Subaru – The Unmuffled Auto News

July 1, 2017 zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info

Car Review Time!

Hi there, everyone! It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve posted. School and a new job (exciting, I know!) got in the way. All of my apologies being said and done, it’s time for a new post! I’ve been in the market for a new car for a while, but it was only recently that I started test-driving. I will be posting my reviews of the cars I test drive here…stay tuned! And of course, I’ll tell you what I end up buying (lips are sealed until then). Until then, here’s my reviews of a 2015 Subaru Forester and a 2014 Subaru Outback.

2015 Subaru Forester: The Subaru Forester is a staple for many Americans. It’s a very capable compact SUV in a lot of areas. It’s got a lot of room for whatever you might want to put in the back. I could easily take a couple of friends camping without having to fold the rear seats down. Fold the rear seats down, and you could sleep in the back! If the trunk does get dirty, it’s easily cleanable. Visibility is amazing, thanks to large, airy windows that give the impression of the interior being much larger than it is. That feature is great for taller people like me. The only downside to so many large windows is that it takes a while to heat up or cool down. If you’re tall, you’ll find decent, but not great leg space in the rear seats. You can fit, but you won’t be as comfortable as you would be in the larger, longer Outback. In the driver’s seat, you’ll find comfortable seats for people of most shapes and sizes. The seating position is excellent. You sit high up, and have a commanding view of the road. The mirrors are large, and you are always aware of where the vehicle is on the road. The model I drove wasn’t fully loaded, but it wasn’t unnecessarily loud. It was fairly quiet, but it could certainly do with more sound insulation. There aren’t many buttons to fiddle with, and there weren’t a ton of options. The interior is somewhat bare-bones. To fix that, you have to step up to the loaded model. Now, let’s move onto how it drives.

The Forester is decently quick. Be careful when you’re leaving a stop though, as the throttle tip-in is very aggressive. You’ll scoot across an intersection in no time. One benefit to this is if you’re trying to pass somebody at any speed. The engine can get a little buzzy at higher RPMs, but you never really need to floor it. It’s got more than enough power for everyday driving, and if you want more, Subaru offers a turbocharged engine. The AWD system is great just about everywhere. It turns on a dime. On the test drive, I was able to pull a U-turn on a 2-lane road. Obviously, this is a massive benefit for parking lots, large cities, and off-road. The Forester’s short wheelbase also helps with this. Subaru has been utilizing continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) for several years now, and while I’m not a huge CVT fan, the Forester’s CVT is one of the best on the market. If you’re coming from a car with a conventional automatic transmission, or a manual transmission, it will take a while to get used to no shifting. If you want to have more control over the transmission, the “Sport” mode for the CVT mimics a 6-speed automatic. Is it like an actual automatic transmission? No, but it does a good job of trying!

The Forester has light, communicative steering. You can feel the road surfaces, but you won’t be fighting for control of the car if you hit a large pothole or go over a speedbump. It has great suspension tuning. However, a downside to cars with short wheelbases is that they can feel busy on bumpy roads or on the freeway. It’s not a bad thing, but you do have to make constant, small adjustments to keep the car going straight. It has strong brakes, and the brake pedal feels firm. You have a lot of confidence when you’re braking. It’s got a nice engine note. It’s not that classic Subaru rumble, but it doesn’t sound terrible either.

While I wasn’t able to take the Forester off-road, there are many owners who have. The short wheelbase and AWD means that the Forester is able to go through mud, snow, down a rutted dirt road, through sand, and over most obstacles with ease. It instills a sense of confidence in the driver, especially if it has all-terrain tires. It should only seem obvious why active people flock to the Forester. It’s got plenty of space, is capable off-road, fun on the road, gets decent fuel economy (I averaged about 26 mpg on the test drive), and is easy and affordable to maintain. Plus, it’s safe (5-star NHTSA overall crash test rating)! I would highly recommend the Forester for: young families, active people, people who need a compact SUV, and those who want reliability and safety. A new Forester will start off anywhere between $22,000-$33,000. That’s before options, of course. But, that’s exactly what all of it’s competitors cost. A used Forester (let’s say 2014 and up) will cost about $20,000 or so. That’s not a bad deal, and you get a whole lot of car for the money.

This is a 2018 Forester (image from the Subaru website, all credit given to their talented photographer). This might be my favorite color for the Forester. What’s yours?

2014 Subaru Outback: Essentially a longer Forester, the Outback is also a staple for many Americans. The 2014 Outback I drove was great. I loved it. You don’t sit as high up as you do in a Forester, but you still have a great view of the road. It’s a bit slower than the Forester, but it has enough get up and go for something it’s size. Neither the Outback nor the Forester are sports cars, no matter how hard they try. But hey, trying hard isn’t a bad thing! Subaru really makes some fun cars to drive! The Outback isn’t as sporty as the Forester, but it’s not what Subaru’s engineers designed it to do. It’s not boring by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s not enjoyable in the way that the Forester is. But I’ll get to that later, OK?

Inside the Outback, it’s not nearly as airy as the Forester, but that’s OK. There’s a whole lot more room, especially in the backseat. The interior feels more high-quality as well, despite being the same materials. The seats are even more comfortable, which is an added bonus for long road trips. The backseat has much more space than the Forester. I was able to sit behind my seating position, and have plenty of space. The Outback is much more of a family car than the Forester. The whole interior is much more user-friendly for kids (and adults). Plus, there’s more bells and whistles than the Forester (even in the base model Outback I drove). The trunk is gigantic (the Outback is basically a station wagon branded as an SUV). I could easily fit two bicycles into the trunk without having to fold the rear seat down. Plus, if I wanted to put something onto the roof rack of the Outback, it’s a significantly lower car than the Forester. I wouldn’t have to lift a kayak or mountain bike above my head to put it up, unlike the Forester. The Outback is like a library inside. Even when I floored it and went on a rough road, it was very peaceful inside.

Now, how does the Outback ride and drive? Quite well, if I do say so myself. It’s not as busy of a ride as the Forester is, primarily due to it having a much longer wheelbase. As I previously mentioned, the Outback rides much better than the Forester. It’s smooth and quiet. It’s not as quick as the Forester, but it’s got pep aplenty. It’s still got aggressive throttle tip-in, but it doesn’t rocket off the line like the Forester. It isn’t as fuel-efficient as the Forester, but you don’t buy a Subaru for fuel economy. I averaged about 22 mpg on my test drive, but it’s not unheard of for owners to get anywhere from 18-24 mpg. The Outback doesn’t turn quite as well as the Forester (again, long wheelbase), but it still turns well for how long it is. Thank the AWD for pivoting the car around. The steering feels similar to the Forester’s. For all essential purposes, the Outback rides and drives like a more refined Forester.

Just like with the Forester, the Outback’s AWD is a wonderful feature. Because the Outback is much longer than the Forester, it’s not as good off-road, but it’s still quite capable. There are a few local vineyards that traded in their trucks for Outbacks because the Outbacks are more comfortable, fuel efficient, and just as capable off-road. If you go camping, kayaking, mountain biking, or have an active lifestyle, the Outback is the way to go. The tradeoff in fuel economy for the added space, the better ride and drive, and cushy seats is well worth it. The salesman told me that the Outback was designed for dirt roads, sand, mud, and snow. It’ll follow a Jeep everywhere but rock crawling. Just like the Forester, the Outback is incredibly safe. Think of it as a larger, nicer Forester. Of course, there’s some downsides to a larger vehicle built on the same platform. You’ll get worse miles per gallon, if you go off-roading, you won’t be able to go as far, and how often will you be using all that space?

