You never forget your first one. A Car that is. My first one was a well-worn Honda Civic 1300. While it was a great car, it was not the kind that captured my imagination when I was young enough to be dreaming of my first car. The first car that got the Star Trek loving’ geek kid in me excited was the Datsun 200-SX.

While mowing lawns to raise money to buy music and stereo equipment, I had just finished up with one of my regular customers who had just bought a brand new 1983 200-SX hatchback. I remember being fascinated by his proud demonstration of the talking voice prompts and the stereo with a graphic equalizer. His car was also equipped with a 5 speed manual transmission, making it a bit more fun to drive that those with the 3 speed auto. He seemed a bit conflicted in weather to call his new car a Datsun or a Nissan (it had both tags on it). Nissan did not help much with it’s “Datsun by Nissan” badge on the cars during this transitional era.

1982 Datsun 200-SX Notchback

Thinking about it now, the 200-SX was more than ready to drop the small econocar associations of the Datsun name. This 200-SX  was bigger than the previous one

1981 Datsun by Nissan Ad

and aspired to be a Japanese version of a Thunderbird or Monte Carlo. It lacked the elegance of those cars instead looking as if it could have been designed by the Ford Fairmont team bent on making a cut-rate sporty personal coupe. In America, the versions we had were fitted with a four cylinder SOHC 2.2 liter engine that never made more than 102 hp. In Japan it was a competently different animal (with names like Silvia and Giselle) with turbo and fuel injected performance variants.

While just over 100 horses might not have seemed like a lot, it was still a more favorable power to weight ratio than the typical American personal luxury coupe. At just over 2600 pounds for the hatchback version, the rear wheel drive 200-SX was just light enough to provide sprightly performance for those who wanted a more grown up alternative to the flashy 280Z. One byproduct of being light was high gas mileage numbers. As a Datsun, the 200-SX might have been expected to be frugal, but with a manual transmission a careful driver could approach 38 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a personal luxury sport coupe.

There was never an official convertible option, but a conversion by California-based American Custom Coachworks, Ltd. was available. The conversion brought the 200-SX more in line with its Toyota Celica competition who’s drop top came from another California-based company, American Specialty Cars (ASC) ). It was just as well that the occasional coupe would get cut up for the sake of topless driving because it’s awkward notch-back roof profile was the least attractive of the two body styles. Some notchback coupes were further treated to dealer installed lando-like roof options that increased the baroque elegance factor. Those cars resembled the Chrysler Lebarron more than anything from Japan and were rare (as any roadgoing 200-SX must be by now).

1983 Datsun 200-SX Convertible

Sophistication and technology was what the 200SX was all about. The 200SX had moved to a larger (A-series) platform and initially was slated to have a rotary engine for export markets. The Wankle engine was a reliability disaster, prompting the car to be held back until it could be refitted with a standard piston engine. Nissan would leave rotary cars to Mazda (the 200-SX even shared the same engine code name as the Mazda Cosmo).

While the rotary might have been a dead-end option, there were plenty of other tech distractions to make up for it. The 200-SX became known mostly for its use of gimmicky technology, the same kind that made teenage boys like myself dream of a Sid mead future.

Many cars had chimes, but the 200SX went further with scripted voice activated prompts. The prompts were from a tiny phonographic record encased in a vibration proof housing  – like what NASA used on early space missions. The space ship theme continued to the dash with it’s array of dials and displays housed in a geometric setting.

1983 Datsun 200-SX interior (convertible)

Other features were more substantial like the advanced four speaker stereo with auto reverse cassette player. There was even a moon roof option.  The Car had two distinct personalities. The hatchback coupe was the sportiest and resembled a Celica in some respects while the traditional two door coupe with it’s trunk could be tarted up to resemble a Thunderbird type car complete with a fake partial cloth top cover.

There were hints everywhere that the 200-SX had the potential to be a real performance car. The 4 wheel disc brake system, 5 speed manual transmission and rear wheel drive were the biggest cues. However the American bound cars were as mild as they came with the excitement limited to two-tone color schemes. In Japan the 200-SX could be had with a turbo engine with fuel injection.

Of course for those like me who were dazzled by technology, or the appearance of in in a car, Nissan (still making the transition from the Datsun name in the U.S.) embodied the future – a future I did not see in most American cars at the time. The technology in the 200-SX no doubt had its part in helping form the image of Japanese cars as being tech savvy (Cannon Ball Run II) and might have even inspired fictions like the K.I.T from Night Rider.

More importantly for people of my generation, cars like the 200-SX represented the cutting edge in affordable and reliable imports. No doubt part of a generational bias towards Japanese imports that would hurt the domestic industry during the ’80s and ’90s.  Sadly, few Nissans today capture my imagination like the futuristic 200-SX did back in the day.

1984 Datsun 200-SX

1987 Ford EXP

There was a time when small coupes were all the rage in America. My high school years will filled with Fieros, MR2s and Pulsars. These cars came about in part thanks to down market expectations of the Regan years.

Trickle down economics would not only come from Washington, but from Detroit too as it desperately tried to shrink big inefficient cars to meet new federal mandates. All this shrinking and downsizing could have opened doors to a market that was already discovering the virtues of smaller Japanese cars. For Ford, bridging the gap between the Escort and the Mustang would be just a part of its strategy to tap this market.

1982 Ford EXP Luxury Coupe

New and Old Challenges
In addition to filling gaps, the 80s re-introduced Ford to a MPG obsession like the decade before, but now with intense competition from Japan. Ford’s answer was a bold yet small and awkward looking two-seater coupe called the EXP. Mercury would have its own version, a sportier slightly better looking equipped LN7 (in keeping with its more upmarket position).

While the Mustang could be had with a four cylinder engine, its base price was still out of reach of young drivers who could not afford the insurance stigma that came with driving a pony car. Ford, encouraged by the success of the Escort GT as a low-end Mustang alternative decided that something could be developed that might be an alternative the Thunderbird/Cougar, but with the youth factor of a Mustang or Escort GT.

1983 Ford Escort GT

The concept of the secretaries car evolving down market seemed sound thanks to the recession. That combined with the bloated and slow selling pre-83 Thunderbird made the ideal of a cheap two seat coupe more attractive. The EXP arrived in showrooms in late 1981 and must have looked odd yet familiar in the Escort/Tempo corner of dealer’s lots.

