Car Reviews – Page 8 – The Unmuffled Auto News

April 4, 2012 zoomvroom Car Reviews, Field Trips, New car info

I Caught Three Whoppers (NOT the candy…)

So, the reason that I was playing hooky Friday is because my dad got an invitation from Maserati of San Francisco, CA to drive their full line of cars! I guess they made a mistake! Apparently, we have $240,000 to throw at a Gran Turismo MC. . .One can only hope. . .Anyway, we went to the beautiful property of Raymond Winery in St. Helena, and started out in a smokin’ Royal Blue Maserati Gran Turismo. Our driving route consisted of going pretty far up Sage Canyon from the Silverado Trail to Lake Hennessey, a local lake on the way up to Lake Berryessa. On the first (of many) blind curves on the canyon, we almost hit some random guy in a Nissan Altima rental car dropping his girlfriend off (on a busy 2 lane road, on a blind curve). I was in the front seat while my little sister, and the driving instructor were in the back (with next to no room). My dad hit the brakes, downshifted with the paddle shifter and swerved. All while hitting the horn. Nice multi-tasking, dad! As soon as we saw a good stretch of straight road, Jeff, our personal race driving instructor had my dad put the Gran Turismo in “Sport” mode. Immediately, the car got much, much louder as a result of the exhaust opening up. Then, we felt a tremendous power rush of both horsepower and torque. We shot up to about 70 mph in about three seconds. Then, there was a curve. Even though the suspension of the Gran Turismo is mildly hard, the Gran Turismo MC is harder, yet rides as smooth, just with more road feel.

When we got back, we decided to take the Gran Turismo MC for a spin. The MC is the fastest, most expensive, most powerful, and coolest stock Maserati to have ever been built. The body is the same body used for the GT3 Racing Series. This means that it has a LOT of carbon fiber. The hood is hand-formed by a little old Italian guy singing an old opera (it’s true!). The MC has a smooth, controlled ride, yet it has a track-tuned suspension. Of course, if you own an MC, you can change the suspension setting with a screwdriver. The MC makes 433 horsepower when it’s not in sport mode. When it is in sport mode, it makes 444 horsepower, 357 lb-ft of torque, and gets loud enough to shatter an eardrum. That’s the type of car the neighbors hate. . .When you get up to about 4500 RPMs, you feel a quite noticeable horsepower surge. Once you get to that level of horsepower, it goes all the way up to 6,500 RPMs, before it downshifts. When in manual mode, any gear will bring you up to redline and the fuel cutoff before the rev limiter brings the revs down, and upshifts. On this drive, there were no crazy Nissan drivers, and we were able to go way, way past the speed limit. We got to 90 mph before we slowed down for a turn. Also, one cool feature that all the Maserati’s have is when you open or close a door, the window opens about an inch, so there is no vacuum as you open the door. It’s automatically closes when you close the door. Pretty cool, huh?

When we got back from our drive in the MC, we decided to take a ride in the Quattroporte GTS. This has the 433 horsepower, 4.7 liter V8. I was the one who convinced my dad to drive it, as my little sister’s and the driving instructor’s legs were most likely wanting some room for themselves. So, I got in the front seat and got myself comfortable. Then, my butt started hurting a bit. I thought “I’ll just recline the seat back about an inch or so.” The moment I put my hand on the little hand joystick thing, my seat started moving up and down, forward and backward, and reclining and other wacky things. I, of course, freaked out. I started hearing wild laughter from the back. I looked back, and there were the driving instructor and my sister playing around with their own controls for MY seat! The reason that there are controls for the shotgun seat is, when you’re being chauffeured, you can move the shotgun seat forward so your legs have more room. Anyway, we had a lot of fun on the drive in the Quattroporte GTS and the other Maserati’s.

Here’s some pictures of the cars we drove. The black sedan is the Quattroporte GTS, the Royal Blue coupe is the Gran Turismo, and the white car that looks like it’s ready to race is the Gran Turismo MC. The Burgundy Red convertible is the Gran Turismo convertible. My personal favorite, the Gran Turismo MC. Why? It’s lovely lines that wouldn’t be out of place in a Rembrandt, it’s 187 mph top speed, and room for four adults. Who couldn’t love it?

