Fiat 750: Elegant Two-Seat Abarth Coupe

Artandcolour's more elegant Fiat sports coupe, the 750 Abarth. Top-spec 500 Abarth drivetrains with longer and lower-yet-lighter bodywork. Rear seat is tossed in favor of fitted luggage and a fold-down bulkhead. Accordion-like folding roof continues with its structural side roof rails.

1964 Chevrolet Nova

The Nova was Chevy's compact, and arrived in 1962. The car shown here is a first generation model, but the Nova would have 4 generations until 1979, and then the name was revived in the eighties for a rebadged Toyota. It was usually a strong seller, partly due to the fact that you could get one as a slow sedan all the way up to a full muscle car SS. This one's patina and front end damage give it a well-used, daily driver character, but the gold paint still shines.

 

 

 

More Crazy Russian Dashcam Videos

Dashcams are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. Photo credit: Steven Symes

Anyone who is a big auto enthusiast knows Russians love their dashcams. There are a number of reasons why this is, including that they use it for evidence against the prevalent insurance fraud in the country, to help identifying would-be carjackers and for protection against unlawful actions by the police.

There are numerous dashcam videos of near misses between cars and pedestrians in Russia. Sometimes these near misses have been the result of drivers not stopping at crosswalks. Often the incident is a combination of icy roads and cars/drivers incapable of stopping in time. This video is a perfect example of that kind of near miss:

Another thing that's unique to these dashcam videos: Russians love to leave their cameras in their cars and running while the car is unattended. These videos have caught people running their cars into the parked vehicle as well as the actions of vandals and would-be thieves. Sometimes these Russian dashcam videos from parked cars capture other, non-car incidents like this:

Crazy stuff, I know.

New Malibu Facelifted for '14

Sleeker Malibu might be an easier sell next to Ford's svelte new Fusion.

2014 Chevrolet Malibu sedan—At first, all I wanted to do with the new 'Bu was change the grille. I wanted to do away with the now-dated dual openings but didn't want to give it the new Impala's Camaro-like grille. The first thing I did was unify the openings and then I started leaning the ensemble forward and backward. I settled on this Mercedes-like proud front grille and hood shape. The opening textures would remain simple eggcrates and meshes as this upscale version sports. Then when I saw the way the new front end seemed defiant, almost leaning into the wind, the rest of the car seemed to want to be more aero. I gave it a 6-window greenhouse and introduced a few slight arcs to the fenders. I also dialed back the almost bug-like rear lights and cut-back trunk lid. That's the production car's biggest flaw in my opinion, the design of the rear of the car. I filled out the corners and sliced the taillights into a clean, modern shape. I also changed the contours of the rear bumper.

While no raving beauty—this is really a tall platform—I think my Malibu would stand up quite well with the Fusion and Altima and Camry. The new grille treatment would work on smaller as well as larger cars, too.

Continental for 1958

Opalescent Pistachio Point Green lacquer perfectly highlights the lines of this Wixom-built '58 Continental coupe. Altering the new-that-year unibody Lincoln, I changed the proportions for more of a personal coupe appearance. The hood length looks back to the Classic era consisting of almost half of the length of the car. The four passenger interior would have been based on the '58 Thunderbird, itself brand new that year and also built at the fabled Wixom plant. The roof would have been available in linen-covered steel or brushed stainless to match the front fender coves.

And, yes, I started out with the regular Lincoln that year, not the upscale Continental. This mockup would have been early in the process and trim was still being mixed and matched and developed...

I also left off the spare tire hump... Rocketships don't need no stinkin' spare tires, lol.

1985 Plymouth Colt E

The 5th generation Colt was introduced in 1985, available as a Dodge or Plymouth, and was a rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage. The Colt first came to the US in 1971 as a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant, and was sold as a Dodge. The Colt shown here is a pretty basic 80s hatchback, but the front turn signal and the rear fender give it a little style.

 

 

 

2014 E-Series TurboDiesel Hatchback: The Professor?

Sensible and SENSATIONAL! This is my idea of a Mercedes I'd love to see Stuttgart build: An E400TDI-h. For this "professor's" Benz, I've brought back the idea of a longitudinally mounted inline 6-cylinder turbodiesel powerplant, this time with a hybrid-assisted drivetrain. There is a practical hatchback in the rear and with careful aero-tuning I'd predict a nice round 50mpg of fuel-sipping diesel in combined city/highway driving. As much as I loved the first generation CLS 4-door coupe, the new one falls short for me and I'd rather have seen a fastback/hatchback E-Series instead!