Rosy eyed comparisons to the original Thunderbird would not mask the fact that the EXP was a remixed Escort with a slighty more sporting image. Despite using Escort components, the EXP looked better on paper than even the Mustang in some respects. It had a MacPherson strut front and fully independent rear suspension while the Mustang was still using an old-fashioned live axle setup. Looking good was mostly on paper.

Pretty on the Inside
With looks being an important aspect for the target market, the EXP would be at a disadvantage until it was refreshed. Before 1985, the controversial styling was neither aggressive or graceful. Bits of Mustang sport coupe would appear in the design language of the greenhouse, but frumpy proportions gave the car a homey slapped together look. The worst design offense might have been the early front end with the frog eyed headlight protrusions.

1982 EXP (left) and 82 LN7 (right)

The list of standard features was long: high output CVH (Compound Valve Hemi head) engine, power brakes, rack and pinion steering and a 5 speed manual transmission looked impressive, once again on paper. The model ranges went from two to three and back to two again. For a short time the ultimate EXP came from ASC/McLaren.

Their rare version added a supercharger and a turbo to the 1.6 before Ford would introduce it’s TurboCoupe. It also had a modified fuel injection system, European Escort styled alloy wheels and a full body ground effects package that would influence future EXPs. Despite its bi-induction systems, the ASC/McLaren produced about as much power as Ford’s own turbo. Very few ASC/McLaren EXP’s were sold and little is known beyond Ford centric user group circles.

1982 ASC McLaren EXP

For most of the target market, the luxury coupe’s optional TR-type suspension package and neat TRX wheels was sport enough. Though it was far from a sports car, it came closer to its potential in an official capacity with the arrival of the TurboCoupe in 1984. Finally, the EXP’s sporting appeal went beyond its paper credentials.

Turbos Down the Line
The EXP TurboCoupe joined Ford’s line up of European inspired turbo performance cars including the Thunderbird TurboCoupe, Mustang Turbo GT and Escort Turbo GT. In addition to turbocharging, the 1.6 L featured electronic fuel injection for a healthy 120hp. The TurboCoupe had revised Koni shocks and a distinctive black lower body cladding to set it apart from normally aspirated versions.

The growth of the EXP model line came at the expense of the Mercury LN7 which was gone. In a way the LN7 lived on in the EXP as it would get the Mercury’s trademark Capri-like bubble window. Now the EXP was beginning to look more the part of the sports coupe.

Despite its sportier appearance and performance, the EXP still confused some buyers as to its mission – was it a sports car or a personal luxury coupe? It would suffer the same delima as the Pontaic Fiero would face a year or so later. For the typical buyer the question as answered as initial cars with carburetted versions of the 1.6 made no more than 70 hp. When fitted with a manual transmission, the EXP could approach EPA highway figures in the low 40s – as good as an Escort, but with far more sporting appeal and two fewer seats.

Tough Marketplace
Despite its efficiency, the EXP got mixed reviews. After all, the Honda CRX had become the petro darling of the press with its better performance, visual appeal and exemplary fit and finish (for less money!). While the EXP had good performance (under 9 seconds to 60mph) performance was not good enough to overshadow its foreign rivals. Considering that it was longer, lower and heavier than the Escort with the same engine, even the Escort GT had slightly better overall performance numbers.

1985 Ford EXP

The turbo did little to help sales. Indifferent build quality (or the perception of it) played a part in the EXP’s plunging sales. It was also considerably more expensive than the Escort which was also loosing sales as its newness faded. When pitted against the foreign competition, the EXP often came out last after the Honda CRX, Toyota MR2 and Pontaic Fiero. For that reason and slowing sales, Ford decided to end EXP production after the 1985 model year.

Finally Getting it Right
After hearing of the news, factory workers from the four plants that built the EXP created their own version of what the car could look like with the Escort’s sleek new nose and the old Lynx fastback rear window. The drastically improved look of the “prototype” was enough to convince Ford to bring back the EXP. In the process of getting a facelift, manual versions of the car lost a forward gear, but gained a larger more powerful 1.9 L engine.

Now looking like the front of the Escort GT and the rear of a Capri RS, the EXP was finally beginning to shape up as the sporty car Ford intended. With the reborn 1986 1/2 EXP, the Turbo Coupe would give way to the Sport Coupe with a revised fuel injected version of the 1.9 that produced as much as 115hp in its final run. These cars were few and far between as thousands were still being sold with dated carburetted engines. These normally aspirated 1.9 liter fours could hardly muster 88 hp.

1984 EXP Luxury Coupe interior

Little cars like the EXP were beginning to take off by 1985. Oddly just as Ford begun to get the EXP right from a aesthetic and performance perspective, sales were at an all time low. Ironically a similar story would play out famously over at Pontiac with the Fiero.

Had the EXP been a looker from the beginning, it might have fared better. It’s average buyer was not interested in performance as much as looks and the EXP was too late in scoring a hit on both. Despite the “Quality is Job One” slogan, Ford was not up to the standards of Honda or Toyota from the public’s perspective.The Fiero suffered a similar fate in that it was designed a s porty commuter car and promised more than it’s looks could deliver. It at least had the benefit of looking sporty from the beginning.

The EXP started a movement in the American market and became one of its first casualties. Meanwhile, similar cars like the Nissan Pulsar would have similar fates but would at least made it into the 90s. While Ford of North America would wash its hands of the concept, Ford of Europe would refine the ideal with cars like the Puma.

The EXP had the potential to be so much more but was such a sales disappointment that Ford would not revisit the ideal of a small proper coupe for the American market until the avent of the very last American Escort called the ZX2. That coupe had a back seat and in its standard form was as far from being a low-cost Mustang alternative as you could get.

While the EXP could best be described as too little too late, who knows what the future might bring. While the Chinese market is justifying the production of new models with old names like the Escort, a EXP successor could wind up on our shores again. Meanwhile any EXP still road worthy today might get the respect it deserves in the near future when such cars will be recognized for their bold and quirky approach to countering the growing waves of foreign competition during the 1980s.

1985 Ford EXP

1982 Holden Camira JB

Today we take front wheel drive cars for granted. There was a time 30 or 40 years ago when the public was skeptical to the ideal of being pulled instead of being pushed. Slowly but surely car buyers were swayed over, especially in places where it snowed a lot. In Australia, where cities covered in deep snow is not the norm, the move to front wheel drive was met with the same skepticism as in other parts of the world.

For companies like Holden, who were known for front engine, rear wheel drive setups, it took a big leap of faith to replace the beloved Sunbird/Torana with a newfangled J car replacement. That car called the Camira was built on the same underpinnings as underachievers like the Chevy Cavalier, Opel Ascona C and Isuzu Aska.

