Hasbro Incorporated is playing a sick game of social Darwinism with their Monopoly game pieces. In an effort to breathe fresh life into the classic board game they plan on introducing a new token. To make room for it they’ll need to kill off one…
There are only so many ways a Go-Kart track can be controversial. At the top of the list might be spending $400,000 of taxpayer money to build one at Guantanamo Bay. For $3 troops can take a five minute ride around the course and enjoy…
The age of self-driving cars is upon us but that’s not all Audi had up its sleeve at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. They also brought along an audio system that adds another dimension to the listening experience, 3D entertainment without the glasses and a…
As far as bomb dropping goes Ram just pulled out a nuke. News came this week the 2013 Ram 3500 is rated to tow 30,000lbs, up from a maximum towing capacity of 22,750lbs for their equivalent setup in 2012. To put that in perspective similarly…
I’m never going to own a large crossover -- i.e., one with three rows -- but if I did, it would be Acura’s MDX. The MDX rides well, though it’s not the least bit sporty. It’s strong and handsome, though not at all flashy. It’s…
After four years of laying low Nissan plans on roaring back to the U.S. auto show circuit in 2013. This time around it’s going to be smelly. Attendees of the Detroit auto show next week will be the first to lay their noses on what…
Wondering how automakers are going to meet federal mandates that nearly double fuel economy standards by 2025? According to a comprehensive list released by Edmunds.com, the oracle of automotive information, we can expect to see at least 43 new hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric vehicles, diesels…
Nobody likes to be called boring, and let’s face it; most family vehicles are about as fun as drinking with Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. A push is emerging among car makers to try and breathe some chutzpah into their family haulers. The 2013 Nissan…
The automotive melting pot took another stir last month when Fiat announced it plans to build a new subcompact Jeep in Italy. That’s right: An Italian Jeep could soon be sold in the United States and around the world. FDR may be rolling in his…
On Friday a handful of lucky journalists witnessed an American dream come to life: That Arnold Schwarzenegger owns a 50-ton M47 Patton tank, and that he crushes cars with it while smoking a stogie and wearing aviator sunglasses. “The roar of the engine was deafening,…
Imagine a future were you would smile and wave at your blind neighbor as he got into his car to drive himself to work. A day where you’d be the crazy one for waiving at a blind guy and his commute would be perfectly safe.…
When a race car driver achieves success, some say it was because he or she had the best car. While difficult to quantify, the question perpetually looms in racing circles: What’s more important for a winning formula — the car or the driver? For sure,…
Today, I give up my 2013 Honda Accord Sport sedan. In its place, I’ll get an Acura MDX, so life isn’t all bad. Still, I’ll miss the Accord. The ’13 is the first iteration of the 9th-generation Accord, long one of America’s favorite midsize sedans.…
In a typical year, Mazda sells fewer total vehicles in the U.S. than Toyota sells Camrys, or Honda sells Accords. Or Civics, for that matter. In 2010, in the heart of the Great Recession, Ford and Mazda unwound their longtime partnership, casting a shadow of…
I’ve been driving lots but not writing; here's a quick and dirty update: The GMC Terrain Denali aspires for near-luxury quality in the compact crossover category and largely succeeds. Inattention to important details undermines the effort, though. Hint: If you’re going to indulge in stitched…
As suggested here two weeks ago, drivers can be “schooled” by the errors of others around them. Observing those driver errors provides an effective reminder of “what not to do.” And sadly, such errors abound. At least I’m not the only one spotting those errors,…
The GMC Terrain Denali has a swagger to it that’s reminiscent of the SUV’s glory days. A happier time when gas was cheap, no V8 engine was too inefficient and crossovers were for people who thought the Pontiac Aztek was a good idea. As it…
Most of us won’t be getting the pony we put on our Christmas list. American taxpayers will have to decide if that makes them any less happy General Motors will soon be able to fly their executives around in corporate jets again and remove federal…
The steady addition of features such as radial tires, disc brakes, traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes, air bags, and warning systems for sleep, low tires, lane departure, side impact, et cetera have made our cars safer with each new model year. Advancements like those…
General Motors couldn’t wait to reveal the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra at the Detroit Auto Show in January. They pulled the sheets off their new full-size stallions this week at a film studio in motor city with a bold message to the truck…
Often, surrounding drivers show me how not to drive. During a trip to the airport last week, those in my periphery supplied many examples of actions that anger and endanger others on the roadway, creating a “school” of poor driving. I encountered the first of…
Many a weirdo has built a replica of the Batmobile, some for personal use and others to be sold for a hefty sum to passionate Batman nerds. George Barris is their king having served as the sole owner of the one and only original Batmobile…
I’ve been distracted by other chores this week, but I’d be remiss if I were to move on without a parting nod to the Subaru Crosstrek. Truthfully, it’s such an unassuming little car it’s hard to know where to start. How about this? With its…
Don’t panic. Chances are your car is already equipped with a black box, officially known as an Event Data Recorder (EDR). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 91.6 percent of cars already have the little Benedict Arnold device installed somewhere inside them. What’s…
Though European carmakers dominate the upper end of the automotive market, they are largely absent from the segments where most of us shop. The chief exception is Volkswagen, which of course made its mark flogging the humble Beetle. VW has flirted with going upscale --…
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