Car

Last night we were on hand for a special unveiling of the updated Ford GT supercar for 2020, including increased engine power to 660 horsepower and improved cooling. To say that it was beautiful would be an understatement. This is the pinnacle of supercar design and it frankly feels wonderful to have it coming from an iconic American brand like Ford. 

My dilemma was that I needed to take my daughter and all of her dorm room stuff to school after break. As the trip was a double-digit drive, in hours, I needed something compact, economical, and by all means as spacious as possible.

As Americans, we have a reputation for being loud and boisterous. We rock boats and break the law, we're rebels. Driving a car from Dodge - or in this case, Jeep reminds me of everything great about this country because it's about pushing the limits of power and design. Sure, most of the Jeeps sold today are road vehicles designed for soccer moms and that's ok. But the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is something special. While you have some fine SUVs Chinese, Indians, Germans, and Italians - no other country has the balls to take luxury SUV and drop a 707 hp motor in it and still keep the price affordable. That's what's great about this country and why I love driving the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk every chance I get!

My family and I decided to do a 1397 mile road trip to visit our extended family in Northern California over the 4^th of July weekend and had the opportunity to use the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited for our drive.  We, 3 adults and one cute little baby, 11 months old were ready for a typical trip with long boring roads and the typical uncomfortable vehicle issues…were we wrong!

We were in attendance a few days ago as guests of Chevrolet for the unveiling of the 2020 Corvette Stingray. To call this C8 Corvette simply an "All New Corvette" would be to under-appreciate the massive departure from the previous generations. Since it's inception, the designers and engineers have dreamed of an attainable, American, mid-engine car but haven't quite been able to make that dream become reality. Now, they have. This is a vehicle conceived of by our fathers and for some - our grandfathers but for it to continue being an American icon, it needs to be our dream car and that of our children. Hopefully, that will become a reality when the 2020 C8 Corvette Stingray debuts this fall. They've done a huge amount of investment to truly make this an amazing vehicle that is more than just faster, let's take a look!

While I obviously love my trucks and brutish SUVs, I have a soft spot in my heart for EVs. Not only are they pushing the limits of design, manufacturing, and technology, they are often a good insight into technologies that will soon make their way to other categories as well. We're starting to see this with hybrid powertrains appearing in trucks and soon we're going to see other features that were pioneered by EV designers. I first experienced the Nissan LEAF at the Chicago Auto Show back in 2011 and it's captivated me ever since. Today though, the LEAF sits in a unique position of combining all the elements needed to be a perfect vehicle for urban commuters.

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving announced today the addition of a new drag racing program, breaking new ground as the first of its kind to offer professional drag racing instruction to the public behind the wheel of the most powerful street legal cars in the world on July 27 and August 17, 2019, with additional courses being announced in the coming weeks.  Courses are limited to only 16 students per class and cost is $1,999 per driver.

When it comes to taking care of your family family, things like good looks and raw speed tend to fall aside and safety features become a primary concern. This is your family care after all and while how fast you can take that corner might be important with your weekend car, there are other more important things when it comes to taking care of your kids and making sure that they can get back and forth to school, errands, and of course the all important summer family road trip.

Since its debut nearly two years ago, the Kia Stinger has quickly become a crowd favorite, and at the New York International Auto Show, Kia Motors America gave driving purists yet another compelling reason to check out Kia’s highest performing sport sedan. Limited to just 800 units, the special edition Stinger GTS punches up its on-road prowess with a newly developed dynamic all-wheel drive system (D-AWD) that inspires more spirited driving. With sport-inspired styling elements including genuine carbon fiber parts and a splashy new color that demands even more attention, the limited edition GTS is the one automotive enthusiasts will be lining up to drive.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is what would happen if a Dodge Charger Hellcat and a Grand Cherokee had a baby. This is an absolutely ridiculous concept but this is one of my favorite vehicles that I've driven in the past few years. Imagine all of the comfort and style that the Grand Cherokee is known for... but with a 6.4L V8 707hp Hellcat engine up front propelling the vehicle to a blistering 0-60 of 3.5 second. Oh and since it's still the Grand Cherokee is has 7,200 lb towing capacity, super comfortable rear leg room, and plenty of trunk space for all the gear you need for a weekend getaway.

