zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info

A Lincoln Town Car for the Modern Day

Fans of Ford’s Panther platform will no doubt cry “blasphemy” and a whole other host of names.  Haters gonna hate.  If you’re a Panther fan, keep it to yourself and read this blog post, or come back next Tuesday.

Not only does the Hyundai Equus Ultimate serve as Hyundai’s flagship, it also costs as much as a premium midsize sedan like the 2014 Cadillac CTS.  I’m not suggesting a comparison – the CTS is in a completely different league than the Equus.  While Hyundai’s execution of a fullsize flagship sedan is good, it’s not quite as good as the Lexus LS460, Mercedes-Benz S550, and BMW 750i/Li.  It’s just that you can’t really build a value-oriented flagship and expect it to compete against manufacturers that have at least 25 years of practice.  It’s the equivalent of In-n-Out going completely vegan.  You just don’t expect it to be good.

Panther platform enthusiasts will be quick to point out that the 12.3-18.3 inch-shorter Equus doesn’t have body-on-frame construction.  The Equus DOES, however, have a 2.7-inch longer wheelbase than ANY Panther platform car.  Like the Town Car, the Equus is styled much more conservatively than the love-it-or-hate-it Cadillac XTS and bulbous Lincoln MKS.  The Equus has a roomy, comfortable interior filled with amenities and options that the Lincoln Town Car never offered.  It’s also rear-wheel-drive, and it’s got a smooth, very powerful V8 shared with the Hyundai Genesis.  It’s the only modern car to have clear Lincoln Town Car DNA in it.  It’s obvious who Hyundai is trying to attract.

Rear seat passengers can now individually control the infotainment system, look up restaurants on the go, and even enter destinations while moving.  All 2014 Equus models get a standard three-zone climate control system (driver, passenger, rear passengers) standard.  Ultimate models now seat five people instead of four.  Very few of its competitors offer four seats instead of five in top-of-the-line models.  Ultimate models also come with cruise control with a unique 0 mph stop-start function, front, rear, and multi-view cameras.  It also comes with a proximity key that turns the exterior and interior lights on and off, as well as unfolding the side mirrors.  The doors automatically close a la minivan, and power lumbar support for rear outboard passengers.

For those drivers who want to have performance, fear not.  The engine is a 429-horsepower 5.0-liter V8.  The front bushings are completely new.  As for the Sport and Tour modes, they have been revised for improved ride and handling, respectively.

Because its cabin is so insulated, and its powertrain is so smooth, the optional heads-up display is justifiable.  Since the suspension is engineered for comfort, lots of brake dive and body roll make it less than ideal for back road barnstorming.  It also probably diminishes driver confidence on the street, especially in the city.

While the Equus isn’t quite up to par with the Lexus LS460 in terms of interior quality, it has a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with separate lumbar controls.  The front passenger seat has 10 ways to make you more comfortable.  Outboard rear seats have four ways and lumbar.  Like the S-Class, the Equus has many of its front and rear switches conveniently located high on the doors.

Up until the end of the 2013 model year, the Equus Ultimate only sat four people.  It had a massage function for the driver and the right rear passenger (where many passengers sit).  The 2014 model offers seating for five people, but no massaging seats.  The 2014 model also has controls for the:  Infotainment system, rear climate control, and rear seats on the fold-down center armrest in the rear seat.  A “Relax” button moves and tilts the front passenger seat forward before reclining the rear passenger seat.  The “Return” button returns both seats to their previous positions.  Now that both rear seats recline, the available power footrest is no more.

Like the Lincoln Town Car, the Hyundai Equus Ultimate offers full-size space and all of the luxury touches one would expect in a flagship.  Another similar thing between these two vehicles designed for those like to be chauffeured around – neither lives up to the standard set by the Lexus LS460, Mercedes-Benz S550, and BMW 750i/Li.  While the value-oriented Equus can be compared to a modern Lincoln Town Car, it does have something that the big Lincoln never had – a 429-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 and 8-speed automatic transmission.  In my mind, the Hyundai Equus picks up right where the Lincoln Town Car left off.  Now, the one thing that Hyundai has left – the monumental task of convincing everybody the virtues of a bargain-priced flagship sedan.

 

zoomvroom Field Trips, Humor, Movie Cars, World News

Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6X6 to Appear in Upcoming Jurassic Park Movie

When Mercedes-Benz turned the off-roading world upside-down when it released a civilian version of it’s six-wheeled G-Wagen that it builds for the Australian military, lovers of specialized military hardware clinked glasses with those wealthy enough to afford it.  Not surprisingly, the rest of us mere mortals able to buy a G-Wagen had to settle for the four-wheeled G63.  How depressing.

Anyhow, the G63 AMG 6X6 will be making an appearance in Jurassic Park 4.  That doesn’t seem all too surprising, considering that Mercedes-Benz vehicles have been in the Jurassic Park movies since the second movie.  This has been confirmed by the Jurassic Park 4 Committee Facebook account.

A picture of the G63 6X6 was shown veiled by a white tarp and strapped to a pallet, en route to Hawaii.  Not much else is known about the G63 6X6 being in the movie, but I’m sure that it’s going to be awesome!  I mean, how can you go wrong with six wheels?  Well, I guess if they need to have something that’s heavier-duty, they can always go for an AM General 5-ton troop carrier!

The one thing that I’m absolutely sure that they need is a teenager as a stunt driver…They don’t need to look far!

 

zoomvroom Biographies or "the who" in the auto industry, Car Culture, Road Trips, The auto dictionary. Look it up here!, The History of Autos

Ferruccio Lamborghini – a Biography of the Man Who Wanted a Better Ferrari

When you see a Lamborghini for the first time, you are probably wondering if an alien owns it.  It looks otherworldly.  This blog post is going to delve into the story behind the man who created Lamborghini Automobili, Ferruccio Lamborghini.  I hope you find his life as interesting as I do.

Ferruccio Lamborghini was born on April 28, 1916 to Antonio and Evelina Lamborghini in the beautiful region of Northern Italy.  Not much is known about his childhood, other than the fact that his parents were viticulturists.  What we do know is that Ferruccio Lamborghini was fascinated with farming machinery, rather than the farming lifestyle.  Following his passion for mechanics, Ferruccio went to the Fratelli Taddia technical institute in Bologna.  In 1940, Ferruccio was drafted into the Italian Royal Air Force for WWII.  He started off as a vehicle mechanic at the Italian garrison on the island of Rhodes.  He eventually became supervisor of the vehicle maintenance unit there.  When the island fell to the British in 1945, Ferruccio was taken prisoner.  He was unable to return home until 1946.  Upon his return, he married, but his wife died in 1947 while giving birth to their son, Antonio Lamborghini.

After that, Ferruccio opened a small garage near Bologna.  In his spare time, Ferruccio modified an old Fiat Topolino that he had purchased, one of the many that he would own over the years.  He took his extensive mechanical abilities to the tiny city car and turned it into a thundering, two-seat, open-top, 750-cc, roadster.  He entered the car in the 1948 Mille Miglia.  His participation in the tiny Topolino ended after 700 miles, when he ran the car into the side of a restaurant in the town of Fiano, in the province of Turin.  As a result of the crash, Lamborghini lost all enthusiasm for racing, a bitter sentiment that would last until the late 1960s.

