contemporary yet not fad styling, practicality, more powerful and fuel efficient engines, a dynamic driving experience and, did I mention, bags of style. It is no accident the Soul is literally driving its competition to the grave.

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NASCAR – Busch Finds The Front in Loudon – Stewart Haas Are Counting on Success

July 15, 2012 by Jay Tomchuk 1 Comment

Kyle Busch edged Kasey Kahne and teammate Denny Hamlin for the Pole by a mere .003 and .004 of a second.

Kyle Busch came out of the hauler as the fastest car on the track, and he backed it up by taking the pole for today’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After setting the pace in the first practice, Busch was the last of 44 drivers to run his qualifying lap. Edging Kasey Kahne by .003 seconds and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by .004, Busch won the pole for today’s race with a lap at 133.417 mph. It was a lucky Friday the 13th for Busch as he was the 13th driver to set the pole time and also the last. Just happy that he kept it off the wall, Busch had this to say about his run.

“I got in the throttle really early in [Turns] 3 and 4, trying to make speed and was able to finish it,” Busch said. “But the car slipped right at the last second when you get to that older asphalt — it seems like this tire [new from Goodyear for this race] is different from the older tire, where you lose just a pinch of grip — it slid out right to the cushion point, I guess you’d say. But, no, there’s no mark on the car, so it’s a good day.”

Hamlin thought he lost the pole coming to the green on his first qualifying lap.

“Yeah, I thought maybe I could have gotten to the green a little bit better,” Hamlin said. “You know your first lap’s going to be the money lap, so I typically run into Turn 1 — really at all race tracks — a little bit easier and try to make up the ground as I go.

“But with qualifying as tight as it is, you’ve got to maximize everything to get poles, and obviously that was the difference.”

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Stewart Haas Racing loves coming to Loudon. Ryan Newman won this race in the spring with a 1 – 2 start and a 1 – 2 finish for Stewart Haas racing, then team owner Tony Stewart came back and won the fall race as the team continued to assert their dominance in New Hampshire. With Newman starting 6th and Stewart starting 10th the team is looking like they know which direction they need to go to make their way back to victory lane here in Loudon.

“We’re decent, I think,” said Stewart, the owner-driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet. “We were pretty good here for both races last year, so I’m pretty excited about coming back here.”

Asked why he thinks the SHR teams are so good at New Hampshire, Stewart said: “I wish I knew, but it seems like where we were last year it’s continuing on so far — even though it sounds like we’ve got a little bit of a different tire. I’m pretty happy with it. I mean the car right off the first lap felt like it had really good balance to it. We’ve just got to keep working with it and see if we can keep making it better all weekend.”

Newman said he thought he had a better idea about why he and his boss are tough to contend with at New Hampshire.

“I think our cars are good, there’s no doubt,” Newman said. “I think the Hendrick engines [are strong], and everything’s clicking. I like the track because I think you have to feel the tires and be on the edge.

“I was thinking about it last week. I think it kind of reminds us of our old IRP [Indianapolis Raceway Park] days. This kind of drives like that kind of race track where your car is on top of the race track, and you get everything that you can. There is nothing to really make it go any faster. It’s not like you’re pushing the car on the banking to make it grip better. There’s none of that really to speak of here. I think just a little bit of our past, a little bit of us as far as the way we drive race cars, is what helps us here.”

“It was awesome for us here last year,” Newman said. “It was a time when Stewart was struggling a little bit, too, so to have the one-two start and one-two finish, that was awesome. Then for him to back it up — for us to win the spring race, and him to win the fall race — it was an amazing place for us here, for Stewart-Haas, this race track here in Loudon. We’ll try to do it again. There is no reason that we can’t.”

When asked about the 6 point penalty assessed by NASCAR for the cooling hose violation, Stewart id not even seemed concerned as he weighed it against the possibilities for this weekend.

“It was a mistake on our team’s part and we deserve the penalty for it,” Stewart said. “Luckily it was in qualifying, so it wasn’t something that made us win the race. We didn’t win the race because of that. Like I said, it was just a mistake on our part and we’ve just got to make sure we don’t overlook that again.”

