Is there no end to the bad news this year? Mortgage crisis. Sky-high fuel prices. Financial institutions dropping like flies. A steadily warming planet. And of course, rapidly declining auto sales. The last time things were this bad, disco was in, aesthetics and design were taking a huge leap backwards, and we were all driving ugly, emasculated, smog-controlled cars that were a sad echo of the fast and passionately styled cars of just a few short years past. Yes people, I’m talking about the 1970s, an era that Jalopnik.com, one of our favorite fellow automotive blogs, refers to as the Malaise Era.

Continue reading "Exhaust Note #30: It’s the 1970s All Over Again! Or Is It?"

Posted by Ed Kim at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Another week, another Road Noise brainstorming session with my friend who doesn't even own a car.

"I was thinking of doing something about how much my nephew loves his little toy cars," I IM'd my Cars-Are-a-Blight-On-the-Landscape collaborator.

His reply follows, verbatim:

Oh man, I LOVED toy cars as a kid, especially the micro-machine ones you could open and put other EVEN TINIER cars into! And those ones that came with a little credit card shaped bit of plastic that you could unfold and make a little landscape for your car to drive around on!

Toy cars it is, then.

You go, girl!

Continue reading "Road Noise: Small Car Review...er, But Not What You're Thinking"

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Wanna see the most ‘80s short film EVER? Depending on your affection or distaste for the decade of white suits, popped collars, saxophone solos, keyboard riffs, high waistlines, and Aquanet, you might find the following the best…or worst…six minutes of your life.

This little movie could be solely responsible for the creating the image of Saab drivers in the ‘80s as pompous, self-absorbed jerks (who might be overcompensating to make up for certain insecurities). But hey, it was the ‘80s, and we could afford to dream big. Who wouldn’t want to simply snap their fingers to not only make their dreams come true, but also get rid of people you don't like (to quote the movie), or make it big with hot blonde Swedish models?

Continue reading "2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible: Snap Your Fingers and Your Dreams Come True"

Posted by Ed Kim at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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From the first rumblings of the 1-Series coupe destined for the States, I waited impatiently. Saw it at the auto shows, and wanted it to look great on the road. VehicleVoice brought you the first photos last June and an update in October and again in March. Finally, we drive it.

But I can't fall in love with the real 1-Series look, like I did the latest Z4 coupe and Porsche's Cayman. Still, a small BMW coupe, from a company that consistently delivers great driving dynamics, usable and plentiful power, and stern BMW interior in a size that seemed tailored just for me! How could I not be anxious? And do I care if it's a little clumsy outside?

The reality finally hit our press pool a few weeks ago. And just how did the little coupe satisfy? I fell in love. Behind the wheel, that is.

Continue reading "2008 BMW 135i: Near-Perfect, Marred by Questionable Looks"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Chrysler today announced plans to jumping into the electric car market with both feet by offering up three high-voltage prototypes to reporters and a promise to put about 100 electric vehicles on the road in 2009. We've been waiting to get a sense of what the company's ENVI group is up to, and now we know.

One of the three concept vehicles, the all-electric Dodge EV, is sure to generate some buzz (Is it a Tesla for the common people?) for its fierce looks and eco-friendly, refuel-it-from-the-wall-socket appeal.

With that in mind, it could be easy to miss the hybrid-on-steroids potential of the Jeep and Chrysler EVs -- a Jeep Wrangler and a Chrysler Town & Country fitted with battery and range-extending engine setup (similar in concept to GM's Volt) that Chrysler claims will allow them run for 40 miles without touching a drop of gas.

Read the full report from Chrysler after the jump.

Continue reading "Chrysler enters the electric race"

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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It's been nearly a week since the Italian Grand Prix run at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, in Monza, Italy – and already, I miss Phil Hill. As the first American to win the Formula One Driver’s Championship in 1961, Hill, who died of complications from Parkinson’s Disease August 28, 2008, in Monterey, California, was an important influence on the world of automobiles, racing, and International relations.

Even as recently as this year, Hill was a constant, loyal attendee at races all over the world and as such, was an influence on the culture of things automotive and served as an American ambassador of good will. When I think about the risk that drivers faced in F-1 and other forms of racing in the 1950s and '60s, it’s amazing Hill even lived to tell the tale.

Continue reading "Remembering Phil Hill"

Posted by dbarrett at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Last week, General Motors wrapped up its centennial celebration. If one thinks about GM’s prominence on the world landscape, it’s easy to see just how significant of an event this is. Even if you’ve never owned a GM vehicle yourself, think about the company’s impact on the American and global economies and its products’ impact on popular culture. Can you imagine an America where Chevrolet didn’t exist? What if there had never been songs about GTO’s or Cadillacs? How about a world where the word Camaro was simply French slang for “friend” or a Corvette was just a small gunboat used to escort convoys?

Continue reading "Exhaust Notes #29: GM Celebrates 100 Years And…Hey, Where’s the Party?"

Posted by Ed Kim at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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There are a bunch of ways to kill a man at the Ford Allen Park Test Labs. Exposure in the cold room, dehydration in the hot room, altitude sickness in the pressure room, boredom in the strange little parking lot simulator shed. And that's just the stuff I can come up with off the top of my head.

Oh, and you could run someone down with the new F-150, I guess, if your imagination was lacking for some reason.

F-150 stalks its prey from the cover of the tall grass

Continue reading "Road Noise: Fuel Economy: The Most Dangerous Game"

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 09:32 AM | Permalink

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It's rare when two same class heavyweights are introduced concurrently. Both the 2009 Nissan Maxima and 2009 Acura TL were launched this summer and both are very nice entry luxury entries. The cars are very similar, but the positioning of each is very different.

The Maxima, a derivative of the front wheel drive Nissan Altima and assembled at Nissan's huge car/truck plant in Smyrna, Tennessee is the range topper for Nissan cars in the USA. The Acura TL is front wheel drive with optional SH-AWD - "Super Handling All Wheel Drive". The TL is the middle of the Acura car lineup and Acura's highest volume vehicle and is assembled alongside the Honda Accord in Marysville, Ohio.

You might think that a better comparison would be the Acura against Infiniti with the TL lining up against the Infiniti G37 sedan. But the G37 sedan is based on a rear wheel drive platform. The TL vs. the Maxima is a more real product-to-product comparison.

Continue reading "2009 Acura TL vs. 2009 Nissan Maxima: Who Wins?"

Posted by George Peterson at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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There’s been a lot of talk over the last few days about a bailout for the Big Three. The Big Three have been struggling due to a lot of factors (fuel prices that favor smaller vehicles, the economy, labor and legacy costs, etc.) and some even posit that bankruptcy could be the only way out!

One of the issues at the center of the discussion is whether the Big Three deserve a bailout at all. Well, let us – your fearless VehicleVoice editors – attempt to put some clarity to this situation!

Continue reading "Exhaust Notes #28: Bailing Out the Big Three? It's Not a Bailout!"

Posted by Ed Kim at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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This very insightful opinion piece appeared in September 10, 2008 issue of the Wall Street Journal. Written by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. the article confirms the position of AutoPacific and VehicleVoice that CAFE is unnecessary and costs the industry and the taxpayer far more than it achieves.

How to Save Detroit... And $50 Billion
by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.
September 10, 2008

For a sum small compared to their revenues but large in relation to their market caps, the Detroit auto makers were all over the two conventions. Their lobbyists had something to sell -- a plea for $50 billion in federal loans. Congress practically owes us this money, Ford, GM and Chrysler argue -- because Congress slammed us with new fuel mileage mandates that will cost us $100 billion to meet.

Continue reading "Save Detroit - Scrap CAFE"