In 1949, Ferruccio started Lamborghini Trattori, a small tractor company that would eventually become the European equivalent of John Deere.  His increasing wealth allowed him to buy more expensive, faster cars than the tiny Fiats that had provided with reliable, albeit slow, transportation for many years.  In the early 1950’s, he owned such cars as Lancia’s and Alfa Romeo’s, and at one point, he owned enough cars to drive a different one for every day of the week.  He added a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, a Jaguar E-Type coupe, and two Maserati 3500GT’s.  He once said of the latter, “Adolfo Orsi, then the owner of Maserati, was a man I had a lot of respect for: he had started life as a poor boy, like myself.  But I did not like his cars much.  They felt heavy and did not really go fast.”

In 1958, Lamborghini traveled to Modena to buy a Ferrari 250GT, an early Ferrari with a Pininfarina body.  He went on to own several more 250GT’s, including a Scaglietti-designed 250 SWB Berlinetta and a 250GT 2+2.  He thought that Enzo Ferrari’s cars were good, they were too noisy and rough to be proper road cars.  He categorized the 250GT’s as repurposed track cars with poorly done interiors.  Ouch.

He found that Ferrari’s had bad clutches, requiring frequent, expensive trips to Modena to replace them.  Ferrari technicians would squirrel the cars away for hours on end to perform the service, which immensely dissatisfied Lamborghini.  He had expressed his dissatisfaction about Ferrari’s after sales service multiple times before, which he perceived to be extremely substandard compared to other auto manufacturers.  He brought this to Enzo Ferrari’s attention, but was rudely dismissed by the pride-filled Ferrari.  He eventually successfully modified one of his personal 250GT’s to outperform stock 250GT’s, he decided that he was going to start an automobile manufacturing venture of his own, with an aim to create the perfect touring car that he felt nobody could build for him.  His belief was that a grand touring car should have attributes lacking in Ferrari’s, namely high performance without compromising tractability, ride quality, or interior appointments.  Being a clever businessman, Lamborghini knew that he could triple the profits if he used tractor parts from his tractor company.

The 1970’s OPEC Oil Crisis caused a large financial crisis for Lamborghini.  Lamborghini Trattori, which exported about half of it’s tractors, ran into trouble when the South African importer cancelled all of their orders.  The Bolivian military government cancelled a large shipment of tractors ready to ship from Genoa.  Since all of the Lamborghini Trattori employees were unionized, they could not be fired or laid off, which put immense financial strain on the company.  Lamborghini sold his entire share of the company (72%) to SAME, a rival tractor company, in 1972.

Not long after that, the entire Lamborghini franchise found itself in dire straights.  Development at Lamborghini Automobili slowed as costs were cut.  So, Ferruccio started negotiations with Georges-Henri Rossetti, a wealthy Swiss businessman and close friend.  Ferruccio sold Rossetti a 51% share in the company for US$600,000, which was enough to keep Lamborghini Automobili alive.  He continued to work at the factory even though he had no official controlling share in the company.  Rossetti rarely involved himself in Lamborghini Automobili’s affairs.

The 1973 OPEC Oil Crisis didn’t improve financial matters, either.  Consumers flocked in droves to smaller, more practical cars with better fuel economy.  By 1974, Ferruccio had become so disenchanted with the automobile manufacturing business that he severed all connections with the automobile manufacturer that bore his name.  He sold his remaining 49% share of the company to Rene Leimer, a friend of Rossetti.

After departing the automotive world, Lamborghini started an industrial valve and equipment manufacturer, as well as a heating and air conditioning company, Lamborghini Calor.

In 1974, Lamborghini exited the industrial world and retired to a 740-acre estate named La Fiorita on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, in Central Italy.  Returning to his farming roots, Lamborghini took delight in hunting and making his own wines.  He even designed a personal golf course.  At age 58, he fathered Patrizia Lamborghini.

At age 76, Lamborghini died on February 20, 1993 at Silvestrini Hospital after suffering a heart attack 15 days earlier.  He is buried at the Monumental Cemetery of the Certosa di Bologna monastery.

Bullfighting is an integral part of the Lamborghini identity.  In 1962, Lamborghini visited the Seville ranch of Don Eduardo Muira, a renowned breeder of fighting bulls.  He was so impressed with the raging bulls that he decided to adopt a raging bull as the emblem of Lamborghini Automobili.

After producing two cars with alphanumeric designations, Lamborghini once again turned to bullfighting for inspiration.  Don Eduardo was filled with pride when he learned that Lamborghini had named a car after his family and their legendary line of bulls.  The fourth Lamborghini Muira was unveiled to him at his ranch.

The Lamborghini Islero was named for the bull that killed the legendary bullfighter Manolete in 1947.

The Lamborghini Espada was named after the Spanish word for sword, and sometimes used to refer to the bullfighter himself.

The Lamborghini Jarama had a special double meaning – it was intended to refer to the historic bullfighting region of Spain, but Ferruccio was worried that there would be confusion with the also-historic Jarama motor racing track.

After naming the Lamborghini Urraco after a bull breed, Lamborghini broke from tradition and named the Countach, not for a bull, but for a rather rude expression used by Piedmontese men to describe a beautiful woman.  I don’t know why either.  Legend has it that designer Nuccio Bertone uttered the word in surprise when he saw the Countach prototype.  The Lamborghini LM002 SUV and Lamborghini Silhouette were the other exceptions.

The 1982 Lamborghini Jalpa was named for a bull breed.

The Lamborghini Diablo was named for the Duke of Veragua’s bull that fought an epic battle against El Chicorro in 1869.  It also means “devil” in Spanish.

The Lamborghini Murcielago was named for the legendary bull whose life was spared by El Lagartijo for his ferocious performance in 1879.  It also means “bat” in Spanish.

The Lamborghini Reventon was named for the bull that killed the young Mexican bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943.

The 2008 Lamborghini Estoque concept car was named for the estoc, the sword traditionally used by matadors.

The Lamborghini Aventador was named for a bull that was bred by the sons of Don Celestino Cuadri Vides.  The bull was killed in a particularly gruesome fight, and after the fight, the left ear was cut off of the bull and given to the matador for good luck.

The Lamborghini Gallardo was named for one of the five ancestral castes of the Spanish bullfighting breed.

The Lamborghini Huracan is named for a bull that fought in 1879.  Huracan also means “hurricane” in Spanish.

All of Lamborghini’s companies are still around in some form or another today.  Lamborghini Trattori is still a subsidiary of SAME.  His son, Tonino (Antonio) Lamborghini designs a line of clothing and accessories under the Tonino Lamborghini brand.  His daughter, Patrizia Lamborghini, runs the private winery on his estate.