This is, for all essential purposes, the Outback that I test drove.

If I had to choose one of the two, which one would I pick? That’s a hard question, but for me, I would have to go with the Outback. Even though it gets worse miles per gallon, and I probably won’t use all the space it has to offer sometimes, and let’s be honest here: how often am I going to go off-roading? The Outback rides and drives better than the Forester, is much more comfortable, and is an all-around better fit for me than the Forester.

Stay tuned for future car reviews! I’m glad to be back and writing!

February 9, 2016 zoomvroom Car Culture, Random, The History of Autos, World News

The Cursed Blessing of the Death of Scion

When Toyota started Scion in 2001, nobody expected it to do much of anything. It didn’t. Well, yes, the original xB was an all star smash hit, and the tC was a great combination of bulletproof reliability combined with an astonishingly low asking price, but everything else they did, let’s be honest here, was a massive flop.

The 2001 xB was an excellent car. It was fun to drive, affordable, and instantly lovable. It was, in my eyes, the modern version of the original VW Type 1 Beetle. It was originally marketed towards Gen X, but everyone from teenagers to seniors bought it. It was just that kind of car. Every 10 years or so, there’s a car like that. It comes out of nowhere, sells like cocaine in the 1980s, and is fondly remembered by many. The “toaster,” as it was affectionately called wasn’t fast – it was far from it. It was safe, it had almost as much space as a minivan, thanks to its boxy shape and was easily customizable – from the dealer!

It’s cute, right? I really love the original xB. Can you see why?

Yes, you could walk into a Toyota dealership that sold Scions (I’ll get to that in a bit, I swear), and get a Scion xB, then go over to their customizing desk, and decide how you wanted to customize your xB, all within 20 feet of each other! There were so many options, you had to fill out a questionnaire so the customizing agent could help you out! The great part about this was that you could customize the car to your specific taste, not worry about voiding the warranty and walk out within two hours.

The 2001 Scion xB was the car that kicked off the dealer accessory craze. It was a great marketing tool for many brands. Want a roof rack? You had a choice between Thule and Yakima, and between the two, literally 50 different roof racks to choose from. Want a wrap on your xB? The techs could slap it on in 20 minutes. The list goes on. All these accessories were affordable – you could walk out of the dealership with a Scion xB, customized the way you wanted it, with a good warranty, fully registered and insured, for $22,000.

That’s what the appeal was. As I said, everyone from teenagers to seniors, and everyone in between bought the car. It shocked Scion’s marketing team, and even Toyota. Nobody predicted so many cars would be sold.

Unfortunately, Scion failed to deliver with the second-generation xB. It had gigantic shoes to fill, but it had baby feet. It was heavier – almost 500 pounds heavier. It was more expensive; to the point that people walked over to the Toyota sales desk and bought a Matrix. It used to be that the Matrix was just a hatchback Corolla (the xB was too), but it was kind of like trying to differentiate between twins. The Matrix was cheaper, but it didn’t have the instant customizability that the xB had. The difference showed in sales – Scion still had all their repeat buyers, but the Matrix was just a better car overall. Buyers went to the Matrix, until Toyota killed it in 2013.

Onto the tC. It was a perfectly fine car, but by no means was it on the same level as the Mazda 3 or the Honda Civic. The build quality was great, no doubt about that. It just left something to be desired. But, it was cheap. Dirt cheap. That’s why every 8th car you see on the road is one. Well, maybe not that many, but it sure seems like it. It wasn’t as easily customizable as the xB, but it certainly had it’s benefits. It was cheap enough for those starting to get into the automotive scene to modify it like no tomorrow, but drive it to school or work every day. The Mazda 3 could do that too, but was more expensive. It was also marketed towards college students and above.

The original Scion tC was a smash hit. The second generation wasn’t as wildly popular, but it certainly sold a lot.

Let’s talk about the stupidity of selling Scions next to Toyotas that were similar in price. Seriously, who at Toyota, when they were planning Scion, thought that was a good idea? It’s like selling candy bars next to each other. You can’t choose the right one. That’s what happens when there are too many options. Scion sales would go sky-high for a couple months, then Toyota compact car sales would overtake them like you wouldn’t believe. It was just a constant game of tug-of-war.

Imagine walking into an Armed Forces recruitment center, with all the recruiters standing there, all trying to give you “the best deal you’ll get.” The truth is, they all offer the same thing, but they disguise it well. Just choose the one you like best and the others will find somebody else.

This was Scion’s ultimate downfall in my eyes. They simply couldn’t compete with the elephant in the room.

Yes, they had other problems. Their other cars were practically carbon copies of Toyotas. Why buy a Toyota Yaris hatchback when you could buy a Scion xD? The Yaris was cheaper, and had essentially the same things going for it. The xD had a bit more power, but the Yaris at least looked halfway decent. The xD looked like someone chiseled a block of concrete with an ax, slapped wheels and a price tag on it, and pitched it to Scion.

What might have been the best car Scion made, apart from the 2001 xB, was the FR-S. It was cheap, which was Scion’s main selling point. It was an incredibly fun car to drive, and the perfect one for the budding autocrosser or track day enthusiast. It’s biggest downfall is that Subaru and Toyota sold the exact same car, but with different badges. Yes, I know it was badge engineering, but why buy the Scion when you could buy the Subaru? That was the dilemna many prospective owners faced. It offered more utility and just as much fun as the Miata, but it was a price difference of $2000 between the Scion and the Subaru.

So, what was Scion’s downfall? Poor sales after the redesign of the first-generation xB, offering similar, if not identical products, and no dedicated dealers. Will I miss Scion? Yes. I will miss the magic that the 2001 xB brought to the automotive world, the affordable performance the FR-S brought wailing and burbling into the automotive world, the instant and easy customizability that any Scion brought, and the ferocious sibling rivalry between Toyota and Scion.

Will Scions keep their value? Who knows. Only time will tell. The resale value of the 2001-2007 xB has certainly held up, and likely will for a while. They are cheap, but the price hasn’t gone up or down, like most cars. The tC, a fantastic car in it’s own right, may hold up. It’s hard to tell with that one. The FR-S? Maybe, maybe not. It was a worthy Miata competitor, but it’s identical siblings, the Subaru BR-Z and Toyota GT86 (non-North America markets only), will still be in production.

The FR-S/BR-Z/GT86 was a failed design opportunity. They had a golden opportunity to make a stunning car, and the result is, quite frankly, kind of meh. It doesn’t look like much. Sure, it looks nice, but you don’t point at one and know exactly what it is, like you do with the 2001 xB.tf

I am saddened that Scion couldn’t clean up their act, but they obviously weren’t competitive. Their market went away. They had a nice run though, and there are certainly other choices.

December 15, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Car Reviews, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast, New car info, Random

The Best Cars for This Holiday Season

Yes, this is a holiday tradition for me. I love picking out cars that are perfect for this holiday season. I know that none of you will run out to the dealer and order one as soon as you’ve finished reading this post, but I can keep wishing, right?

