April 30: So nice, I did it twice!

This just won't do. Barry leaning against his beautiful burgundy 2016 Maxima SR. No, this is old news, as I just got a new Maxima.

Over the past three years, this has been a great car and probably one of the reasons that I recommend and deliver quite a few Nissan products in my business. How does one define "great"? In my books, it means that it has never gone back to the dealer for a problem, however minor. Oh sure, there were two recalls, but those don't count, since every car, including Rolls-Royce, has them. No, this was a drive and forget it car. And isn't that what they all should be these days?

But this was a great car in all respects. Lots of room for this six foot five blogger. Lots of power from that famous Nissan V6. Great handling. And in my mind, great looks. Those four things have been my main criteria, since I started buying my own cars right out of university in 1971. And in all that time, I've only repeated a car a couple of times.

In 1984, I got my first Camaro and repeated it again three years later........

In this case, I went from the V6 base model to the top of the line IROC-Z. Big difference, but still the same body style, although the Z had several model differentiation add-ons. Great car? I loved everything about it, but no, quality wise it wasn't at the top of the heap.

The next time I repeated, was with a Pontiac Grand Prix (remember that brand?). I had a 1998 GTP, the supercharged sedan, and then again in 2001, I got another one........

Different colour and wheels, but otherwise exactly the same model. Again, I loved this car. Great looks and for its time, lots of supercharged power. Boy, have things changed, as what constituted lots of power back in 2001, would not be in anyone's top ten, twenty or even thirty these days. Lucky us.

So back to my new Max.........

In 2016, I went with the SR sport model, since it had the biggest rims at 19". Funny though, since it was the sport model, Nissan didn't offer it with a sunroof, which in my world is mandatory. I paid the $1400 plus hst to have one installed locally. Now in 2019, I moved up a notch to the top of the line.......

Important to me, is that for 2019 the Platinum now has the SR's 19 inchers. Style wise, the Maxima has had a mid-cycle refresh, which means that only the Nissan designers can spot the differences. Actually there are two.........

Better looking simplified front end

Rectangular exhaust tips, not round as before

A few small bonuses for getting this model are the panorama glass sunroof, the power rear window shade, the extra techie bits, the power tilt steering wheel and the very convenient memory seats. The latter great for those rare days when my wife drives my car, like today. Before, I used to have to fuss around with all the settings when I got back in it. Life was tough.

Call me a relic, call me a hold out, but I still like sedans. Better handling and typically better looking (there are exceptions). I know my suv time will come, but for now, I'll enjoy my "so nice, I did it twice" new Maxima.

Until next time.....

April 26: Asian oddities

What is it? This pic taken on the dirty streets of Manila might have been the best vehicle, that I saw in this insanely crowded city on our recent Asian trip. Wearing out your brain trying to figure it out? Give up? Ok, this is a Toyota Fortuner........

One of many cars that I saw in this part of the world, that we don't get over here. Toyota seemed to have a variety of vehicles, that will never see the North American light of day.........

Vellfire  -  a luxury van for the wealthy

Sienta  -  funky, smaller van

Of course, many were small sedans and hatches that would be nailed to the showroom floor, if anyone did decide to have them break cover here. Cars like the those from the Proton Group, like this Saga..........

Sure, it's a lousy picture, but trust me, you don't need to see any more of it. Or that shipment of MG sedans, that were sitting on the dock in Brunei. MG, that famous old Brit sportscar that introduced North America to sporty open air motoring in a car that handled. Those days are long gone, so the Chinese company that now owns and uses the name has it on a small sedan and an suv. Oh my, how times have changed.

 Of course in wealthy Singapore and Hong Kong, the high rollers have to stand out in ways which perplex me.......

A "normal" Bentley would be too commonplace, so some distinctive graphics will help, when you are looking for your car on millionaire's row.......

 

A Rolls with white walls? Seen one over here lately?

Gee, I wish I could feel your pain, instead of just seeing it in that, "OMG, what have you done?", Bentley.

But, even among the the rich and famous, the odd piece of Amurican iron will stand out and get pride of place......

Sure, this done up Mustang GT is no Roller or Maybach, like the behemoths parked near it, but when the only other cars in Hong Kong from our side of the Pacific are Teslas (and lots of them), a few Mustangs will get attention. 

Asian oddities. Seems like a long way to go to get pictures for those reading this blog, but just one of the lengths that I'll go to make your bi-weekly read a bit more interesting than the fact filled pages of Car & Driver or Motor Trend. 

More to come.

Until next time........ 

April 23: Taxi!

Yell, "Taxi!", in different parts of the world and what turns up will be completely different. No surprise, right? In New York city, a small yellow van will appear, in London, a traditional London cab, in Amsterdam, a Tesla, in Lisbon, a cream coloured sedan, usually a Mercedes and in........well, let's just move on.

Toyota, from 1995 until 2017, built a very conservative sedan, called the Comfort.......

This car was built to be used by the taxi trade in only three places, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, so when we yelled, "Taxi!", on our recent visit to Hong Kong, a Comfort is what appeared. Actually it didn't just "appear" since Comforts were everywhere, as you can see by this picture......