Camira JB interior

That’s not exactly stellar company, considering that the J car is seen today as lacking compared to the Civics and Corollas of the day. But like its global comrades, the Camira was asked to fill big shoes and meet the high expectations for a modern efficient compact car. It was also a big deal for Holden because it was its first crack at a front wheel drive compact car.

Where various J cars are concerned the US may have actually come out on the winning end – at least in the looks department. The Cavalier/ Sunbird were more interesting to look at than the Camira. In fact, Australia’s J clone may have been the most conservative of all of them. Not something you expect from the land that gave us Mad Max and INXS.

Although the Camira was a compact car by US standards, it was marketed in Australia as a mid-sized sedan when it made its debut in 1982. In typical Holden fashion, model years were referred to by letter designations. The first wave of the Camira was called JB (1982-84). A Year later a wagon followed.

1984 Holden Camira SL-X

Both variants resembled a scaled down version of the larger Commodore. Like the Commodore it was a very conservative design with no sporting aspirations what so ever. Despite its outward appearance it could provide acceptable performance when it’s 1.6 liter four cylinder engine was mated to the standard 4 speed manual transmission.

With just under 90 hp, all variants of the Camira offered better performance than most base Commodores with larger engines, even if they were equipped with the archaic 3 speed automatic. Once this fact was revealed by the automotive press, Holden would later capitalize on the Camira’s sporting potential with an appearance package.

Holden Formula line up

Called the “Formula Package”, the optional kit added subtle ground effects, spoilers and blackout trim to the otherwise homely looking Camira. No mention of suspension or enhancements horsepower boosts were made in advertising, as Formula models were all about looks. A few other Holden cars were subjected to this treatment, even the captive import otherwise known as the Isuzu Impuse/Pizzaz (the ad nearly suggests that nearly all Holden small cars were captive imports or some sort).

1985 Holden Formula Camira (ad detail)

The Camira had its share of problems, most notably engines over heating. Presumed to be a design flaw from its Opel sourced engine, it didn’t stop publications like Wheels from proclaiming the Camira its Car of the Year in 1982. Of course at that time it was too new for problems to mount, but the Camira’s good handling and efficient packaging would help win Australia over to front wheel drive.

1982 Supercar Car of the Year award

The move was already on as Ford was already peddling re-skinned briskly selling versions of the Mazada 626 as the Telstar. Meanwhile things seemed to be going well for the Camira. The wagon version was being exported to the UK and sold as the Vauxhall Cavalier Wagon. And sales were acceptable.

In the trend of the day, commercials featured laser grids and other high tech imagery in an attempt to place the Camira in the same league with Japanese imports that were known for new technology and front wheel drive.

Despite the Camira holding its own sales wise, GM had other plans for it. In Australia there would be only two generations with the JD series appearing in 1984 and lasting up through the 1987 model year. The car continued in New Zealand, a country that had become a kind of dumping ground for failed experiments and weird design hybrids of Holden and Ford Australian models. The New Zealand series called JE went on to 1989.

1982 Holden Camira JB

Toyota was in the process of completing a deal with GM that would see it building small and compact cars under various GM brand names. In America one of the cars we got was the GEO Prisim. In Australia they got the Holden Apollo. The Apollo was a Camry clone that would replace the Camira in the role of a true mid-sized alternative to the Commodore.

While the Apollo was a better built car than the Camira, the Camira had fulfilled its role in changing the minds of the Holden faithful to the benefits of being pulled by the front wheels. Thanks in part to cars like the Camira, Australians would come to think of front wheel drive cars in much the same way everyone else did: boring econoboxes while their rear wheel drive counterparts were reserved for more spirited driving tasks (or truck/ute duty). At least the commercial below was exciting.

1976 Dodge Aspen SE

MOPAR fans usually point to the mid to late ‘70s the darkest period in Chrysler’s history. During this time Chrysler produced more than its share of troublesome cars. One of them was the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare twins. Chrysler got its development moneys worth out of these cars by shaping them into everything from landau topped Monte Carlo fighters to stripe and spoilered Camaro competitors. While those may have been the glamours extremes, most Aspens were just roomy modest cars with a decent ride quality but poor workmanship.

A body range (Plymouths shown)

Designed to replace the wildly popular A body Valiant/Duster/Dart, the Aspen was a pleasant if not homely looking compact 3 box design coupe, sedan or wagon. It was touted as “The Family Car of the Future”. There was plenty of fanfare for the new model that eventually lead to Motor Trend picking it as it’s Car of the Year in 1976.

Chrysler even got actor Rex Harrison to be it’s initial spokesman. The oddly themed Victorian TV commercial cleverly disguised as a Broadway musical touted the car as an upmarket alternative to European Luxury brands! Despite the marketing hoopla, the Aspen was a basic car and its design made no aspirations toward anything else (unless you found yourself in a Super Coupe or R/T version). When optioned properly the coupe was especially attractive, the sedan and wagon maybe no so much so.

You could never know if Chrysler was responding to lowered expectations due to the recession, or its own bleak finances, but the Aspen previewed Chrysler’s prophetic future as a maker of bland practicality (K car). Either way the Aspen was an inexpensive option for those needing somewhat thrifty transportation with the ability to carry six people. This was achieved with a front and back bench seat. Everything about the Aspen was a bit old fashioned and quaint even down to in-car entertainment. In an attempt to help lower costs commonplace features like FM on your radio was an option.

1977 Dodge Aspen interior

The throwback vibe did not stop there. While not unusual for cars of the ‘70s, the Aspen came standard with a 3.7 L slant six engine that made somewhere around 80 hp. There were two versions of it one with one carburetor and the other with two. There would be a sporty R/T model that featured a 5.9 l V8 (good for all of 170 hp). R/Ts were rare and almost extent today. The base, Custom and top range SE were more common, especially the base model for driver ED and rental cars.

1978 Super Coupe and R/T

My first official driving experience came with a 1980 Dodge Aspen Custom. It was one of two Aspens that made up my high school’s fleet. One broke down and was replaced by a slightly used Pontiac 6000 SE donated to my school by Richard Petty himself. I remember that car smelling like Cheerwine inside… Back to the Aspen. The 1980 model was the last of the line and represented the closest to being modern that the Aspen would get. That was mostly due to the square headlights and revised bumpers. Other than that it was basically the same Aspen inside and under the hood as it was in 1976 which is why its sales fell off for all but the most frugal buyers.