A museum near the factory honoring Lamborghini, the Centro Studi e Richerche Ferruccio Lamborghini, opened in 2001.  The museum is located just 25 km (15.2 miles) from the factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese.  Tonino may even be there to greet you, as you have to write ahead to get in, as conferences often happen and the museum is closed to the public.

zoomvroom Car Culture, Movie Cars

The Top Movie/TV Show Cars

Many movies have cars that we love.  Famous cars with famous actors – it goes together.  Le Mans had a Porsche 917 and a Ferrari 512LM with Steve McQueen doing all of the driving in the 917.  It also had a Porsche 911 Carrera S that went for $1.75 Million dollars at auction last year.  The Ronin remake had Robert De Niro, a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, a BMW M5, and a nitrous-huffing Audi S8.  Vanishing Point had Barry Newman, a 440-powered Dodge Challenger R/T Magnum, and a Jaguar E-Type V12 Convertible.  Well, you get the idea.

While I know that last weekend was Oscars weekend, I still thought that the cars from famous movies deserve a proper recognition.  Enjoy my list.  I have also attached videos of the cars in the movies that they were in.  I hope you enjoy the list and the videos!

  1. 1968 Dodge Charger “Bullitt”:  While it’s a shame that I haven’t seen Bullitt yet (one of these days!), I’ve seen the epic car chase scene on YouTube countless times.  I know.  It’s not the same.  The 1968 Dodge Charger from Bullitt is undeniably one of the most iconic cars ever to be used in a movie.  Anybody, I repeat, ANYBODY, can watch the chase scene and then see a 1968 Charger in real life, and say, “I saw a car that looks similar to that one in Bullitt!”  The two cars that really defined the words “muscle car” tore up the streets of San Francisco for real (no CGI, just a couple of sped-up shots).  Both the Ford Mustang GT with the 390 cubic-inch V8 and the Dodge Charger R/T with the 440 cubic-inch V8 needed some modifications for the chase scene.  Ex race-car builder Max Balchowsky modified both cars for film use.  The Highland Green Mustang needed a TON of mods for the chase scene.  The Charger, however, only needed heavy-duty shocks and springs to cope with the jumps.  Both cars used prototype Firestone tires, but it’s possible to see different width tires multiple times on the Charger.  According to Balchowsky, the Charger with it’s big 375-horsepower 440 cubic-inch V8 outgunned the 325-horse 390 cubic-inch V8 Mustang (pun not intended) so much that it required the stunt driver to slow down the car so that McQueen’s ‘Stang could keep up.  Score for Mopar!  While (spoiler alert!) one of the cars met a fiery demise at the end of the movie and was subsequently scrapped, some say that the other Charger is still around…somewhere.  I’d sure like to think so!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lbs_nYW3-o
  2. 1955 Chevrolet 150 “American Graffiti”:  Arguably one of the most iconic cars for hot rodding, let alone movies, the 1955 Chevrolet 150 from American Graffiti remains the benchmark for modified ’55 Chevy’s.  Three 1955 Chevrolet 150’s were used for the filming of the movie.  Two of said cars were used in 1971’s Two Lane Blacktop.  Transportation supervisor Henry Travers picked the two cars up from the Universal Studios lot and painted them black.  One car was a fiberglass shell, and it was used to film exterior shots and the actors inside the car.  The other car, the stunt car, was used for the climatic drag race crash.  Travers, who drove the car stunt Chevy for the Paradise Road finale couldn’t roll the car as directed by George Lucas – the car had to be heaved onto it’s roof by the crew.  A third, non-running 1955 Chevy was picked up, spray-painted black, and a fake B-pillar was welded on to resemble to other two cars.  It was burned to film the crash’s aftermath.  The burn car was returned to the junkyard – it would have been impossible to get the car in running condition!  Only the main camera car remains today.  It has traded hands a few times and some dubious modifications have been made to it.  In 2012, it was sold privately to a private buyer who plans to restore the car to it’s original American Graffiti appearance.  Prior to the deal, the buyer apparently barely avoided acquiring his own burn car, built by George Barris.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOgqUHk-zDY
  3. 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 “Ronin”:  While the chase scene from Bullitt deserves lots of ink, the multiple chase scenes from the 1998 remake of Ronin make the leaping American stallions chase scene look about as exciting as a segway tour of Los Angeles.  John Frankenheimer, the same speed junkie who directed the 1966 movie Grand Prix, directed Ronin.  He hired a gaggle of stunt drivers, including F1 champion Jean-Pierre Jarier and sports car champion Jean-Claude Lagniez, and let them loose throwing muscular German sedans around Paris, Monaco, and parts of Souther France at opposite lock drift angles and mind-blowing speeds – on closed-off public roads.  An Audi S8 and BMW rightfully grab a lot of attention in the movie, with Frankenheimer cleverly using right-hand-drive cars with fake left-side steering wheels so that the actors including Robert De Niro and Natascha McElhone could “drive” while one of the Frenchmen terrified them just a couple of feet away.  Not to be outdone are the guys from Mercedes-Benz who sent a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, arguably the first German muscle car.  Robert De Niro “drives” for a while, while French actor Jean Reno actually drove.  The absolute mayhem begins with a Rockford pulled off in the Benz, and then De Niro and Reno chase down the bad boys who happen to be driving a Peugeot 406.  The Peugeot and and Benz hurtle through the French countryside at speeds well over 100 mph, and then De Niro stands up in the sunroof and blows the 406 to smithereens.  Post-explosion, the 450SEL 6.9 hurtles into the seaside village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, an outskirt of Monaco, where a good half of the movie was filmed, where it hurtles through tiny city streets trashing market stalls and cafe tables in search of whatever is locked inside of that mysterious locked case everybody wants.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMaG5WAmHvY
  4. 1980 Lamborghini Countach “The Cannonball Run”:  If you can, keep your eyes ON the car, not IN the car!  It sounds easy, but Tara Buckman and Adrienne Barbeau are inside.  When Hal Needham and Brock Yates (arguably one of the most iconic auto journalists ever) thought up the plot for The Cannonball Run, a highly fictionalized version of the illegal cross-country Cannonball Run races of the 1970s, they knew that only one car could keep a teenager’s eyes off of Buckman and Barbeau – a 1980 Lamborghini Countach.  The entire opening sequence of the movie focuses entirely on the Countach.  The V12 shrieks up and down through the gearbox, and the two ladies stopping just long enough paint an “X” across a 55 mph speed limit sign before the car screams off onto the American prairie highway again.  The car taunts a police cruiser by coming up extremely close in the rear view mirror, pulling alongside, and then disappearing into the horizon.  No wonder this movie, which Yates himself calls “a pretty lousy picture!” grossed more than $72 million dollars – in the U.S. alone!  Of course, Burt Reynolds and Victor Prinzim are the official stars of the movie with their fake ambulance, but don’t tell that to any teenage boy who saw the movie in the 1980’s.  After filming, the car was used by Hawaiian Tropic as a promotional vehicle for 28 years.  Then, a private collector in Florida bought the car in 2009, and restored the car to factory condition.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh9L6LrpmTQ