Now Singapore was a different matter, as there was not a Comfort to be seen anywhere, so I guess the appeal of these Toyotas to the wealthy taxi riding folks of Singapore was short lived.

The safety of a sedan body surrounding one's self, should never be taken for granted. Moving on to Malaysia and the Philippines brought a whole new meaning to the word, "taxi". What passed for people movers in these areas might have passed for death traps in many other parts of this planet. Does the term, go with the flow, come to mind? Some examples........

Note the mask on this driver

Not to miss out on the appeal of this open air taxi ride, my wife and I threw caution (and our lives) to the wind, as we hopped on board one of these minimalist taxis for an unexpected island tour.......

Classic or what? And to think we tipped our driver for the experience!

Now least you think I'm using some extreme examples, the more upscale rides were only slightly better (read safer), like this one in Manila..........

Coming full circle back to what passes for a cab in our world, we should embrace the dirty Camrys that ferry folks around Toronto. I, for one, will never complain again (although that Toyota Comfort was really ok).

Or an even better idea, when in Hong Kong, use the hotel's Rolls-Royce courtesy cars.........

Until next time......

April 16: Confirmed at last!

Finally, finally, finally! After almost two years of camouflaged sightings and rumours, Chevrolet has confirmed that the next Corvette will be the mid-engined beauty, that has been tantalizing spy photographers for the past couple of years.

The car that started out as a futuristic display in the early 1950's General Motors Motorama.........

.........is going to go through its biggest change to date. A change that almost all of the exotics had undergone many years ago. Sure, there are those front engined Ferrari models and the Aston Martin, but I can't think of any other high end supercar, that hasn't pushed its engine to the rear. Corvette has tempted us with numerous show cars over the years that hinted (strongly?), that the next generation would buck its tradition and follow the others......

But for whatever reason, GM and Chevrolet held back until now. Even with this latest Vette, anticipation was high that it would be unveiled at the 2018 Detroit show, then the '19 show, then maybe Geneva or Frankfurt. No such luck. Then a pull back due to problems. Hearts fluttered, as we thought that even this seeming inevitability, was going to once again be thrown on the heap of what might have been Corvettes.

Mark the date below on your calendar.....

Not sure why that date, but Mary Barra, the GM pres was riding around New York city the other day in this camo wrapped Corvette with this date emblazened on its side. Regardless of what the occasion, we now knew that the mid-engine Corvette, Vette, Stingray or whatever, was the real deal.......

Protected on all sides by big black Suburbans, like some a president or Drake, the new Vette cruised the streets of the Big Apple before heading to a local hotel. Sure, it's wrapped up like a newborn, but with every line visible. The only surprises on 7/19 will be the engines, the colour palette and the price. Well, it's about time, folks.

In with the new and out with the old. Ready to take on the world.

Until next time......

April 12: French kiss

So, here we are awaiting the onslaught, or at least the arrival, of the Chinese car companies and now we hear that the Europeans want another crack at our car market (for a bit of context, read my last blog  - without that info, you'll think that I've lost some very important grey matter  -  if you don't already think that).

Peugeot, a part of the powerhouse PSA Group is planning to lead the charge. Want a see a few of the interesting vehicles that they currently sell across the Atlantic? I thought so.

I love sedans, although if they start with those, they might as well not even try their luck over here. For me, though, this 508GT is a beauty and worth the trip across the Atlantic........

I know, I know, wagons don't sell over here, but surely it wouldn't be too difficult to do an suv treatment on this gorgeous 508. Fool us North Americans into thinking we are driving a real macho suv.

That was my preference, but in reality they need to to put up a big sign saying Peugeot SUV's Sold Here. And sure, they have a few.......

One size fits all? Not a chance, so they have a Goldilocks selection of contemporary suv's to make our North American hearts flutter with excitement. No sex involved.

And Peugeot also has a little family van, which as quirky as it is, might find a home over here, certainly as a panel version......

No boring numbers to identify this puppy, no sir, this is the Rifter. Go ahead and play with that name to your heart's content.

Of course, being European, Peugeot also has a vast range of small hatches, but best leave those in Europe, as our small car sales seem to be suffering from terminate disinterest.

The interesting fact, is that with a large company like PSA, they have several brands under their corporate wing, so any of those could be rebadged and sold here as a Peugeot. Nothing new to this ploy. Ten years ago, they started a luxury line, which they called DS. This could either mean distinctive series or different spirit. Or, more likely it relates to the classic Citroen DS badge. Not quite as distinctive as Lexus or Acura. Point is they could also pull a vehicle or two from the DS line to class up their showrooms.......

Now before you get all excited and start saving for any of these French delights, keep in mind that this is 2019 and Peugeot is targeting 2026 or before. The point is, when they do arrive on our shores, pretty certain that they will be offering the next generation of any of these featured vehicles.

So for all of you folks who get a new car every fifteen to twenty years whether you need to or not, you'll have another brand to consider.

