Venezuelan race car driver, E.J. Viso, strolled a Lotus Evora around gala guests benefiting East Side House Settlement as part of a kickoff for the New York Auto Show. Viso popped the engine for show and rested the deep blue beauty next to the table of gala co-chairman Christopher LaSusa, portfolio manager at SAC Capital Advisors, LLC. The Evora auctioned for $80,000 to high-bidder, Jamie Brown, president of investment bank Canaccord Genuity, Inc.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-22/lotus-evora-goldman-s-steven-cho-sac-s-chris-lasusa-scene-last-night.html
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Top 10 favorite driving songs
Name your favorite driving songs. While you're zoning down the freeway, cruising through town, or stompin' through the turns. Name the songs and how do they make you feel?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Is Volvo on the path to redemption?
2011 Volvo S60 Safety, Comfort, Performance-in that order
It looks like Volvo is heading in the direction that a safe and comfortable car doesn't mean a sharp sacrifice in performance. The S60 doesn't have the prowess of an Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series. However, it definitely responds in a manner that hasn't occurred for the Volvos of past. I have owned two Volvo's and always had the same complaint...love the comfort...and had zero connection with the car. In fact, most of the time, I felt like I was having an argument with the cars about what I want. The S60 no longer argues about what the driver wants. It simply gives it over...in a Volvo kind of way. I drove a 2011 S60 T6 AWD and the following are my impressions.
Engine
Under the hood, the T6 is a beautiful 3.0 litre, In-Line 6, 300hp of Turbo-charged yum. It is fast, fast, fast. Even with all of those ponies, it gets decent fuel economy-26 HWY/18 City. Power without too much guilt, just a small tree for those that like to hug.
Handling
The S60 handled fairly well. It dealt with a little push through turns without too much back talk. It seems to really enjoy a brisk run through twisties. I wouldn't call it nimble, but it isn't piggy. I did find the S60 is more inspiring at higher speeds as opposed to the around-town-crawl. The braking is unreal. The S60 is dead serious about stopping without drama. In fact, I found myself enjoying the experience of braking, which has always occurred as just a necessity in the past. The S60 is true to Volvo's heritage and feels like it will keep any driver out of trouble. Thankfully, the Ford mystery-steer is planted firmly in the past.
Interior
The interior was luxurious without flare. Volvo certainly has not given up their wonderfully comfortable seats. Driving for 500 miles would not be tiring in the least. The only complaints would be the rather dull instruments and the bus-like dashboard that goes on forever. Those are just lame complaints, and frankly, being rather picky. The rear seats had a fair amount of room with easy access getting in and out. The trunk is a good size. The car is controlled by a radio-based central management system. It would take a little bit to get familiar with the operation.
Exterior
This is where Volvo stands out. The S60 is quite a bit more edgy. Volvo is promoting their "Naughty" ad campaign. Which is appropriate for the look of their model line. The S60 doesn't look like any of its competitors. From the raked rear window to the bull-like nose. It is distinguished and sporty in one tidy package.
Pricing
The price point is to be expected for a mid-size European luxury sedan. The base price is $31,450 and the test model was $42,670.
Like the XC60, the S60 appears to illustrate the direction that Volvo is heading...adding style and performance to their lineage of safety and comfort. Maybe the ads should read "Naughty but nice".
Thanks to Turner Volvo, in Sacramento, for providing the S60.
It looks like Volvo is heading in the direction that a safe and comfortable car doesn't mean a sharp sacrifice in performance. The S60 doesn't have the prowess of an Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series. However, it definitely responds in a manner that hasn't occurred for the Volvos of past. I have owned two Volvo's and always had the same complaint...love the comfort...and had zero connection with the car. In fact, most of the time, I felt like I was having an argument with the cars about what I want. The S60 no longer argues about what the driver wants. It simply gives it over...in a Volvo kind of way. I drove a 2011 S60 T6 AWD and the following are my impressions.
Engine
Under the hood, the T6 is a beautiful 3.0 litre, In-Line 6, 300hp of Turbo-charged yum. It is fast, fast, fast. Even with all of those ponies, it gets decent fuel economy-26 HWY/18 City. Power without too much guilt, just a small tree for those that like to hug.
Handling
The S60 handled fairly well. It dealt with a little push through turns without too much back talk. It seems to really enjoy a brisk run through twisties. I wouldn't call it nimble, but it isn't piggy. I did find the S60 is more inspiring at higher speeds as opposed to the around-town-crawl. The braking is unreal. The S60 is dead serious about stopping without drama. In fact, I found myself enjoying the experience of braking, which has always occurred as just a necessity in the past. The S60 is true to Volvo's heritage and feels like it will keep any driver out of trouble. Thankfully, the Ford mystery-steer is planted firmly in the past.
Interior
The interior was luxurious without flare. Volvo certainly has not given up their wonderfully comfortable seats. Driving for 500 miles would not be tiring in the least. The only complaints would be the rather dull instruments and the bus-like dashboard that goes on forever. Those are just lame complaints, and frankly, being rather picky. The rear seats had a fair amount of room with easy access getting in and out. The trunk is a good size. The car is controlled by a radio-based central management system. It would take a little bit to get familiar with the operation.
Exterior
This is where Volvo stands out. The S60 is quite a bit more edgy. Volvo is promoting their "Naughty" ad campaign. Which is appropriate for the look of their model line. The S60 doesn't look like any of its competitors. From the raked rear window to the bull-like nose. It is distinguished and sporty in one tidy package.
Pricing
The price point is to be expected for a mid-size European luxury sedan. The base price is $31,450 and the test model was $42,670.
Like the XC60, the S60 appears to illustrate the direction that Volvo is heading...adding style and performance to their lineage of safety and comfort. Maybe the ads should read "Naughty but nice".
Thanks to Turner Volvo, in Sacramento, for providing the S60.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Cadillac's new voice-Laurence Fishburne
A great call on Cadillac's part. Laurence Fishburne's smooth as silk voice certainly matches the Cadillac image. Can't wait for the ads. It would be really fun to participate in an automaker's advertising think tank.
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101220/RETAIL01/101229986/1260
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101220/RETAIL01/101229986/1260
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Ford hires Cadillac's exterior designer to reshape Lincoln
Lincoln is going to receive some updating...
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101201/OEM02/101209967/1260
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101201/OEM02/101209967/1260
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