Here’s some words of wisdom from Dad:

“The first thing I realized when driving these awesome cars is that my son would be telling the world of my exploits – but, oh well! Let’s just hope no Highway Patrol officers are reading this post.

After walking around the vehicle and admiring it’s beautiful craftsmanship, I settled into it’s luxurious seat and familiarized myself with the cockpit layout (very nicely designed, with everything easily readable). After adjusting my seat, steering wheel and mirrors, I fired up the sweet sounding engine. After making sure everyone was buckled (and had said their prayers) I took off for the scenic rolling hills of Napa Valley. Just to be sure I had a feel for the car’s performance (yeah, that must be the reason) I gunned it out of the driveway, accelerating to 70 mph in a few seconds. Once everyone was breathing again, I crossed a narrow bridge with an oncoming truck (Jeff wasn’t too sure about that maneuver). When we hit the Silverado Trail I opened it up a bit and then turned onto Sage Canyon (a road I’ve driven many times before). Deciding to let the car open up may have been premature, as we immediately came upon the Nissan half off the road – no problem with the magnificent stopping power of 4 wheel Brembo brakes. I used my time in the GT to get a feel for the road, knowing the best was yet to come.

The next ride was definitely the best. Driving the Gran Turismo MC was incredible. This car is perfectly balanced and transmits every piece of the road into your body without any sense of harshness. After opening it up in sport mode, with it’s perfectly tuned exhaust, I reached Lake Hennessey in what felt like no time at all. After turning around, I began shooting down the canyon. Coming upon a steep downhill left-hand curve which immediately switches to a right-hand sharp curve, I noticed a series of long skid marks! Not to be deterred, I simply downshifted and used the engine to steer through in a smooth continuation of power – this car’s amazing! What my son didn’t know was that Jeff later pulled me aside and admitted he was concerned when I entered that maneuver at 80 mph. Definitely an amazing vehicle – I’ll take 2!

The Quattroporte GT S was all luxury. My daughter enjoyed the limo like ride in the back (and messing with her brother’s seat). For a sedan, there’s nice power, though you definitely feel the weight difference having just driven the GT MC. Coming back down Sage Canyon, I noticed a glimmer from behind a tree in the distance ahead. Fearing the worst (read CHP), I downshifted and slowed, only to discover a frightened gentleman checking his mailbox on the side of the road. The glimmer was sunlight reflecting off his new catalog. We all had a great laugh at his expense.”

Thanks, Dad! You’re a great guest blogger.

I’d like to give a special thank you to the amazing Raymond Winery staff and property. Also, Maserati/Ferrari of San Francisco, CA deserves a HUGE thank you for letting my dad drive. Plus, they do deserve an extremely large thank you from me and my sister for letting us come along. I’d also like to give a personal thank you to Jeff for his patience and kindness to us. Thank You!

March 27, 2012 zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info

The Prius’ New Bigger (much younger) Brother is in Town!

Just the other day, I was trying to convince my dad to put the truck up on eBay, forget the Kia Optima, and look into the Prius v. I repeatedly told him that the Prius was a studly “man-car.” So, just to show him that maybe trucks aren’t as cool as they seem on the surface, the Prius v has a spot on my blog. Forever. I was hoping to tell him that the “v” isn’t a Roman numeral, but actually the first letter of a word starting with “v.” I was hoping (along with other writers) that the “v” stood for vigilant, vicious, voyager, or vivacious , or some cool big word like that. But, no. It HAS to stand for versatility. But, while we’re on this topic, why not forget the word versatility for a while, and think of it as virtuous. Let’s talk about it’s virtues, shall we?