Ford Focus RS: If you want a hot ticket into the performance car world, this is it. It’s got AWD sending somewhere around 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels through a six speed manual transmission, this car is definitely going to be eating Corvettes and Honda sportbikes all day long in the canyons and some race tracks. It’s going to be one fun ride. Car & Driver was lucky enough to take a ride in one, and I’ll be a tad bit jealous at them for a while. They said it’s an experience few cars can replicate.
It looks like a legitimate rally car without all of the stickers, doesn’t it? The fans will be right behind you, don’t worry about that!
Chevrolet Colorado: Any version of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado is going to be one of the best trucks on the market. It won the 2016 Motor Trend Truck of the Year award. I should also mention it won the 2015 Truck of the Year award as well. The engine that I would recommend is the 2.8-liter four-cylinder Duramax diesel engine. It gets 26 mpg combined, according to Motor Trend’s “Real MPG” testing procedures. That’s almost as good as my Mazda 3! According to the Real MPG program, a Colorado with any of the available engines (a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a fantastic 3.6-liter V6) will have class-leading mpg. That’s really saying something. If you go for the Duramax, it will tow 7,600 pounds, and will get better mileage than any other Colorado engine. Oh, and it will be much smoother and rewarding to drive. The Colorado, and it’s GMC twin, the Canyon, both received a “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Chevrolet designed the Colorado to be a daily driver for any kind of driver, so it should come as no surprise that it drives like a fullsize sedan with a light rear end. If I was going to recommend any one truck, this would be it.
It looks really sharp, doesn’t it? This is the Trail Boss model, which adds knobby tires, a lightbar, and skid plates.
Volvo XC90: Some of my older readers will remember and love the Volvos of the 1970s and 1980s. They were big tanks of cars, designed with utility rather than sexiness, yet they were so exquisitely built that people bought them over a Mercedes-Benz. Something as simple as the XC90’s key shouldn’t be worth mentioning, yet this one is wonderful. It is made of the same Nappa leather that covers it’s three comfortable rows of seats. Volvo is a really small player in the U.S. Toyota made nearly three times as many Priuses as Volvo sold cars. BMW sells seven cars for each one that Volvo sells in the U.S. You might be surprised to hear that the only engine that you can get with the 2016 XC90 is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Before you get up in arms about that, just know that it cranks out 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. How does it do that? A gigantic turbocharger and a small supercharger that steps in when the turbo is spooling up. It gets 22 mpg combined, according to the EPA. It’s far quieter than the also-new Honda Pilot, which has a screaming V6 that will scare the deer off the road. AWD is standard. Right now, the only powertrain upgrade is to the T8 model, which Volvo claims to be the first seven-seat plug-in hybrid. It makes 313 horsepower from the same engine, but has an electric motor powering the rear wheels, bringing total power output to 400 horsepower. It has some seriously long gearing (80 mph in 3rd gear). Yeah, Volvo is still going after hauling families over hauling some butt. The XC90 has a gigantic touchscreen that Motor Trend called “almost Tesla-like.” A Volvo wouldn’t be a Volvo if it didn’t have more safety features than a crash cart in a hospital. All seven seat belts have pyrotechnic pretensioners, and the front seat frames have energy absorbers to cushion vertical forces during impact. It has a bunch of really great features, but I’m going to skip over most of them. One final safety feature worth mentioning is that the XC90 will automatically activate the brakes if the driver attempts to make a left turn into oncoming traffic. You’re on your own if you somehow make a right turn into oncoming traffic, though. Just like the Tesla Model S was a pivotal car for electric cars in 2013, the Volvo XC90 is a game changer, a moonshot for SUVs.
I don’t care what people say about it – I think it looks really nice for something it’s size.
Subaru WRX: This list wouldn’t be complete without a Subaru on it. Of course I chose the WRX. While Subaru doesn’t make it as a hatchback anymore, which is a true shame, it doesn’t make the WRX any less spectacular. It’s got that wonderful Subaru boxer engine growling howl, and is probably the perfect all-weather car. It can handle it’s own on just about any surface. Good luck keeping up with one with summer tires on a racetrack, or one with winter tires in inclement weather. It’s a stylish jack-of-all-trades.
It doesn’t look like much, but I can tell you it looks mighty intimidating with that gaping hood scoop and wailing four-cylinder.
Audi A3: It starts off at nearly $31,000, so the opening bid itself is a good proposition to buy one. It’s a good-looking car by all means, but it doesn’t advance Audi’s design at all. The car gets more fun to drive as you add on the speed. It just gets really expensive, so keep that in mind when you pile on the options.
See what I mean? It looks nice, but it’s no huge design advancement for Audi.

That’s it for this list. I know it’s shorter than ones in years past, but I think these are all solid choices. You can’t go wrong with any of them. I wish you all a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season. As always, I will be taking a week off about next week, but I’ll update you on Friday about that, don’t worry!

November 22, 2015November 22, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast

The Best Sleepers Sold in America in the Past 25 Years

Many people like to own cars that are beautiful and naturally garner attention. They drive cars like Aston Martins and Jaguars. There are also a lot of people who can’t afford cars like those, but still want their cars to grab attention, so they drive cars like Subaru WRX STI’s and Ford Mustangs. Those cars are loud and proud of it. They grab attention through their noise. It just comes down to a matter of personal choice, and that’s fine.

Many people really like having a car that has great performance, but doesn’t attract throngs of people and law enforcement. Their cars of choice are seemingly Plain Jane cars on the outside, but that doesn’t mean that their performance capabilities are any less than something like an STI.

Here, in no particular order, are the absolute best sleepers that have been sold here in the past 25 years.