Even pets approve of the 1978 Aspen SE sedan

The Aspen made a great drivers ED car when it was not overheating, because it did not aspire to anything that would get it’s driver in trouble. It’s looks would not attract the police, even though many attempts were made at making it appear sporty with various appearance packages. One package called “Super Coupe” even went as far as to replicate the look of a Richard Petty race car.

Maybe that’s why he donated a car to my high school out of pitty. Even the wagon got in on the sport appearance package craze at one point. It would take more than appearance packages to rescue Aspen sales, even res erecting the Duster name did not help. The range of models would dwindle down to two engine types with the most powerful a police special reaching 185 hp from a 5.9 L V8. Most cars however were 90 hp sedans with the 3.7 liter engine mated to a four speed manual or Chrysler’s three speed TorqueFlite automatic. The level of technology offered in these cars was eclipsed by even GM and Ford, not to mention the imports who were using DOHC and electronic fuel injection in even their small cars.

1980 Aspen 3.7

The Aspen unfortunately was part of the problem for Chrysler. It’s carburetor’s placement on the top of the engine made it susceptible to vapor lock and overheating. There were also recalls over seat belts and serious rust problems for those in Northern climates. In my experience with the car in driver’s ED class I would never experience any of these problems, it was just the perfect nerd car appliance.

Despite it many good virtues, it was a poorly assembled car and typical of what was wrong with the American car industry. Chrysler had already begun selling captive imports with better quality, but cars like the Aspen would have already forced the company into bankruptcy. It’s replacement the K car would be the company’s savior.

1980 Dodge Aspen

1970 Audi 100 Coupe S

The late 1960s to early ’70s was a great period for grand touring coupes. Many of my favorite cars come from this era. They include exotics like the Fiat 130 Coupe and Iso Grifo. Those were just the high end ones. Even on the lower end of the price scale there were compelling coupes that offered style and in some cases economy thanks to small efficient four cylinder engines.

Among those affordable options, there were plenty of Alfas, BMWs and various Fords. While these coupes came mostly from Europe, America produced its fare share of interesting GT cars also like the ’65 Buick Rivera and ’68 Corvair Monza. Volkswagen was mostly known for small cars like the Beatle. It had dabbled in sporty cars like the Karman Ghia, but mechanically it was modest with more style than performance. Creating more stylish cars was not on the mind of Volkswagen when it acquired Audi.  Neither company was not known especially for sporty cars despite Audi’s linkage with Auto Union and it’s famed racing cars of the ’30s..

WV had just purchased Auto Union from Mercedes in the late ’60s, mostly to get its hands on the factory at Ingolstat. The plan was to boost production of the popular Beatle there. At the time, a sporty GT car was not a priority which made the project already underway by the newly acquired Audi go underground. Once the car was ready as a prototype, the defiant Audi designer Dr. Ludwig Kraus showed it to his VW bosses.

Early ’70s 100 Coupe S ad photo

To his amazement, they accepted his concept and put the 100 Coupe S into production shortly after it made its debut at the Frankfort Motor Show in 1969. It was a bold departure from the normal rear engine air cooled cars from Volkswagen. The 100 Coupe S was built from a shortened Audi 100 sedan frame and an enlarged 1.9 liter engine with twin carburators. VW provided a three speed automatic, but many cars were equipped with a  four speed manual.

Rear wheel drive with front disc brakes made the 100 Coupe a respectable handling car as a grand tourer, but it’s appearance was more likely to be compared to cars costing thousands more like the Aston Martin DBS. The Coupe 100 S was set apart from other Audi by its sleek fastback design. many compared it to Aston martin, but there’s a bit of Nissan 240 Z in its rear quarter view. After all the original Z car was designed by a fellow German.

Speaking of Aston Martin, the year before the arrival of the 100 Coupe S, the DBS set off a trend with BMW also making its version of a DBS inspired coupe, the 2002 GT4. The 2002 GT4 and 100 Coupe S actually look more more alike with BMW’s kidney grille distinguishing the two from a distance.  Of course it takes more than vented C pillars and a long nose to look like a DBS. Both the BMW and VW lacked the ultimate gracefulness of the longer Aston Martin design, but offered some of its style for thousands less and was far more practical. The Audi’s straight forward practical style continued inside with a modern dash array that still looks good today.

Audi 100 Coupe S smart yet simple interior

Neither Volkswagen nor Audi had built anything so sleek and practical before. The long hood with sloping fastback design captured the public’s imagination. The Audi 100 Coupe S was never available in the US oddly enough, but we did get a rather upright two door sedan called the Audi 100.  That car established Audi in America as a maker of stately yet economical sedans in 1970. It would be years later before the sporty cars made it the The States.

Hit or no hit, Audi played it safe as the design ran until 1976 with only minor exterior changes. As a car powered with a small inline four cylinder engine, the 100 Coupe S was never designed to be a drag racer, but it could reach 60 mph from a stop in a bit over 10 seconds. That was considerably fast for the time, especially for a sub 3,000 lb. car with a 115 hp four cylinder engine.

Unfortunately, like many cars of this era, the Audi 100 Coupe S had a rust problem. Despite the great numbers sold between 1970 and 1976, very few survive today. If you really want one, there are diecast versions available from Ebay and your local hobby shop. The few remaining real cars are sought after collectibles with a growing fan base.  It’s handsome design is classic European GT car while it’s front engine water cooled engineering gave VW the experience they needed to move beyond Beatles when it’s sales started to decline during the late ’70s.

The current trend of sleek Audi’s like the sloping C pillar of the A5 and A7 may have started with the 100 Coupe S. Of course today racy coupe profiles are everywhere in the Audi line. The 100 Coupe S may have been when the Audi brand reached out to become more like Auto Union and less like Volkswagen for the first time.

Late ’70s Audi 100 Coupe S

2016 Buick Cascada

Whether we like to admit it or not, German has deservedly developed a reputation for making good machines. During the World Wars, their machines often were more advanced and imaginative in design, giving them an early upper hand. Even after the war, its trodden down automotive industry bounced back to defeat its war victors on the battlefield for sport and luxury car supremacy.

Today nearly all the marketing hoopla about “European styling” or European handling” is centered around just a few glamours German auto manufacturers. Less glamours than BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz is Opel (and to some extent Volkswagen). For Americans, Opel is Germany’s real best kept secret, although we have been driving them in various forms for years with Buick or Saturn badges on them. Without Opel, much of GM’s offerings in the important small car segment would be uncompetitive (think Chevy Cobalt).