The background is a detail from a watercolor painting I found hidden behind the cardboard of an antique frame. There was a second painting, too. Story at my artandcolour blog: here.

The Aston Martin Rapide Wagon

Before any of you start having a heart attack and go visit your local Aston Martin dealership to see this car in person, let me tell you that the car you see pictured above is a custom, one-off job ordered by an Aston Martin collector. The collector worked with Bertone, who is famous for modifying these exotic rides from England, turning a stock Rapide S into a high performance wagon.

For reasons that are really beyond me, Americans don't like wagons. I've read theories about how it was a push-back against the land yacht wagons of the 1970s, with minivans winning out as women didn't want to drive what their mother already had. That theory also helps explain the proliferation of crossovers -- those ridicuous wanna-be SUVs that would get stuck in about five minutes of off-road driving.

Personally, I think wagons are fantastic, but I've owned one and through said ownership learned the virtues of wagons. They handle tight, unlike SUVs, meaning you can take corners faster and negotiate the twisty canyons that are all around my home with ease. Wagons also hold an obscene amount of cargo. Once I had a bellhop exclaim his disbelief at how much luggage I squeezed into the back of our wagon.

In any case, back to this Aston Martin super wagon. It comes with the same V12 engine that comes in the current Rapide S, which puts out a thunderous 476 horsepower directed to the rear wheels. As you can imagine, this wagon can probably do one hell of a burnout in the right hands. Oh, the official name of the wagon is the Aston Martin Rapide Bertone Jet 2+2. Gotta love some of the boring names people pick.

Confession time: I know a lot of people really love Aston Martins, but I just don't find them all that lust-worthy. The James Bond movies were pretty much banned in my house when I was growing up, so I didn't spend my youth yearning to be like the British spy who so often drove Aston Martins. I know to some people this is the equivalent of automotive blasphemy, but this wagon looks pretty damn funky, like on the level of the Porsche Panamera. It has a bubble butt and kind of reminds me of an SUV that's been squished by a steamroller. That being said, I always though the Dodge Magnum was a funky-looking wagon, but thos did bring it when it came to high performance (especially the SRT-8 models). Frankly I would rather have a 2013 Audi RS6 Avant, which puts out over 550 horsepower and is much lighter. I know it's not as exclusive as the Aston Martin, but I care more about having fun in a car than making everyone think I'm loaded. Alas, Americans' hatred of wagons means Audi for now isn't bringing the RS6 Avant to the United States -- not like I could afford one at the present moment anyway.

So what do you all think of this Aston Martin wagon? 
 

2013 Audi RS6 Avant

The Irrelevance of "Buy American Only"

2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Photo courtesy General Motors

I remember when I was a kid there was a huge push in the United States against Japanese vehicles. My family formerly owned a big Ford LTD station wagon that was a hunk of junk, so there was little love for domestic cars in our household. In fact all but one car we owned were Japanese and were super reliable. I would watch the news at night and see videos of rallies at different domestic car dealerships across the country where people literally bashed in Toyota Camrys and Honda Civics with baseball bats and monster trucks as a way of taking out their frustration for what American automakers claimed was "unfair business practices." At the time I was puzzled about why people were so outraged.


In the end it has been proven that Japanese automakers weren't engaging in unscrupulous business practices and instead were doing some rather innovative things. Still, American automakers leaned heavily on people's patriotic sensibilities, saying that buying American-made automobiles was the patriotic thing to do.

A lot has changed since then, although some people haven't gotten the memo that the term "buy American" is pretty much irrelevant at this point. The fact is that many "foreign" cars are manufactured in America and there are even some "American" cars that are manufactured elsewhere.

2013 Honda Pilot. Photo courtesy American Honda Motor Co.

Case in point: the Honda Pilot and Ridgeline. Both are large vehicles made just for the North American market, and both are manufactured at Honda's factory located in Lincoln, Alabama. German automaker BMW has a plant in South Carolina while its rival Mercedes-Benz has a large plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I could go on, but hopefully you get the point. These factories are staffed by American workers on American soil. Some of the vehicles manufactured in them have been designed and engineered by Americans, which is a smart move considering Americans know pretty well what appeals to Americans.

