Test Drives

The legendary Mini’s renaissance in 2002 was an unmitigated success thanks to enormous revenues and its new owner’s – BMW – exceptional talent for design and engineering. Since the resounding success of the new Cooper and Cooper S, focus and a concerted effort has seemed to be lacking at this …

Dodge's old Caliber was a surprising automobile... surprising insofar that such a large company, with countless checks and balances, would ever see fit to release such a product onto the market. Stuffed with acres of some of the worst plastics created since 1983, powered by an anaemic engine and CVT …

I'm a child of the Taurus generation. Born in the same year, raised in more than a few of them, and having bid just as many adieu, they're probably one of a handful of cars that really marked my childhood. If they'd been a bit more like this new one, …

When a model’s sales start to wane, many automakers unveil exclusive versions in order to tide their clients over until the new generation is ready. Now that’s how you keep buyers interested! Ford uses this strategy with its Mustang, and Porsche is no different. After offering the fabulous Spyder last …

Ford Focus Road Test Last week, I confessed that my love affair with the automobile is anything but monogamous. Falling head over heels for anything that excels in its particular purpose, I've found myself coveting everything from sports cars to luxury sedans to pickup trucks to the tiniest of hot …

Alpina is a German outfit that has been modifying and transforming BMWs for a half-century with remarkable care, light-years beyond the garish and juvenile mutations of some European tuners. This firm’s creations have been wholeheartedly endorsed by the Munich-based manufacturer since 1964 and the company has been recognized as a …

I love a lot of cars. I’m a bit of a philanderer that way. When it comes to my personal tastes, they’re only restricted by a vehicle’s ability to meaningfully fulfill its purpose. If a fun car does a good job of being a fun car, well, I’ll probably love …

You know, it’s amazing how a single idea can carry an otherwise pretty decent vehicle into the realm of brilliance. For the Ford F-150, it’s the addition of the twin-turbo EcoBoost engine. For the Land Rover brand, it’s their Terrain Response system. And for the Dodge Ram, it’s the Rambox …

There is but one single thing that separates successful brands from unsuccessful brands in the automotive industry: a purpose. When you examine brands at their best and at their worst, you see them at the height of their purpose, and dwindling into the purposeless existence that precedes bankruptcy, respectively. Consider, …

It’s all too easy to gang up on General Motors. In fact, it’s all too easy to gang up on American auto manufacturers in general. In fact, it’s not the crash safety standards, emissions, or consumption legislation that Ford, Chevy, and Dodge fear… it’s the perception they must endure. But …