In 2003, the second generation of the Prius came out. There were enough armies of doubters to fight WWIII to the death. And then some. I think they doubted it because it seemed to deliver the impossible: comfort, safety, well equipped, cheap price, and 50-mpg. The critics could not be dissuaded from their beliefs that: the batteries would leave owners stranded in cold weather. The battery replacements would cost a fortune, and the discarded battery packs would end up in landfills, leaching toxic materials that would send HAZMAT running for the next 5,000 years. Some grumped that the technology was too complex. Statisticians argued with economists about Toyota selling it at a loss. Detroit said it was homely and slow. Sucks for all those grumpies. All right, I’ll let them have that last one…

But, now, all of those people must sit at home and stew in their epic wrongness. Nine years later, the Prius, in it’s third generation, is the best-selling hybrid in the world, let alone one of the best-selling cars IN the world. Toyota has sold more than two MILLION Prii (the plural of Prius! It’s even true!) globally. more than half of those sales are in the U.S. According to Toyota, only 3% of all the Prii sold since 2003 aren’t on the road (mostly because of accidents…). The “far-too-complex-technology” gag hasn’t been made fun of by South Park yet (at least, not that I’m aware of…), but Saturday Night Live “talked” about it. That technology, Hybrid Synergy Drive, has proven to be more reliable than the old Dodge Slant Sixes. The nickel-metal hydride batteries have outlasted even the most optimistic estimates by a few years. Besides, when the cars are torn apart, the battery packs are 100% recycled for all of their valuable metals.

As Dan Neil of the Wall Street Journal said, “To this day, if you want a five-passenger, five-door car under $30,000 that gets 50 mpg or more and doesn’t require a plug, your shopping list is one car long.” Through almost any pair of eyes, the Prius is one of the most significant automobiles in the long history of the automobile.

To make customers (namely Americans) happier, Toyota is basically making the Prius a brand of it’s own, adding the Prius v station wagon (close to it, so I’ll call it a station wagon [sorry Volvo and VW!]) first, and the Prius v will soon be followed by the Prius c; a smaller, five-door “coupe.” Someday in the near future, Toyota hopes to have and sell more Prii variants than the very popular Corolla and Camry. What’s after the Prius c, Toyota, a Prius f, a Ferrari competitor (if so, I’ll be customer number 1!…)?

Behind the relatively spacious second-row seat (which is almost as large as a 2012 Chrysler 300’s rear seat), there is a max cargo space of 34.3 cubic feet behind the 60/40 seats. When you fold down the seats, it increases to 67.3 cubic feet, which is almost exactly the amount that a VW Jetta Sportwagen has (with it’s seats folded down, of course). So, flamethrower holders rejoice! Why not buy a Jetta Sportwagen TDI diesel, which costs about the same as a Prius v (about $25,000 before options come in), is immeasurably more fun to drive, and a bladder-busting range of almost 600 miles. Just thinking about it makes my bladder feel like a water balloon…The Prius v has a couple of good defenses that those Germans forgot to add: amazing rear-seat access, especially for child seats; an amazing in-cabin infotainment system (which is basically the available Internet enabled Entune infotainment system); and better in-city fuel economy, which may be the sort of driving you do. The EPA says that the Prius v averages 44 mpg in the city, which makes the VW drivers pale, with their noisy diesels only returning 30 mpg in the city. Haha! FYI, the v’s combined highway/city mpg is 8 mpg lower than the “normal” Prius hatchback’s 50 mpg, at 42 mpg. That’s because of extra aerodynamics drag and 232 extra pounds of flab (without driver or any human stuff in it).

The now quite-familiar Prii gas-electric drivetrain is under the hood, but the CVT’s (continuously variable transmission) gearing has been made lower to help compensate for the extra weight when you start. Call 0-60 mph about 11 seconds. The normal Prius does it in about 9 seconds. Also, the Prius v struggles a bit going up hills, or starting from a stoplight or stop sign (so, cut those moms and dads some slack!).

I wouldn’t call the Prius v a Ferrari or Maserati in terms of driving pleasure. It’s basically just an EKG flatline in terms of driving pleasure. It’s not meant to be speedy, agile, or anything related to going fast. But, it does get around town and the highway with enough vibe for an officer of the law to give a hello. But, there is one cool trick that very few cars nowadays have. It’s a piece of programming that can sense undulations and random oscillations in the road surface and due to our processing speeds, the traction motor’s torque output imperceptibly pulses. That’s kind of cool, isn’t it? I think it is pretty cool, especially for the rough roads of Sonoma County.

