Daily coverage of the world of cars.
Today we officially launch Vinder, a revolutionary new car match-making app that helps lonely car searchers discover their next joyride. Tons of people are infatuated with their cars, and Vinder is the first app that gives this group the chance to swipe right and find the perfect car for a quickie test drive or perhaps commit to a cross-country trip.
Last night may be remembered as the night cars and technology officially became one.
In the hours leading up to Tesla’s unveiling of the Model 3, CEO Elon Musk sent out a series of Tweets saying that online orders would be opened up an hour before the unveiling event kicked off. The company also announced via Twitter that orders would be welcomed from India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Slovokia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Ireland, in addition to the United States, but that a 2 car-per-household limit would be in effect.
It sounds more like a tech unveiling than an auto event, but the hype evidently worked. As of last night, more than 133,000 people put down at least $1,000 each to reserve a car.
But enough about that. This is the car that’s been hyped for about a decade and could change EVs as we know them.
We vote with our dollars.
Sometimes car enthusiasts like to dream of cars they’d buy if only certain automakers would make them available.
We all have that friend who has said, “Oh I’d totally buy an 800-hp 3-wheeled nuclear-powered Honda, but they just don’t make it.”
Well, if enough people say they’d buy one, Honda could very well appease its audience and make one. But would it sell? Of course not, because it’s a dumb idea and Honda would be left with a bunch of cars it can’t sell and millions of dollars wasted on development.
Sometimes, though, automakers do comply with our wishes even if doing so is a huge gamble. The Chevy SS is a prime example.
To be frank, the Chevrolet Aveo was never an aspirational car. It was transportation selected more for its practicality than its passion.
Nor is it a car that would normally turn heads at a venue like the New York International Auto Show (running now through April 3). However, it’s a different story when its platform is the donor for the ETV, a car made by Mike Vetter’s Car Factory in Micco, Florida. In that case, it stops foot traffic among a typically jaded automotive media, with auto journalists stopping to wonder, “What is that?” It’s the first of eight in existence, and it’s a great-looking vehicle (even it does look like an over-stuffed ballet slipper from the side).
For every Mazda6, Volkswagen Passat, Subaru Legacy, and Chrysler 200 sold so far this year, more than two CX-5s, Tiguans, Foresters, and Cherokees have left dealer lots.
The midsize family sedan, once a ubiquitous sight on American highways and in suburban garages, is being replaced by the car-based crossover.
Today’s CUVs offer the same interior seating capacity as sedans, but offer additional cargo space that’s also more accessible. Plus, CUV drivers sit higher and have a better view of surrounding traffic, while available all-wheel drive can handle almost all road conditions.
Have we reached the point where CUVs have replaced sedans?