  5. 1970 Porsche 911S “Le Mans”:  Most of Le Mans focuses on a frenzy of screaming prototypes, howling sports cars, furious air wrenches, and cheering crowds of adoring fans.  Not for the opening sequence, though.  Before reaching the Le Mans circuit, McQueen’s character, troubled racer Michael Delaney, gently pushes his 911S across the French countryside and a quiet village.  Soon, he will strap into a howling Porsche 917 for 24 hours of 240+ mph battle against a Ferrari 512LM.  But, for now, it’s just the man and his steed.  The Slate Gray 911S stands out in it’s timeless, understated elegance.  Kind of like McQueen himself.  It’s no wonder that he took the machine back with him to California to join his rapidly growing sports car and motorcycle collection.  Since he owned a nearly identical 1969 model, the 1970 911S was soon sold to a Los Angeles-based attorney who kept the car hidden away for the better part of 30 years.  The car changed hands two more times before going up for auction at RM Auctions Monterey, where it fetched a tidy $1.375 Million dollars, the most EVER paid for a 911 at auction.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JlyQsWXrqA
  6. 1966 Jaguar XKE V12 Convertible “Vanishing Point”:  Most people my age today probably wouldn’t understand the tagline from Vanishing Point: “Tighten your seatbelt.  You never had a trip like this before.”  But in 1971, the phrase fell on plenty of knowing ears and cars.  Enter Barry Newman as Kowalski, Congressional Medal of Honor Winner, ex-cop, ex-istentialist, as well as ex-race-driver.  His mission is the stuff of any Hollywood movie legend, or any car buff’s legend – drive the car from Denver to San Francisco in record time.  Hollywood being Hollywood, Kowalski encounters everything from rattlesnakes to sun-hardened old-timers, pre-“Bette Davis Eyes” Kim Carnes music, and deranged religious prophets.  But, his most memorable meeting was against a goggles-wearing, giggling desert rat hell-bent on some hoonage in his Jaguar XK-E V12 Convertible.  Said Jag driver literally begs for it – he even bangs his car into the Challenger to get Kowalski’s attention.  Since this is Hollywood, Kowalski takes the bait.  Big time.  It’s wire rims against mag wheels, Dover Sole versus Alaska Salmon, tea cakes versus beefcake.  A one-lane bridge looms ahead.  Kowalski gives the big 440 full throttle, fender swipes the Jag, and the Jag flies off the road in a splendid, um, horrifying fashion.  After several barrel rolls and a gigantic drop, the Jag ends up on it’s side in a mud-caked riverbed.  Since the driver of the Jag was a stunt driver, he’s OK.  Kowalski gives him a quick check, and is back on his way.  I can’t say the same for the Jag – it ended up as a total write-off.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBTup5WH0a0
  7. 1963 Apollo 3500 GT Thorndyke Special “The Love Bug”:  When was the last time you saw The Love Bug?  It’s a cute movie, and the support vehicles are, well, spectacular.  In any given racing scene, cute little Herbie the Love Bug is surrounded by all sorts of cars you’d expect to see at a period SCCA road race, from Triumph TR6’s to Shelby Cobra’s to MG TC’s.  The most memorable supporting vehicle is the black and yellow car driven by that crook Peter Thorndyke in the final El Dorado race.  Thorndyke drives everything from a Jaguar E-Type to a Ferrari 250GT (a replica car that long ago disappeared) Tour de France on his way to campaigning the Thorndyke Special.  The Thorndyke Special is, for all of it’s Italian looks, is an Apollo 3500GT.  It may have Italian styling, but it was made in Oakland California.  The Apollo cars started life in Italy, where the bodies and chassis’ were made by Intermeccanica.  They would then be shipped to Oakland, where the engines and transmissions would be installed.  Most of the engines were 350 cubic-inch Buick V8’s mated to either a Muncie M-22 “Rock Crusher” transmission or a Buick three-speed automatic.  42 cars were built between 1962 and 1964, when the company ran out of money and closed.  Max Balchowsky specifically modified two cars for the movie with their well-known paint scheme.  At least one car still exists today, with the restoration in Toronto, Canada started many years ago.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCmUQo2r33g
  8. 1969 Lamborghini Muira “The Italian Job (1969)”:  For us car lovers, the opening scene of the 1969 The Italian Job starring legendary British actor Michael Caine is beautiful and haunting.  An orange 1969 Lamborghini Muira P400 is making its way through the beautiful Swiss Alps with the actor Rossano Brazzi behind the wheel, cigarette dangling like they are in commercials.  He’s wearing driving gloves, a perfect suit, and designer sunglasses.  Matt Monro crooning “On Days Like These” accompanies the scream of the 3.9-liter V12 of the Muira.  What could go wrong?  Everything, as the Muira enters the tunnel at high speed, and comes out crumpled in the bucket of an earth mover at the other end.  A roadblock set up by the bad guys takes the blame.  And, the once-raging Muira is dropped over 100 feet into a river.  Was the orange Lambo actually destroyed?  Yes and no.  Two Muira’s were used for the scene.  The running and driving one was not wrecked, as it was a press car for Lamborghini; that honor goes to a crash-damaged frame of a Muira with new bodywork and no engine.  Rumor has it that when the crew came down to the river the next morning, not a single piece of the wrecked Muira was to be found.  Creepy.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQIRbV_noi8
  9. 1964.5 Ford Mustang GT Convertible “Goldfinger”:  While the Aston Martin DB5 seems to get all of the credit (rightfully so – it’s AWESOME!), the first Ford Mustang ever in a movie co-starred with the Brit.  Tilly Masterson’s gold 1964.5 Ford Mustang GT Convertible was a preproduction model, and was run off of a Swiss mountain after Bond’s tire slicing hubcap sticks out.  Ford REALLY wanted the Mustang to be part of Goldfinger, and had originally specified for a fastback to be used in the film.  Unfortunately, the fastback Mustang would start production too late in 1964 for filming purposes.  Ultimately, the Goldfinger Mustang fastback was built with special gold metallic paint, and it featured a roof panel with 007-inspired switches.  It was used as a promotional vehicle for both Bond and Ford for many years, and it still survives in private ownership.  As for the Mustang GT Convertible used in the film, it is believed but unknown by either Ford or anybody that it was sold after the film and repainted and currently with somebody.  Who that somebody is beats Ford and everybody else.  I’d sure like to know.  Other Ford vehicles were used in Goldfinger:  A 1957 Ford Thunderbird was used by Secret Service agents, a 1964 Lincoln Continental was driven to the junkyard and crushed by Oddjob, Goldfinger’s lethal assistant, and a 1964 Ford Ranchero was used for Oddjob to drive away from the junkyard with the crushed Continental in the bed.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuNstLjP1c
  10. 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 “Gone in 60 Seconds”:  The menacing-looking 1967 silver-grey Ford Mustang GT500 from the 2005 remake of Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1967 Ford Mustang GT Fastback.  It has body panels and GT500 badges to make it look like a GT500.  It had a hopped-up 390 cubic-inch V8 made up to perform and sound like the 428 cubic inch Cobra Jet V8 found in the GT500.  Three cars were made for filming, and one was scrapped.  The other two survive in private ownership.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMv-X0tG2KQ
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The Best Ads of 2013 (and 2014!)

