Wanting What We Can't Have

 I want it!

And why not? We live in a land of plenty (stop complaining), so shouldn't we be able to have anything that we want? Even things we don't want should be available to us. Now that we all agree, let's move on.......

Isn't this one of the best looking Audi's you've seen recently? What is it? For China, Audi designers took the A7, that maybe too big fastback and gave it a trunk. Also note the un-Audi like way the body curves up as it blends into the C pillar. Beautiful design. You want it? Move to China, as this one isn't coming here anytime soon. I want it!

Love a Mercedes C or E Class, but need some extra room? Don't have the coin to move up to the mogul's, oligarch's and dictator's ride, the S Class? Again, you're going to have to move to the Forbidden Kingdom......

Both the C and E Class come in an L model with more back seat room. You know how those folks like to be chauffeur driven. You didn't? Well now you do and that is exactly why these two models exist, but only over there.

What's next? Who among you has any idea what this is........

 Everyone give up, just like Lincoln has given up on sedans in it's homeland? Not so in China, as this new Lincoln Zephyr Reflection shows. Just unveiled and it's stunning. Want it? Then move, Bucko, as it ain't coming to your local North American dealer this year and probably never. Even with my bad knees, which making sedans a tough prospect, I want it!

The Ford Evos........

What is it? How about a high end suv with that coupe like profile that has become so popular. Mixed messages about it coming to North America or Europe, but it seems unlikely. It will be a hybrid. Unveiled last week at the Shanghai Auto Show, it apparently will be a treat for buyers in China, at least (cross your fingers) for now. I want it!

And now for something completely different (sort of)........

This fabulous interior comes from a humdrum suv that Ford only sells in China. They can keep that suv, but pleeeease put this gorgeous interior into something they sell over here. I want it!

Time to move?

Yep, I feel your pain, so let's shed a tear for all these beautiful rides that won't see the light of day on our continent, but move? Not in this life.

Until next time........

Family Hauler Time

For anyone of my age, when one thinks about the good ol' family hauler, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a minivan. Ok, I get it, but go back a little further. Back to a time long ago, when the family hauler was a station wagon, like this behemoth below........

Like the long extinct dinos, these things roamed our neighbourhoods and were as common as the now ubiquitous suv. These days, call something a station wagon and you've destined it to being nailed to the showroom floor. Ain't no one ponying up hard earned coin for a friggin' station wagon around these parts. 

Long gone? Ancient history? Dead?

Maybe, but that depends on what you call a station wagon. What is this double talk I speak of? Ok, folks, let's call them something else and see what happens. 

Years ago Aston Martin started a tradition of making a few wagon copies of their beautiful sports cars.......

Always gorgeous and always called shooting brakes. They probably could have called them chuck wagons and they would have sold. This tradition has continued up to the present day with the Zagato Vanquish Shooting Brake.......

No wood panelling, but definitely a wagon. Don't look for one at your local mall, as only a handful were made. Wonder if Chrysler knocked off a few of their big old wagons, called them shooting brakes, whether they would find a home?

Now cast your thoughts over to Porsche. Their lovely Panamera has had a wagon version for a few years.......

A wagon? Not quite, a Grand Turismo. Yep, that makes all the difference. Love a Porsche? Love to have a 911, but need the room? Play golf and need even more room? Then look no further. 

You're an environmentalist you say? Porsche has you covered.......

Take a Taycan EV, give it the Grand Turismo treatment and viola, you are the envy of your local Green Party candidate and a few other envious tree huggers you pass along the way.

Being one of those oddballs who like wagons, these hot new ones have my eye and heart. Of course, selling my soul still wouldn't give me enough coin to put one in my name. California Dreamin'? I think so. But it makes me happy that the old family hauler is still alive and well, but configured a little differently (and unfortunately vastly more expensive). 

Ah progress.

Until next time......

EV Dreamin'

 If you look at the pic below and start drooling, while gushing over the stunning lines, then you'd better move on to another blog.........

Recognize this frumpy old Hyundai from the mid 2000's? A mere 15 years has gone by this since blandly styled car was the norm for Hyundai and also it's sister brand, Kia. Times have changed and both of these South Korean companies are now known for their exciting styling and quality products. If you don't believe me, time to enroll in an updating course at your local college.

Nowadays everyone is talking EVs. Every week another new and near future EV is unveiled to enthusiastic response from everyone waiting for some Tesla competition and maybe a price they can afford. Well, not sure about the latter, but more about that later.

