July 13: Tractor power

 What is it about tractors that makes these companies (at least two of them) want to build high powered, high priced sports cars?

Today's pop quiz.......what are those two companies? Give up? Aston Martin and Lamborghini. Is it any surprise about Lambo, when you peruse the sleek farmyard friendly lines of this blue and orange original. Imagine the pigs squealing in delight, as this looker chugged into view.

Yes, good ol' Lamborghini, whose cars have usually been a bit over the top. Not the smooth lines of a Ferrari, but lines that would cut your throat if given the chance. No wonder Car & Driver chose to pose this vision in black with a Countach for a cover way back when.........

 

Was there a car kid anywhere, back in the day, who didn't have a Countach poster on their bedroom wall? Or at least that magazine cover, which covered two basic teenage needs? Which finally brings me to today's topic.

Although always in your face, the latest Lambo harkens back to those Countach days, so time to start printing up wall posters for car kids everywhere. Behold their latest wild child, the Sian, available in both spyder (top) and coupe form.........

 

For all you environmentalists longing for a really wild ride, but having difficulty seeing your way past a Prius, relax, as this Lambo is a hybrid. Your choice, buy about 150 Prius sedans or one Sian for the same price. Economies of scale won't work with this equation.

Some important numbers........Lamborghini will build 63 coupes and 19 spyders. Get it? 1963, which is when the first sportscar to wear the Lambo name was introduced. Cute.

By the way, with a beginning price of $3,700,000 USD, you might think this car would be a hard sell. Wrong, of course, as all have been pre-sold. Let's see......how many Russian oligarchs are there? How many Saudi princes? And of course, let's not forget the Sultan of Brunei and one for the Dubai police. Those eighty two being built just might be enough.

I peaked your interest with that tractor picture and then let you down talking about an exotic sportscar? Ok, so there is one in every crowd. The Sian is a no-go, but this latest Lamborghini tractor should make you break out into a cold sweat........

Sorry, no wall posters are available.

Until next time and stay safe.........

July 8: Wild in the streets!

Looking for a good old American sedan? Something unpretentious for you and four good friends to cruise around in with lots of interior space? Something full size, that can be had for less than $40k CDN. Something that looks just like your local cop cars? Well folks, I have your ride. Step right up and take a look at this 2020 Dodge Charger, which has been around basically unchanged since 2005.

Boring? Absolutely! So how about spicing it up? What might be a nice addition to this family sedan for 2021? Leather? A sunroof? GPS? Or how about a neat little symbol on the front fender? Something like this........

So what's the catch?

The catch is that this symbol will turn your humdrum Charger into something a little less mundane. Something that will still fit all your friends (assuming you have only four). Something that will keep your local tire dealer in business. Something that will excite the local constabulary. Something that will strike terror in the hearts of all those exotic car owners, who think that their mucho expensive cars can't be beat.

The catch is this demon symbol with the red eye means, that your Charger is packing a mighty 797 HP under that air scooped hood, making scenes like this common place in your neighbourhood......

Yes sir, it was only a matter of time until those horsepower addled folks at Dodge decided that the Charger Hellcat simply wasn't enough with its mere 707 HP. So for only (and I mean "only) about $100,000 you can embarrass your local fancy car owners, who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars more for bragging rights and still don't crank out this much wonderful power.

Take an ordinary Dodge sedan, throw on a wide body kit, an air scoop, humongous tires, this intriguing little devil symbol and you create the wet dream fantasy of every red blooded North American car guy or gal. Gee, we live in a great time.

What will those crazies from Dodge think of next?

Until next time and stay safe........

July 1: Redesigning an icon

Quick, what is the best selling vehicle in North America and probably the second best selling in the whole, wild world? Gold star to anyone with the correct answer. A hint........

From humble beginnings over a hundred years ago, this best seller has become a titan in the world of vehicle sales. The answer? The Ford F-150 pick-up truck. Mull over these 2019 numbers.......

- Toyota sold about 334,000 Camrys 

- Toyota sold about 110,000 Tundra pick-ups

- Ford sold over 900,000 F-150 pick-ups

Want to put those F-150 sales in perspective? The next best selling vehicle, also a truck, lags about 260,000 units behind! 

All new for 2021, Ford had to be faced with the dilemma, how do you redesign an icon? How do you take what is your biggest profit centre, make it better and not alienate an extremely loyal customer base? Faced with this challenge, here is what Ford has done for 2021.......

Want to see what this model replaces...........

Yes, folks, all new. But let's go back fifteen years to see what the 2005 F-150 looked like.......

This is what I would call gentle evolution. Very much like BMW practices. Listen up, folks, when you sell this many of a vehicle, you sure as heck don't mess with a good thing. 

