Archive for September, 2012
Lexus LF-CC
The 2012 Mondial de l’Automobile—aka Paris Auto Show—opens on the last weekend in September with this expo’s usual slew of major introductions. Among them is a preview of the next-generation Lexus IS premium-compact car. It takes the form of a concept coupe called LF-CC for, er, “Lexus Future-Concept Coupe.” Toyota’s luxury brand has also used LF as shorthand for its evolving “L-Finesse” design language, and styling is indeed the main motivation for this show car. It’s meant as another example of how Lexus is transforming its overall design approach from bland to bold per CEO Akio Toyoda’s push for more eye appeal and dynamic ability in everything his company builds.
This 1/25-scale Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is about 10 inches long and is based on the circa-1952 Wienermobile design.
There is a subgroup of model cars known as promotional, or promo, models. As the name implies, promos are typically meant to be promotional items for a particular product, usually a car or truck. Rather than kits that need to be put together, these models almost always come fully assembled. Since the first models of this type were released in the late 1940s, they have usually been in 1/25 scale and made of plastic. Promotional models also have been made for tractors, construction equipment, and other subjects, but one of the most unusual has to be the 1/25-scale version of a food company’s giant hot dog-shaped vehicle.
Cut-down “clip cars” enable UTI to make more-efficient use of lab/shop space. A wide variety of late-model vehicles are on hand.
For better and worse, the days of shade-tree mechanics are long behind us. Today’s highly sophisticated cars, trucks, and motorcycles require equally sophisticated tools and techniques for proper repair and maintenance, and technology continues to advance at a lightning-fast pace. These days, a career as a service technician requires much more than a high school diploma. Many technical schools offer specialized training for these fields, but the most prominent and well known among them might be Universal Technical Institute.
Kirk contemplates captaining the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed.
Last time, we looked at the rides of Deanna Troi, Jean-Luc Picard, and Spock. This week, let’s check in with the original captain, the guy with the positronic brain, and the first Klingon to serve in Star Fleet. As before, we’re looking at production vehicles. Also, we’re assuming these guys don’t have budget issues.
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT
Note: This report supplements Consumer Guide Automotive’s full report on the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander, a compact SUV that starts at $22,345.
Test car came equipped with: Touring Package, Navigation/Rearview Camera Package, Entertainment Package. Total MSRP with $810 destination = $35,300.
Volkswagen IDs this car as “European Golf VII” with “expected U.S. launch as a 2014 model”
Volkswagen’s new seventh-generation Golf compact car has been unveiled ahead of a planned U.S. debut in summer or fall of 2013. Though the information released so far applies to Euro-spec versions that start sale before 2012 is out, American-market Golfs should differ only in available powertrains, features, and model choices.
Nissan Cube
One of the Hyundai Veloster’s few redeeming qualities is the availability of a spunky turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, I believe the car around which it’s wrapped holds this eager powerplant back. In this vein, I present for your consideration a list of vehicles that could be awesome but will probably never see the light of day for whatever reason.
Cadillac Allanté
In a previous post, I listed five convertibles that just became 25 years old. As such, they qualified as “classics,” making them eligible for cheaper classic-car insurance and, in some states, less-expensive Antique license plates. Any of those five could probably be purchased in reasonably good condition for less than about $4,000—sometimes a lot less. For those with a bit more pocket change to spend on a convertible with a little more prestige (say, $5,000 to $15,000), read on.
The Ford Taurus SHO: expressive, just like Counselor Troi.
Yeah, they live in space, but they have to come down sometime, right? Here we ask ourselves simply, “If the crew of the Enterprise needed wheels today, what would they buy?” Today, we look at two members of the Enterprise D crew as well as a legend from the original warp-ready vessel. It may be a while before we get to Quark or T’Pau, but we probably will.
Should I Buy a New or Used Car?
Recently, I tried to help my uncle-in-law buy a used car. Both of us were not just surprised by the prices; we were dumbfounded. CarMax, for example, offered a 2009 Honda Civic LX sedan (automatic) for $14,998. This car was nearly four years old and was saddled with 46,000 miles. A brand-new 2012 Honda Civic LX sedan (automatic) stickers at $18,655.
