The Carnival of Cars is back! Re-designing and re-launching The Washington Examiner sucked all the cyber-air out of this scribe for the past six weeks. But that's done, so we're back on the road and cruisin' for the horizon.
This is rich - Autoblog reports that Obama is signing on to a proposal for $4 billion in new federal aid for Detroit. Does he think nobody outside of the Motor City remembers the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles?
Ford's announcement earlier this week of major product changes - like bringing to the states six models from Ford of Europe - draws some heavy praise from AUTOEXTREMIST Peter M. DeLorenzo, who sees in CEO Alan Mulally a vision that can make Dearborn the Big Three's best hope for the future. And Michelle Krebs has a lengthy post at Auto Observer with all the details on the Blue Oval shakeup.
Having problems with your satellite radio? Steve Parker says it's about to get even worse, thanks to the FCC.
Say goodbye to your suburban oasis and hello to the new "Eco-Town." Translated from enviro-bureaucratese, it means we're soon to be told we must go back to the crowded, dirty, crime-infested, corruption-ridden Big City. But, hey, the polar bears will love us for it. 4 Drivers Only has details.
Taking your Rover - no, the one with four legs, not the TC - with you to the mall in the summertime? AskPatty.com has some solid ideas for making sure things don't get over-heated.
The Auto Prophet isn't impressed with those retro IP features on the new Camaro. But he's got a great idea for an accelerometer. He's an engineer, too, so listen up.
Frank Williams of The Truth About Cars was tooling around with his wife recently in an Audi Q7 and found Route 75 in the Blue Ridge Mountains area of Georgia. It was so much fun, Frank was inspired to post a "favorite roads" invitation. Check out the comments for a great road nearby you may not know about.
Want to avoid getting clipped next time you have to get an insurance company estimate for collision repairs? Auto Muse reports that one major insurer has agreed to instruct its estimators not to specify clips.
Dorri at If It's Got An Engine updates a post from a year ago asking whether the electric vehicles of the future were ready for prime-time. Dorri is a man of great caution on this topic, including on the Volt.
WHAT I'M DRIVING: BMW 135i Coupe
It looked dinky at first but, boy, did it grow on me fast! I first drove a 2002 in 1974 and it was quite a revelation for a kid weaned on Road Runners and SS396s. What I love most about the 135i Coupe is the perfect match between the 3.0 liter turbo six's rev range and the six-speed stick shift. And the balanced handling. And the way you feel the 135i's next move in the seat of your pants. This truly is a driver's car. Uh, excuse me, a driver with a lot of disposable income. Why does it have to cost 42 big ones? Isn't that about 10 times the sticker of a 2002 in the old days?
That's it for this week, friends and cyber-neighbors. See ya next week!
orangutan says:
12:28 PM, 07/26/08
Sounds like Karl wrote that blurb about Eco-town. Always good to deal in an even-handed and reasonable manner like a mature adult.
Mark Tapscott says:
05:10 PM, 07/26/08
Orangutan, check out "The City: A Global History" by Joel Kotkin, then perhaps the blurb will make more sense.
hondacura4 says:
05:11 PM, 07/26/08
Im my area a near fully optioned 135i is $42k. Ive seen more than a few under $40k. Who said super refined all around performance is cheap? Add to that the very NICE warranty and the price isnt that hard to swallow.
Mark Tapscott says:
05:27 PM, 07/26/08
Then, check out "Sprawl: A Compact History." There is a reason - urban history going back to the Middle Ages - for the reference to the suburbs and the city in those terms.
johncorn says:
11:01 AM, 07/27/08
Karl obviously hasn't visited any city in the last 10 years, and many in the last 20, to see that they are, in many cases, exciting, crime-free (comperable to his suburban wastelands) and fun places to live. Also, Karl, the numerous seas of vacant foreclosed subdivisions across the land are exclusively in suburbs, save for a few urban areas such as Las Vegas and South Florida.