It wasn't always like this, since in the distance past, a new pick-up looked like a whole new truck whenever the design changed. Get out your magnifying glass and give this evolution of the F-150 a good look........

Why so popular? Firstly there is the construction industry, but bigger than that is the market of everyday people, who feel the need to have a big pick-up bed behind them for those Costco toilet paper runs. The feeling that your huge F-150 can go anywhere, even though you probably wouldn't be going there anyway.

Yes sir, with a truck like the F-150 you have to be very careful with each new redesign to make sure that your target market recognizes the vehicle, that they love so much. Improve it. Modify it slightly. But for Pete's sake, do not CHANGE it. Make sure that the next generation of F-150 buyers can still identify the truck that they fell in love with as kids........

Until next time........

June 24: Moving day

Live in Quebec? If you did, you would know that moving day is the end of June. All the apartment leases come due and everyone hits the road to their new place. Why that date? Who knows, but trying to rent a truck to move or hiring a moving company at this time is very tough. How tough, you ask? Maybe it's better just to load up the old car and head to your next home. How hard can that be?

Yes, it's a given that one has to be creative, but with a little rope, a couple of bungee cords and lots of imagination, you could do it. Not having a back bumper, like the car above helps in tying things down.

Got the whole family and all the relatives to move? To show how to do this efficiently, we have to cross the ocean or oceans, to those lands where their citizens know the economy of scale. They know how to pack both belongings and all of the relatives and make the move in one single, simple trip.

A happier group would be hard to find. We should take a lesson from these industrious souls.

Understand of course, that a move of this scale might just wreak havoc on the the underpinnings of your fine automobile. Creatively has its disadvantages.

 But think for a moment, that if these folks can pack for moving like this, how smart would they be in piling goods on a transport truck? No doubt they would be exceptional and by doing so, would probably be able to decrease the huge number of trucks on our streets and highways. How great would that be?

 

 

Of course, with loads like this, there are often disadvantages, if one hasn't packed things exactly right........

But done correctly, an efficiently loaded vehicle can be a real benefit to our crowded cities. Even the numbers of bike couriers could be reduced substantially, all it takes is imagination........

Now back to our friends in Quebec..........

Make moving day fun. Get all your friends and family involved. Make a day of it and enjoy the experience. Take lots of pictures for those unbelievers from the other provinces.

And remember, a family that moves together __________ (fill in the blank).

Until next time.........

June 17: How do I love thee?

How do I love thee?

Everyone has had a favorite car. Maybe it's the one you are driving right now, but probably it's some blast from your past, long before you had kids or other responsibilities. I know which one my bro would select.

So what is it? Looks? Power? Reliability? Which feature made that favorite so special?

Before, I run thru my list of favorites (what car guy can have just one?), I'll tell you my worst car. A very nice compact Buick, the Skylark. One of the "fabled" GM X cars. Great idea, but taken out of the oven way to early. To sum up........JUNK in every possible way. It caught fire. It rusted. It broke. A litany of bad news.

But I've had favorites. Actually every car I've ever had was a favorite for some reason or another, well, maybe not my little X car.

A walk down memory lane.......

Who doesn't look fondly back at their first car? Mine was a '61 Chevy convertible courtesy of my big brother, as he was taking delivery of what I know will be his favorite. A perfect storm.......a young guy and a convertible.

I loved the look of my first new car. Still do. Ordered it the day I graduated from university. Gold, black half vinyl roof (like in the pic), Magnum 500 wheels and buckets seats, my 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus (whew, what a mouth full) was a beauty.

 After about 18 months, I set my sights higher, as I fell head over heals for this luxury lady, who took my car love and wrapped it around her steering wheel.......

Looking back, I'd have to say that this is my favorite of all my cars. Again, the look with those great rims, the power and all the toys. I moved to Toronto shortly after taking delivery. A Big Shooter from the east coast. Toronto watch out!

This was followed by a Cadillac (yawn) and then a Corvette, which was nothing exciting back in those days of low/no power, all show and no go. I'd love to have the Sebring or the Grand Prix back again, but not these two.

Moving right along brings us to 1984 and a Camaro, but it was the 1987 IROC-Z in arrest-me-red that really turned my crank........

Followed by a couple of not too exciting rides, until 1995 and another Camaro, this time a Z-28. Fast and beautiful in silver with a black top

Loud and proud. This car could smoke the tires half way down the block and let all the neighbours know that Barry was home. Or maybe it was Barbara, since she could make this car talk with her excellent speed shifting.

Surprisingly, my next ride is also near the top of the list of great rides........

