February 26: Wild Horses

One of my favorite things, the modern day fuel Funny Car and in this case a rip snorting 11,000 hp Mustang, that can blow ear drums in a heartbeat. Propelled by a motor, that at full song has a life expectancy of well under ten seconds. No manufacturer's warranty here, folks. But how did this all get started?

With the help of the famous Car Modeling Cat (CMC), how about we look at a little bit of Mustang history?

Here's my adorable little co-modeller checking over our build of one of the earliest Mustang drag cars. One that evolved into one of the very first "funny cars", so named because the altered wheelbase made them look "funny". This car was piloted by Dick Brannan, well known to us oldsters, as a name we revered when growing up. Revered at least by the Ford fans.

Want to go fast? Simple strategy. Shoehorn a huge motor, in this case a 427, in a light weight body, like this Mustang. Make it even lighter by using aluminum body panels and bumpers. That's the reason those bumpers aren't shiny chrome. To get better traction, move the front and rear wheels further forward. Voila! A much better drag car, that looks kinda funny, not quite like a showroom piece.

The CMC and my version, shows a later change, when some bright soul decided that too much power wasn't nearly enough, hence, why not throw on some injectors?

 

Sure why not, rear tires are cheap.

How times change though, since even with all that power, this car couldn't crack 10 seconds in the quarter mile. Compare that to these days, when you or I can walk into a dealership and off the showroom floor buy a race ready Dodge Challenger, that will easily crack that formerly magical time.

Everything evolves, so did these almost stock cars,. From the lighter body parts to the altered wheelbases to the nitro fueled blown engines and finally to the million dollar plus techno wonders that assault our ears today.

A little bit of nostalgia and history brought to you courtesy of myself and the Car Modeling Cat.

Until next time.....

February 19: The BIG show

My favorite show of the year and more interesting to me than Quilting for Beginners or Crafts Made From Pet Fur. But I'm sure that those two also have their followers. No, the one I look forward to is the Toronto car show, more formally known as the Canadian International Autoshow. This is the place to see all the new stuff, that I'd been reading about.

First stop, the Mercedes and Volvo displays.......

Oops! I forgot that these two manufacturers were AWOL this year and following the lead of various other companies, that have started to abandon these yearly extravaganzas. Why you ask? Good question. I know that budgets are tight, but aren't these shows a great place to present your wares to an adoring public? Apparently not. Mercedes I can maybe understand, but Volvo? They are still struggling to be a top of mind luxury brand and didn't they want to show off their new Polestar electric line? Guess not.

So what did I see that I should share with you? How about we start with the eye catching (eye watering?) Canadian sportscar, the Felino.........

Yes, our Canadian hope springs eternal, as Felino calls their new entry "brutally gorgeous". Are they smoking some serious and now legal Mary Jane? This sportscar has been on the market for the past three years, but I'm pleased to tell you that I haven't seen any in my 'hood. Price? If you are that interested, look it up yourself, as I'm getting a headache looking at this bizarre creation.

Taking kids to the big show and after looking at a few cars, they are getting bored? Then drop by the Honda display, where an accommodating robot was carefully placing stickers on a Civic. Fun for hours!

Concepts are adult fun and usually hint at the brand's future styling direction (in the case of the Pontiac Aztec, disappointingly so)........

Hyundai 45

Hyundai Vision T

Infiniti QS Inspiration

What was new that might be life savers for their brand? 

First off, the Mustang Mach-e, because Ford is killing off most of their cars and they haven't done much electric to date........

Secondly, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, because this model sells very well and in recent years has defined the Cadillac brand, not to mention, they need a very strong competitor for the resurgent Lincoln Navigator.....

And thirdly, the Genesis GV80, because the excellent and pricey Genesis nameplate can't survive on those wonderfully reviewed sedans........

And finally, the beautiful Aston Martin DBX, because Aston's gorgeous sportscars haven't been killing their competition lately and everyone knows that these ultra expensive suvs are a licence to print those proverbial coins (witness the Rolls Cullinan in the background)........

And now the Let's Not Be Subtle award goes to Mazda, who showed their CX-5 suv in this snowy scene, in case you were wondering why you should remotely consider getting an suv, just because every single one of your friends and neighbours has one.......

Does Mazda think you might not get it? Obviously.

So there you have it, my take on the CIAS. Eye candy for the masses and a touch & feel it afternoon for your blogger.

Until next time......

February 12: A Ford forcast

Chevrolet Trax

Blame this funny little vehicle from Chevrolet for opening the doors to all sorts of small, little or tiny vehicles to feed the ever increasing demand for anything resembling an suv. Rugged? All terrain conquering? Not really. Good seller? Does a bear s___ in the woods? Ok, enough with the preamble.

To compete in this hot category, Ford looked around the world and saw that way out east (not Canada), really way out east, they had an innocuous little vehicle called the EcoSport, that could compete in this category over the short term.........