Dan Neil of the WSJ basically took care of my closing paragraph. “I don’t care how iron-headed you like to think you are – it’s your problem. If you can’t acknowledge the pure genius of the Toyota Prius, you just don’t like cars, engineering, or technology. This thing is, in its way, simply amazing. True, the Prius is not for everybody. But, with the v, the c, and whatever other letters are coming our way, it’s getting there.” Once we run out of alphabet letters, let’s brace ourselves for the Egyptian hieroglyphs that’ll be coming our way. After all, Toyota did say that there would be more variants than the Corolla and Camry. I’m guessing that Toyota meant Corolla and Camry variants combined. Besides, that number is at least 35…

Here’s some more info on the Prius v, dad…http://www.toyota.com/priusv/

February 11, 2012 zoomvroom Car Reviews, World News

This is My Dream Come True!

Since 2007, rumors have been circulating the web with this not-so-credible (but I wish were true) story.

A New York man retired. He wanted to use his retirement money wisely, so it would last, and decided to buy a home and a few acres in Portugal. The modest farmhouse had been vacant for 15 years; the owner and wife both had died, and there were no heirs.

The house was sold to pay taxes.

There had been several lookers, but the large barn had steel doors, and they had been welded shut. Nobody wanted to go to the extra expense to see what was in the barn, and it wasn’t complimentary to the property anyway… so, nobody made an offer on the place.

The NY guy bought it at just over half of the property’s worth; moved in, and set about to tear in to the barn – curiosity was killing him. So, he and his wife bought a generator and a couple of grinders… and cut through the welds.

What was in the barn? Don’t miss it!

One can only dream for this to happen. Maybe that’s even too optimistic for a dream. Or, if it is real, I really DON’T believe it! I’d need somebody like the FBI and/or the CIA to look into it first. It’s even more so with all these rare and collectible cars. As a contributing editor to Road & Track, Tom Cotter said, “Huge collections of cars just don’t happen. Cars are accumulated-sometimes lovingly, sometimes not-by someone with a purpose.” After a long time cruising the web looking for the photographer who took pictures, he was able to get this credible information from the photographer: Manuel Menezes Morais was the photographer who clicked a lot pictures for the elusive owner in 2005. The owner most likely lives somewhere in the Sintra region of Portugal (near Lisbon), hired Morais, scanned the pictures onto his computer, put them into an email with this fake story, and sent an email to some random unsuspecting person in the car world who then was so excited that they unknowingly started a worldwide internet hoax.

Here are all the derelict cars that Morais says are NOT for sale! Too bad, as there are some that people would pay millions for. Morais was able to contact the owner and ask him what his favorite car in the whole collection is. The owner told him it was the Lancia Aurelia B24. The owner has two. Enjoy these derelict beauties! That is the one good thing of looking at all these fake sites with these real cars! They ARE REALLY cool! My personal favorite is the 1948 BMW 507 Speedster about a third of the way down.

Sigh…… If only…

January 13, 2012 zoomvroom Car Reviews, The History of Autos

It’s Not A Camry (or Accord)!. . .

This pristine example of a 1979 Toyota Cressida (yes, that’s C-R-E-S-S-I-D-A) was the 1970’s Lexus. It may look very similar to a 1970’s Plymouth, but looks are deceiving. It had a 110 horsepower, fuel injected, 2.6 liter in-line six cylinder with a four-speed overdrive transmission. If it was front-wheel-drive, nobody really cared (at least, that much…), but it turns out that it is actually rear-wheel drive. In its first year of production, Toyota raked in the green backs, selling 18,649 Cressida’s for only $8,731. Throughout it’s eight years of production, over 350,000 were sold. It was available as a sedan or station wagon until 1986 (when production ceased).

Nowadays, the Cressida is a cheaper alternative than a late 1970’s to early 1980’s Cadillac, Lincoln, or Chrysler. As Car & Driver said in 1983, “The Cressida is a cheaper, better-looking alternative to the normal Cadillac, Lincoln, or Chrysler. It handles with a prowess of a Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel sedan, but is much quieter and easier to live with. Overall, it is an amazing road tripper for going down the interstates. From a distance, it can be mistaken for a Cadillac Seville.”

