Before shoes were invented, two guys were walking through the mountains of Tibet. One man turned to the other and said, “I sure wish we could cover the world with leather.”
The other guy paused, looked at his friend, and said, “Or we could just cover our feet.”
It’s a common story, with many variations, but you get the idea.
Rick Woodbury, founder of Commuter Cars and maker of the Tango electric car, wants to apply that logic that to automobiles and change the way the world drives.
I had an opportunity to meet with Rick yesterday and ask him a few questions about the fastest urban car in the world. His company has been around for many years and has seen some success, but a potential deal looms that could catapult his company into the mainstream.
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Car Industry News, Car Minded, Car Shopping, Domestic Cars, Electric Vehicles, Exotic Cars, General Chat
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I got asked a question this week that gave me pause. Typically, when someone asks me a car question, I’m ready with a quick, educated and, if I’m feeling really good, witty response.
This question, though, left me silent for a few moments as I pondered my potential responses. My gut reaction and my logical mind weren’t cooperating with one another, and the resulting battle left me momentarily speechless. The question, in theory, should have an easy answer.
But all I could muster in the early moments of my response was a half-hearted, “Well, it depends, I suppose…”
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I remember the first time I drove a car, I was 13, and I spent hours stalling my dad’s 1984 Toyota Pickup. Over and over we drove around in that circle, my dad refusing to give up on me until I could finally master the art of the manual transmission.
Many of us probably have a similar story (okay, most were probably more gifted and were able to learn how to work the clutch in a matter of minutes, not hours), one of trying and failing until that glorious moment when you get enough (but not too much) gas to the engine and take off for that first time in first gear. It’s a story of pain and struggle, but at the same time it intensely bonded you to the person who taught you an essential life skill, and it ended with sheer joy at the point when you finally mastered the stick shift. Sadly, this experience may not be a common one for much longer.
A right of passage for many a teenager, learning how to drive stick is gradually becoming less and less common, as more and more automakers choose to discontinue production of vehicles with manual transmissions. Just this week, we received the heart-wrenching news that Porsche would no longer produce the 911 Turbo with a manual gearbox. This follows in the footsteps of Ferrari and McLaren, who dropped manual transmissions altogether in recent years, along with Mercedes-Benz and Lamborghini, who have already nixed the necessity on their superstars, the SLS AMG and Aventador. If European makers of supercars can no longer produce fun-to-drive cars with stick shifts, who will?
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2009 Jaguar XF
Quick depreciation is a terrible thing. And a beautiful thing.
For buyers of new luxury cars, a sinking value can lead to abandoning a car after just a couple years of ownership. For buyers of used luxury cars, it can lead to some killer deals on cars that would have been unattainable new.
Think about it: If you had the choice between a brand-new, top-of-the-line Toyota Camry or a 3-year-old Jaguar XF, wouldn’t the Jag bring you an exponentially greater amount of happiness? Of course, it might also bring heftier insurance and repair bills, but that’s beside the point. We’re talking image here—and a well-priced used luxury car can provide ample amounts of that!
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Car Minded, Car Shopping, Domestic Cars, Foreign Cars, General Chat, Trucks & SUVs
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A lot of people in advertising seem to think they can add instant credibility to their marketing message by adding a superlative or two to the copy.
Calling a product or service the “best” or the “biggest” or the “most” is pretty common practice, but this rarely means anything, since such labels are typically subjective marketing speak and used everywhere, all the time.
Tesla Motors posted a piece on its blog Friday announcing the “World’s Best Service and Warranty Program.” Well, that’s a mighty bold statement to make, but then again, Tesla is a pretty bold company and tends to back up what it says.
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My favorite cars have rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission. Can anything be better for weight distribution and complete control around corners than the ultimate combination of power-delivering perfection?
I’d take that combo in any car over a hatchback with 300 hp and front-wheel drive.
Unfortunately for people like me, a pretty good case has been made that says rear-wheel drive (RWD) is heading out the door, probably even before the manual transmission bites the dust.
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6-speed manual, Manual transmissions, rear wheel drive, RWD, RWD dead, RWD dying, Scion FR-S, subaru brz
Think back to the year 2000, if you will.
Panic about the impending clock change had just passed, Pepsi Twist was the hot new soda, “Gladiator” was the big blockbuster, and nobody bought Cadillacs.
Well, nobody cool or even remotely young bought Cadillacs, anyway.
The Wreath and Shield brand was relegated almost entirely to the retired crowd without a lot of hope for a future turnaround. Today, 13 years later, there’s been a massive shift, as Cadillac has started tearing up showroom floors almost as fast as it finishes hot laps around the Nurburgring.
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Sick and tired of spending lots of time checking specs and feature lists to decide on a new car? Having trouble coming to an agreement with your partner as to exactly which new car—and which trim, which option package(s) and which color—to buy? We can save time and negotiations.
Just send us a text with a make and model name, and we’ll text you back a link to your best local deal right away. Give it a shot! Just text your make and model name to (617) 500-8848, and you’ll be all set. You’re welcome!
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Well, it’s about that time of year. The time of year when you look up at that puny sunroof adorning your boring sedan and say, “Man, wouldn’t it be nice to have a real convertible?!” Up here in the Northeast, when the temperature rises, the tops drop like clockwork. While many drivers are still using their seat warmers, convertible owners start braving the elements as long as it’s dry and the temperature is north of 45 degrees. For me, seeing someone enjoying their sporty convertible on a chilly spring day sparks a whirlwind of emotions summed up by one word: Jealousy. Because it’s still only spring, I take a semi-sick pleasure in knowing that the happy-go-lucky guy driving his Porsche in front of me is freezing and hope he’s enjoying every breath of road salt not yet washed down the gutter. But I digress.
Are you, too, feeling “convertible envy” but hesitant to give up your daily driver? You don’t have to. Excuses abound for why not to buy a second car, but when talking about a convertible, all bets are off. For this list, we’re looking at 7 stylish summer convertibles available for less than $10k. Let’s take a look at the countdown:
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Car Lists, Car Minded, Car Shopping, General Chat
2014 Hyundai Equus
Aside from the headline giving it away, if I asked which automaker is currently at production capacity, sells every car it builds, gets nearly MSRP on each sale and is bringing a salvo of upmarket new vehicles into showrooms, I doubt Hyundai would be the first carmaker to come to mind.
The Korean automaker, though, is putting on a school on how to build cars and market them to a hungry American audience. The business model has evolved from its cheap-price and long-warranty roots to a more upscale, quality-based model.
Two new vehicles represent the new direction of this company, while used models still represent some of the best values available.
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