Nik J Miles

The 2013 Focus Electric is the first Ford vehicle to have an interior made from 100 percent clean technology.  Its seats are made from REPREVE®-based fabrics, which are made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).  It takes about 22 recycled bottles to make the fabric for the Focus seats.

“Ford is committed to delivering vehicles with leading fuel efficiency while targeting at least 25 percent clean technology in interior materials across our lineup,” says Carol Kordich, lead designer of Sustainable Materials for Ford. “The Focus Electric highlights this commitment as Ford’s first gas-free vehicle, and the first in the automotive industry to use branded REPREVE.” Read the rest of this entry »

Scion’s fifth model promises to add a new dimension to Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, when the 2013 Scion FR-S goes on sale in the spring of 2012.  The rear-wheel drive sports car offers a new level of excitement, especially for enthusiasts, who want more performance and road handling capabilities.

The FR-S, which stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport; is Scion’s definition of an authentic rear-wheel-drive sports car with exceptionally balanced performance and handling, compelling style, flexible utility and surprising MPG. Read the rest of this entry »

A survey of vehicle owners indicated that four out of 10 car owners didn’t like corrosion on their brake discs.  So, a group of General Motors’ brake experts set out to fix that problem by changing the chemical makeup of the components using a process that could double the life of rotors and save consumers hundreds of dollars.

More than 80 percent of U.S. vehicles are exposed to one or more environmental corrosion creators, such as acid rain, intense sunlight, snow and ice, and road salt. GM brake rotor technical expert Jim Webster and his team were confident that slowing the oxidation brought on by the environment was a problem material science could solve. Read the rest of this entry »

Hyundai chose the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to unveil the latest version of the Genesis Coupe.  The 2013 model uses large air inlets, prominent heat extractors, bold headlights, LED daytime running lights and fog lights to give the wedge-shaped coupe a seriously intimidating look.

The forceful sports car styling is backed up with two enhanced powerplants, a turbocharged four-cylinder and sophisticated direct-injection V-6.  Both engines are stirred to maximum benefit by a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional Hyundai designed and built eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shift SHIFTRONIC^® manual-shifting capability.  In addition to the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. A clear LCD readout on the instrument panel shows the selected gear at all times. Read the rest of this entry »

Inevitably, when we are asked what our occupation is, we can count on the next question being something like, ‘what’s the best car?’ or some similar question.  Of course, there is no right answer, because it depends on the individual that’s using the car.

When someone puts themselves in the equation and tells us what they want to spend, and how they use the vehicle, our answer becomes a little more subjective and we find most people are interested in a typical entry- to mid-level car. Read the rest of this entry »

“Hyundai Elantra even better for 2012”

Last year Hyundai redesigned and reengineered the popular Hyundai Elantra sedan. following just over a four-year lifecycle. The dramatic makeover took place well before the prior generation became stale or outlived its popularity and appeal – a highly unusual occurrence in the world of automobile production, as many vehicle lifespans are often 5 – 6 years or more.

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“2012 Panamera Turbo S: The ultimate Porsche Gran Turismo”

When I first learned of Porsche’s intent to build a four-door sedan, I wondered aloud “Who would want a stretched Porsche 911? My disdain was bolstered even further at the concept of such a vehicle, since Initial photos were not particularly flattering. Admittedly, I entertained the same degree of skepticism when the Cayenne SUV was first introduced to the stable of the legendary German automaker, one who, had previously only specialized exclusively in the production of highly revered sports cars.

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“All-new Chrysler SRT8®: World-class luxury and performance”

A modern American muscle sedan on steroids

When American muscle cars were in their heyday, the major focus was primarily on how quickly a vehicle was able to cover the quarter mile, with straight-line performance as the key factor rather than all-around performance attributes – that’s no longer the case dear readers. In today’s muscle scenario, performance machines are measured by their overall capability in every aspect. According to the Street and Racing Technology, Chrysler Group, (SRT), the 2012 Chrysler SRT8 serves up more than simply a big-bore SRT powerplant under its bonnet. It is representative of an all-around performance package with astounding acceleration, positive handling characteristics, tremendous braking ability and other no-nonsense performance enhancements for both the interior and exterior.

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“Acura’s TSX sedan: If it ain’t broke……”

Acura added a 280 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 in 2010 to augment the already pleasing 2.4-liter DOHC, 16-valve i-VTEC inline four-cylinder, fuel-injected engine. The four-banger produces 201 horses at 7,000 rpm along with 172 pound feet of torque (170 lb.-ft. when mated to the five-speed automatic transmission) at 4,300 rpm. For 2012, both engines are still available, with the V-6 only available in the sedan body configuration.

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We’ve seen many small Chevys over the years with names like Vega, Geo, Cavalier and Aveo come and go but like a diet meal, they just didn’t satisfy.

Now Chevrolet has a new car that’s more like it – think cheeseburger and fries.  Totally satisfying and downright fun, the new Chevrolet Sonic is a tasty treat on GM’s menu.

Developed from GM’s new Global Small Vehicle platform (called Gamma) the underpinning will be under cars all over the world before long.  Read the rest of this entry »