GMC Syclone/Typhoon: Some of my readers grew up in the 1990s. It was a technological revolution, and also a time of rebellion and shattering societal norms. GMC’s decision to build the Typhoon and Syclone was probably one of their best. 280 horsepower isn’t very much horsepower for a truck, but all the way back in 1991, it meant 60 mph in five seconds. That’s right on pace with a modern Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang. Thank the 350 lb-ft of torque and the AWD system for that. Most people won’t know what they are looking at. They will see an old truck or SUV that is pretty darn small. That punk in the Honda Civic next to them will have no idea that it will blow his doors off at the stoplight. Trust me, you’ll have to have a bona-fide performance car to beat a Syclone or Typhoon in a drag race. Plus, they are very reliable – Jay Leno daily drove one for years without any problems.
One of the most legendary trucks, let alone sleepers, of all time. It looks so innocent!
Mercedes-Benz S600: Even people who know nothing about cars know about the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. They know it’s expensive and luxurious, but nothing past that, really. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice the W220 (chassis generation, just like people know generations of the Ford Mustang as the Foxbody, the SN 95, the S197 and S550) anymore. It still looks dapper, but at this point, it’s generic enough that it flies under the radar with ease. Only us car people will know what they are looking at. Any S600 is going to be quick, but the 2003 update made it something fearsome. The 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 snarled out 493 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. It’s the banker’s hot rod, just like the Hudson Hornet was in the 1950s. Oh, and if you put a straight piped exhaust on the S600, it sounds like a Formula 1 car.
While it still looks nice, the average person would brush it off as just another Mercedes-Benz. However, any Mercedes with these wheels will blow the doors off of just about anything.
Mercury Marauder: Ford’s Panther platform always had potential for performance, but Ford was always interested in selling Crown Victorias, Grand Marquis and Town Cars to retirees, limo companies, law enforcement agencies and taxi companies that they left most of the performance potential untapped to enterprising tuners. That all changed in 2003. The Mercury Marauder was a souped-up Grand Marquis that had a lot of parts borrowed from the Crown Victoria P71 (Police Interceptor Package). It also borrowed some go-fast goodies from the Mustang. Very few people could tell the difference between a Grand Marquis and a Marauder, but under the generic sheetmetal, the Marauder was something to be feared. It had a 302 horsepower V8 and a heavily improved suspension. It didn’t drive like a Grand Marquis or a Crown Victoria. The entire point of the car was to show the world “Why not?”
Doesn’t look like much, does it?
Volvo V70 R: Station wagons haven’t been the preferred method of kid schlepping in many years, which is a true shame. Even when they were popular, they weren’t cool. Any station wagon that has a Volvo badge on it is going to be recognized as safe, but nobody ever drives a Volvo aggressively. Now, chuck all of what I have just said out of the window. Never think or speak of it again. The Volvo V70 R had an inline five cylinder engine that cranked out 296 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque that went to the wheels via a Haldex AWD system. It hit 60 mph in under six seconds, which made it ideal for the dad who wanted a Mazda Miata with room for his wife and their kids and dog.
Saab 9-2X Aero: While the Subaru WRX is a great car in it’s own right, it’s the exact opposite of a sleeper. It’s loud and it attracts more attention than the cute girl in high school. If you liked how the WRX drove, but wanted something more toned down, look no further than the Saab 9-2X Aero. It used to be that there was no option like the Saab 9-2X Aero. Then some brilliant mind at GM decided that they needed to dive into the compact luxury car market. The result was the Saab 9-2X Aero. It was based off of the WRX, but the interior was much more premium, the car wasn’t nearly as loud, the looks were toned down, but at heart, it’s still a Subaru WRX.
It’s just a luxurious Subaru WRX. It’s really compact, which is great if you live in a city.
Mazdaspeed 6: In the midsize sedan segment, many cars will put you straight to sleep. The Mazda 6 has never been one of those cars, and as such, is always my first suggestion for a family sedan. Even though it’s fun to drive, it’s still nothing special at the end of the day. However, Mazda decided to throw practicality and sensibility out the window. They handed a Mazda 6 over to the brilliant minds over at Mazdaspeed, and let them work their magic. The result was a 270 horsepower, turbocharged, AWD sedan with a six speed manual. Pure brilliance. It could hit 60 mph in under 5.5 seconds, yet looked like an average Mazda 6 to the untrained eye. And yes mom, it still has all the practicality of a family sedan. It just happens to be far faster than any other family sedan.
It looks like just another family sedan. However, anybody who has read this post knows what’s up with this car.
Chevrolet Cobalt SS: The Chevrolet Cavalier was a truly terrible car. While it’s replacement, the Cobalt, was a vast improvement, it wasn’t a good car by any stretch of the imagination. It was an inexpensive car that catered to those who needed a brand-new economy car despite the fact that a three-year-old Toyota Corolla was a much better car. It sold well. Chevrolet somehow managed to redeem the Cobalt. The Cobalt SS was probably one of the greatest pocket rockets to ever race around. It was unexpectedly fast, and incredibly adept on any race course or autocross course. A 205 horsepower version came out first, but the real gem was the 260 horsepower turbocharged version. Even with a gigantic rear wing, nobody expects a Chevrolet Cobalt to be that fast. One way to make it even more of a sleeper is to remove the wing and put on non-SS Cobalt wheels. Talk about a sleeper of epic proportions!
It looks like just another Chevrolet Cobalt, but with big wheels. Acceleration is best achieved by flat-footing it (where you keep the gas pedal planted, and shift without lifting).
Ford Taurus SHO: While the original Ford Taurus was a great car, the original Taurus SHO (Super High ) is a legend in the performance sedan world. The current generation does not look at all like a performance car. It’s a comfortable cruiser and a good police car, but it looks like nothing special. Part of what makes the current SHO such a sleeper is that the automotive press basically wrote it off when it was introduced. Even in the SHO trim, it’s meant for being an effortless cruiser, not a canyon carver. This doesn’t mean that you should try and do a stoplight drag race with one. An SHO can hit 60 mph in just over five seconds to 60 mph.
If you’re a fan of fullsize sedans and the word stonking fast, look into getting a Ford Taurus SHO.
Chevrolet SS: Even though this is a list of sleepers sold in America over the past 25 years, the Chevrolet SS truly deserves to be on the list of all-time sleepers. How many cars can claim the accomplishment of having basically nobody know they exist? While some reviewers would consider it a flaw that the SS blends in with all of the boring cars, it’s actually a good thing. 99% of the people you pass in the SS will think it’s a Malibu, if they even notice it at all. They are wrong because it has a 415-horsepower Corvette engine, a six-speed manual and a magnetic suspension sourced from the Corvette. It’s the car that’s so anonymous that no cop will pull you over.
Really looks like nothing, doesn’t it? Here’s to hoping that the FBI has good taste in cars and starts using these!

September 1, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast, Humor, Random, The auto dictionary. Look it up here!

The Most Unlikely Off-Road Cars Ever!

Why should you buy a Jeep, a Toyota Land Cruiser, or a Subaru for off-roading pleasures when you could have one of these machines?

Rolls-Royce Corniche: This car competed and finished the 1981 Paris-Dakar Rally! While it wasn’t exactly stock, it was still cool. It had a custom tube frame, a GM small-block V8, a Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD system and an 87-gallon fuel tank. It’s quite possibly the coolest Rolls-Royce ever.
Bentley Continental GT Speed: This car might handle itself like a proper British touring car when celebrities and the upper elite drive it around, but when “Top Gear” got their mitts on it, everything changed. They put rally driver Kris Meeke in the driver’s seat and Captain Slow (or James May) in the passenger seat. This meant that the car’s full potential was finally untapped. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrNzPInDja0
Aixam Mega Track: Yeah, the name is weird. They probably could have thought of a better one. Aixam built “world-famous” economy cars. Out of the blue came this monster. It was a 400 horsepower, four-seat rally/supercar/absolute beast of a car. Yes, it was unexpected, but it was a gift from God.
Ferrari 308 GTB: Yeah, you heard me. A Ferrari was a rally car. A very successful one at that. It made the podium 20 times at rallies across Europe in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, Ferrari’s rallying and winning shenanigans were put to an end when the FIA dissolved the legendary Group B batch of rally cars.
Ford Galaxie: Anybody who has bombed down a dirt road in an old muscle car knows that they make the best rally cars. This Ford Galaxie races alongside other intensely cool old cars in the Baja peninsula. The governing body is called the National Off Road Racing Association, or NORRA. This heavily modified Ford Galaxie shows us how it does business, in a very good scary way!
Lotus Esprite: Yes, really. The classically-unreliable British sports car actually did a very good job off road. After watching the “Top Gear” episode where they took this car off road, I am still in awe of how well this car performs off road!
Geo Metro: Yeah, you heard me. The tiny, crappy economy car actually performs well off road. There’s a guy who actually LIVES out of the thing! Well, not living IN it, but he’s gone a lot of places in the tiny little car!
Ducati 1199 Panigale TerraCorse: This motorcycle is already a great track bike, but a Ducati dealer wanted to take it a step further. He simply adjusted the stock suspension parts, swapped the tires and brakes out, gave it an amazing paint job, and fabricated a skid plate. This bike turned into a holy terror on dirt roads. Watch out BMX bikes!