Hyundai and Kia have just unveiled their upcoming debutantes for the EV ball....... 

Kia EV6

Hyundai Ioniq5

Not a bad line on either of these beauties, but did anyone doubt that when these companies got serious about an EV, that they would be attention grabbing?

Ioniq5

EV6

Interiors that match their outsides in being up to date and showing the quality that has been these companies' recent hallmarks. The Hyundai looks more futuristic, while the Kia has a more traditional feel. Hey, we all love choices.

Pricing? Good question. These two will hit Europe first and the Ioniq5 is already being shipped to dealers. The EV6 should follow a short time later. A year from now both should be able to rip $ from our bank accounts. Expect them to be around $60-$70k Canadian, but that's only a guess based on European prices. 

Looking for a four door Ferrari? Maybe an electric Stinger?

Kia has your number. This GT version is bragging about 577 HP, so hit the loud pedal (in this case the silent one) and hang on. Being an EV, those acceleration numbers will be as stunning as this EV's looks.

Just think, an entire blog about Hyundai and Kia without a mention or even a thought about the original Hyundai, a rolling piece of junk, that we all remember as the Pony. How things can change over what have been a relatively few years.

Time to end this blog with a time worn cliche...... the future is now!

Until next time.......

Looks Like a Rolls, but.........

 What's it like to be looked up to and copied by everyone? Well, I know what it's like to be looked up to, being well over six feet has that effect. I live with it and try to be humble, but it's oh so hard. 

But you may have noticed that this is a blog about cars, but what car is copied more than any other? Those of you who said Chevy Cavalier can go to another blog, maybe a very small one listing Donald Trump's admirable features?

Those of you who raised your hand and yelled out Rolls-Royce can stay. A quick look again at this icon before we begin......

Ready?

This is a Chrysler Imperial concept from 15 years ago. Maybe I should have started off with something a bit closer to the RR, but this one sure looks like a Rolls offspring to me.

Let's get a little closer.........

You doubt who the Russians had in mind when they threw this design up on their drawing boards? Look again........

Next up in our stroll thru the copycat files, the Geely from the Forbidden Kingdom.......

I rest my case.

A Rolls-Royce is a Rolls-Royce is a Rolls-Royce Not a Russian Aurus, a Chrysler concept or even a Geely. Copy all you want, Rolls is no doubt flattered (or severely pissed off). If you can't be original, might as well pick the low hanging fruit. Everyone knows what a Rolls represents, so knock it off. Don't try to convince your target market that a Lexus copy is close to being desirable.

Maybe some of history's car failures should have gone this route? Then again, maybe not, just fail on your own merits. Now there is a quote for the ages.

Until next time........

Are you kidding me?

 

"Women are kind and gentle, but they hit things."

Are you kidding me? VW, the master of the cute Beetle ad actually thought that this was a good idea? Were things so different a few years ago? Try writing that today and apart from the various groups that would immediately start picketing VW's headquarters, the press would rip VW's throat out.

Now we all know that this is politically incorrect. Sexist. Stupid. Want to take a short walk through a handful of some other dumb ads? These ones wouldn't get the manufacturer sued, but they are strange in today's or any other context.

Ford's slogan back then was about having a better idea. Was this one of them?

Sure, drive a fashionable two door hardtop down a ski slope to prove something. Maybe, that you can still hit the slopes, even if you forgot your skis? Makes sense to me. Note that those fancy hubcaps are staying in place through this dumb stunt.

Does being humble make a great ad?

Apparently so. This Austin Princess ad from the 1970's.........Princess - better than average. Are you kidding me!!!!!! Even in the terrible '70's this sure doesn't seem like a great sales proposition. "Hey, Geoffrey, how's your new Princess?" Answer...."Well, Basil, I've got to admit, it's better than average." On second thought, maybe this was a strong selling feature way back when.  

What's wrong with this picture........

A happy French family at the airport awaiting the arrival of their friends from somewhere. Whoever thought that this Air France jet dive bombing to the runway would be great advertising? Maybe for a funeral home? But seriously, were they nuts? Take a closer look at the stewardess at the bottom of the stairs. Is she holding her head in terror knowing the outcome of this kamikazi approach?

Great advertising or the decision maker's day off?

Enough said. I'm sure that there are many more of these what were they thinking ads. So let's leave this subject with a bit of European humour........

