Cars

The original Indianapolis 500 race date has passed, the 27^th Brickyard 400 has passed and we’ve now seen a preview of most of the changes to IMS that spectators and TV audiences will experience on race day. The race date for the 104^th running is Sunday, Aug. 23, albeit with reduced capacity.

Toyota was always "my parent's car brand" it was safe, dependable, affordable, and while all of those things are positive attributes for a car brand it was also boring and conservative. While Toyota is still among the more conservative brands out there, in the past couple years they have begun to introduce more power, improved designs, and tried new ideas. When they introduced the Avalon TRD last year it was a bit confusing since the Avalon had always been a "grandpa car". Now though, it fills a unique spot in the marketplace and so I was excited to take it for a spin.

At this point, most of us realize just how hard it is to sanitize all the surfaces of your house and car. No matter how well you scrub, getting every piece clean is near impossible with spray and wipes. Plus that just takes a ton of time so Ford developed a solution. They have designed a new heated software enhancement to pilot with its Police Interceptor Utility – one that law enforcement agencies across the country can utilize to help reduce the footprint of the COVID-19 virus.

The 2020 Lexus LC 500 first attracted my attention at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show for it's absolutely stunning "Flare Yellow" color and it's beautiful lines. I didn't know much more about the vehicle other than that, but I knew I wanted to experience it in person as soon as possible. Thankfully, the folks at Lexus had one available. This isn't exactly a road trip kind of car, though I was quite impressed by the size of the trunk and the level of comfort in the cockpit... even for a big guy like me. So, our plan was to do a day trip exploring San Diego beach towns.

There's no better destination for guys looking for a petrol and adrenaline-fueled guys getaway than Dubai. This is probably the single best spot in the world if you want to see exotic cars of all types, colors, and shapes from police cars to million-dollar cars parked at the mall... and then there are the one-of-a-kind offroad beasts too. While most of you are far from that level of wealth, Dubai makes a perfect destination to visit if you are looking to see some amazing sights and even wrap your hands around the steering wheel for a bucket-list adventure! 

Sure, you can fly to a faraway exotic destination but I firmly believe that the journey is often more important than the destination. Certainly, that is true when traveling with good friends and loved ones. That's why I love to take romantic getaway road trips with Heather whenever we get a chance. While not every trip we take is explicitly about romance, some destinations like Beverly Hills just lend themselves to it. Let's take a look at how you can plan the perfect romantic getaway road trip for your partner this year!

Ok guys, so there's been a lot of debate about "is this a Mustang" and so when I saw the opportunity to do a quick ride along at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show yesterday I literally jumped at the chance. I waited in line with other media who were similarly excited to take a ride in what is undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated new car releases. On the outside though, Mustang fans, EV enthusiasts, and even some Chevy and Dodge performance devotes have all been hotly debating the merits of an all-electric vehicle that bears such an iconic badge. Is it worthy? Is it a Mustang? Here's my thoughts.

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.

Getting a driver's license is one of the first rights of passage for American teenagers and frankly those from around the world as well. It's a sign that you have proven to be mature enough to control a giant machine. It is also a child's first opportunity to have real freedom. For parents though, it can be nerve-racking. Let's take a look at some tips to help make the process of learning to drive a bit easier for kids.

I've quite literally been all over America on road trips but the last remaining corner of this great country left unexplored with South Florida - until now. Last month, Lexus let me borrow their RX450 Hyrbid for a road trip from Miami to Key West and back. This roughly 350-mile road trip passed through some of Florida's most beautiful landscape and I wanted a vehicle that looked elegant when it pulled up to fancy hotels, fun to drive, had plenty of space for a weekend getaway. Plus, and perhaps most important, it needed to be comfortable even after hours sitting in the seats. Thankfully I was pretty satisfied with all of these after spending five days in and out of the RX450 Hyrbrid!

Today, the Chevrolet Suburban became the first vehicle ever awarded an Award of Excellence star at Hollywood & Highland. Presented by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and unveiled at a ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard, the award recognizes Suburban for its 67-year career in Hollywood film and television.

Cars are an interesting part of our lives. They are simultaneously one of the most fun, most useful, and most deadly machines that most of us will ever interact with. Everyone has them and we work to match them to our personalities. Below the surface though, when it comes time to buy a new automobile features like color, number of speakers, and even the brand name begin to fade away as we consider safety features. 

Last week I got invited to join Ford for the launch of their all-new Shelby GT500 Mustang, the most powerful street-legal Ford ever made. It's a beast that is trying to be more than just a drag strip king. Ford has worked hard to make this a vehicle that will perform equally well on the street, track, and drag strip. Did they succeed?

Many car and truck owners want their vehicle to truly represent their lifestyle. Sure, the vehicle you get when you first purchase it is nice, but it’s not quite you. It doesn’t look the exact way you’d like it or it’s missing a few car accessories you’d like to have. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to modify your car or truck and have it suit your lifestyle. Here are just some options for things you can buy to start stylizing your car or truck.

Chevy is doing a slow reveal of possibly the most hotly anticipated car to hit the roads for the 2020 model year. A few weeks ago we were on hand for the reveal of the hard-top Stingray C8 Corvette and now they've released an even more awesome looking convertible version. Check it out...

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!

Taking an epic road trip is my favorite way to experience what it means to be an American. While flying to a great destination is a quick way to get to a destination, with a road trip the journey is the destination. Along the way you get a chance to meet new people, taste new foods, savor new drinks, and spend time discussing various topics with your traveling companions. Last year I got a chance to do a short road trip in California for the launch of the all-new 2019 Toyota Rav4, a vehicle that quickly became one of our favorites. Now we've had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the 2019 Rav4 Hybrid, which aside from one frustrating item is about the perfect mid-sized SUV for a long road trip.

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!