Of course, there are many more that I could mention. However, these are some really cool unlikely off-roaders. If you’ve ever owned an unlikely off-roader that I didn’t mention, let me know in the comments section!

July 3, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Gifts for the Car Enthusiast

More of the Best Japanese Sports Cars Ever!

This is a follow-up to one of my most popular posts of all time. Japan has given us some of the most iconic, endearing, and usable sports cars ever to drive.

1959 Datsun Sports/Fairlady: It was known as the Datsun Fairlady in Japan, but over here, it was known as the Datsun Sports. It came with a 1,500 cc engine, a 1,600 cc engine, or a larger 2,000 cc engine. It started as a cheaper competitor to the MG Midget, but it had a fiberglass body instead of the aluminum used in the MG. It developed into one of the most successful road-racing cars in the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America).
This is a 1962 model, but it is essentially the same as the 1959 model.
1963 Honda S500: This was Honda’s first car. While it’s successor, the S600 enjoyed numerous class wins in the SCCA and other road racing bodies, the S500 shouldn’t be forgotten. The S500 weighed a mere 1,500 pounds, and it was powered by a tiny 500 cc dual-overhead-cam engine with a 9,500 RPM redline. It had one motorcycle influence – chain-driven wheels. It was a fast, sprightly little car that could hang with the big boys.
1965 Toyota Sports 800: This was Toyota’s first sports car, and while it wasn’t a hit in the US, it’s had a devout following since day one. It has 44 horsepower, and a removable targa top. Oh, and it’s pretty cute.
The only thing that isn’t stock about this beautiful 1965 Toyota Sports 800 are the wheels, but I think it adds a nice touch.
1967 Toyota 2000GT: Riding off of the success of the Sports 800 in Japan, Toyota decided to build a competitor to the Jaguar E-Type. The result is the absolutely stunning Toyota 2000GT. Toyota teamed up with Yamaha to develop the engine and transmission, and boy did Yamaha deliver! It’s an achingly gorgeous car that breezes well over $1 million at auction.
1968 Datsun Bluebird/1300-1600/510: Datsun essentially reverse-engineered the legendary BMW 1600, and this wonderful rally/drift machine was born. It was known as the Bluebird in Europe, the 1300-1600 in Asia, and the 510 here in America. It still holds 2wd rally records. It’s one of the most legendary sports coupes ever made, and you can buy one for a relatively low price.
This is a picture from one of the original advertisements that Datsun put out in 1968. The No. 85 car is one of the legendary rally cars.
1970 Datsun 240Z: This is certainly one of the most beautiful sports cars ever made, let alone one of the most beautiful cars ever made. My grandparents and dad used to own one, but guess who decided to sell it so I couldn’t enjoy it? It had a single-overhead-cam inline six cylinder engine, a five speed manual, and fully independent suspension. European sports cars never knew what passed them.
1971 Mazda RX-2 and RX-3: These cars were the precursors to the legendary RX-7. The RX-2 set so many records and poles in IMSA that rotary engines got banned. The RX-3 went 160 mph at Bonneville.
This is a 1971 Mazda RX-2. It’s not exactly pretty, but it got the job done.

This is the slightly larger 1971 Mazda RX-3. It’s equally homely, but it was much faster than the RX-2.
1979 Toyota Celica: The original Toyota Celica was for all essential purposes, a Datsun 240Z with icing on the cake. While it didn’t have a six-cylinder engine, it had a rear seat, and therefore, more utility. It was originally somewhat homely, but then the legendary AE86 generation came around, and it had totally ’80s styling, man.
Most teenage boys in the late 1970s and early 1980s really wanted to own a 1978 Celica notchback, like this. You can decide if they really wanted it that badly.
1982 Datsun Maxima: This is the precursor to the Nissan Maxima. It borrowed powertrain components from the 240Z, and was supposed to be a very fun car to drive.
1985 Toyota MR2: You can call it Mister Two. It was inspired by the then-fast Ferrari Testarossa. It was a break from the monotonous, boring cars Toyota had been cranking out…oh wait, they still are!
You can call it Mister 2.
1986 Honda Civic, CRX, and Prelude Si: The year 1986 was a good year for car people. Honda released the Si model for the Civic, CRX, and Prelude. It upped speed and handling prowess. These cars are still fast enough to keep up with a modern Porsche Cayman on a winding road or a race track. Plus, you can get them for very little money, as Honda made a lot of them!
This is the 1986 Civic Si, which was basically a four-seat CRX. It had more utility, but was slightly slower.

The 1986 Prelude Si was a sporty, yet very refined car. It had tuned port fuel injection, which was rare for the time. Yet, it was still affordable to the everyman.

This is the infamous 1986 Honda CRX Si. It’s still fast enough to keep up with a new Miata.
1988 Honda Prelude: Honda took the already-impressive Prelude Si, made all of it’s equipment standard, and then added four-wheel steering to it. It was a speedy little car.
1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata: It’s a sprightly Lotus-inspired roadster that is now the world’s favorite roadster out there. It took all of the fun charms that British and Italian roadsters had, and added bulletproof reliability to the mix. It’s also the world’s most popular race car. Need I say more? I really want one (hint, hint Zayzee)…
1991 Acura NSX: Acura’s NSX is still one of the most amazing supercars ever. It’s so reliable that you can daily drive it without having to worry about overheating it. It has a sleek aluminum body that looks fabulous in red (just to rub it in to Ferrari), and it’s 3.0-liter V6 revs to 8,000 RPM. It’s V6 has the original VTEC system, which is just a variable timing and lift valvetrain. VTEC comes from motorcycles, but it first appeared in 1989 with the Acura Integra GS-R for Japan only.
It’s 24 years old, yet it’s still incredibly fast, and has styling that is superb.
1994 Toyota Supra: The Supra finally matured in it’s fourth generation. It’s still one of the most legendary sports cars around. It’s twin-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE engine further catapulted the Supra into fame. Most have been tuned to within an inch of their life, so it’s rare to see a stock fourth-generation Supra.
1992 Mazda RX-7: The third, and final generation of the legendary Mazda RX-7 arrived in 1992 with sequential turbocharging, beautiful bodywork, and vastly improved handling. It’s been successful on the racing circuit, and is still winning awards in Formula Drift.
2000 Honda S2000: How does Honda celebrate their 50th birthday? By building an incredible successor to the S600, that’s how! The S2000 was powered by a 9,000 RPM 2.0-liter VTEC four-cylinder engine that screams to the heavens. It’s supposed to be one of the most visceral and engaging cars ever to come out of a factory’s doors.
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII: It’s a cross between a road-racing machine and a rally car. It had massive Brembo brakes, Bilstein shocks with lots of travel that somehow allowed for perfect car control, and a massive, provocative carbon-fiber rear wing. It’s instantly recognizable.
2004 Mazda RX-8: The Mazda RX-8 was the last dying gasp for rotary engines. It had doors like an extended cab pickup truck, and a backseat. It drank fuel like a sailor, and ate oil like a long-haul trucker. If you started driving it before the engine was warm, you’d flood the engine. If you turned it off without letting it idle for a few minutes, you’d cook the rotors. Yet, people still love them.
2009 Nissan GT-R: Nissan took the GT-R to uncharted heights in terms of performance. It has a twin-turbo V6, AWD, and a video-game dashboard just for kicks. It’s performance is truly astonishing. It can grip like nothing else out there, and it’s acceleration is only rivaled by hypercars like the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. And a garden-variety brand-new one costs about $100,000.
It’s Godzilla! The nickname came around after an automotive journalist looked at all of the races that the original GT-R had won, and proclaimed it “Godzilla.” It’s a fitting nickname.
2012 Lexus LFA: Lexus took a stab at the supercar market with the clunky and odd LFA. They brought a butterknife to a minigun fight. They built 500 LFA supercars that are somehow coveted right now. They aren’t fast by supercar standards, and they aren’t very much fun to drive. Their transmission can never replicate a shift, so you either get slammed back into your seat, or you don’t notice it shifting at all. There is no in between. That being said, it’s 4.8-liter V10 sounds spectacular, and revs to the heavens. Lexus likely lost money selling each LFA. Building supercars is an expensive, risky business.
2012 Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86: This might just be the best Subaru/Toyota pairing ever. It’s certainly an odd pairing – Toyota and Subaru are competitors, but their collaboration resulted in a really fun car. The Scion FR-S is a bit more loose, as it’s meant more for drifting, whereas the Subaru is a bit tighter, as it’s meant for canyon carving and track duty. They’re really affordable – a well-optioned one comes in about $30,000, and they have a lot to offer: RWD, fuel efficiency, fun-to-drive factor, reliability, standard manual transmission, etc.

