Looks like Saleen was serious about the supercar business. First came the awesome S7 and S7 TT, which is still one of the fastest cars in the world. To many though, the S7 was too big and too…umm…fishy, with all those gills all over the car.

Now it seems Saleen’s next supercar venture will be the Raptor - a smaller, much more modern-looking exotic. While it does mirror the looks of a few other fast cars on the road, all but the rear of the car is very attractive. Not that it’s ugly, it’s just…very 80’s looking: Continue Reading…

A recent trip to the Cleveland International Auto Show over the weekend gave me a chance to see a concept that I didn’t know existed. After being able to stand there and lay my eyes on it, I felt very lucky to see a piece of automotive art.

This concept, called the Buick Riviera Concept, was designed in China by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center for the 2007 Auto Shanghai. According to a General Motors press release, the Riviera concept was designed and developed with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) to showcase a new hybrid system built specifically for the Chinese market.

But that doesn’t matter to us, now does it? What we care about are those looks!

The Riviera Concept, with its carbon-fiber body, is stunning. The taut, yet aggressive front end gives the car a look of both class and power. Those headlamps are my favorite part of the design, with their tiny LED lamps and how they seem to be pulled back along the top of fenders give the whole front end a sinister look.

The overall profile of the car is very reminiscent of a Honda CRX, with a slightly round, smoother-flowing and more masculine look. The long hood and a very short overhang in the rear belie the fact that this car is much larger than it seems. However, the car looks well-proportioned from every angle: Continue Reading…

Yes, Ford is jumping on the “design them for the kids” bandwagon with the new Verve Concept. This new design trend of small cars with high-tech gizmos, premium (looking) materials, futuristic design, and an overall “cool-factor” was started by Toyota’s Scion division. It seems the huge success of Scion has eventually caught the eye on other manufacturers, now including Ford. The small car trend is also being heavily pushed by rising gas prices, which are also sparking a lot of sales for crossovers.

The Verve is set to launch in the States in 2010 with this four-door model, and possibly the European 3-door version, depending on public reaction, which has so far been been at the better end of “meh.” Continue Reading…

Ah January … in these cold, bleak days, things are also pretty bleak for the car guy.

Apart from Paris-Dakar (canceled this year, due to parts of Mauritania being crazier than an ER on Halloween night), there’s only one thing that holds interest for a car guy: Auto Shows.

And the big one for America is the Detroit Auto Show, a chance for America to roll out the best and blithest, and try out new ideas and all that (and yeah, I know, both the Euros & the Japanese car manufacturers show there too).

And on offer from FoMoCo’s Lincoln division we have the MKT

Quoth the Blue Oval: “Lincoln today pulls the wraps off a new premium utility concept vehicle – unsurpassed in its balance of spaciousness, comfort and fuel efficiency – that shows customers a new way to tour in style.”

Or to put it another way: “Look, it’s a big luxurious SUV/wagon-thingy that would be real great to drive from San Berdoo to NoLa!” Continue Reading…

What’s the Japanese word for wow?

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this in the slightest. Sure, it’s not perfect, some of the detailing around the rear wheels is clunky and there seems to be an over usage of gills & frills and various marine lifeform, er, forms (which I note is a growing trend in Japanese cars in general, and their show cars in particular). But I’m a real big sucker for that Group C/Le Mans Prototype look anyway.

But overall, what a stunner, and it’s not just skin deep. Continue Reading…

The Nissan Silvia has been a drifters dream since 1989. Being rear-wheel-drive, light, and easy & cheap to upgrade makes it one of the best cars around for sliding around the track, even today.

Sadly, in Nissan’s quest to become more practical and family-oriented, they discontinued the 240SX in 1998 after only two generations. Fortunately, Nissan has recently been focusing a little bit less on their SUVs and trucks, and starting to make room for some coupes (maybe Larry Dominique - VP of Product Planning at Nissan - took my advice to heart when I wouldn’t leave him alone about coupes at the Chicago Auto Show ) The GT-R was recently unveiled, they started selling the beautiful Altima Coupe, made a few modifications to the 350Z, and now…they’re bringing back the Nissan Silvia! Continue Reading…