Archive for August, 2017

2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE V6 in Krypton Green (a $395 option)
2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LS Coupe with V6 1LE Track Performance Package
Class: Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 300
Fuel used: 15.6 gallons

2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR Convertible in Caldera Red
2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR Convertible
Class: Premium Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 332
Fuel used: 19.1 gallons

2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring in Rallye Red
2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring
Class: Compact Car
Miles driven: 261
Fuel used: 8.5 gallons
What’s New for 2018: Volvo

2018 Volvo XC60 T8
Over the past couple of years, Volvo has released a surprising number of new or significantly revised models for such a small and focused automaker. The string started in 2016 with the redesigned XC90 midsize crossover, its technology and styling themes trickling down to the S90 sedan, XC60 compact crossover, V90 wagon, and “raised” V90 Cross Country wagon. At the start of the 2018 model year, some of those see new variants or powertrains, but the real news arrives later, with expected debuts of a smaller compact crossover named XC40 and a redesigned 60-Series midsize line. Also, all 2018 Volvos come with the Volvo On Call telematics system, which includes emergency notification, remote starting and lock/unlock capabilities, and the ability to find your car in a parking lot, with the free trial period being extended from 6 months to 4 years.

Fender badge of a 1981 Dodge Aries
By the end of the Seventies, it seemed as if the marketing types at Chrysler had given up worrying about protecting legacy brands. In 1978, for example, the company rolled out a small, Mitsubishi-built 4-cylinder Dodge coupe, which the company rather thoughtlessly dubbed Challenger.
Quick Spin: 2017 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe

2017 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe in Rosso Alfa Red (a $1500 option)
2017 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe
Class: Premium Sporty/Performance Car
Miles driven: 454
Fuel used: 16.3 gallons

1975 Ford Mustang Ghia
I came of age as a car guy under the tutelage of Car and Driver magazine during the Eighties. As such, I was very much an automotive minimalist. Groomed by auto editors with a love of spartan German performance cars, there was little room in my heart for the likes of whitewall tires, fake aero tack-on bits, or trucks of any stripe.
Quick Spin: 2017 Fiat 500X

2017 Fiat 500X Pop in Arancio Orange
2017 Fiat 500X Pop AWD
Class: Subcompact Crossover SUV
Miles driven: 158
Fuel used: 7.8 gallons