Those are what I think to be more of the best Japanese sports cars ever made. I’d love to hear more of your stories about any of these cars, or which one is your favorite.

June 2, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Field Trips, Random, Road Trips

What the OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car is Really About

It all began at the SEMA show in 2004 or 2005. OPTIMA’s Director of Product Development and Marketing, Cam Douglass, was in awe of all of the pro-built cars being shown, and couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to these cars than just having brand name parts and looking cool.

It took him a few years of talking to people and a whole lot of planning, but then Douglass met Jimi Day, and the idea became a reality. It went from the SEMA show floor to the nearby track, Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch.

As expected, Pro-Touring cars were all over the headlines. I mean, how could they not be when iconic cars like RJ Gottlieb’s Big Red Camaro and Steven Rupp’s Bad Penny Camaro were competing? In fact, they continued to grab headlines because Gottlieb and Rupp were more than willing to push both themselves and their cars to the absolute limit.

In the first year alone of OUSCI (OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational), there were some well-performing cars in the field. There was a 2004 Porsche 911, a brand-new Pontiac G8, a Lincoln MKX of all things, a new Dodge Challenger, and several late-model Corvettes.

Why such a diverse field of cars? Because otherwise, how would you determine what the “ultimate” street car really was? The whole point of OUSCI is to see if SEMA show cars could perform as well on the track as they could look good at a show. There never were, and never will be limitations on the year, make, model, or build style of the cars. Otherwise there would be no real valid way to determine whether the winner was the ultimate street car.

The OUSCI field is the most diverse it has ever been, with cars like Jonathan Ward’s 1948 Buick ICON Special to Dieter Heinz-Kijora’s 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, and more than 100 cars in between those extremes. Yes, Pro-Touring cars are still a big part of the mix, but anybody who owns a street-legal car or truck has a chance at getting to the invitational. Just ask Thomas Smith about his 120,000 mile daily-driven 2005 Subaru WRX STI.

If you’re interested in going to a qualifying event to just watch, or to try and get to the invitational, they happen all over the country. I’ve attached a link for you, where you can register for a qualifying event if you’re interested at http://driveusca.com/events/

Every vehicle that makes the cut is placed on display at SEMA for a week, before heading out to the OUSCI at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

This is 2010 OUSCI competitor Mike Musto's 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona replica. He's a host for the /DRIVE network on YouTube, which I highly recommend, and this is one of the coolest cars I've ever seen. — This is 2010 OUSCI competitor Mike Musto’s 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona replica. He’s a host for the /DRIVE network on YouTube, which I highly recommend, and this is one of the coolest cars I’ve ever seen.

This is just a beautiful picture from Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was taken at the end of the 2014 OUSCI.

This is Bob Benson's totally cool 1972 De Tomaso Pantera from the 2013 OUSCI. It's just epic looking, isn't it? — This is Bob Benson’s totally cool 1972 De Tomaso Pantera from the 2013 OUSCI. It’s just epic looking, isn’t it?

December 11, 2014December 11, 2014 zoomvroom Car Culture, Random

Hilariously Cheap Winter Beaters!

So, we all remember that big post I did a while back on the best cars for winter, right? Well, these cars will fit into almost everybody’s budget. They’re sure to put a big smile on your face, and you’ll miss them because of the fun factor – not for being collectible.

Any Subaru (preferably turbocharged):

Subies come in all shapes and sizes. The older they get, the cheaper they get. They also come with less amenities than your couch. That being said, any Subaru from the last 20 years will likely only need basic work done to it (tires, alignment – if you’re lucky. All Subaru engines need a new head gasket at some point). It will take you through all kinds of weather, and the AWD will save your butt all over the place. Plus, they are fun to drive, and they don’t need tire chains in the winter!

This is a Subaru in it’s natural element…

If you can’t swing the WRX, go for something older.

This is the Subaru SVX. It was Subaru’s much-maligned sports car of the early 1990s turbo hype. It wasn’t very successful on the racing circuit, but you can stuff a late-model Subaru engine into one without too much work. It looks funky, but it will be the only sports car from the 1990s that is driving around your town in the winter.

Long-bed, full-size pickup trucks:

They come in all shapes and sizes. You can get them with a regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab. They come with engines in all shapes and sizes. If you get a heavy-duty version, you can get a job as a snowplow driver with it. You just go to the dealer and have them install a snowplow kit, go to the local chamber of commerce, and become a snowplow driver. Snowbelt towns are always in critically low supply of snowplow drivers (for very good reason), but they lure folks in with benefits (hot drinks) and reasonable pay. You can pick them up for next to nothing, but make sure that it is in good running condition. Oh, and it should be 4X4. If it’s a GM pickup, you can yank the engine out and put it into that poor project car in your garage that just needs an engine. It will run forever, and you can go to any junkyard in the country and find parts for it.

1980s Chevrolet Camaro:

You know/remember them well. The IROC-era Camaro’s that had little more than big wheels and body kits on top of pitiful engines. Well, most states don’t require smog for cars like that. That means you can go straight to nelsonracingengines.com and get yourself a 2,000 horsepower, twin-turbo Chevy small-block V-8. Oh, and get a set of studded tires. You’ll never be stuck again. Or, you can just get a crate naturally-aspirated small-block Chevy engine for a few thousand. You can throw on a better set of suspension, have good summer tires in the garage, and go autocrossing and bombing around the roads in the summer. Sounds like a good package to me. Oh, and you can get them for a few grand. You’re thinking what I’m thinking.

This is stock.

This is not stock.

Jeep Wrangler:

It’s a Jeep. Need I say more? It will take you anywhere and everywhere without complaining. You don’t buy a Jeep and keep it stock. It’s got one of the largest aftermarkets in the world. You can build a rock-crawler, a dune-basher, an autocross machine, and a dragster. Oh, and everything in between. Lift kits can range from about $1,000-5,000. That leaves you plenty of money for tires, wheels, interior doodads, engine/transmission upgrades, and various other items. What I’m saying is you can do anything to a Jeep, and somebody else will have done it before you. There is no first. Just make sure that the heater works. Oh, and getting one with the bullet-proof 4.0-liter I6 is a good choice.