Rebadged as Vauxhall or Holdens overseas, Opel’s considerable design and engineering abilities have helped prop up GM for decades while giving the GM’s British and Australians wings of a false sense of pride – primary engineering was always done in Rüsselsheim.

2013 Opel Casada

In America, Opel provided Buick with a string of interesting small cars in the ’70s. By the turn of the century, Opel sourced Saturn with some of its most compelling products, finally lifting the brands quality to its marketing standards. But it would be too late for Saturn and for a moment we got no versions of the Opel Astra in the US.

Fortunately, Buick was left remaining after the smoke cleared and once again Opel was paired to its original American dance partner like an old habit that was hard to kick. After all, the two brands have a similar mission in the new GM. Opel’s latest contribution to the Buick lineup is the Cascada convertible. As the first topless car for Buick since the Reatta in 1991, the Cascada fills two voids in the Buick line up., which leans more on Opel than ever. To Buick’s credit, it left the original elegant yet purposeful Opel design intact with only Buick’s vertical grille replacing Opel’s horizontal one.

2016 Casada Interior

First, Buick has not had a coupe in its brochures since the Regal in 1996. Second, as Buick’s only coupe the Cascade becomes the brand’s sportiest car, even though it lacks the manual transmission option of the related Verano or matches the Regal GS in raw power. Instead, the Cascade is only available as a smooth shifting automatic (six-speed) with a quick folding cloth top that can be activated in typical city craw speeds (up to 31 mph). As such, it fits the role as a personal coupe much like the Riviera or Regal coupe once did.

Unlike those cars the Cascada comes only with a four-cylinder engine. The direct injection turbocharged powerplant makes 3 more hp than the Euro spec cars and is likely geared differently due to American driving preferences. As a compact four seater coupe, the Cascada promises sprightly performance and comfort for front seat occupants. The HiPer strut suspension system helps tame any tourque steer that comes with front wheel drive, not that Cascada’s 200 hp will invite aggressive driving. Despite a sport tuned ride and optional 20in wheels, most drivers will admire the Cascada for what it is, a sleek modern comfortable near luxury take on the personal coupes of the past.

2016 Buick Cascada Convertible side profile

It’s interesting to note that cars like the Cascada will be priced modestly and be geared towards a market that might consider the Volkswagen Eos. Despite the lush leather interior and swooping style of the center stack with its entertainment options, the Cascada is likely to run circles around similar cars from just a decade ago like the now deceased Toyota Solara. While out running them at stop lights, its likely to out distance them at the pump too as 34 mpg or higher seems to be the new norm for small engines with about 200 hp (on regular unleaded gas mind you).
Time will tell if the latest Opel to wear the Buick bage will do well here. The Casada’s unique positioning in the American market is likely to be in its favor as the completion is minimal at the moment. In Europe and Australia where the Cascada goes by many names, it’s been a success since its launch in 2013. American will see the first Cascada’s roll into showrooms when the grounds starts to thaw in early Spring 2016.

2016 Buick Cascada

1995 Ford Probe GT

Where have all the moderately price sporty coupes gone? The few affordable ones like the Scion Tc or Hyundai Elantra Sport are uninspiring. While the FRS/BRZ are exciting, they are priced in such a way that approaches the more Hyundai Genesis and Honda Accord coupes. It wasn’t always this way. As early as 1982, Ford had small coupes (that were not Escorts or Mustangs) that aimed to capture a market that overlooked cars like the Mustang. It would be a revolving door for Ford as it considered its options in an ever changing market.

Those changes would keep much of the ’80s and ’90s interesting for those in the market for a sporty car. The late ’80s to mid ’90s was the golden age for this kind of small to medium sized affordable coupe. Many had turned to front wheel drive and even the American made ones were switching to dual overhead cams and multi-valve configurations – usually with four cylinders. The move towards more efficient ency would eventually threaten the old guard of American muscle cars. Ford considered replacing the Mustang with a front drive compact that would be called the Probe. A reality check courtesy of massive protest and letter writing campaigns, forced Ford to instead develop its Probe alongside the Mustang, but in the mode of a modern Japanese sports coupe.

1997 Mazda MX-6 Coupe

The Probe went outside the typical turbocharged 16 valve DOHC template that had become so popular with Japanese cars. Instead, it along with MX6 of which it shared a platform, aimed higher with a V6. The advantage being the smooth low end power delivery in real life situations. In some ways the Probe was America’s answer to the Opel Calibria, a similarly configured coupe that was praised for its V6 refinement and handling.

That kind of refinement was missing from the small displacement high revving turbos of cars Mitsubishi or Subaru. Although top versions of both the MX6 and Probe shared the same 164 hp 2.5 liter V6, Ford’s engineers went through considerable lengths to distinguish their car from Mazda’s both philosophically and aesthetically.
For instance the MX6 had become a comfortable grand tourer that leaned towards luxury, while the Probe had become the bruiser of the two. There were still lower powered looker cars with 2 liter four cylinder engines for the masses. Those somewhat underpowered cars made under 120 hp in base and SE trim, putting on the shopping lists with Cavaliers and Shadow/Dusters. While the V6 was powerful by ’90s standards, it was no match for the Mustang GT, but was more powerful and advanced than the larger V6 that came standard in the LX Mustang.

All of the engineering and marketing efforts came at a price, despite all the parts sharing with Mazda. The GT model was considerably more expensive than the base Mustang and many of its Japanese competitors. The Probe’s price range and spec competed with everything from the Cavalier RS up to the Celica GTS. That would explain the extremely high ratio of four cylinder to V6 GT models. The wide price range was most apparent in the interior. Base model cars often appeared as a sea of grey plastics . GT cars could be better (somewhat) if you got one with two tone door fabrics and varying hues of grey or black. Some even came in tan. While not Ford’s best US interior, it was more ergonomic that what came with the Mustang.

94 Probe GT interior

There was no mistaking the MX6 (or Mustang) with the Probe. The two cars could not look more different with Ford continuing the angular look of the previous generation with subtle rounded edges (especially in front). The Mazda was curvaceous and feminine looking in comparison. Suspension tuning was different too with the Probe transmitting more road feel and not isolating the driver from engine noises and road imperfections as much.