Conversely, there are many examples of "American" cars that are made outside of this country. The Chevrolet Camaro is a prime example of this, with the current generation being manufactured in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. I should note that General Motors has announced the next generation of the pony car will be made in Michigan once more. Still, there are other "American" cars manufactured elsewhere (like the new Chevrolet SS, which will be made in Australia). 

So the next time someone tries to guilt you into "buying American" to show your patriotism, remember that they are just ill-informed about the current automotive manufacturing business.

1972 BMW 2000 Touring

The BMW 2000 touring was introduced in 1971 as a hatchback version of the 2002. BMW tried to combine the sportiness of the original 2002 with the practically of a economy hatchback or wagon. Although 2002s are a relatively common sight on streets today, the Touring 2000 is a lot rarer, especially in the U.S. This one really pops with its bright red paint, and BMW alloys.

 

 

 

 

Is Buying a Smart Fortwo a Smart Idea?

2013 smart forjeremy, a winged version of the fortwo. Photo courtesy Daimler Group

I remember several years ago the huge fury of enthusiasm Daimler whipped up here in the United States just before introducing its smart fortwo mini-car. It's a subtle yet significant marketing strategy that Daimler does not capitalize the first letters in "smart" or "fortwo" as if to stress the diminutive nature of the car. Conversely, BMW insists on capitalizing all of the letters in "MINI" like it has some complex with building mini-cars, which would explain why MINIs have been steadily growing in size over the past several years.



But back to the smart car marketing push. I noticed so many people I knew who didn't normally care about cars start to become extremely excited about the fortwo. The smart fortwo was like the anti-car here in the United States, a tiny little thing that didn't boast power or performance prestige but instead a small price tag and huge fuel mileage promises. Funny enough, in my own anecdotal experience the hype has died down significantly since the fortwo launched in the U.S. for the 2008 model year. The novelty of the car seems to  have worn off.

I occasionally see a fortwo on the roads around here and my kids ask excitedly what the toy car next to us is. As I drive past the smart I wonder to myself how happy the person driving it is, particularly if he has owned the car for a while . Maybe it's just me, but the smart fortwo seems like a wonderfully impractical vehicle.

A long time ago I used to own a Honda CRX. It only had two seats, but the car was literally like driving a go-cart (no power steering included) and got incredible gas mileage. Unlike the smart fortwo, it had a big hatch with a large cargo area I could load up with all sorts of things. The fortwo has just seven cubic feet of storage space with the passenger seat upright. The interior is actually fairly spacious considering how small the car is, with even someone my size able to sit in it comfortably (I'm over six feet tall).

In this day-and-age I and many other car shoppers consider certain creature comforts as necessities in cars. In particular I wouldn't buy a car without air conditioning or a radio, but if you want to buy a base smart fortwo those are considered options you're going to have to shell out for. Not that there aren't other cars on the market that are the same way, mind you.

People buy a smart fortwo for economical reasons, and while it does achieve an EPA estimated 34 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, it isn't like that's out of the range of competing vehicles. Fueling the fortwo does cost more since it takes premium fuel, something that negates some of the money you save from the increased fuel mileage.

If you think you'll get a smart fortwo for commuting on the highway, you should definitely reconsider your plan. There's a reason why the fortwo is called a city car, since its top speed is limited to just 90 mph. The car also struggles to get up to freeway speeds and is easily "pushed" to the side by semis and other large vehicles pushing the air as they pass the car.

In the city the fortwo does provide a surprisingly peppy ride, making you forget that it only has a 1-liter three-cylinder engine. Its incredibly tiny size means you can easily park next to the jerk who double-parks his BMW, making finding a parking spot a breeze. One huge drawback of the car is its transmission: a five-speed automated manual that sends power to the rear wheels. As Edmunds.com  puts it, it is "one of the worst transmissions on the market today" since it is anything but smooth, giving both driver and passenger a herky-jerky ride at any speed.

2013 Chevrolet Sonic. Photo courtesy GM

If I were looking for a city car I would have to say the smart fortwo wouldn't make my list of potential purchases. Instead, I would be looking at the Scion IQ, which is every bit as small but without the negative issues of the fortwo. There's also the Fiat 500 for those who want some style in their ride as well as more engaging driving fun (especially with the Abarath version of the car). Other good options include the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Sonic (GM has finally learned how to build good small cars). All of these vehicles are going to provide the ability to commute on the highway, carry more cargo and a much smoother and refined ride.