Out of the 350,000 Cressida’s on the road, approximately 200,000 were sold to South American customers. The interesting thing is, about 180,000 Cressida’s are being used as taxis. They have an interior bigger than the Crown Vic (another popular choice in South America. . . ), which makes them versatile, easy to get into, and comfortable.

It had similar looks to the late 1980’s Toyota Camry and early 1990’s Honda Accord. They are a bit on the expensive side for a 1970’s-80’s Japanese car, but are nice cars to take the friends on a long ride down the Interstate. I’m thinking of getting one just because of what I’m saying. . . maybe Mom and Dad will sell the minivan and get this. . .

December 29, 2011 zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info

Been Pulled Over by Officer Chevy Caprice PPV?

Over this holiday season I was so dazzled by cars in la-la land that I forgot to post. I’m back on track. Are you ready for some more interesting posts?

As you know the traditional donut-carrier is the Ford Crown Vic. Some of you who’ve been pulled over for speeding might know this… And I’m NOT talking to you Schmooey…

15 years ago, the only true Ford Crown Vic competitor from Chevy, the Caprice, was phased out. Since 1996, we’ve been terrorized by donut-eating cops in Ford Crown Vics and Dodge Chargers. True, the Charger is a great car, it’s just not meant for much except pursuit… Now, Chevy is a player in the game… Since the Pontiac G8 (we all should have good feelings for it! RIP Pontiac…) was killed along with the rest of the brand in 2010, there’s been no cop car (definitely NOT the Impala!) to compete with the Charger and Crown Vic. Behold the all-new, all-cool Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV)! With a mighty 385 horsepower, 355 lb-ft of torque, 6.2 liter V8 (a de-tuned Corvette engine), fast-shifting six-speed automatic with overdrive and sport mode, traction control, 2,000 lb towing capacity (up 550 lbs from the Crown Vic!), stability control, optional light bar, standard titanium push bar (bye-bye UPS truck…), and special wheels forged out of steel. Inside, there’s a MacBook Pro laptop computer (no more PC’s in cruisers!), column shift, plastic rear seat, a trunk big enough to fit a dirt bike, navigation, alarm system, CB radio (we can’t seem to get rid of these things!), a special nook in the driver’s and passenger’s front seats for cops to have much less lower back pain (stop eating donuts!!). Really it’s so they can drive without having to worry about jamming their guns. It also has an automatic parking brake, and front leather seats! Now I’m wanting one…Hint, Officer…

According to GM chairman, Rick Wagoner, “we’re hoping to start getting these cars’ keys into police officers’ hands by 2012. If we can do this, what’ll Ford do? We’re also thinking of selling them as fleet cars to rental companies.” Don’t start selling them to rental companies just yet! Wait until next year, and use this car as the next-generation Impala! What I just said is my hope, and previous GM chairman, Bob Lutz’ dream. Just so y’all know, this car isn’t all American. It’s based on the Australian-market Holden Commodore (which is SOOO popular for road racing). If this does become the next-generation Impala (or better yet, Chevelle!), then it looks like I know what my new Baby is! Oh, and it’s got a 155 mph GOVERNED top speed. Theoretically, without the governor, think closer to 190 mph! VROOOOOOOOOM!! If you’d like to know even more, please visit: gmfleet.com

And Ford is trying to sell the Taurus SHO as a pursuit car! Good luck with that, Ford…

http://www.chevroletcapriceppv.com/

December 2, 2011 zoomvroom Car Reviews, Field Trips, New car info

Even MORE Live Coverage from the San Francisco International Auto Show!

So, I’m sure that most of you know that the San Francisco International Auto Show ended sometime last week. But, I CAN give you the inside scoop on a few cars… At the Toyota stand, there were two Camry Daytona 500 Pace Cars that were unlocked! Toyota did a great paint job on their Camry Pace Cars, so I just HAD to snap a photo of the Daytona 500 logo.

This was the Camry I was able to get into. Even though Toyota put a five-point harness in, beefed up the airbags, and put an awesome paint job on, this Camry is totally stock. It’s the newest generation (9th), an XLE model (V6, six-speed automatic, cool rims, leather interior, navigation system, Toyota Entune entertainment system, HID headlights, and it makes 268 horsepower! WHEW! That was a long sentence.