Until next time......

April 9: Here they come!

"Here they come!"

When you see a headline like that in this blog, you are probably thinking, another rant about the new stuff from China. Not so today folks. Keep in mind that the North American car market is the biggest in the world. Oops, correction, the second biggest in the world. For #1, there is that outlier, China, once again by a huge margin. How about twenty eight million vehicles sold per year compared to North America's eighteen million. But the company that has opened a head office in Atlanta, as a precursor to selling cars here, may best be remembered by this TV icon........

Maybe those of a uncertain age may recall the old heap that Peter Falk, as Lt Columbo, drove in the TV police drama Columbo. This rusty cabrio was a Peugeot 403. Remember them? I didn't think so. Drown in the tidal wave from Japan with not many strong products, this French company packed up and headed home in 1991. Seems like only about thirty years ago. But things change.

They aren't the only ones who have looked covetously at the car sales on our shores. Look at Fiat trying unsuccessfully to get a small slice of our car market. Next up, Alfa Romeo, who may actually succeed in spite of themselves. Now Peugeot has opened an office stateside and this past weekend showed up at a car event in Atlanta with a new 508GT.........

Picture courtesy of Jalopnik

Yes, this old French brand, who have been around for well over a hundred years, wants to join our party and intends to do so by 2026 latest. A long time and an eternity in the car business, this shows that they intend to take their time and do things right.

Remember when they were here years ago?

No, these two weren't quite seen on every corner, but it was a relatively popular brand and not too costly. I remember a guy in my junior high class, whose dad had a new black 404. Seemed like quite a step up from the junk he had been driving.

I guess it makes sense, that if any European company is going to try to crack our market again, it should be Peugeot from the powerhouse PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroen, DS), who recently added Opel/Vauxhall, bought from GM.

Will this name mean much to us? Excellent question. They have some time to figure out how to position themselves over here. Maybe they should emphasize beauty, since in the past they've offered up some sweet concoctions (not including Columbo's heap) and that 508GT is certainly a looker.......

Or maybe they should emphasize their toughness, as it seems that they can carry anything..........

..........and in some places, they seem to last forever, regardless of their condition........

Whatever Peugeot is thinking would be a good lead in to their foray over here, that candidate better have suv written large all over it. Add in the beauty contestants later, once they've gotten everyone's attention. What might those products be? Topic for another blog, but one thing is sure, if they take until 2026, anything currently offered will be old news, but it will give us a taste.

Until next time......

April 5: Hitting the "G" spot

Just another trip to the polo field.

I took this picture on my recent eastern trip, where one of the stops was Brunei. You know, the kingdom about the size of the greater Toronto area, but with oil money pouring in like flooding in a hurricane. The citizens receive a few perks, but the Sultan of Brunei, a car lover from way back, gets the most benefit. Consider an almost 1200 room palace and a 7500 car collection. Disgusting? Probably, as is his recent declaration of Sharia law. But that topic isn't for this blog. Let the CNN crew stone him for that religious(?) edict. No, folks, we are interested in his ride.

While in Brunei, we had to stop on the road by the palace, so that the outriders, the Sultan and the security car could head out of the palace grounds on their way to the polo field. I was a bit disappointed, that all he was driving was a plain old, expensive G Class Mercedes. Look closer, Barry and do a bit of research! What I actually saw was a really expensive, sultan worthy Brabus 800 G63..........

Rolls off the tongue like a stall peppermint, doesn't it? So, who is Brabus and what is this Brabus creation? Brabus is the largest aftermarket producer of hot rodded Benz, a brand they specialize in. Sort of like AMG, but not owned by M-B. The 800? Oh, that's easy. The factory G63 comes with a paltry 577 HP. Hardly enough to move the almost three ton G Class with any authority and after all, the Sultan wants to motor with authority. Those polo ponies can't wait all day. The Brabus 800 packs 800 HP! So, no matter what this beast weighs, it will reach cruising speed rather quickly. Obviously, it helps that you own the road and have outriders clearing your way.

Brabus also makes sure that from the inside, you know that you are motoring along in one seriously luxurious ride.........

The sultan's ride has right hand drive

Starry, starry night  - check out that sparkling headliner

The G Class? I don't get it, no matter how many rappers or sultans drive these ugly dinosaurs. Capable? No question, since like the Range Rover, these things will climb Everest should the need arise. Or at least get to the first base camp......

Will any of the G buyers ever be in this position? Maybe if Rodeo Drive gets flooded out or if there is construction on Toronto's Mink Mile. Otherwise the cobblestone driveway leading to the mansion, would be the closest these hulks get to off roading.

How something this brutal ever made its way off the battlefield and into the hands of the rich and the uber rich is beyond me. In my opinion, humble or otherwise, it should have stayed where it belonged and where it did some good, which is in the hands of the military, for which it was originally developed and is still used.

Let the sultan cruise his restrictive potentate in a stately Cullinan or Bentayga. Forget about the Brabus 800 G63, no matter how much earth shattering power it has.

Until next time.......