2013 was a great year for many of us auto enthusiasts, and the automakers were great in their ads.  I’d like to share my favorite ads of 2013 with you.  I also found a couple of good ads during the Super Bowl, so those are included for your viewing enjoyment!  Enjoy!

Mercedes Benz Chicken Ad:  Mercedes-Benz is right up there with Volvo in terms of how amazing their safety tech, as well as other features is.  To demonstrate just how good the Magic Body Control (don’t ask, I don’t know the answer!) system is, Mercedes-Benz used a chicken.  Yes, a real, living chicken!  For those of you who don’t know what Magic Body Control is, Magic Body Control is a fancy name for a high-tech suspension system.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfgBA8Iw9C8

Jaguar Eats Chicken Jaguar USA Ad:  In an obvious thumbing of its nose to Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar shot a laugh-out-loud ad of a chicken being moved around by a Mercedes-Benz engineer dancing around to some groovy music.  The chicken gets eaten by a real-life Jaguar.  Not the car, mind you.  The Jaguar from the jungles of South America.  If that grosses you out, there’s no blood, just a LOT of feathers, and one really unhappy Mercedes-Benz engineer…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgJVIC9QSw

I couldn’t find the Mercedes-Benz ad that made fun of Jaguar.  It’s a shame, because it was a very funny commercial.  It showed a 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 going along a dusty jungle road at night, when the S550 brakes to a stop.  As the S550 is stopping, the camera focuses on a jaguar (the jungle animal) running across the road, directly in front of the S550.  The S550 has a night-vision feature, which shows the jaguar bounding across the road…directly into a tree.  The Mercedes-Benz punchline?  Cat-like reflexes? We prefer Pre-Safe Braking.  If you can find this ad, please post the link to the commercial in the comments section so that other readers can enjoy it.

Kia Sorento How Babies are Born Ad:  This cute ad from Super Bowl XLVIII somehow showcases the Kia Sorento.  I don’t get how either.  But, it’s a cute commercial, and I think that you’ll enjoy it.  It shows a LOT of babies, and it’s got lots of clever CGI.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4uW4lNjW4g

Volkswagen How Volkswagen Engineers Get Their Wings Ad:  Volkswagen was pretty clever with this commercial.  It makes people laugh as Volkswagen engineers get wings.  Volkswagen used to be clever…and funny in the 1960s with their commercials, and it seems like they’ve found their clever and funny bones again.  Volkswagen engineers grow wings, and at the end, one farts a rainbow.  When you’re done laughing, watch the ad. This ad is from Super Bown XLVIIII…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-p0BdUB5o

Chrysler 200 Bob Dylan Ad:  This ad from Super Bowl XLVIIII showcases Bob Dylan and the stylish 2015 Chrysler 200.  It has great footage, and some cool vintage footage of Dylan back in the day.  As Bob Dylan said in the commercial, “Let Germany brew your beer, let Switzerland build your watches, let Asia assemble your phones.  We’ll build your cars.”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlSn8Isv-3M

Hyundai Santa Fe Every Boy’s Dream Team Ad:  This commercial is a nice one.  It’s got boys of all sizes, ages, and races jammed into it, and I like the vibe of this commercial.  While I don’t get how it showcases the Santa Fe, I still like this commercial.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlSn8Isv-3M

That’s all that I have for you, but I think that this should be enough for you.  If you have any that you’d like to have others see, please post them in the comments section.  I’ll watch them!

zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info, Website Reccomendation, World News

Is the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport a V-E Day for Caddy?

When Cadillac introduced the 2nd generation CTS back in 2008, it blew the wheels off of the competition.  It was just that good.  It remains that good to this day, but it also happened to snare Motor Trend’s 2008 Car of the Year award.  That’s some pretty prestigious territory.  Caddy didn’t rest on their laurels for long.  They took the V8 engine out of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, detuned it to 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque, and shoved it into the CTS.  Thus, the CTS-V was born.  The CTS-V was good enough to win multiple comparisons against the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and even the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG.  All of those cars that were defeated have been significantly updated and/or redesigned since 2009, but the CTS-V remains a high-water mark for GM.  Cadillac even added a coupe and a station wagon version for both the CTS and the CTS-V in 2011, and all of the CTS iterations are true champions.  For us mere mortals that want better fuel economy than 12 or 13 mpg, then the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport might be the ticket to success.

When Cadillac started designing the 3rd generation CTS for 2014, their goal was to make the car leaner and meaner.  What they meant by that was make its dimensions larger to better compete with the BMW 5 Series, Acura RLX, Mercedes Benz E Class, and the Jaguar XF.  They also had to make it lighter.  That’s when forged aluminum and high-strength steel come into hand.  The 2014 Cadillac CTS is reportedly lighter by up to 350 pounds in some versions.  But, I want to talk to you about the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport, which is the car that is a step below the still-available CTS-V.

Cadillac has said in multiple press releases that they will use V6s whenever possible.  Not only are they able to cram more technology into the V6 engines, but the V6 design reduces weight.  But, won’t BMW and Mercedes-Benz have V8s in their 550i and E550.  Won’t Cadillac be bringing a butter knife to an RPG fight?  Not necessarily.  The 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport’s twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 makes 420 horsepower, versus 400 horsepower (probably much more than that, according to dyno tests) for the Bimmer, and 402 for the Benz.  However, torque is down a bit, compared to the competing V8s.  The CTS VSport’s engine makes 430 lb-ft of torque, while the BMW makes an astonishing 450 horsepower, and the Benz makes 443 lb-ft.  But, the CTS has a better power-to-weight ratio, with 9.5 pounds per horsepower.  This will make up for any power deficit.  The BMW makes 10.9 pounds per horsepower, and the Benz makes 11.3.  Cadillac also has a new turbocharger intercooler plumbing, which pretty much eliminates any turbo lag.

Cadillac claims a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds out of the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport, but Motor Trend got 4.7 seconds.  It’s not a bad thing for an auto magazine to be a bit off the time, because the engineering team has been developing the CTS VSport for a couple of years now.  Cadillac also got a quite respectable quarter mile time of 13.1 seconds at 108.4 miles an hour.  That won’t catch a Corvette, but it will embarrass a Ford Mustang with the V6.  The 0-60 time and quarter mile time are enough to send the Germans hustling to the drawing board.  The standard Brembo brakes will out stop a BMW 550i or a Mercedes-Benz E550, with a short stopping distance of 103 feet.  That’s good enough to out stop a 2014 Corvette Z51.  Put the CTS VSport up against an Infiniti Q70 (previously the M37/M56), and it’s pretty much even.  Motor Trend tested a M56 last year and got 4.8 seconds to 60, and it then went on to blast through the 1/4 mile at 13.1 seconds at 108.1 mph.  Remember, these are all in controlled, nearly-ideal settings.  DO NOT attempt this at a stoplight!  I don’t want you to reenact the rental-car bashing scene from Days of Thunder!  As awesome as that was, Ford and Chevy paid a lot of money for those cars to be thrashed like that.  You’ll be paying that amount of money for repairs!