This is stock. Notice how small the wheels and tires are? Yeah, that will have to change.

This is an infamous Willys. Look up “LSX Willys” on YouTube for proof. It’s the ONLY Jeep in the world to beat a Corvette ZR1. I think all that it needs is a set of studded snow tires and a fearless driver.

That’s all I have for you today. If you have a hilariously cheap winter beater that you drive all of the time in the winter, tell me in the comments section. I might even do a part II!

April 4, 2014April 4, 2014 zoomvroom Car Culture, Car Reviews, Vehicle repair

10 Cars That You Just Have to Love, Even if They Were Lemons

Lots of cars are reliable. Lots of cars aren’t reliable. A lot of British and German cars fall into the not-so-reliable category. My uncle can attest to that with the fact that his 2001 Jaguar XK8 has spent about half of its life in the shop. On the other side of reliability, another one of my uncles had an Audi Quattro for something like 10 years, and he never had any reliability issues. My dad’s had trouble with his 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD with the Duramax diesel engine. My 2003 Chrysler Town & Country is just a few hundred miles away from hitting 200,000 miles, and it’s been one of the most reliable cars that I’ve ever seen. Anyhow, the basic premise of this blog post is to tell you the top 10 cars that we all love, even if they were (or still are) lemons.

2001-2005 Porsche 911 and Boxster: The 996-generation Porsche 911 was the first Porsche to ever have a water-cooled engine. For Porschephiles, that’s the equivalent of the Pope converting to Buddhism. The 2001-2005 Porsche 911 and Boxster had a teeny, weeny, little problem with their engines where the faulty intermediate shafts could fail, turning a fine sports car into a very expensive paperweight. Even after enough owner complaints, Porsche started fixing the problem, but only on a case-by-case basis, which meant that many owners were left out to dry unfairly. It’s easily one of the largest black spots in Porsche history, which is a true shame, because these cars were otherwise some very nice drives.
2001-2003 Subaru WRX: The first Subaru WRX to be offered in the U.S. had a massive problem with the transmission. The five-speed manuals were extremely fragile, and the tuner-friendly engine often meant that the tiny boxer four-cylinder engine was tuned to within an inch of its life. All Subarus have problems with their head gasket, but the 2001-2003 WRX often gave its head gasket up before it even reached 100,000 miles. I can forgive all of this, because aside from these two problems, it’s a reliable daily driver that’s a LOT of fun. The purity of these WRX’s means that your inner Swedish rally driver fantasies can come true.
1993-1995 Mazda RX-7: One of the last rotary-powered cars (the last was the Mazda RX-8), the Mazda RX-7 was a true driver’s car. However, apex seal failure hangs over every owner’s head like a cloud. Apex seal failure means a complete engine rebuild or replacement if the car is not maintained at the proper intervals. The massive amounts of premium fuel and oil going into the engine didn’t help matters, either. Still, the 3rd-generation Mazda RX-7 is an amazing driver’s car. Plus, many owners say that there’s truly nothing like spooling up the second sequential turbocharger. Mazda had made the RX-7 with two turbochargers – one for the lower rev range only, and the other for the upper rev range only. It’s been a long, long time since the last RX-7 was built, and I really hope that Mazda gets their act together and builds an RX-9.
1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra: This was a one-model-year special put on by Ford, and it was supposed to be a drag racing special for the street. However, it didn’t take long for enthusiasts, mainly drag racers, to figure out that it was making WAY less than the 320 horsepower that Ford advertised. Ford traced the problem to aluminum residue in the intake and exhaust systems. Ford did well by fixing the problem free of charge. However, the public snafu on Ford’s part caused Ford to drop production of the SVT Cobra after just one model year. The upside is that there are no other reliability problems with the SVT Cobra Mustang. Because it’s a single-model-year special-edition Mustang, it’s got potential to be a future classic. Don’t be intimidated if you see one for sale with lots of modifications – Ford designed this car to be tuner-friendly. Just make sure that there’s good documentation of the car.
2008-2010 Nissan GT-R: Like many supercars, the Nissan GT-R came with launch control. The difference was that the launch control function could potentially blow up the transmission and void the warranty, leaving the unlucky owner with a $20,000 repair bill. Nissan settled a class-action lawsuit in Decemer 2010, and the launch control was dialed back on 2011-up models. It’s impossible not to love the GT-R and it’s mind-altering ability to be an absolute freight train on race tracks of any kind, just avoid the hard launches.
2001-2006 MINI Cooper S: Anybody who was (or is) an owner of the 2001-2006 MINI Cooper S felt more like a beta tester for a video game than anything else. Here’s the relatively short list of, uh, ‘bugs:’ Electric power steering pumps that could catch fire, supercharger failure after just 80,000 miles, and head gaskets that seemed to be timed to blow up as soon as the warranty expired. Despite it being a sub-$20,000 car new (and used), it’s got maintenance costs of a 2001-2005 Porsche 911 or Boxster (see #1 on this list for reference). If you can forgive those faults, the handling is some of the best this world has ever seen.
2010 Ferrari 458 Italia: Most mid-engine Ferrari’s have a wholly undeserved reputation for spontaneous combustion. However, with the 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia, the argument was valid. The adhesive bonding between the wheelwell and the engine heat shield would melt and catch fire. Reports vary, and if Ferrari is to be believed, only 11 cars were affected by this. All 1248 Ferrari 458 Italias sold until that point were recalled. Ferrari still claims that this only happened during hard driving, but asking owners of Ferraris to not drive their car hard is laughable. After the concerns of owners becoming BBQ, the Ferrari 458 Italia once again ascended to its rightful place as the best mid-engine car the world has ever seen.
2003 GMC Sierra 2500HD: These things are supposed to be bulletproof, right? Think again. The fuel injection systems on the Duramax diesel-engine trucks are notorious for the fuel injectors cracking. My dad has a 2003 GMC Sierra 2500HD, and the engine’s been rebuilt something like 4 times. If you buy one of these vehicles, make sure to get it with the LQ4 6.0-liter V8. The Allison 1000 heavy-duty transmissions will go over 150,000 miles without trouble. Just DON’T get it with the Duramax! Not only are engine rebuilds expensive, but they are frequent. If you buy one, make sure you find one with good documentation, as many of these were used for hauling and towing, both of which put phenomenal stress on the engine and transmission.
1996-2005 Volkswagen Passat: This was the infamous era of VW unreliability. The B5-generation of the Passat had steering problems – the rack-and-pinion assembly was prone to stripping, which means no steering. When it stripped, it would burn out the power booster, which means that other parts are brought into the mix. Volkswagen made a lot of these cars, and some of them are good. Other family sedans are good choices.
2003 Land Rover Freelander: This is quite possibly one of THE most unreliable vehicles EVER! It was quite simply bad. The engine was bad, the cheap interior fell apart after just a few thousand miles, and forget replacing parts for it. The replacement parts were usually just as bad as the stock parts. Avoid this car at ALL costs!

January 19, 2014 zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info, World News

The 12 Stunning Detroit International Auto Show Debuts!