The Probe may have cut into some of the Japanese coupe market with its promise of technology, power and style. It was Ford’s way of showing that it offered more than archaic Mustangs in the coupe department. Did Ford’s attempt at selling a modern GT coupe change a whole generation’s mind about the company? Probably not despite the cachet that comes with being sold in Europe as well as throughout North America. It was however one of the best handling front wheel drive coupes of its time in its final years.

1995 Ford Probe SE

All that cross continent street cred never translated into sales for the expensive GT. Sales had started heading downward as early as 1995, years before the final model rolled off the Flat Rock Michigan assembly lines. In an attempt at stemming the tide, Ford offered the SE with a GT appearance package that made the SE look like the GT, but with the four cylinder engine. It may have explained some of why the Probe never had the fanboy base that Toyota, Nissan or Mitsubishi had. The high price of the Probe usually pitted it against Japanese cars with more appeal to buyers on the coasts, making the Probe a poor man’s Mustang in the Midwest. That coupled with typically lower resale values hurt the Probe in the long run. Still its a special car and makes a great second hand bargain if you can come across a clean unmolested example.

Being that the sport coupe market was so finicky, Probe sales would taper off, even as the car got better towards its demise in 1997. The facility that built the Probe also ended MX6 production, with the Probe being the last car to come from the joint production AutoAlliance (AAI) with Mazda (the Mazda3 and Focus were part of a different deal later).  In the end the Mustang would win in the race to be Ford’s premier sporty coupe. Ford never quite replicated the Probe formula, although its performance has been eclipsed by hot versions of the Focus (and Fiesta), there is still a hole where a front wheel drive performance coupe called the Probe once filled.

2016 Honda Civic EX

A new Civic is just around the corner. I haven’t been this excited about Honda’s best-selling compact since the Razor was a new phone. My first car was actually a Civic, a 1980 1300 four speed manual. I loved that car and it served me well through my transition from broke college student to broke college graduate. Over the years my love affair of the Civic would peak and crest while buying other cars. I had a few BMW 3 series and a handful of Eagle Talons and loved them all, but secretly I yearned for a Honda again, preferably a Civic. The Accord was finally growing into a sporting sedan with looks that matched its high resale value. The Civic seemed to stagnate.

Problem was that after the early 2000s, the Civic dropped off on the interest meter for me. First went the double wishbone suspension, then the distinctive crisp lines that made a Honda a recognizable Honda. Recently the Civic was never even on my radar as it’s awkward cab forward design was difficult to fall in love with. Even worse the interior dash became overbearing with an odd two display system.

In addition to falling behind in many other respects, the Civic was no longer the fun to drive car it had been for most of its life. It was so bad that I bought a Ford Focus as an every day car when the time came for a small automotive appliance.

All of that just might change.

2016 Honda Civic LX rendering

Honda recently unveiled the 2016 Civic sedan. Its quite the looker. It’s low wide profile is more grown up and its rakish appearance is both aggressive and sophisticated. Little is know about the exact mechanical specs, but Honda makes issue of the new Civic having the most powerful base engine in Civic history.

On the face of it that’s not saying much. Even the most humble Fiesta or Rio out guns today’s base Civic. Even if power starts at 150 for the 1.8, much of the automotive world had passed that barrier in 2012. The new Civics will start with 2.0 liter fours, so power is likely to be in the 160-175 hp range for LX and EX. A six speed manual will be available for the 7% of us who like shifting our own gears. For more the eco minded buyer who hates the ideal of a Prius, there will be 1.5 liter mated to a turbocharger and continuously variable transmission.

Still, the Civic looks dynamic and it’s makers promise to bring back the fun that made the Civic so special to people like the younger less wealthy me. Honda will be rolling out other body styles including a five door hatch, two door coupe and the Type R. The two door coupe is another confirmed knockout. There will be a Civic for every budget and performance requirement it seems.

2016 Honda Civic EX interior

The sedan as presented is striking with its fastback rear profile (like a Audi A5/A7). That feature alone got my attention. Some of the fussiness of the front end could stand to be simplified, but its attractive and looks upscale in a sporting way. My opinion of the Civic might be changing after I see it in person.

After years of selling the Civic as a (white) middle-income suburban appliance (Honda Financing was actually caught charging minorities higher interests rates), Honda is trying to re position it’s already reliable compact as a trendy and stylish appliance. Will the rappers join the heavy metal tuner boys who once sang the Civic’s praises? Honda seems to be saying come back to the 5 and dime Jimmy Dean, come back. To let the kiddies know it’s for real this time, the Civic’s launch event included performances by a trendy modern rock act. The MTV styled awards show/documentary featured designers in skinny jeans describing their inspiration for the rad new Civic.

Although the roll out event was clearly not for my age demographic, Honda has no intentions to throw those of us over 40 under the bus. The interior, one of my favorite aspects of the new design, has that grown up swooping center console look like it might come from a Lexus or Audi. The Mazda 3 captures some of that high-end ora and the Civic seems to have master it at a lower price point as well. It’s a look and functionality the whole family could enjoy.

Variable degrees of style crowd the small car market at the moment. Cars like the Corolla, Cruze,Focus and Elantra have become nice to look at and sometimes drive. So far, even the best of those has some kind of design compromise (usually the interior). The Civic looks bigger and more expensive than it’s would be rivals and appears to be free from those restraints from a design perspective. It certainly has presence, something that many sub $20k cars lack.

I will have to see if the new Civic will woo me just like the old ones did decades ago. For now I’m excited that I might have something other than the Mazda 3 to consider as a replacement for my Focus and old 325ci when the time comes. It’ll be like a homecoming.

2016 Honda Civic EX

Many of us associate Pininfarina with sleek Ferraris and other expensive European cars. While it’s true that the Italian firm has been responsible for some of the most beautiful automobiles with the prancing horse emblem on them, the company gets its hands dirty with cars that border on the everyday- abet with more flair than usual.

One of those cars was the Ford Focus. Not just any Focus, a special coupe-cabriolet model that was available only in Europe. The ideal of a modern convertible Focus started with a concept in Geneva in 2006, then went into production shortly after. Another concept at the same auto show two years later would introduce Europeans to a newly restyled Focus cabriolet with Ford’s New Edge styling.

In fact, the 2008 Focus Coupe- cabriolet as it was called, combined Ford’s current design thinking with that of its design partner Pininfarina. It was easy to see who influenced what as the front end was clearly Ford dominated, while the rear and to some extent the interior had Pinininfina’s trademark elegance.