Also new is a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission also found in the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Range Rover Sport, and many other cars.  It senses corners up ahead, using the sonar sensors in the front bumper, as well as the adaptive cruise control radar box.  It then downshifts or upshifts at the appropriate moment, and supposedly does its job quite well.  GM added a function to the transmission called “Performance Algorithm Shift,” which basically renders the steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles useless.

There are a couple of different trim levels offered for the CTS VSport.  There is the CTS VSport, which is a perfectly luxurious car in its own right, starting off at $59,995, and that mode has a large number of options.  The VSport Premium trim tacks $10,000 to the price, bringing the price up to $69,995.  When I “built” a car on Cadillac’s website, the 2014 CTS VSport Premium that I optioned came in at $71,745.  Granted, that’s when it’s got the optional high-performance brake pads and sport seating package.  If you decide to buy a VSport, I recommend getting it with the following options:  Analogue gauges (you’ll have a display that you can personalize in between the speedometer and tachometer), no sunroof, and a quite presentable interior.  You’ll also want to get the optional high-performance brake pads (Brembos).  All of that will ding you a grand total of $60,005.  Not bad, considering you can smoke a BMW 550i for $5,675.

You can check out the 2014 Cadillac CTS webpage at http://www.cadillac.com/cts-sport-sedan.html.  Enjoy noodling around on the website and building your own CTS VSport.  Build one to your desired specifications, and then tell me how much it cost!  I’ve also attached a couple of pictures, from the requests of a couple of readers, so enjoy them.

zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info, World News

Does the New 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 Have What it Takes to Rule It’s Class?

Let me know in the comments section if you think that the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 can become the car that can rule the uber-luxury class.  I think it can, but then again, Mercedes usually does!

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class can sometimes go seven or eight years beforeinstituing a major refresh, redesign, or mechanical overhaul.  But, it usually leads in terms of sales and looks.  The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class upholds that tradition, and it will likely be sold in droves – for a while.  Then, all of the competing automakers will make newer, nicer, and possibly better cars.  This segment is competitive.  Currently, the S-Class, Lexus LS460, and Cadillac XTS are the segment sales leaders.  The S-Class is likely to blow all of it’s competitors out of the water.  It is just that good.

It is loaded with features that will make your jaw drop.  This car isn’t yet another ordinary businessperson special with a cave-like interior.  It will drive itself.  Really, it will!  It won’t drive itself completely, but it is semi-autonomous!  It uses stereo cameras to guide it along the road.  The name is awesome, as well:  Traffic Jam Assist.  No, it won’t send all of the rubberneckers to the grave.  Only their own stupidity will do that.   To activate this marvelous system, simply hold the brake pedal down while stationary, flick the Distronic (MBZ speak for cruise control) lever down, and give it gas.  It will take you up to 37 mph.  The cruise control is then set for up to 37 mph.  It will follow the car ahead of you simply, smartly, and efficiently.  It will do that until your speed increases or you take control of the steering wheel and pedals.  Above 37 mph, it will still guide itself.  Kind of.  It will handle itself up to 125 mph, and it can bring itself to a complete stop at any speed if need be.  Those stereo cameras are also able to read the lines in the road, and keep the plump S-Class in between those lines without any driver input.  Above 37 mph, if you keep your hands off of the steering wheel for more than 10 seconds, then a loud BEEEEEP will sound, along with a flashing graphic instruction, until you place your hands on the wheel.  But, that’s just Mercedes-Benz’s lawyers telling you to be a good driver.  As long as you don’t take the S550 on any places where there aren’t any lines in the road (i.e. tracks and gravel roads), this car will take a person places where he/she has never gone before, all by itself.

There’s other zany technology stuffed into this car.  Take the badly named Magic Body Control that is an optional active suspension feature.  If you choose to order this, then the four-wheel air suspension goes away, and is replaced by oil-over-coil shocks.  The “magic” part of that is that those same stereo cameras scan the road ahead to see if there is a pothole, a speed bump, or some roadkill.  Given the right situation, the Magic Body Control is effective in a way that is quite simply effective, in a spooky sort of way.  The result is one of the smoothest rides out there, this side of a Citroen or an old Buick Roadmaster.  When you put the car in “Sport” mode, Magic Body Control is switched off, so you can hurtle around curves and crash and bang over the smallest road imperfections.  But, that’s what makes the car so enjoyable to drive.

In the unlikely event that you will be in an accident, you will survive just about any crash.  For those of you riding in the backseat (the place to be), there are inflatable seat belts.   When the rear door is opened, the seat belt buckle receiver visibly rises.  This is probably because most customers (think China) don’t wear their seat belts in the back seat.  Once they buckle up for safety, the buckle will retract a few inches into the seat, therefore cinching the seat belt across their hips so they do not slide under the seat belt in a crash.  Speaking of accidents, there’s a feature that will make any safety-conscious parent happy.  It’s called Pre-Safe Plus.  It actively and automatically prepares the car for a rear-end collision.  What the car does when it’s about to be rear-ended (it has seven rear-facing cameras), it tightens all of the seatbelts (even if they’re not in use), applies the brakes completely, and, BAM.  Applying the brakes for a full-ABS stop seems counter-intuitive, but it’s safer to not be moving when you’re hit.  It can also “see” pedestrians and other cars.  It reacts differently to both.  When it sees a car cutting in front of it, the brakes are applied for a full-ABS stop.  When it sees a pedestrian, the brakes are applied much earlier and gentler.

Even though it’s got enough technology in it to make a computer scientist have a heart attack, one of the best advances is in the interior.  It’s truly the first German interior to really stand out from the British luxury brands (Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar).  Leather and wood gracefully snake their way throughout the stellar cabin.  The interior designer said that these designs were influenced by swan wings.  Let’s call this new technique “swanning,” okay?  If You own the outgoing generation of the S-Class, you will know about those four rectangular vents on the dashboard.  Six neat, circular vents have replaced them.  Combine that with the clock, and the seven circles (vaguely) resemble the pearls on a woman’s necklace.  I don’t ask.  The head designer of MBZ’s interiors said that from now on, all vents in a Mercedes-Benz car will be round.  I find it odd that the car that will be starting the round vent trend still has rectangular vents in the back.  One other fun interior flourish are the speaker grilles for the Burmester audio system.  They are covered in an impossibly complex pattern of tiny holes of varying sizes.  If you have trypophobia, don’t look at it.  For me, it becomes ever more fascinating when I look at the pictures.

The mechanical parts of the car are relatively unchanged.  The seven-speed automatic is still their, as is the 5.5-liter, twin turbo V8.  Power, however is better.  It has been uprated from 429 horsepower to a more powerful 455 horsepower.  Torque is the same at 516 lb-ft of torque.

