Rare Rides: The 2003 Studebaker XUV Story, Part II

We introduced the Studebaker XUV in Part I of this series, a concept SUV for which Avanti Motors was immediately sued upon by GM upon its debut. Barred from producing any H2-esque vehicle, their chairman thought up a way to differentiate the XUV in the marketplace: Make it “feminine!”

Read more
Rare Rides: The 2003 Studebaker XUV Story, Part I

In part five of our six-part series on the Studebaker Avanti, I mentioned a concept the company debuted in the early 2000s, the XUV. A Big Tough Truck styled almost-just-like the crazy popular Hummer H2, consumers weren’t the only party to take notice. Let’s talk lawsuit.

Read more
Rare Rides: A 1990 Buick Reatta Convertible in Nearly New Condition

Today’s Rare Ride represents the only time in history Buick built a two-seat car, and the only time a Buick had pop-up headlamps. It was also the last time Buick made a factory convertible in the United States, as the Opel Cascada wasn’t built domestically and was not a real Buick.

Let’s check out the Eighties low-volume experiment that was Reatta.

Read more
Rare Rides: The 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Sedan, FE3ling Zesty

Last week we featured the very uninspiring Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, which was a basic three-box A-body that never excited anyone, ever. Today we look at another Cutlass from the Oldsmobile Cutlass Everything Incorporated timeline.

This one’s a bit more exciting, as it says FE3 on the back.

Read more
Opinion: Here's Where Infiniti Lost Its Way

Late last year I put forth some thoughts about the future direction of Infiniti, largely about how the company was on a downward trajectory. Looking forward, the brand needs a major change in direction – not much has changed since December when I wrote that piece.

But one might then logically ask “Where did the company first lose its way?” I’m going to answer that question right now. Let’s take a little trip to the Before Times, in 1990.

Read more
Where Your Author Considers the Finer Points of Golf

In the concluding chapter of the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen story the other day, I was asked by a frequent commenter to share some of the things I liked or would miss about the Golf now that it’s gone away. I’m thinking of those things now as I view its dealer listing, recently updated with many photos. They never did replace the cargo area trim panels, I can see the scratches from here!

Read more
Rare Rides: The Versatile 1993 Nissan Axxess Sport Wagon, and It's a Manual

Today’s Rare Ride is the more streamlined successor to the dorky Stanza Wagon, or Multi if you’re Canadian. I mentioned Axxess as a Rare Ride back in 2017 with the Stanza article, and today’s the day we present it properly.

Come along for some versatile Sport Wagon goodness.

Read more
Rare Rides: The Gorgeous Foose Speedbird, a 2002 SEMA Winner

Today’s Rare Ride is a one-of-one – a light gold metallic and roof-free speedster. Underneath its considerably revised bodywork is none other than a 2002 Ford Thunderbird, a car Rare Rides has covered previously.

This very special Chip Foose design won at least one award in its day, and now it’s for sale (though not in Florida as one might expect.) Let’s check it out.

Read more
Rare Rides: A Pristine 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, Much Driving Excitement

Today’s Rare Ride hails from the the much overused Cutlass nameplate at Oldsmobile. Just in this series we’ve had the Cutlass Calais and a Cutlass Salon, and today we head to the end of the Cutlass era, with a Ciera.

Read more
Where Your Author Ultimately Decides to Give Up Golf (Part III)

The appointment was made, and the Golf was in the shop for the headliner fixes and trim panel repairs after a most irritating morning appointment to trade keys. The same thoughts kept returning to mind continually, forcing me to consider a salient point: Did I want to continue with this sort of ownership experience years into the future?

Short answer? No.

Read more
Rare Rides: The Saudi King's 1984 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Cabriolet, a White Whale

The Rare Rides series has featured five RollsRoyce premium vehicles in past editions, yet none of them had more than two doors. We remedy this oversight today with a four-door Rolls commissioned and owned by the king of Saudi Arabia.

It’s not what you’d call subtle.

Read more
Where Your Author Ultimately Decides to Give Up Golf (Part II)

Last we left off in the Golf Sportwagen Ultimate Decision story, the appointment was set for corrections on the headliner and panel issues I’d pointed out as a result of the headliner service. A late June morning, already a hot and muggy day. Your author is seen waiting by the door.

Read more
Rare Rides: The Upcoming 2021 Rimac Nevera, Certainly Not Slow

The other day when Rimac merged with Bugatti to form Bugatti Rimac, your author learned Rimac’s latest product release was the hyper-fast, limited-run Nevera. So let’s check out an incredibly quick Croatian EV that’s one of the fastest production cars in the world.

Read more
Buy/Drive/Burn: Three Two-door Cadillacs, One Price Point

Today’s edition of B/D/B is a little different than the norm. Usually, we ask you to choose from competing cars from three different marques all on sale in the same year.

This time we’re asking you to pick a Buy from among three different two-door Cadillacs, all of which cost about the same in 2021.

Read more
Where Your Author Ultimately Decides to Give Up Golf (Part I)

In our last installment of the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen saga, I’d received the Golf back with some issues after its second headliner replacement in less than two years.

Let’s pick up from there, shall we? Today is Part I of… we’ll see how many.

Read more
  • Kwik_Shift Ever see the movie "Rubber"?
  • Bunkie Perhaps, I am wrong, but I believe that the issue is that high-power electronics in an EV cause interference with the AM radio signal. As for listening to radio in the car, I don't. I had SiriusXM for a few years but hated the awful sound quality and the signal dropout caused by obstructions like terrain (which made listening to any talk-based content painful), not to mention the annual game of having to threaten to cancel in order to get a decent rate. These days, I use either music stored on my phone or one of the streaming music services to which I subscribe. Sometimes I even listen to CDs, I will miss the CD player.
  • 28-Cars-Later Can we send them all into space? Pleaseeeee?
  • Mike Beranek People tend to get pissed at me because I don't speed on 25 mph residential streets. I don't speed on those streets because there's nothing to be gained, like there would be by speeding on a highway.Also, a question for drivers: If you're in the passing lane, why are they passing you?
  • Wolfwagen I worked for a few companies that have used Transit Connects for service or delivery and of course as Cabs in NYC (NV200 are the best cabs in NYC- plenty of legroom). I had never seen one as a passenger vehicle until a few months ago when I saw one at the local HD parking lot. It looked great for a small family or even an active couple that needs secure storage. However, I have never seen any advertisement from Ford for this model/trim