RichC | April 30, 2012
Interesting article with perhaps a slightly bias option … but in an article today Bosch projects that by 2015 one in ten new cars sold in the U.S. will be powered by a diesel engine. … data from CNW Research says that with greater awareness of new clean diesels, and a lower cost premium for [...]
RichC | January 24, 2012
…all new inventions in the U.S. are assigned a political party. In the transportation and energy sectors, anything to do with petroleum, natural gas, biofuels, clean diesel, hydrogen and any means of producing electricity other than wind turbines or solar panels is Republican. Hybrids, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles are Democrat technologies, in addition to anything [...]
RichC | November 2, 2011
Since I’m having a few problems getting my carburetor/idle issue corrected on my tiny MGB, perhaps picking up a new engine might be a solution? Mopar® to Highlight Cubic Inches and Horsepower at SEMA – 800 horsepower V-10 Crate engine takes center stage at SEMA – Gen III High Output HEMI® V-8 with 590 horsepower [...]
RichC | September 28, 2011
So much for the carburetor tuning and electrical issues that have frustrated me lately (posted yesterday) … it wasn’t the problem. Can you tell what the problem is from this photo? I’ve been struggling to figure out why the 1975 MGB would not run smoothly at idle … now I know … the problem is [...]
RichC | September 24, 2011
Enjoyed the new World Fastest Car Show (WFCS) online video program on YouTube from Ebay Motors (video below) and learned something interesting right from the start. The Ford Mustang BOSS 302 got its name “BOSS” when the lead designer creating the original 1970 V-8 302 Mustang for Parnelli Jones was asked, “who ya doing that [...]
RichC | September 2, 2011
For those interested in all things TDI (that’s Volkswagen TDI diesel automobiles), the TDIFest is this weekend in the host city of Lexington KY. Our local CinciTDI club is hosting the TDIClub “fest” and it looks to be a good one. Hopefully the weather and activities will be enjoyable … I know that I’m looking [...]
RichC | August 25, 2011
My kind of diesel … well except for the 47,000 EUROs and “no word on U.S. availability or pricing” part. Mercedes’ newest SLK roadster combines thrilling performance, classic sportscar proportions, and (most relevant from our purposes) incredible fuel economy figures: try 47 miles for each gallon of diesel! The SLK250 CDI is powered by Mercedes’ [...]
RichC | August 16, 2011
With the Obama administration failing to lead in the area we expect, liberal politicians (might as well say “all politicians”) have little problem taking a leadership role when it comes to telling the industry how to run their businesses. The Department of Energy distributes our taxes as gifts grants as a way to warp free [...]
RichC | July 14, 2011
One would have thought that owning and renting cars for 30 years that I would have known that the little indicator arrow on the fuel gauge indicates which side the filler cap is located on. I don’t know how many times I’ve pulled into a gas station with a “new to me car” and guessed [...]
RichC | June 28, 2011
Last month I posted on a new start-up project raising funds for an engine oil analizer gadget … Lubricheck … and heard the @wsjthismorning radio spot/podcast talking about it.
RichC | June 20, 2011
Although I’m a big advocate for diesel power and biodiesel fuel, call me at least a little skeptical regarding the boastful numbers … At the heart of the sleek Iceni is a modified 550 bhp, GM 6.6 liter, twin-turbo diesel V8 running bio-fuel, and according to previously released info, the Iceni will run to 230 [...]
RichC | April 4, 2011
When I posted the current “Cell Phone Laws by State” map the other day, it was in part due to a project my niece was working on at Ohio Northern University. My brother mentioned she was asked to present their finding to Ohio lawmakers on House Bill 99 (summary) in Columbus last month – kudos to [...]
RichC | March 16, 2011
Joe White wrote about $4/gallon gasoline this morning in the Wall Street Journal and wondered at what price Americans switch to subcompact car? While he acknowledged that we’re not quite as bad as we were during the 2008 spike, prior to domestic carmakers shifting to more fuel efficient engines and CUVs rather than SUVS, we [...]
RichC | March 11, 2011
Truth be told, I could see myself driving the 2012 Toyota Prius v (Versatility) … but don’t tell any of my Volkswagen TDI diesel friends! 42 MPG City, 38 MPG Highway, 40 MPG Combined Second row seats slide, fold flat, and recline 45 degrees for comfort 34.3 cubic feet of cargo volume First-ever resin [...]