Overall, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 is the car to be measured against for full-size luxury.  It’s powerful, it’s loaded with technology that will take it’s competitors years to catch up with, it’s beautiful, and it’s got German engineering.  And German reliability.  I want one.  I won’t ask my readers.  I know the answer.  And it’s not yes.

zoomvroom Car Reviews

Tougher Than Tough

In 1946, Mercedes-Benz hired several American engineers that designed the DUKW (or DUCK) trucks to build a truck that could be worked for agriculture.  They were more than happy to.  The Unimog was born.  It was originally designed to give power take-off to large forestry saws and equipment and/or large pieces of farm machinery.  It had permanent 4WD capability, equal size wheels.  This, coupled with portal axles, allowed the Unimog to travel along horrible, bombed-out roads at speeds that are still considered insane.  Due to their portal axles, their ground clearance was about 26-30 inches off the ground – stock!  Their flexible frame acts as part of the suspension.  All of this makes it just about the worst choice for a tow rig.  Yet, it still does its job very well.  Because of its unique build structure, Unimogs can easily climb boulders 1 meter high.  

Newer models can have the pedals, steering wheel, and instrument cluster moved from the left side to the right side in the field.  This allows workers to conveniently “pass the wheel to their coworkers – provided the vehicle is at a stop!”

The Unimog can be built in up to 40 different combinations!  Some of these can be a small gasoline-power engine unit that is a short wheelbase unit (common for delivery or construction) to a 40-foot, 300-horsepower monster!

Just about every military uses the Unimog – even the U.S. Marines.  Semper Fi.  Back to militaries.  Many militaries use at least one type of Unimog.  Civilians use them, as well.  Many disaster relief organizations have large fleets of Unimogs.  The Red Cross uses about 4,000 Unimogs.  Fire departments, hazardous-material transporters, utility companies, and equipment carriers.  Their capability to operate in almost any situation makes them ideal for this.  One place where you can see Unimogs is at McMurdo Station, where they bring supplies, give power, and even build!  Unimogs can easily be fitted with a backhoe, front loader, a dump bed, and even cranes.  Even the Governator has one – a 2012 U1300 diesel Unimog registered in California!

In North America, Unimogs haven’t been the most popular truck.  Part of the reason is that smog requirements for large purpose-built trucks are much different in Germany than the U.S.  Some of it also can be given to the lack of enthusiasts.  Many Unimogs that you see in North America have been imported, or were sold by the Case Corporation in the 1970s.

Unimogs are very successful in motorsport competitions – especially desert rallys.  They have won the Truck Class several times in the 1980s in the Paris-Dakar rally.  They have also won by accident – multiple times!  Their main purpose is to provide support for cars and/or motorcycles racing in the desert.

Just two years ago, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a wild Unimog concept.  It looked crazy.  But,  Mercedes-Benz said that some of that styling would make it into the new Unimog.  Some did.  The new Unimog has some of the futuristic styling, which is skillfully blended into the macho sheet metal.

Some of the new equipment that comes with the new Unimog is smart.  For example, the cab has been completely redesigned.  Now, drivers can see almost 200 degrees – in any direction!  New work and power systems allow the Unimog to be even more adept at everything it does.  The hydraulics have been redesigned from scratch.  They can now push, pull, lift, and do many more tasks.  One really neat feature about the new Unimog is the synergetic traction drive that allows the driver to change from manual mode in the transmission to hydrostatic mode while on the go.  Most trucks with features like that need to be at a complete stop for that to happen.  The biggest changes, however, are from the new engines.

The most potent engine is a massive 7.7 liter diesel that cranks out a monstrous 354 horsepower and a Herculean 885 lb-ft of torque.  Many of the engines offered on the new Unimog circulate gasses to comply with emissions standards in many countries.

This truck is not one to be messed with.  If you are in a Ford F150 SVT Raptor in the desert, and you see a Unimog, don’t challenge the driver to a race.  The Unimog will win.  By far.  It will also win rock-crawling competitions against Jeep Wranglers, mud pit contests against jacked-up pickups.  All of this will look effortless.  That’s what happens when you’ve got 57 years of experience behind you.

zoomvroom Car Reviews

Does the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Have the Guts and Glory for America?

Remember those $30,000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sport Coupes that were super chintzy and slow from the early 2000’s?  Mercedes-Benz is diving back into that pool with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250.

This new Mercedes-Benz is based on the equally jaw-dropping Euro-spec A-Class hatchback.  But, us Americans like our sedans with graceful, elegant lines.  So, Mercedes-Benz took the A-Class and turned it into a lovely small sedan.  Of course, when something makes your knees weak when you see it should tell anybody over 6 feet that they won’t want to be in the backseat!  According to Motor Trend‘s Frank Markus, the headliner scraped his head, and the rear seat wasn’t super comfortable.  I guess that nothing’s for everybody…If you want a CLA250 with the as-advertised $30,000 base price, let me know.  Such tempting options as a self-parking feature, a panoramic sunroof, Distronic radar cruise control, a Harman/Kardon Logic 7 audio system, COMAND navigation, and all-wheel-drive all bring the price up to a more expensive $38,000, which is on par with the larger C250.

If you want a cheap German car that seats five and looks good, this isn’t the horrible C-Class Sport Coupe that would lure the innocent into showrooms.  In fact, this car aims to bring a lot of younger people into showrooms, where they can get a relatively affordable car that immediately gives them more social status than a Toyota Camry.

Inside the CLA250, the interior is every bit as luxurious as the S-Class, which is a very good thing.  The instruments and vent registers could have been pulled out of the SLS supercar, and vinyl is standard.  Mercedes-Benz says that the MB Tex vinyl will pass for leather to the casual observer, and cowhide is optional.  Since us Americans LOVE our sport seats, sport seats are standard.  These seats offer plenty of support for any frame (Mercedes-Benz had people of different sizes and heights drive and give feedback.  The engine gives a gleeful snarl when it’s nearing redline, and it is quiet at all other times.  Plus, the 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque help move this sub-3300-pound car around with no problem.  Part of that could be the excellent 7-speed automatic that is so smooth it could be mistaken for a CVT half of the time.  That’s probably due to the twin clutches and paddle shifters.

One would think that torque steer would be an issue with such large amounts of torque on hand, but think again!  That’s amazing considering that there isn’t a complicated steering setup, just a simple one.  It could be magic, or the electric-assist steering that will allegedly compensate for extreme road crowns and crosswinds.  It also applies corrective steering if the driver hasn’t mastered steering into a skid.  I’m thinking that this just might be the perfect car for somebody who is very close to getting his driver’s license…

Because France keeps it’s roads micro detailed to the point where there aren’t any bumps except for speed bumps, but ride quality is very controlled and nice.  And this is with the sport suspension that will initially be offered on U.S. spec cars.  It’ll be interesting to see if Mercedes-Benz has the guts to put the optional 18-inch wheels on the sporty suspension.  If not, expect to see the standard 17-inch wheels that look equally classy.

In terms of tires, the Continental ContiSportContact F5’s do a pretty good job of planting the car on the road, but you can hear the tires trumpeting their limit, so don’t be surprised!  If you don’t like trumpeting tires, you can opt for Eagle F1 run-flat tires, which  will only orchestrate their limit!