 A 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (remember that brand?). Great looking and for its time a lot of supercharged horsepower. Back then this model was a rock star, that turned heads. The '97's sold out early, so even though mine was a '98, there still weren't tons around.

Another couple of GP's, then I got a Hemi powered pimpmobile (what else would you call a black 300C with deep tinted windows?). Great handling car (Mercedes underpinnings) with a Hemi engine that just wouldn't quit..........

Next to an unreliable Acura TL and then onto this car.........

New for 2013, the Cadillac ATS was lauded at the time.A bit small in the back seat, but it handled well and it was fast with its turbo motor. All the buff mags loved this car, but after a strong first year's sales, it slowly dropped down the sales charts until it was discontinued, only to be reborn as the 2020 CT4.

So many favorites. So little time.

Finally to my last two cars, a 2016 Maxima and a 2019. Love them both. Big power. Tons of conveniences. Lots of room. A great car and one that I can brag, has never been back to the dealer for anything. Pretty impressive.

So what has made your heart race over the years or even today? What stole your car heart and has made you yearn for it ever since? Like me is there more than one or is it a there is only one choice?

How do I love thee?

Until next time........

June 10: Can you ever forgive me?

Read my blogs for awhile? If so, then you know my pet auto peeves. A while back I berated BMW on the turn their new front ends were taking. It almost looked like they were trending towards the horrific grilles, that Lexus so proudly places on the fronts of their otherwise, oh so perfect vehicles......

Make your car stand out!

Frighten small children!

It actually shouldn't surprise me or anyone else with eyes, that BMW was capable of an unusual design, after all isn't this the company that was responsible for the, let's be kind here, hideous suv coupes, that they started with the X6 above?

But I'm writing today to beg forgiveness for doubting that BMW could ever rise from the grave of peculiar designs. Case in point is their latest coupe (sedan or whatever), the 8 Series..........

Stunning in a pic, even better in real life (I thought the same thing recently about the gorgeous Porsche Taycan). Finally, light at the end of the design tunnel

But BMW had me worried, when they started showing a new and rather suspect new grille late last year......

A bit of a departure from the elegant and smaller twin kidneys, that had become this brand's hallmark. In comparing the two cars above, I wondered how this huge change would work, without looking like a semi truck or an escapee from a transformers movie.

Relax, Barry, for BMW pulled it off with their new 2021 4 Series coupe.......

 

Is this newcomer anything but beautiful? A departure from the past 4 Series, which were very good looking, but tending to be a bit conservative for a "Hey, look at me!", kind of car. No more, as this latest effort tries hard to push Mercedes off of the Great Looking Coupe pedestal.

Now, if BMW would only try to stop making each new design configuration, almost exactly like the last model. Come on, folks, I know you can do it.

Until next time......

June 4: Wake up, VW!

If you are a VW dealer, you must love the Arteon. If you didn't why would you have all those attractive sedans sitting on your lot? Does anyone reading this blog even know what this car is? Have you seen one this week? Month? Since January 1st?

So why doesn't VW get with the program? Stop clogging up the dealers' inventory with a car nobody buys. This isn't a knock on the Arteon, since nobody else sells sedans (or dam few), but others do a better job of giving the dealers vehicles that will sell.

Case in point. You know how well suvs sell these days. There are many more suvs on the road than Donald Trump's stupid tweets and that's saying something. Consider this......Honda has four, Toyota has five, Hyundai has five, Chev has six and BMW, well those high rollers have seven. VW has three!

Might be time to look at what VW sells elsewhere.........

T-Roc

The T-Roc is a very stylish suv, that one sees quite a bit in Europe. Imagine this in a Canadian VW showroom? Yeah, but not for long, since this would be a hot seller. Why not add this to the North American line up? Opportunity lost? Heck, it even comes in a cabrio, but I'd say give that one a pass.

Or how about the new Nivus?

Already on this side of the Atlantic, but way down south in Brazil. They know something we don't? Not good enough for us? Small suvs sell really well up here, but if VW doesn't want us to have the Nivus, how about the T-Cross......

Cute and cute sells, doesn't it?

Ok, so VW has the right product for us, but they won't let us have it. They'd prefer to have those Arteons clogging up the dealers' lots. If VW likes the Arteon so much, how about taking a page out of the Audi Allroad book and give us the new Arteon Shooting Brake (station wagon)........

Risky? Daring? Great looking? Price it about the same as a top line Subaru Outback and just maybe there will be the same line ups at the dealerships. Will we ever get this? My opinion? Never! Not a chance!

I'm not a rocket scientist, neither, obviously, are those folks at Volkwagen. If they were, VW North America would have more than three suvs in the line and less of those dusty Arteons.

Time to write a letter.

Until next time and stay safe.......