We’ve been hoping to grown the team here in The Garage for some time now, but it’s been a bit of a challenge finding someone who is the right fit. Someone who, like The Garys has somewhat of a background in the auto industry and is a total gearhead to boot. Someone who likes to have a bit of fun with a topic, but has the knowledge to back his or her opinions up. So we’ve gone and done it. We’ve brought in a real live jurnalist type who has actully been published and stuff. Aw crap, that means he’s gunna judge owr writin.

That’s right, Mike is a real, live journalist type, with an actual degree in journalism. He’s been writing for a living for the last 10 years, and now he’s here in The Garage to write for free! Well, let’s hope it’s not free for long, or I’m gonna go broke. One thing that has been sorely missing around here is some focus on the biz side of cars. Even though I work in the retail side of the industry, I have little or no knowledge of the big business end of the industry. That is Mike’s specialty, and working in the Detroit area, he has access to some of the industry’s big wheels. If we’re lucky, Mike might even bring us the odd interview. Plans are already in the works for The Garage to make an all out assault on next year’s Toronto and Detroit auto shows. Business stuff gets a little boring at times, so Mike will also be flexing his fingers and publishing the odd road test or news story.

Welcome aboard Mike and try not to knock over that oil drum in the corner!

Attention all Nissan enthusiasts! The GT-R has made a real life public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Ok, so it’s still sporting front and rear bras, but those bras look to be holding up some pretty special goodies. The GT-R has been the source of tons of spy shots as the car is developed, so it looks like Nissan is once again choosing to show off a new model prior to it’s official launch.

More pics from NAGTROC after the break
Continue reading →

Car enthusiasts love concept cars. Journalists love concept cars. Chrysler loves to build concept cars! In fact they are dedicated to building the Coolest of Cool concept cars. In reality, every designer and every manufacturer thinks that their concepts are the coolest. Not every concept is a driver though and the Chrysler boys and girls try to make most of them runners. the even get them out on the road for journalists to have a go at. Not long ago, one lucky guy got to take the new Challenger down a drag strip!

It has been 20 years since Chrysler began taking this approach and they are pretty proud of some of those cars. Rightfully so, as a number of the cars on the list went on to production and a full model life. Viper, Prowler, Ram, Neon. These and more have been important to Chrysler fans all over, not to mention the company.

More images and press release after the break
Continue reading →

With all the kaffuffle over embargoed photos being leaked before the North American International Auto Show, it seems DCX has had enough. With photos of several of their new models hitting the interwebs over the weekend, this time somebody went too far when they posted pictures of Chrysler’s North American bread and butter model. Originally posted on some Spanish forum, these pictures found their way onto a few of the bigger car blogs. Being the good netizens that they are, Autoblog have taken down the pictures they had posted.

I was lucky enough to catch them in my RSS reader, but you’ll have to wait to get my opinion on those!

In what is becoming a common move for Nissan, the company has released details of the upcoming Rogue CUV in advance of the North Amerian International Auto Show. Nissan has shown teaser images of the new machine over the past few months, without saying too much about the actual vehicle. Based on the C platform, which is the same as Sentra, the Rogue will be powered by the family 2.5 liter 4 cylinder mated to a CVT and available all wheel drive.

More pictures and Nissan press release after the break
Continue reading →