2013 Ford Fiesta. Photo courtesy Ford Motor Company

1981 Toyota Tercel

The Tercel came to the U.S. in 1980, available in coupe, sedan, and hatchback body styles, and meant to bridge the gap between the Starlet and the Corolla. The front end was originally similar to the Starlet, but was redesigned in 1981 to the style shown here. First generation cars were badged as Corolla Tercels, with hopes that the familiar name and popularity of the Corolla would rub off on the smaller sibling. This Tercel's white stripe tires give it a unique, and cool look.

 

 

 

 

The Ten Most Annoying (And Dangerous) Driving Practices

Photo credit: Bud Adams, stock.xchng

Everyone who drives around a city for any period of time knows there are other drivers who do things that are damn annoying. I'm sure we can all list off our driving pet peeves, especially after a long rush hour commute. The problem is that some of these annoying habits are actually pretty dangerous, for the person doing them as well as any occupants in their car and in other cars around them. These are the ten most annoying driving habits (according to yours truly) that everyone should work hard to avoid.



10. Not using your turn signal. I know sometimes people forget to hit their signal, but all in all I've noticed some drivers habitually signal while others rarely or never do. Around where I live signaling is actually consciously avoided by many, even though it is a ticket-worthy traffic offense. I've asked people why they don't signal and  they have explained to me that signaling means others will close up a gap in an adjacent lane so they can't get over. I've had that happen to me, but not signaling can mean other cars think they're going to go for that gap, rushing into the gap at the same time as you. Also, I really can't stand when someone suddenly slams on their brakes and then makes a turn into a driveway or intersecting road. Signaling lets me know that person is going to be applying the brakes, allowing me to do the same before they make their turn.

9. Not allowing others to transition lanes or merge. This is a major habit around here and one that drives me absolutely nuts! When I drive in the South I'm always amazed how courteous everyone is when it comes to lane transitions and merging, sometimes even literally waving me in once I put my turn signal on. I've seen traffic study after traffic study that shows cutting others off, refusing to let  in cars from a lane that's ending, etc. actually makes traffic stack up. Stop being a jerk and let people in your lane so the traffic flows smoother for everyone! On the same note don't be that jerk who hops out of one lane that is clogged up, goes into the adjacent lane that's ending shortly up the road, and purposely drive all the way to the end so you can muscle your way further ahead in the line. It's called courtesy and respect, people; if you want to be treated with it you need to give it out.

8. Driving slow in passing lanes. I've noticed this seems to be more popular in rural areas or suburbs. The left lanes on a freeway or highway are generally for passing. This means if you aren't going faster than the traffic in the other lanes, move over and make way for those who are! I've heard some people explain that they travel slower in the left lane because they want to keep others from breaking the speed limit. That practice is incredibly self-righteous and misguided. The police are there to enforce the speed limits, not you. I've also heard from people that they were taught the left lanes are made for anyone who's going to be on the freeway for a long time, which is just plain ridiculous. Turtle drivers, move it to the right!

2012 Jaguar XKR-S. Photo courtesy Jaguar USA

7. Speeding around in the snow. I've already talked about this one before in another blog post, but it's worth bringing up again. I've noticed there are three types of vehicles I see speeding around during or after a huge snowstorm: 4x4s, all-wheel-drive vehicles and economy cars. I get that there are quite a few morons who think their four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive will help them not spin or slide out of control on a snowy road, but let me tell you that your tires are much bigger determining factors on whether you'll lose control on slick roads than how many wheels receive power from the transmission. I can also tell you from experience that all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles behave much better in snow if you go at a moderate speed. Why so many people in economy cars speed around in the snow baffles me. The only thing I can think of is economy cars are popular with younger drivers who haven't realized they're mortal and that driving with the accelerator constantly mashed to the floor is not the way to drive.

6. Not clearing snow, ice or frost from your car. After every snow storm I see morons driving around with a vehicle that looks like it is made entirely of snow, like they made a snowmanmobile or something ridiculous like that. In reality these people were too damn lazy to brush the snow off their car. I also regularly see people driving around with ice or frost covering their windows, except for a small clear patch at the bottom of the windshield. You can't really see where you're going like that, so scrape the stuff off your car before you drive off or wait for the defroster to clear up the windows. With snow, you need to brush off all you can from your vehicle before you start driving. Snow on your hood will fly up against the windshield, making it hard for you to see where you're going. Snow on your roof will fly onto the windshield of the car behind you. Stop being lazy, buy a little five dollar brush and scraper and clear off your car before you kill someone!