The juxtaposition of styles was further complicated by the fact that the coupe retained the side panels, doors and mirrors of the previous Focus, yet appeared fresh and modern with its hybrid look. The coupe was easily Ford’s most elegant design in years, which might be why they commissioned Pinininfina to build it. Its handsome side profile was enhanced with the 17in wheels that came with the Sport and Titanium trim lines. In Titanium trim, the added bright work gave the Focus the unusual distinction of being a near luxury car – at least in appearance.

Under the hood it was more like the rest of the non ST Focus line. Variations of the 1.6 or 2.0 liter Duratec four cylinder engine were the only choices. The most powerful, the 2.0 produced a normally aspirated 143 hp. Another popular option, a turbo diesel has about 10 less horsepower, but comes with the instant torque typical of oil burners. 236 pound-feet of torque at 2000 rpm is sprightly, but the cabaret was not a performance car per se. Like the Mazda 3 from the era, the European Focus was based on the C1 platform, so it was no slouch in the curves. Its ride was compliant, yet well-tuned for spirited driving due to responsive steering.

Ford was beginning to offer advance technology in cars with relatively small price points, although the Focus cabriolet cost more than any of the other Focuses save for the ST and RS models.  Bluetooth/USB and navigation systems were starting to form the basis of what would later become Ford’s stab at voice activated entertainment systems. Ford would experiment with various schemes in Europe as well as America before rolling out a more comprehensive system with the 2011 restyle. That restyle did not include a coupe in any form.

The 2008 to 2010 Focus cabaret remains one of the few small Ford coupes. One of the last, the Ka Street was also designed by Pininniferina. The elegant refined look of the Focus no doubt moved Ford a bit upscale in the minds of some Europeans. Unfortunately, in America, Ford had allowed the Focus to stray with an attractive but flawed coupe, sedan and wagon based on an earlier platform.

In a two Focus platform world, the US car lacked what made the C1 based Euro car so special. Given the choice many of us would have traded the stuck on chrome side vents of the US Focus for the Pinininfina styled cachet of the European coupe.

The coupe-cabriolet apparently did not fit in with Ford’s global car aspirations for the Focus. When it was redesigned for the 2011 model year in Europe, no cabriolet or coupe for that matter made the cut. A coupe- cabriolet seems more like a natural extension of the current Focus line up because it’s never looked more upscale. A small coupe would be a nice counterpart to the now globally available Mustang convertible.

2014 Camaro ZL1

The Camaro has always been one of those cars I’ve liked, but could never see myself owning. I could say that about the Challenger and Mustang also. Blame it on the BMW snob in me. Something about a big powerful engines and live rear axles was counter to the small intractably engineered Japanese and European cars I admired in my formative years.

Those dinky little cars with front wheel drive and a tiny appetites for gas was all I could relate to with my meager budget. When I got more money the engines became more advanced and powerful, yet remained small while cars like the Camaro got bigger like the typical American’s waistline.

At some point Chevy and Ford begun to see diminishing returns on their gradual move to larger engines. Smaller more advanced power plants were approaching and in some cases surpassing old guard V8s, threating the supremacy of the red blooded (American) muscle car. It was happening in Australia also where big V8 powered Holdens and Fords were giving way to the new world order of unibody front wheel drive dominance.

Pony cars like the Camaro and Mustang were supposed to be a dying breed, yet they remained strong sellers with their time tested drive wheels in back and big engine up front. When the fourth generation Camaro disappeared in 2002, it had already overstayed its welcome, yet had a loyal following down to the end.

It would be nearly a decade of watching Ford’s Mustang rack up sales before Chevy would bring back it’s pony car. During that time you’d be forgiven if you thought the Mustang was the uncontested king of redneck power slides and doughnuts in the Walmart parking lot. In reality, the pony car grew up and became more sophisticated (to a point). The Ford had little competition in its price range. To get rear wheel drive with a V8 (or V6), you had to look to expensive German or the occasional Japanese import.

This was the perfect environment to bring back the Camaro. When it arrived in late 2009, it closely followed the retro cues of the 2006 concept car in that it looked like a remix of a 1967-1969 car. The concept created a sensation amongst the F car faithful who were still weeping over the loss of the Trans-Am. The “new Camaro” as it was called joined a recently revamped retro Mustang and Dodge Challenger in a renewal of an old rivalry, not seen since the 70s. A few Transformer movies later and the Camaro emerged as close competition to the Mustang in sales.

LS3 Camaro interior

Where the Canadian built 2002 Camaro was low and wide, the new car was more upright by comparison. Designed in-house by Tom Peters, much of the Camaro’s imposing dynamics came from being on the large GM Zeta platform. Like Chrysler’s Challenger, it shared a platform with larger four door luxury cars. This new emphasis on space did not instantly translate to more room inside, although the new Camaro was more comfortable and roomy than any Camaro of the past and had more usable cargo space. In fact it’s interior was one of its high points. Simple, direct yet purposeful with subdued elegance due to brushed aluminum accents.

The exterior of course was just as impressive. A shark like nose with two prominent round headlights recalled early Camaros, yet looked futuristic with halo daytime running lights. The rear too was a blend of first and second generation cars with four pronounced tail lights (a nod to the second generation cars).This fifth generation was easily the fastest and most agile Camaro ever. A fully independent suspension meant that every Camaro could corner as well as it burned rubber in a straight line.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS

Despite its imposing size, its proportions were taunt and muscular with graceful lines that ended in creases that gave it an angular appearance if you saw if from the right angles. The rear, perhaps it’s weakest link with four ovoid tail lights recalled the first two generations.

Camaros came in coupe and convertible forms with a range of trims with either a 3.6 liter 312 hp V6 or the LS3 6.2 liter V8 with up to 426 hp. 6 speed manuals and automatic were also available. All that power had a better chance of connecting to rough roads thanks to a fully independent suspension – on all models. There were plenty of tuners available to make any Camaro a supercharged or turbo powered road car to rival any BMW. Even the V6 got love as a candidate for supercharging.

The high point of Camaro power came with the ZL1 version that used the same engine as Cadillac’s CTS-V. That 6.2 liter supercharged tour de force made a whopping 580 hp. There were no Z28 versions of this generation. Instead the gamut of Camaro trim and package names from the past like LT,LS, RS and SS took its place.

2011 Camaro Base V6 

It was once easy to determine what was a high trim Camaro.  It was either a Z28, IROC or SS. With this generation the distinctions could be blurred externally for buyers who chose the right packages. The popular RS appearance packages that made base cars look menacing and others look like the SS model with its 20 inch wheels. One thing was clear, an un molested base model with the standard 16 inch black painted steel wheels looked almost homely. Still this was the first generation of Camaro that I could actually see myself in.