Sticking with the Japanese, the REALLY small Mitsubishi IMEIV took up almost as much space as a SMART fortwo! The IMEIV looks a bit bigger than it is… So, I went to the SFIAS (San Francisco International Auto Show) with my good friend Joshua Valentino. While at the Hyundai stand, we met another car nut; Greg. Since the Mitsubishi stand was right next to the Hyundai stand, we decided to take a look at the IMEIV. Greg decided to try hitting the backseat with his elbow. The backseat was so flimsy that it flipped BACKWARDS, taking Greg with it! Joshua and I thought it was REALLY funny! So, I’ll give you the inside scoop on the IMEIV. It is all electric, built for eco-weenees who only have $10,000, want a car with 50 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, and only drive 100 miles a day…

Over at the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram stand, there was once a mighty Jeep Wrangler with lots of chrome… Okay, I’ll stop with the bad poems… This Jeep Wrangler has the all-new Pentastar V6, a six-speed automatic, chrome, beefy tires, and a leather interior. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that it has RUNNING BOARDS!! Just 30 years ago, you had to weld running boards onto your surplus Jeep, there was no chrome, no Pentastar V6, no six-speed automatic, and no leather interior! This Jeep is part of Jeep’s new way to attract buyers who want looks, power, off-road capability, and be comfy inside. The Pentastar V6 makes 283 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque hooked up to a six-speed manual or automatic. It has the option of rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive .

Staying American, we head over to the Fisker stand. With their brand-new (good) Karma, Henrik Fisker, the man who penned the: BMW Z8, Aston Marton V8 Vantage, and Jaguar XJ220 believes he can sell 2000 Karma’s a year. Priced at $81,300, the Fisker Karma is the working person’s cool car. The Karma has a total of 403 horsepower and 960 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 1-speed automatic transmission. It has a 3.73:1 rear axle ratio that helps propel it to a top speed of 125 mph!

Straying back to Asia, the small SUV, the Hyundai Tuscon was a star attraction over at the Hyundai stand. With it’s 176 horsepwer, 155 lb-ft of torque engine that’s mated to a six-speed automatic and in this case, four-wheel-drive, it can tow up to 2,000 pounds, haul 1880 pounds, go mildly off-roading, and go to a maximum speed of 112 mph. Plus, it gets 20/28 mpg for city and highway, as tested by the EPA.

Thanks for putting up with my HORRIBLE poems and okay pictures (I promise better ones next year)! Even though the show has ended (only five days ago…), I was thougthful enough to attach the website for you to look at sfautoshow.com

I hope to see some of you next year…

November 26, 2011 zoomvroom Car Reviews

Live Coverage from the San Francisco International Auto Show

There were cars that I drooled over, there were cars that I stuck my nose up and walked away from, and then there were the cars that I just HAD to take a picture of. The San Francisco Academy of Art had the finest classic car that I’ve ever seen; a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300Sl Coupe, with only 1000 miles on it! 1000 miles! Isn’t that amazing? I’ll drive that right after my Baby dies!

Isn’t this the BEST 300Sl you’ve ever seen? It has the original tires, wheels, suitcase, steering wheel, paint, etc! I’d drive this any time!

I had so much fun as the paparazzi of the car world that I’ll have to post the rest of the photos and my thoughts tomorrow! Six and a half hours at the Auto show definitely was NOT enough. Tune in sometime before midnight tomorrow and you’ll have an exciting post regarding the latest models, just waiting for you to comment and read!

October 26, 2011 zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info

The Beginning of the Big Bucks!

Hi there, I am truly sorry that I haven’t posted this last week. I’ve been loaded down with more than mountains of homework. So I figured I’d try and make this exciting as compensation for the week off.

I know that the holidays won’t start for a while, but it’s time to start thinking of buying presents. So, I found a present that y’all can pool your money together so I can have this as a present. Think that you could get one for me? Pretty Please?

This fine example of the Newell P2000i RV. It is a very expensive, large apartment, amd it happens to be on wheels (as you can see). This pristine 2011 model belongs to PGA golfer Rory Sabbatini. All of the options on this bus amounted to a mere $314,950! I guess when you have that much money, a few hundred thousand isn’t even a dent in your yearly income.