The current generation Dodge Challenger “borrows” more than a few bodylines and exterior cues from the classic, and highly collectible, first generation 1971 Dodge Challenger. FCA knows well enough to leave the new/old bodylines alone as Challenger has steadily been increasing sales and has reached a milestone; it has surpassed the once mighty Camaro to become the no. 2 best-selling retro pony. In 2018 Mustang sales were 75,842 (7.4 % drop), Challenger with its 10-year old platform, had a sales increase (3%) to reach 66,716 units.  As for Camaro, the bottom dropped out as sales slid to 50,963 units (25% drop) in 2018.

Toyota is the undisputed leader of the compact crossover SUV space and now they've made it even better. With the launch of the 2019 RAV4, Toyota has made it bigger, more aggressive, more fun, more stylish and generally more everything that buyers would want to see. Ultimately though it's not perfect but Toyota's new design theory seems to be on the right path to create great vehicles that are more than just "reliable". To celebrate the launch of this new vehicle, we tested it out on a road trip along the California coast including the twists and turns of Big Sur and the mountains of Carmel Valley.

Buick is a car brand that has almost universal name recognition in the United States (and likely much of the world). Unfortunately it suffers from a perception problem that it is "and old man's car" and they've even embraced that with the "That's a Buick!?" marketing campaign. I'll be fank - when I was invited to Palm Springs earlier this week, there wasn't a single car in their lineup that I was excited to drive. However, I accepted the invite because I really love working with GM and the company has treated me VERY WELL over the past couple years. What I discovered after spending some time listening, feeling, and driving a few different vehicles was that this is a brand that is worth considering if you are looking for what they describe as, "Attainable Luxury."

Miles Per Gallon is probably one of the biggest selling points for cars today. Even though fuel prices are lower now that they were just a few years ago, we all know it won't stay that way forever. To solve that problem, American manufacturers have focused primarily on EV and hybrid platforms but there's a third option that Chevy presented to me - diesel. When they first challenged me to test out the Cruze Hatch Diesel I nearly declined their offer. After all, my experience with diesel engines was good in terms of hauling loads... but at the sacrifice of peppy performance, especially the ability to accelerate quickly and pass people on the highway. Then they asked if I'd like to do a road trip from San Diego to Scottsdale for some Spring Training Baseball and I simply wasn't able to pass up that invitation.

At this year’s 110th edition of the Chicago Auto Show, the buzz was all about trucks and SUVs as they continue to rack up record sales. Alternatively, almost every automaker touched on their autonomous vehicle programs, but no one will discuss when day zero will happen, or how autonomous vehicles will affect sales.

A convertible is something special that almost begs to be driven somewhere special. That's what we did recently when Buick dropped off their new Cascada and said "have at it!". The following are some of our favorite road trips in San Diego that are perfect for enjoying with the top down.

There are few things in life that are more satisfying and rewarding than restoring a classic car. Throughout the process, you are essentially breathing new life into a machine which may have lay dormant for years, and this is an incredibly enjoyable feeling. However, it is also one of the most time-consuming, tedious, expensive and occasionally frustrating activities one can engage in, and you must be certain that you are ready for the challenges as well as the rewards before committing to a project.

Jeep has announced that they will be unveiling the all-new 2018 Wrangler at the LA Auto Show coming up later this month. Jeep is one of our favorite car brands since it has managed to transcend being "just another truck" and instead is a full on lifestyle brand. If you haven't had the opportunity to drive a Jeep, it's a different sort of feeling than any other off-road vehicle out there and we can't wait to get our chance to get this one dirty once it's ready for testing!

The Chevy Tahoe is one of my favorite big SUVs and that's because it is apologetically big and powerful, yet still fun to drive. Chevy has made it even better this year by offering a new trim level, "Custom" where they've removed the third row, made a towing package standard, and added a few cosmetic tweaks as well. What you're left with is the perfect truck for pulling everything you need for the weekend and tons of cargo space inside, along with a super comfortable ride and great tech to help you get there safely.

This is a different sort of Raptor review. The Ford Raptor is hands down the most fun truck or SUV that I've had the chance to test - ever. While most reviews focus on it's extreme off road abilities as a Baja racing truck that you can buy from a dealer vs building your own. The truth is that the truck goes way beyond that and after spending a few days testing it out with my wife and another couple during a getaway to Borrego Springs, California, I'm even more impressed. This is far more than just "dad's toy"!