Like the Trax (and its Buick cousin), this little suv plays make believe, that it is a "real" rockin' and rollin' off roader. In reality, the only place it really rocks is on the showroom floor, where for the meagre amount of about $27K Cdn you can drive away and head to the off road adventures of your own driveway. Perceive yourself to be a high roller? Ok, then for only about $34k Cdn, you can get the Titanium edition. Titanium?
You bet, Bucko, as this one adds leather, a heated steering wheel, sunroof and navigation. Loaded to its little gills with driver pleasures.

Time to get serious. Ford can do better and if one looks across the Atlantic, they have just introduced a small soft roader, that could well replace the marginal EcoSport. Should replace the EcoSport. Enter the 2020 Puma.....

The Puma name had been used by Ford Europe in the past, but has now been dug out of the graveyard, where old car names go to rest until they can be brought back to life. Remember the Maverick? Expect to see it back later this year on another small suv, but with more of a Jeep type look.

Does Ford need another small suv? Again with that bear cliche. By 2022 they will have dropped most of their cars, so there is room on the showroom floor for new nameplates, even if they are old ones. Also, Ford's recent financials show that they are begging for new and saleable products. So my readers, the Puma makes perfect sense, even if Ford adds it to their line up without replacing the old EcoSport. It could slot in painlessly.

The name? Good question. The Escape is called the Kuga(?) in Europe, so maybe changing the Puma to something else over here is an option. The Puma name means nothing to North American buyers, but it's a good name, unlike the unfathomable Kuga. Google that name, there ain't nothing there. Maybe Ford could bring back the good ol' Pinto? Do you think they have a sense of humour?

Whatever this for now Europe only suv ends up being called, I'll stake this blogger's small reputation on predicting that the Puma will end up over here within two years. I was correct about the Hyundai Venue, so maybe lightening strikes twice? See if your local dealer will put your name on a waiting list.

Until next time.......

February 5: A dead horse, well and truly beaten?

Fleetingly caught out of the corner of my eye, while strolling thru Barcelona last month, was America's last hope at convincing a very unconvinced public, that a station wagon could actually be cool. You guessed it, this was what we sold over here as the Dodge Magnum, but in Europe a Chrysler front end was swapped in and it was renamed the Chrysler 300C (complete with a fuel friendly diesel motor). Looking like a chopped top custom car, the beloved Magnum (beloved by those who loved it!), failed to connect with our growing populace, who believed that the suv would be their salvation.

Of course, this hot looking ride was not an suv and also was too big for Europe, so it became a memory. But those Europeans for years had seen the benefit of wagons  -  lots of room, good handling and great looking. Corner quickly in an suv at your peril, folks. Nothing sporty about most sport utility vehicles. But back to those Europeans. Arriving in Spain, this was on display at the Barcelona airport........

Recognize it? If you do, it's not from seeing it on this side of the Atlantic. This is one of the beautiful Mercedes wagons that roam the continent, specifically the 2020 CLA. Have faith, though, as Benz still thinks that there are a few right minded buyers over here, since last year they added the C Class wagon below, to accompany the E Class, that has been in their line forever. And you can even get the E as a fire breathing AMG 63 with an earth shaking 603 hp! What do the more affluent among us know, that the rest of us don't?

Lusting after one of these beauts, but unless those lottery tickets, that you waste your weekly bucks on, strike gold, all you can do is window shop? Tough luck. Ah, but those Europeans don't have these worries. Don't belong to royalty or have gotten rich selling property in Monaco? Kia understands and would like to help......

This 2020 Proceed seen in Estoril, Portugal, mimics the swoopy Benz styling at a mere fraction of that German's very pricey price. And being a Kia, it has more standard equipment. Of course, you can get all that the Kia offers in a Benz, but you'll have to work the options list to do so. And that costs money, friendo. Those lucky Europeans.

Not a fan of these gorgeous wind tunnel designs (how could that be?), but a wagon still calls out to you?

Over here VW has bid farewell to the neat compact Golf wagon, the last bastion of the economy minded wagon buyer. Yeah, I know your pain. This little gem still haunts the highways and biways of Europe, but it's not a VW buyers only choice. Check out the VW dealer down the street.....

A more conservative approach than the Benz or Kia, VW has given those EU (and British) residents a nicely traditional Passat wagon. Remember those over here from many, many years gone by? Nice and square for those whose antiquing requires a bit more room.

Where did we go so wrong? When did we decide that the only solution was an suv?  When will I stop beating this dead horse?

Hope springs eternal, so I can only dream that there will come a time when the wagon once again reigns supreme. Don't be silly, Barry, but can we at least hope for a minor selection across the price spectrum? Is your blogger too much of a dreamer? Time as always will tell all.

Until next time.......