The 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show ended the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but the wonderful and interesting vehicles available for viewing there will, in most cases be available at a dealership near you. Maybe not today and maybe not for a bit. And if you’re in Detroit early January, the car show there is amazing. Thursday’s media day included the announcement of Chevy’s Bolt as Green Car of the Year, and then the announcements got a bit more serious, with the reveal of Volkswagen’s new Atlas … [Read more...]
Los Angeles Auto Show: A Festival of Cars and Technology – part 1
This year’s Los Angeles Auto Show received a new name: #AutoMobility. The rationale for the renaming is pretty easy to understand, as vehicular travel becomes more technology-focused - and it’s definitely just the beginning for technological advances in vehicle manufacture and usage. Indeed, the automobile (whether it’s a car or truck) is becoming more like a smartphone, with auto makers advancing the use of services like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in their newest offerings. These … [Read more...]
Project Mitsubishi Lancer: Transforming your ride with custom Katzkin Leather upholstery
Written by James Hamel Our 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer GT project car may still be a work in progress (with audio and LED lighting upgrades forthcoming) but we can say unequivocally that it underwent its biggest stylistic transformation already at the Southern California headquarters of Katzkin Leather. And if you haven’t heard of this company best known for its truck and Mopar Muscle Car interior transformations you can buy and finance through your local dealer does not sell car seat upholstery … [Read more...]
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO Final Edition Road Test (One last look at a Modern Classic)
One of the most beloved Japanese pocket rockets is saying goodbye and it’s enough to bring a grown woman to tears. Mitsubishi is ending production of its somewhat legendary Lancer Evolution with a "Final Edition" of only 1600 U.S.-spec and U.S. bound four-door sedans. These sports sedans bear resemblance to the Lancer from which they derive their frames, but beyond that the Evo is a stand-alone model with performance that is head-and-shoulders above its donor. But make no mistake, once the … [Read more...]
We go Back to the Future and Back to School with the Toyota Mirai
Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell sedan has been on sale since late last year and is meeting success in the marketplace. That acceptance has caused Toyota Motor Sales to look at increasing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in its current Southern California home area. Having driven many hydrogen vehicles in the past including the Honda Clarity and now Toyota's Mirai we can say unequivocally that this technology is very impressive. Toyota invited local … [Read more...]
An Apple Watch changed my Life for the Better
By James Hamel If you have ever met me, you may have noticed I have a hand tremor. It's not because I am nervous, drunk or a terrorist (yes, on planes people say crazy stuff). It is an essential tremor (meaning not Parkinsons and not going to kill me) that I have had since adolescence that has worsened as I got older. It is embarrassing in all manner of social situations because I never know what others are thinking about me and also because it can make doing small tasks like hitting the … [Read more...]
Mitsubishi Owner’s Day Rises to the Occasion
Mitsubishi Owners Day (MOD) is a ritual for fans of the Japanese marque, drawing cars and owners from as far away as New Jersey (there was a prize) and as close to the company’s Cypress, California headquarters as Garden Grove, just a hop and skip away. The event began at the Normal, Illinois plant in 2005 and has definitely grown, this year paying host to at least 1,500 cars, trucks and SUVs that were scattered across the premises and spilling to neighboring business locations. This being … [Read more...]
The Day a Toyota Prius Driver became my Active Safety Device
Have you ever thought to yourself, what would be my last profound thought if I were to suddenly die? No, me neither. But today I found out what the final 7 seconds of my thought life would be like as that was about the amount of time from when I first heard both the horn and screeching brakes of an enormous red 18-wheeler bearing down on me hard in my little tiny Veloster Turbo which was sitting completely stopped on the 405 between Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks. I knew of no safety system in … [Read more...]
An Inside Look into Katzkin Luxury Leather Seats for Automotive and Truck Interiors
Most people when they buy a new or used car believe that they have to live with whatever interior color choices that either the automaker or the previous owner made for them. And since you either have the choice between dog fur and stain attracting cloth seats or usually three leather seat hues from automakers (in tapioca beige, battleship grey or Darth Vader black) none of which are all that exciting. But what are you going to do? Have your cousin Larry the handyman do a half assed job putting … [Read more...]