RichC | November 19, 2010
The latest expensive gift catalog arrived from Hammacher Schlemmer in our mailbox just in time for me to add the Terrafugia Transition to Santa’s list. Actually I was shocked to see the “flying car” appear on the cover … a perfect gift for someone with money to burn. It is priced at $350,000, although you [...]
RichC | September 13, 2010
In this weekend’s WSJ, Dan Neil’s full page article on the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta highlighted design changes, some for “for pedestrian safety.” (see video below) The “safety” comments apply to more brands than the Volkswagen as design changes will apply to all new vehicle designs. Personally I see the “pedestrian impact” even more critical since [...]
RichC | June 8, 2010
The German Auto Club found CNG Fiat Panda to be the most Economical Car in Europe for real world driving conditions. Perhaps before U.S. driivers rush to plug-in electric models for commuting and around town driving we should be looking at a few more ‘current technology’ CNG vehicles? The German equivalent of AAA — Allgemeiner [...]
RichC | June 2, 2010
Speaking of “more government,” how about adding a few more thousand dollars to the price of a car? Do we really need another electronic gadget … a black box … for our cars? (Neil Cavuto video clip below)
RichC | May 14, 2010
Mahindra & Mahindra to be the first company to sell a small pickup truck made in India to the U.S. market. A company spokesperson announced that they intend to sell their compact diesel pickup truck here by the end of the year. The company’s president of auto and farm equipment, Pawan Goenka, stated that the [...]
RichC | May 5, 2010
According to an article in this mornings WSJ, the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard California paid between $30-40 million for a 1936 Bugatti 57SC, making it the highest ‘known’ selling price for a car.
RichC | April 11, 2010
Although the cost to bring a diesel Subaru to the US is high (new model, service training and parts inventory, etc) but knowing how Volkswagen diesel buyers love their little diesels, the fit for Subaru and their loyal following seems perfect. Who driving a Subaru doesn’t want 40 mpg in a solidly build 4 wheel [...]
RichC | April 9, 2010
Mark Phelan, a columnist at the Detroit Free Press, offered a balanced article on the small A3 TDI by Audi. I’ve been ogling the luxury hatchback as an eventual daily driver for my long jaunts. Disappointingly the lack of the excellent Audi Quattro feature and high price for a small car has shying away. Still, [...]
RichC | March 27, 2010
I’ve been pondering how we will eventually sell my wife’s 1998 Toyota RAV4 with a quarter million miles? I think this might work!
RichC | September 30, 2009
While traveling a couple hundred miles from home today the battery in my 2006 Honda Pilot just died. No warning, no instrument panel lights, no discolored “eye” (still green) and NO juice. Fortunately I live in “middle America” where people are still friendly and motorist even stop to help each other out. Although I had [...]
RichC | August 20, 2009
One has to think twice before grimacing when seeing those tiny Smart ForTwo car(t)s rolling down the highway … especially if you’re in a bow-tied import like the Chevrolet Aveo (Daewoo Korean built Chevrolet). A recent report issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that the Smart ForTwo performed the best in [...]
RichC | April 7, 2009
Nissan announced a couple new 370Z models today in New York including the 2010 370Z Roadster. This impressive and affordable performance car is winning over enthusiasts and will by the end of summer have a top down sibbling. The 2010 Nizzan 370Z Roadster sports a no-touch convertible top will make for a very easy to [...]
RichC | April 6, 2009
(click for larger image) I’ve never been all that attracted to the ‘add-on’ chrome tailpipe trend which has become the norm in recent years, but now that many of these cars have a few years of age they are becoming downright ugly. While spending a few days driving this past week I notice a relatively [...]
RichC | April 3, 2009
Even a frugal diesel guy like me can’t resist enjoying watching 705 HP of American steel (and fiberglass) do 185mph in standing mile “warm up run.” That’s flying.
RichC | April 1, 2009
If you are in the market for a new car or truck this year, the IRS will assist by at least making the “sales tax” deductible. There are a few caveats, which includes a short window since the car, truck, motorhome or motorcycle needs to be purchase between February 16, 2009 and January 1, 2010 [...]
RichC | March 24, 2009
I’d be all set if I only knew a bit more about algae based fuels – like biodiesel make from algae! (mentioned many times before) Here in southwest Ohio I’ve seen more than one pond or small lake showing signs of spring; it the algae bloom season. The heavy algae growth come a bit before [...]