After years of waiting for Henrik Fisker’s radical and ambitious concept to become a real production vehicle, I laid eyes on a production Karma recently at Caffeine & Octane, a local monthly gathering of enthusiasts and their cars. Days later, I was behind the wheel of said car, getting my first real impression of this unparalleled machine. Intellectual justification for […]

My coverage of this year’s Tokyo Motor Show is live on Autotrader.com. I write about vehicles like the Audi A1 Sportback and Honda N Box, both of which will be available soon in foreign markets, and concepts like the near-production-ready Mazda Takeri and the VW’s plug-in hybrid Cross Coupe. Volkswagen Passat Alltrack BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Honda EV-STER Concept Honda N […]

‎32 mpg on a 70-75 mph highway trip in the Mini Coupe JCW

In contrast to the giant V16 I spotted last week, I’d like to share a V12 from the opposite  extreme of the size spectrum. Thanks cousin Phil @phillipdmartin for the lead on this!

According the NHTSA, seat belts saved an estimated 12,713 lives in 2009 alone. Please don’t forget to buckle up this holiday weekend. Drive safely and have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Twenty-five years ago, I spent the morning and early afternoon of Thanksgiving day at a junkyard with my dad and sister. We were searching for parts for a Saab that my dad found in a parking lot and acquired at the cost of getting it home. My dad drove past the 1963 Saab 96 that was rotting in the parking […]

I saw this big motor while traveling on I-75. A little research suggests that it’s a Caterpillar 3516, a 69-liter (4210 c.i.) twin-turbo V16 that produces up to 2200 horsepower and requires 106 gallons (424 quarts or over 35 cases) of motor oil.

My uncle bought an F-150 with the EcoBoost V6 and gave me the opportunity to take it for a spin. His is a Lariat SuperCrew with a 6-1/2-foot bed. In a brief first drive, I found the 365-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 to be plenty powerful to push this big, 4-door pickup off the line or in a highway passing maneuver. […]

More of my LA Auto Show coverage now posted on Autotrader.com, including an article on the debut of the Fiat 500 Abarth! 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth 2013 Chevrolet Spark 2012 Volvo C70 Inscription

I’ve been hard at work covering debuts from several manufacturers for Autotrader.com. I’ll update links here as the articles are published. 2012 Hyundai Azera 2012 Porsche 911 2012 Porsche Panamera GTS 2013 Audi S6 2013 Audi S7 2013 Audi S8 Buick LaCrosse GL Concept