The buses are built in Mickey Mantle’s hometown; Miami, Oklahoma. The factory is a 120,000 square foot warehouse smack-dab in downtown Miami. There are 11 stations where the hand built buses are assembled. The 60-foot paint booth will paint your bus however you like it, as long as it doesn’t involve a color mural of a naked woman. If you look closely at this picture, you will see that there is a small mural of mountains (it reminds Sabbatini about his hunting hall up in Oregon.

The massive Cummins Diesel engine is 15,948 (16 liters) CC, and puts out 650 horsepower and 1950 foot-pounds of torque. Yes, you heard that right: 1950 foot-pounds of torque! The engine alone weighs 1349 pounds and is rear-mounted.

The interior is custom-built however you like it. The normal entertainment options are a flat-screen HD TV, Sony DVD/MP3 player, and Bang & Olufsen audio system. And that’s just standard!

A normal galley has an oven, sink, garbage compactor, and two-burner stove. Should you wish for a larger galley, a four-burner stove is available, but at the expense of cabinet space.

The laundry area has a standard Whirlpool Cabrio washing machine/dryer combo. There are cabinets to store laundry supplies and laundry.

The living area. The living area is in the entertainment room, but you can move it wherever you like it. The standard bed is a king-size bed, with folding cots. There is also a Murphy bed floor plan! Look out! I knew that I shouldn’t have asked for one of those stupid Murphy bed floor plans! They always hit you on the head when you turn!

Newell makes 24 coaches annually. 20 for customers, 4 for demonstrations. Recently, the Sultan of Brunei had a customized Newell coach built with carbon-fiber flooring, movie-screen size HD TV, an altar, a full bathroom, and a Wii, XBox 360, Mac Pro, and two king-size Murphy beds! His coach cost $2.76 million!

Ready for my dream Newell? I CAN dream, right? Ready? I thought you might not be…

My Newell coach would have the floor plan F4, 45-foot length, optional Three-TV entertainment system (one small TV in the bathroom, one large TV in the entertainment room, and one large TV in the bedroom, all HD TVs), carbon-fiber countertops, wood-burning stove in the entertainment room, and, since most owners tow a car, a custom-built trailer by Featherlite Trailers, and a very good navigation system (when you’ve got something 45 feet long, you really DON’T want to have to do a u-turn!). The car that I would tow on my Featherlite trailer would be a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport! VROOM! Oh, and I would LOVE to have a Mac Pro in the galley! You just never know when you might need it…

So you can have a house, or this beauty. I choose this!

The website for Newell coaches is: http://www.newellcoach.com/flash.html

September 27, 2011 zoomvroom Car Reviews

America’s Failed Compact Cars

Today, after extensive research (why this post is so late) we discuss America’s tries at compact cars within the last twenty years. These are the histories of the Big Three’s attempts. Some of them have very interesting histories. Okay, we all know that Ford has it’s great new Focus, Chevy has the mediocre Cruze, and Dodge still has that horrible Caliber.

So, let’s dive into the world of barely roadworthy cars! There is one thing I ask of you: Please do NOT succumb to a case of road-rage should you see one of these things on the road (I can’t even call them cars)!

The Chevy Cobalt was a very bad car made from 2004-2011. It had rough engines, a badly designed, cheap interior, and it looked like a slightly squashed 1960’s VW Beetle. Car & Driver said of the unredeemably ugly Cobalt, “…The Cobalt has looks only a blind mother could love.” It had a ready-to-haul sounding 155 horsepower, 2.2 liter four-cylinder. There was also a 172 horsepower, 2.4 liter four-cylinder that wouldn’t be out of place in a Ford Falcon. By this time, there needed to be a performance version. Chevy introduced a supercharged 2.0 liter engine that would send a lion running for mommy. After two years of many Cobalt SS’ sitting on a dealer lot, Chevy decided to turbocharge the engine. Now, the only thing running for their radar gun would be the Highway Patrol! It was one of the fastest compact cars ever built. So, you think that Ford Falcon with a 427 V8 is fast? Think again, Officer…

The replacement for the Cobalt is much better. It is called the Cruze, and it blows away all your expectations of an American compact car. I wouldn’t call it Chevy’s best effort yet, but it feels like a better second generation Cobalt. The one thing that would get the Cruze cruzing (get it?) off the lots would be an SS version. The 260 horsepower, 2.0 liter Ecotech engine from the Cobalt SS, a Tremec six-speed manual, and a body kit and 20″ wheels, and you’ll have a Dodge Neon SRT-4 ACR on your hands (hopefully)!