2012 Mazda2 Long Term Test/Project – July 2012 Update

July 11, 2012 by Maxim Stensel Leave a Comment

It’s been a couple months since I wrote about my Mazda2. I’ve installed a new set of wheels, slightly lowered the car, and put quite a few miles on the car since then. I’m now over 6000mi (~9600km), and the car’s holding up pretty well. After over 3000 miles on stiffened suspension and two long-distance roadtrips, the interior is still clean and quiet. At a similar mileage, my last car, a 2009 Honda Civic Si sedan, had quite a few annoying rattles, and lots of permanent, ugly scuffs and scratches on the cheap plastic. I’m pleased with Mazda’s build quality so far. I’ve only had a few issues. There’s a slow leak in one of the tires or wheels, which means I have to top it off every week or so, and I really need to get it looked at. I also still haven’t managed to get the alignment perfectly straight, and the leaking tire doesn’t help. Hopefully once the leak is dealt with, I can straighten the alignment out.

I recently changed the car’s oil for the first time, and the difference was surprisingly noticeable. The engine is more responsive, and more importantly, more efficient. I’ve been averaging 30MPG in my usual daily driving, which mostly consists of short trips on roads with lots of traffic lights, and on a recent long freeway drive I calculated 37MPG, which is pretty great.

The wheels are a set of 15×7 C1Ms from TRMotorsport, Tire Rack’s house brand, and are actually intended for Spec Miata race cars. They have an agressive offset (for FWD) of +30, and it was a bit of a gamble whether they’d look good on the car or not. I’m pleased with the results, though. Any lower of an offset and they’d stick out, too much higher and they’d be “sunken”. I also considered 949 Racing’s 6UL wheels in the same size, but they’re more expensive and availability is very limited. They look great on the car, though, and have been featured on quite a few Mazda2 projects, including Mazda USA’s own demo car. The one downside of the lower offset is that it widens the car’s track, which makes the steering a tiny bit less responsive. Supposedly some alignment tweaks can improve that a lot, and I’m going to try setting the toe to 0 next time the car’s in the alignment shop.

With a set of springs from Racing Beat, the car finally looks “right”. From the factory, it looked like an off-road vehicle. Now it looks like a sporty hatchback should, not too high but not obviously lowered. The drop is less than an inch, and the springs are only 20% stiffer, so it’s not a huge change. It rides more like a factory performance car now, a bit stiffer but still totally livable as a daily driver. I was able to drive my car, with the springs, back-to-back with a friend’s stock Mazda2 on a mountain road, and the improvements are immediately obvious. There’s still a decent amount of body roll, but steering response is much sharper and there’s a general sense of vagueness in the stock car that’s gone with the springs. There’s also much more road feedback through the wheel and pedals.

I also installed a stainless steel shift knob from Garage Star, a locally-based shop that specializes in Miatas and AE86s. It’s not much of a performance upgrade, but makes the car feel a little bit more special to drive.

The top priority for the car is now tires. The stock ones were sort of fun with the stock suspension, but are totally overwhelmed by the stiffer springs. I’m torn between going all-out for performance with a set of Dunlop Star Specs, or saving some money and getting more life out of the tires with something like Yokohama S.Drives or Dunlop Direzzas. There’s still a body roll issue, so a front sway bar and a rear torsion stiffener are next. I’d like to wake up the performance a little, and get a bit more sound out of the car, so an intake and maybe an axleback exhaust would be nice as well. There’s finally some ECU tuning going on, as well, and one well-known autocrosser has raised his redline from 6250 all the way to 7200. I’ve felt like this engine is capable of performing at higher RPMs, so I’ll be keeping an eye on development. I’d like to tune my car the same way, if it proves to be reliable over time.

The Garage Goes Further with Ford

July 9, 2012 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

After being a guest of Ford for the global reveal of the new 2013 Ford Fusion in Detroit this year, Ford called on The Garage again to attend a two-day forum, ‘Go Further with Ford’. Along with over 250 bloggers covering auto, fashion, environment, parenting, marketing and a myriad of other subjects, we all descended upon Dearborn, Michigan, where we arrived for dinner at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions and host to Super Bowl XL. We were treated to a speech from none other than Bill Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford. Known for being an ‘industrial environmentalist’, Mr. Ford’s concerns and thoughts on the environment and future of the car would underscore what our next two days would reveal to us.