The Detroit International Auto Show always has a lot of cool new debuts. As one might expect, a LOT of new American metal debuts there. But, foreign cars are also starting to be debuted at Detroit more and more. Enjoy my top 12 debuts

2015 Ford F150: With the majority of the 2015 Ford F150 made out of aluminum, the 2015 Ford F150 lost almost 700 pounds. In terms of design, Ford clearly heard the raving about the Atlas Concept. The 2015 F150 looks almost exactly like the Atlas! In terms of engines, Ford’s taken the liberty of making smaller, more powerful engines the norm for the F150. The base engine is a 3.5-liter V6 (the same one residing under the hood of the Explorer). Ford also dropped the thirsty 6.2-liter V8 from the lineup. The only available V8 is the splendid 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 shared with the Mustang. The 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 stays, but the EcoBoost has a smaller EcoBoost sister engine. The smaller EcoBoost engine displaces a seemingly small 2.7 liters, yet makes as much power as the outgoing 3.7-liter V6. All four engines will be mated to Ford’s six-speed automatic, but don’t be surprised to see the 10-speed automatic being co-developed with GM come into the mix sometime soon. I can’t wait to see the 2015 F150 in person!
2015 Chrysler 200: Chrysler’s been hit hard the last five or six years. First, it’s bankruptcy. Then, it’s being bought out completely by Fiat, then it’s just about every model coming out of the Auburn Hills factory being blasted with hate mail from every single automotive magazine in the U.S. Chrysler’s trying to make up that image. The design of the 2015 Chrysler 200 is simply stunning. Based on the Dodge Dart’s platform, the 2015 Chrysler 200 will be instantly recognizable to anybody who has seen a 2013 Dodge Dart. Chrysler’s trying to make the 200 easier to live with. It’s got standard pass-through storage, better ergonomics, and most things in the cabin are electronic. The 9-speed automatic that is used in the Jeep Cherokee will be standard across the line. A 2.4-liter TigerShark 4-cylinder engine borrowed from the Dodge Dart is standard. The step-up engine is a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. I don’t know about you, but Chrysler just might be able to make an extremely competitive car in an extremely competitive segment.
2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe: Cadillac’s seen a massive resurgence in past years. The 2008 CTS won Motor Trend’s 2008 Car of the Year trophy, and the 2013 ATS and 2014 CTS have both been praised for their good looks and fun-to-drive factors. Just about everything is shared with the ATS sedan. That’s a good thing. The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine has 295-lb-ft of torque available at 3000 RPM. Amazingly, the ATS coupe is said to weigh just 45 more pounds than the ATS sedan. Cadillac’s even partnered with AT&T, Verizon, and T Mobile to ensure that the ATS Coupe has 4G LTE hotspot connectivity.
2015 BMW M3/M4: BMW’s become obsessed with turbocharged engines. Not only do they offer more performance, but they reduce weight and give better fuel economy. The 2015 M3/M4 have a twin-turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine that makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 425 horsepower. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual (score for the purists), and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission borrowed from the M5 is optional. BMW says that they cut 175 pounds compared to the E90 generation M3, so the 2015 M3/M4 should weigh about as much as an E46 M3. The M3/M4 look extremely aggressive. The front ends have massive air intakes, a bulging power-rise hood, and a wider front and rear track compared to the standard 3/4 Series models.
2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZO6: The 2015 ZO6 makes 625 horsepower (13 less than the ZR-1), and it has an 8-speed automatic transmission that shifts faster than a Porsche PDK transmission. Chevy’s offering THREE aerodynamics packages borrowed from the C7.R race car, and it has the seven-speed manual transmission from the regular Stingray standard. GM says that the 2015 ZO6 shattered course records at the Milford proving grounds on its FIRST time at the track!
2015 Ford Mustang: Since I’ve already covered the 2015 Ford Mustang, I won’t spend too terribly much time on the 2015 Mustang. Ford won’t answer many questions about the 2015 Mustang, which means that they’re still working on it. Whatever. It looks great, and I expect it to handle much better, as it’s been redesigned from the ground up!
2014 Porsche 911 Targa: Finally, Porsche’s come out with the return of the iconic 911 Targa. The 911 Targa doesn’t have the sliding top like previous Targas. The Porsche 911 Targa is sure to bring back fond memories for many. Because it’s a Porsche, expect to be set back at least $100,000 for a Targa 4S. I can’t wait to see the 2014 911 Targa in person!
2015 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: Subaru has made it’s reputation for making pocket rockets. The 2015 WRX gave some hope for enthusiasts. It’s equally at home rocketing down a gravel road or zooming around a track. The STI improves on that. It makes 305 horsepower (it uses the same engine as the previous generation), but it looks a whole lot better than the previous generation. It looks more like a DTM race car combined with a WRC rally car. Subie won’t tell ANYBODY how much the STI will weigh. That’s a shame, because previous Subaru WRX STI’s have been plump.
Kia GT4 Stinger Concept: I think that I can safely agree with everybody here that Kia seriously needs to stop making amazing-looking concept cars until it decides to build them. The GT4 Stinger has four seats, a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, and a six-speed manual. Naturally, one’s mind drifts towards the Subaru BR-Z and Scion FR-S, the natural competitors to the GT4 Stinger. Before Kia shoves this car into some secret bunker at the 38th Parallel, they need to build this car. The engine is essentially a depowered version of the 400-horsepower engine used in the Pirelli World Challenge Optimas. Kia, are you reading my thoughts? If you are, BUILD THIS CAR!
Toyota FT-1 Concept: Toyota’s trying to appeal to enthusiasts. The last car that did that? The Supra. Toyota’s FT-1 looks stunning, and it’s even available in Gran Turismo 6! Toyota won’t tell what’s under the hood. We all know that the Supra engine is dead. Lexus is experimenting with high-powered 5.0-liter V8s in the IS F, and I could easily see the IS F’s engine under the hood of this stunning concept. Even if Toyota doesn’t build this car, it still shows what future Toyota styling might look like.
Volvo XC Concept Coupe: Volvo’s made it’s living with industry-leading safety advances, but safety doesn’t sell millions of cars. So, Volvo’s started cranking out extremely promising concept cars. Considering that Plug-in Hybrid is etched into the fenders, it’s obvious that the XC Concept Coupe is definitely a hybrid. Volvo stresses the fact that the XC Concept Coupe has “rich XC Heritage.” Considering Volvo’s been making SUV’s since 1997, one could agree that the XC Concept Coupe would look stellar as a shooting brake.
Audi A8 L Security: Some fullsize luxury sedan buyers want theirs to be bulletproof. Audi’s joined the fight against gunfight victims with the A8 L Security. The A8 L Security is beefed up to an extreme. It takes 450 man-hours to make all of the bulletproof components for the A8 L Security. It is able to withstand sub-caliber machine gun fire, and buyers can even opt for an emergency exit system that blows the hinges off the doors, as well as a fire suppression system and an emergency fresh-air system. The extra weight will substantially hamper performance, but the driver and passengers can get out of a sticky situation safer.

On a separate note, I have to go in for surgery next week. During my time in the hospital, I will not have access to a computer, and I probably won’t be up to publishing anyways! I don’t know how long I will be out for, but keep yourselves entertained with the Motor Trend Youtube Channel! My favorite show is Roadkill. I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I do. You can start watching the videos now at http://www.youtube.com/user/MotorTrend