Dodge is notorious for making some pretty bad cars. Think Magnum, 2010 Grand Caravan. But, they do have the Challenger. But I’m wandering away… The first generation Neon was a pretty decent car. It was cheaper than imports, had more horsepower, and was more powerful. It won many awards, including Motor Trend Car of the Year 1996.

The Chrysler CEO at the time, Bob Lutz said of the first generation Neon, “Good, fast, or cheap. I’ll take at least two, maybe three.” Chrysler enjoyed huge success at the wheels of the first generation Neon. When the second generation Neon came out in 2001, it was much worse than anybody could have imagined. Sales dropped, and Dodge introduced an ACR (American Club Racer) model that was SCCA (Sports Car CLub of America) compatible. Sales were still slow. So, Dodge introduced the SRT-4 model in 2004, but nobody expected much, until Road & Track tested one, and found that it was almost as fast as a base Porsche Boxster. Dodge then started making ACR SRT-4. They started to disappear off the lots like magic. They re-started the pocket-rocket craze! Unfortunately, quality started to go down hill soon afterwards. When the last Neon rolled off the Bennington, VT assembly line, nobody really cared. The replacement for the Neon is the Caliber. The Caliber is Dodge’s failed (make that epic, please!) compact car. It is made in the same production plant as the Neon. It is a world-wide vehicle. That should be Dodge’s ticket to success. Alas, no. The Caliber is badly designed, and it feels like you’re driving a Conestoga wagon. Further problems include: hearing the engine with the stereo cranked up all the way, road and tire noise would give a deaf person a head-ache. The last Caliber for the European market was built on December 10, 2010. The Caliber hasn’t been updated since it’s 2006 introduction at the Chicago Auto Show. There has been an SRT-4 version that was kind of a pocket-rocket. More like a cheaper alternative to a VW GTI. Production is supposed to stop for the U.S. spec Caliber in November 2012. The replacement for the Caliber will be based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. It will hopefully have a turbocharged gas engine, and a diesel version.

The Ford Focus was introduced in 1998 to the European market. A last-minute legal case forced Ford to hire a few lawyers to fight a case against a German magazine called “Focus”, over the name. In the end, Ford got the name “Focus”, and the magazine had to change to “focus.” The Ford Focus came to North America in 1999, as a 2000 model. It came in four different body styles: four-door sedan, three-door hatchback, five-door station wagon, and a five-door hatchback. Some three-door hatchback SVT (Special Vehicle Team) Focus’ came with a G-Shock digital watch. The first generation Focus was produced from 1998-2007. Some of the awards it received were Car & Driver’s 2001 Car of the Year, and 2004 Motor Trend Car of the Year finalist. The first generation had almost nothing wrong with it. The next iteration, the 2007-2010 Focus didn’t live up to the expectations of it’s predecessor. It had chrome simulators all over the place, plastic wherever one looked, and had sporty, yet terrible seats. No back support, no thigh support, no neck support, so you might as well rip out the seats if you own one, and put a milk crate in! It came in a four-door sedan and two-door coupe body style. The 2009 model year was by far the worst sales year for the Focus. The 2007-2010 Focus never won any awards from any auto magazines, but Consumer Reports liked its fuel economy of 33 mpg. A few months ago, Ford introduced a restyled version of the European second generation Ford Focus. Already, it has won awards from Motor Trend, Car & Driver, and Consumer Reports. It has an amazing sounding 160 horsepower, 2.0 liter four-cylinder. In six months, it has sold as many units as the 2009 model did in a year (55,345 cars).

Thanks for staying with me through all of this! I’m going to give you some sage advice: if you are at a rental lot, and the manager offers you a great deal on a 2010 Focus, any model year Caliber, or a Cobalt, go take a taxi!