Motor Trend‘s Frank Markus went into the press launch thinking that the CLA250 was aimed squarely at the Volkswagen CC, but it’s not.  The CC feels more grown-up and conservative, and the CLA feels more like a GTI in it’s driving dynamics, with interior fit and finish that rivals the Hyundai Genesis.  What I’m sure all of you are dying to know is if the CLA250 is worth buying over the BMW 320i, Volvo S60, Cadillac ATS, and Audi A4.    My personal opinion is that the CLA will hang on with those, and possibly be the car that sends BMW back to the drawing board.  I doubt that will happen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if BMW updated the 320i to make it drive more like the CLA to get more sales.

The CLA250 is what could be a breakthrough for Mercedes-Benz.  It’s a lot nicer than the C-Class Sport Coupes of yore, and it looks way better than many of it’s competitors.  It reminds me of the Mercedes-Benz 190e.  The 190e helped Mercedes-Benz reach other markets and younger people, and I’m thinking that the young people driving the Volkswagen GTI will be wanting to get a CLA as their next car.  It’s a far superior car than the Jetta GLI, and it drives more like the GTI than the GLI.  Sure, the CLA isn’t for everybody, but it’s about as close as it gets.  And, this might just happen if Volkswagen isn’t careful.  In the comment section of a Motor Trend article starring the CLA250 and what information they had a month ago, everybody was saying that Mercedes-Benz hit a home run with this car.  It’s the same size as a Ford Fusion, it looks similar, it’s got social status, Mercedes-Benz is known to be reliable, and it’s a nice car.  If you go onto the Ford website and take a Fusion Titanium, it will cost about $37,000, which is pretty darn close to a loaded CLA.  It would be interesting to see how well the CLA places against the Fusion, and some other loaded family sedans.  You can oggle at the CLA at the link so graciously provided by Mercedes-Benz.  http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/benz/innovation/future/model-2014_CLA

By the way, I am expecting you faithful readers to pitch together somewhere between $30,000 and $38,000 to buy me a brand-new CLA250 when it comes to our shores in May…I won’t be happy if there isn’t a 2014 CLA in my driveway…  Really, would you expect me to say something different!?

 

zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info, Road Trips

Making A Grand Entrance, or Getting to Thanksgiving in Style

As you know, Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season with a full belly.  At least 80% of all Americans travel for the holiday.  I know that those who are traveling by road will be traveling the crowded interstates.  For those taking the back roads, I’ve put together a list of ten cars that have at least 400 horsepower and seat four people comfortably.  Tell me which one you’d like to take.

  1. Audi S8:  The 2013 Audi S8 has 520 horsepower, yet it isn’t a car that is 6000 pounds and fast in a straight line like a Rolls.  Instead, it weighs 4400 pounds.  With Audi’s signature Quattro AWD system, the S8 will go where a Rolls would never think of going.  Do you know of any full-size sedans other than the S8 than can get to 60 in 3.5 seconds?  Plus, the interior will enclose you in Alacantara and leather sourced from the finest tanneries in the world.  Not a bad way to travel…
  2. Bentley Mulsanne:  Would you like to make an even grander entrance than the S8?   If you do, take the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne.  A 505 horsepower 6.75 liter, twin turbo V8 powers the massive Bentley to a heart-stopping 4.8 seconds to 60.  It might not be as fast as the S8, but it will look better at speed.  All four of you and your lucky friends will be enshrouded in pillowy, massaging seats that have leather.
  3. Cadillac CTS-V Wagon:   The Caddy is one of the more powerful cars here, yet one of the first choices for a back-road blast.  The CTS-V Wagon is fast, with a top speed of 190 mph (governed!), and it will carry turkeys, luggage, and plenty of eggnog and brew for Thanksgiving without breaking a sweat.  Plus, it will look like you are having a blast.  Which you WILL be, right?
  4. Dodge Charger SRT-8:   The Charger has long held a soft spot in my big car heart.  It’s fast, it makes a statement, and it’s loud.  What’s not to love?  Plus, the SRT-8 can be purchased for under $50,000!  60 mph comes up in a show-stopping 4.3 seconds.  This makes it the large family-oriented performance car of the century!
  5. Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec:  The Hyundai is the first Korean performance sedan.  It competes with the Mercedes-Benz E550, yet offers almost as much room as a MBZ S-Class.  It may be smaller than the gigantic Equus, but it’s MUCH more fun to drive.  Plus, it will get people asking what it is.  Some will think it’s a Lexus, others will think is a Mercedes.  Tell them it’s a Hyundai, and take some photos for me!
  6. Jaguar XJL Supercharged:  The 470 horsepower, 5.0 liter engine is powerful enough to move this big boy.  Fast.  The interior is even nicer than the engine.  There is a suede-like material that Jag used for the headliner that is very soft and nice.  The engine is so powerful that you can load up the trunk and have your friends in the back stretched out.  What’s not to love?
  7. Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged:  The Range Rover Supercharged has a 510 horsepower engine that is basically the same one you’ll find in the XJL Supercharged.  This powerful engine will take the nearly 5000-pound SUV to 60 in a mere 5.2 seconds.  Plus, it will haul all your gear wherever you want it.  You can quite literally load up the shotguns and go hunting wild turkeys in the Rockies.  Plus, it’s got  a very similar interior to the XJL Supercharged.  Not bad for an SUV that costs almost $120,000.
  8. Mercedes-Benz GL550:  The GL wowed the 2013 Motor Trend SUV of the Year judges so much that they named it SUV of the year.  It’s the first MBZ to win that title since 2001.  The GL550 doles out globs of torque and 429 horsepower.  It’s powerful, fast, quiet, AND it will follow the Range Rover Supercharged.  For a while.  The Designo interior rivals that of the luxurious S-Class, with comfortable leather seats that seat seven.  Plus, you can take all your gear in the back and still have room.  It’s bigger than an Escalade, yet smaller than a Navigator EL.
  9. Porsche Panamera GTS:  The powerful Panamera GTS will haul four people in relative comfort, thanks to it’s leather-covered Recaro seats.  It has AWD and 430 horsepower.  It’s like the Nissan GT-R Black Edition, with two more doors!  And a rumbling V8!  Plus, it will get 24.5 mpg on the highway!  VROOOOOOOOM!
  10. Tesla Model S Signature Performance Edition:  The 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year deserves to be on this list.  Why?  It’s extremely powerful electric motor produces 416 horsepower at the wheels.  This means that it’s there as soon as you start it.  It might not have the range of the Mulsanne or the Panamera, but it will make the most amazing entrance ever.  It carries almost as much as a Chevy Equinox, plus it has 285 miles of range!  Plus, you can get to 60 in jolting 4.0 seconds!  This is one silent VROOOOOOOOOOOM!

Have fun daydreaming about what could be, when you’re stuck on the interstate wishing you’d taken the backroads. These cars may not be ‘The Family’s New Car’, but they definitely have serious style!   P.S.  Do you have any cars that have at least 400 horsepower and seat four comfortably?  I’m sure you do…