5. Driving in other cars' blind spots. This is the worst when you are driving a larger vehicle, like a van, SUV or truck. Every vehicle has blind spots -- anyone who doesn't think so needs to learn a thing or two about driving. As a general rule of thumb if you can see the the other driver's face in their side mirror then they can see you. Even better, just avoid driving near the back corners of vehicles in parallel lanes. Some newer cars from companies like Volvo and Mercedes-Benz come with a blind spot indicator system that lets drivers know if something is in the vehicle's blind spot, but it's best to just avoid blind spots and stay where you can easily be seen.

4. Cutting off large trucks. I've driven a wide variety of vehicles, and the hardest ones to drive are the big trucks. I haven't driven a semi truck, but I have driven the largest delivery-style trucks I can without getting a commercial drivers license. These trucks have massive blind spots, don't handle well at all and must be driven with extreme caution. One thing that I've noticed about quite a few other drivers on the road (especially ones in compact cars) is that they don't get these huge trucks can't stop on a dime. People seriously don't understand Newton's Laws because when a truck that's hauling around a few tons of equipment, merchandise, furniture or whatever tries to stop it takes that truck a long time to completely halt its forward progress. The worst is when you are approaching a red light and you start breaking extra early (as you should) and little cars take your slowing down as an invitation to pull in front of you. The problem is that you aren't planning on stopping a good ten or so feet sooner, and slamming on the brakes can cause you to lose control of the truck, meaning you might not be able to stop in time. It's a dangerous thing to cut off another vehicle, especially when that vehicle weighs at least a good ten times more than yours and has a solid steel front bumper. Treat large trucks with respect and give them plenty of space on the road.

3. Honking at a car after it honks at you. Everyone makes mistakes on the road -- we're all human. Sometimes you need to beep your horn if a car doesn't see yours and you are trying to avoid a crash. What I just hate is when I hit my horn not out of anger but to avoid an accident, and then the other driver lays on theirs because they're angry at me. What the hell do they have to be angry about? If you're just helping avoid a car accident they should be grateful, maybe embarrassed that they screwed up, but still grateful. Instead these people choose to honk back like that'll teach you to let them know you were there. I've seen these situations turn into a honking war and then a shouting match that can spiral out of control from there. If someone honks at you, analyze why they may be honking, make any needed corrections to your driving and move on. Swallow that pride and just don't honk back like a class-A jerk, even if you think the other driver is overreacting.

2. Tailgating cars in front of you. This is one of the most annoying driving habits. When I have a car driving behind me and I cannot see its headlights in my mirrors I know that person is driving way too close. I guess some people think hunkering up to the rear bumper on your car will make you drive as fast as they want, but I actually slow down to make a point. It's even more annoying when you have multiple lanes of traffic going in your direction and there are no other cars around, yet someone still comes up from behind and tailgates you. Perhaps these people think they have lightning fast reflexes and their car has monster brake calipers and rotors, but I would love for them to explain that theory to the cops and their insurance company after they eat another car's tailpipe.

Some brainless person invented a steering wheel mount for iPads!

1.Texting, talking and webbing. this ranks as my biggest pet peeve: other drivers who use their phone or tablet device while they are driving a vehicle! Studies have shown that texting while driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk, yet people who would never get behind the wheel after having a few drinks regularly type away while speeding down the road! I can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by someone who suddenly swerves on the road or does some other erratic maneuver, only to see that person holding a phone or tablet. Enough is enough, people! If you can't be inconvenienced by actually driving your car, leave it at home and hop the train or bus, where you can text your social butterfly heart out until your fingers become bloody little stumps!

1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo

Although it had just 70 HP, the Sprint Turbo weighed only 1,633 pounds, which was enough for a 0-60 time of 8.7 secs, on par with a Celica GT-S of the same period. Sporty hubcaps and a bodykit distinguished it from regular Sprints, and made it an interesting hot hatch of the 80s. This Sprint was recently washed and moved onto the street, after sitting in a driveway covered in moss for a year or two.