I had the opportunity to kick a ten yard field goal on Ford Field, and failed miserably. Check the gallery below for a pic of Ford social media chief Scott Monty kick a three-pointer, wearing a suit and dress shoes, no less.

Back to business the next day, we would be taken to four different forums, covering distinct subjects. The first for me was the Age of Accessible Design, and easily my favorite. Faced with a panel of people completely immersed in design, yet in worlds not related to cars, with one exception. Ford’s chief designer, J Mays was on hand, as well as Project Runway winner Christian Siriano. In addition, an architect and furniture designer were there to offer their point of view.

The discussion was riveting, and Mr. Siriano was entertaining and informative, but offered a different view from automotive design. Mr. Siriano can change trends instantly with his fashion design. With cars, as J Mays pointed out, it is completely different. Instead of next week, Mays is working on designing cars we won’t see until five years from now. J Mays was quite candid, emphasizing that each new car design is essentially a multi-million dollar gamble. You don’t often think of it from that angle, but it is absolutely true. But the most telling piece of info I got out of the forum was this. J Mays actually spends most of this time in the UK. Mays spoke about the ‘Europeanization of America’ in terms of design. That large cars are wasteful and status driven. In other words, don’t expect another mammoth Ford Excursion super-size SUV. Instead, Mays sees an America that is concerned about fuel cost and efficiency, which have driven the European car market for decades. It is now upon us.

Another forum focused on Eco Psychology. This is the motivation of Bill Ford, and he is intensely focused on being green, even if Ford’s board of directors are intent on only profits. To that end, Ford is doing extensive research on using natural and organic materials in building their cars. At the same time, Ford is adamant in letting the customer decide, not dictate their options. Be it gas, gas-hybrid, or EV, Ford is allowing the customer to make the choice.

Ford is also keenly aware of the shift in car buyer’s mentality. As a member of Generation X, mine is the last generation where getting a license to drive was viewed as a rite of passage, as a means to see something greater than what was in the confines of my hometown. Generation Y, or Millenials, see the world far differently from me and generations prior. They are in no hurry to get a license. The internet satiates their need for exploration. They gravitate to urban centers where everything they need is within walking distance. Having graduated to an unstable economy, Gen Y is driven to access to local amenities and superior public transit rather than a car. Still, a car is needed, which explains Ford’s relationship with Zipcar, a company that offers rental cars in major American cities by the day our hour.

What was most telling was Ford telling us Generation Y’s feeling disconnected while on the road-unable to text or web surf. While that sounds pretty pathetic to me, I suppose that is the new reality. Which brings me to the final forum of the day, focusing on technology. Ford, in conjunction with Microsoft has come under some fire about its MyTouch infotainment package, but strides seem to have been made to improve it. Ford seems to recognize that too much tech can overwhelm or confuse a driver. It intrigued me that Ford is currently developing software that reads from the steering wheel a driver’s heart rate and sweat to decide if it is not a good time to relay a text message or other info. It is not currently available, but it is cutting edge technology.

Personally, it was a thrill to hear Bill Ford tell all of us we were invited to Dearborn because we were the elite bloggers in our respective fields. As East Coast Editor for The Garage, I sincerely hope you enjoy and are informed by the material we provide here. for you. Our busy day was capped off with a reception at Tech Shop Detroit, followed by a live concert by indie rock/folk band Blind Pilot.

*Editor’s Note: Ford Motor Company paid for my travel expenses and accommodations, but I was not compensated by Ford monetarily.

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A Guy’s Night Out at Maserati

July 6, 2012 by ponycargirl 2 Comments

Purchasing a new 2012 Maserati GranTurismo S base model will run you a little over $148,000, to start. Arguably, if you can afford to buy a new Maserati, you can afford to not worry about the depreciation that starts ticking as you drive away from the dealership. Packed with luxury amenities such as a Bose sound system, leather upholstery and wood and chrome accents, the sound of the V8 Ferrari engine leaves you weak-kneed. Add to that the elegant, liquid Pininfarina design, you just want to lick the car from front end to tail lights. [Read more…]

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