So, tell us, what do you really think? No wonder sales of North American cars overseas are less than mediocre. Good for a laugh regardless.

Until next time......

You again?

 Ah, the good old days, when men were men and cars carried real names, not an alpha-numeric soup that no one can ever remember. If a friend is getting a new CT4, do you immediately know what it is? Maybe, but probably not. I don't really loooong for those days of yore when cars had real names, but it made things easier.

Hey, I'm not the only one who feels like this. Lincoln, who had a line up of the MKS, MKT, MKC and MKX has seen the light. All their new intros carry real names, like Aviator and Corsair. The latter being a blast from the very distance past. So, maybe Ford has also gotten the message.

Remember the unforgettable and unmemorable Maverick?

 

Really, who could forget the Maverick, although most of us of a certain age would like to? Show up at a cruise night in one of these and probably get spat upon. 

Well, folks, it looks like I got it all wrong and didn't appreciate the warm feelings that the name Maverick generates. How so? Check out this picture, courtesy of the car info website, https://www.motor1.com/ ........

Check out that name.........Maverick. Yes, friends, Ford is bringing back that apparently cherished name and putting it on a new compact pick-up. No complains, at least it's not another letter number combo. But Maverick?

Here are some guesstimate renderings based on the camo models, that have been caught in testing and the pre-production body above. Again these are courtesy of another website, KOVE'CA.RU.......

 We all know that the world, or maybe just North America, needs another pick-up. Sure we do, since we live in a time when millions of these trucks are sold yearly to a seemingly insatiable market. Just like the suv market.

Since Ford just brought back the Bronco, maybe we are seeing a trend here?  Maybe we can get a few other companies to give their new arrivals names that most of us can remember? 

Maverick? Not sure about the name, but I see a winner no matter what Ford called it.

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

What Are You Watching?

What are you watching? 

Sounds like an intro to a Netflix ad, doesn't it? Well, you can relax, it isn't . Over the past year (yes, it's been that long) us poor car folks have been barred from cruze nights or any other vehicular gathering. Poor souls? Hey, not so fast. My friend and I have come across several car sites, where an interesting YouTuber introduces us to a car that they either have or have come across. Watching these is a great way to stay sane, assuming that is the direction you want to take.

Let's look at a few of my favs.........

This first one is probably the most well known, Jay Leno's Garage.

Yes, it's that Jay Leno. Apart from being a successful talk show host and comedian, Jay is a car lover from when he was a mere child in Boston. Neat thing about Jay is that he doesn't ever sell any of his cars and he just buys ones he likes. His knowledgeable tour of each vehicle is very low key, like he was talking to a good friend, who he did not need to impress. I love his weekly shows.

One a friend recently discovered and passed along to me is Vice Grip Garage.......

 This one is a bit unusual. Derek is a "down home", unpretentious kind of guy from Minnesota, who resurrects old vehicles, that have been sitting in fields for years and years. Would I ever have thought I could watch a guy fiddle with a car trying to start it after 15 or 20 years? Not likely, but I do. Derek is self effacing and his wording is strange, but fun to listen to. What he can do is amazing.

My friend has also told me about My Car Story with Lou Costabile.......

Lou is another low key guy, who does show and tells with any old car from muscle machines to old '50's classics. If you like older stuff, he is the guy to watch and when he opens the trunk for Trunk & Treats, you never know what he'll find (no dead bodies).

Tom Cotter has been scouring the US for years in his old Ford woodie. Along the way, he has written several books about his searches for old forgotten cars. The Barn Find Hunter pretty much sums up his raison d'etre. 

Dusty, dirty old treasures that have been out of the public's eyes for years are what Tom seeks out. He also tells us what the real value of these "gems" are.

Like very in depth reviews of new or older unusual vehicles? If so, then San Diego's Doug Demuro is the guy to watch. I like his comments, but he might be an acquired taste (ask my brother). Doug will go anywhere to see the car to be reviewed. Recognize the background below? Of course, it's the Big Smoke. This was taken in 2019, when Bugatti invited him to Toronto to review and drive the soon to be released Chiron. I told you, he'd go anywhere.

These are just a very, very few of the hundreds, maybe thousands of YouTubers out there doing videos of just about anything car related that one can think of. Life is short, but I still have a few years to discover new and maybe different takes on cars. Time well wasted? Absolutely!

Which are your favs?

Until next time......