A refresh in 2014 saw a more angular appearance, especially in front with a squatter grill and revised horizontal taillights. The array of small improvements amounted to the most polished Camaro and the most refined look yet. The only bit that looked odd was the thin horizontal tail lights that did their best to recall the rump of the first generation cars.

Be it coupe or elegant convertible form, the fifth generation Camaro was a design and sales hit. Things that had plagued Camaros of the past like fit and finish issues had been licked too (mostly). Despite all the improvements, Camaro sales still lagged behind Ford’s evergreen Mustang. Still, it was no small feat that GM managed to keep its version of the pony car alive in a regulatory environment that favored more efficient cars.

Today the V6 Camaro remains an affordable option for those seeking an relatively efficient and stylish coupe. The very latest Camaros are being compared to M3s and such. One would have never seen that coming. Every sence the Mustang stepped it up with a independent suspension and global ambitions, the American pony car changed forever.  Somewhere in the Euro bound Camaro with all of its advance safety and performance features, a lottery winning good olde boy is waiting for his car of choice to make some tire smoke in the Walmart or Appleby’s parking lot.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro SS

1990 Aston Martin Virage

Aston Martins get plenty of love today thanks in part to a certain fictional British secret agent. James Bond has been depicted as driving many Aston Martins old and new, but never the Virage. Even when it was new it was being upstaged by the old V8 in those awful Bond films of the early ’90s.

Aston Martin V8 (Vantage)

Such love for the past or most current Aston Martins underscores an odd bias that has overshadowed one of my favorite Aston Martins, the Virage.

The Virage is something of a transitional car. As a replacement for the beloved V8, a car that was developed in the ’60s, the Virage was the last new car developed by Aston Martin before Ford gobbled it up. As an independent project, the Virage development team reached out to various suppliers to reuse, update or develop new components. The result was a big GT car that despite being made with a sleek aluminum body was very heavy.

Buyers of Aston Martin cars were a particular lot who valued tradition over the sass of Italian sports cars. So with that in mind, Aston Martin sought independent design teams in England for the Virage’s final design. With the Lagonda’s chassis hard points as a starting point the winning design came from the team of Ken Greenley and John Heffernan. The had worked with Aston Martin in the past and were well aware of the company’s design heritage, yet used CAD to design the all aluminum body.

The Virage was the first ever CAD designed Aston. Its simplistic and flowing wind tunneled design featured thin”C” pillars that suggested the Opel Calibra.

When possible, corners were cut where it saved the most money. That included using the same old engine block and engine management system from the V8 (the displacement was unchanged). Not everything was old. Aston Martin reached out to American based Callaway Engineering to develop new DOHC cylinder heads. The team at the Newport Pagnell factory did not have to look so far for other components. Taillights from Audi and headlights from Volkswagen joined interior components from GM, Jaguar and Ford.

1988 Aston Martin Virage

What sounded like a mess on paper came together surprisingly well. Starting with chassis bits from the Lagonda sedan, a new lightweight de Dion rear suspension was fitted that had fewer components than previous models.

Once Aston Martin managed to work out issues with catalytic converters in US bound cars, the 32 valve 5.3 liter V8 produced as much as 325 hp. That power was initially managed through a Chrysler four speed automatic. The more modern manual transmission was a 5 or 6 speed ZF sourced unit.

At over 4,000lbs with 320 hp, the Virage could only muster a 0 to 60 time in the low 7s. While many V6 performance cars like Ford’s Contour SVT could approach the Virage’s top speed of 145 mph, no V6 could hum with the rumble of an all aluminum V8. All out speed was not what the Virage was about anyway.

Late ’90s Virage interior

Inside hand-stitched leather upholstery made the Virage a comfortable place to be on long drives. The English styled opulence concealed the modern electronics systems that included traction control and anti-lock breaks (must haves on a car that was well over $150k when new in 1989).

The name Virage was French for turning a corner which was exactly what happened to Aston Martin as Ford came in and modernized it’s production processes. The transition to Ford ownership did mean that antiquated components like the Chrysler transmission would be replaced by a Ford unit in 1993. Other components would gradually arrive from other Ford or Ford owned companies like air conditioning units from Jaguar. For the most part Ford seemed to look the other way and allowed the Virage to be the freelance project that it was.

Aston Martin Volante

The Virage’s timing was awkward in that Ford’s in house design, engineering and global sourcing system had no room for the homegrown freelance methods that created the Virage. As as a result production numbers were quite quite low and fell as the years rolled on. Variants like the convertible () would spike sales, but the Virage platform’s days were numbered.

To further diminish the Virage’s legacy, news of the Ford blessed DB7 made buyers all but forget about the Virage by the mid ’90s. Aston cars would have improved performance and reliability under Ford’s ownership, but would loose a little of the quirky English charm that came with cars like the handsome Virage.

1983 Toyota Celica GT-S Liftback

I’ve always loved cars. My first interests were the cars I saw everyday, the Mustangs, Camaro and Daytona’s of my pre teen years. Later as I neared the age where I might finally get my own car, reliability had become as important a factor as performance and design. That single requirement for a real world purchase counted out many European and American offerings I liked as a child. That’s when the imagination and solid engineering of Japanese cars that would get my attention. The Japanese were in full assault mode with noteworthy cars in nearly every segment by the time I graduated high school in 1984. Though it would be well into college, my first car would end up being one of the standard bearers in the subcompact market: the Honda Civic.

As nice as the Civic 1300 seemed as a first car, it was the more flashy ones that I day dreamed about. One of them was the Toyota Celica. The Celica was once called the Japanese Mustang. I always thought that was a bit insulting, but I would learn why that label stuck for so long in its early years (to the Celica’s credit).

1982 Toyota Celica ST Coupe

By it’s third generation it had moved a bit further from the American pony car model. Code named A60, the platform was still rear wheel drive. The Celica had a rather large four cylinder engine. For the longest time its 2.4 liters of displacement made just under 100 hp. Called LASRE (Lightweight Advanced Super Response Engine), the 2.4 would stay with American Celicas throughout the third generation. Probably fitted to American bound cars due to torque expectations and emissions compliance. After all it was a holdover from the previous Celica.

1982 Celica Supra

The Celica Supra, a V6 DOHC powered version of the A60 with a stretched nose and different front end treatment was still offered, but was being marketed separately from the four cylinder Celica ST, GT and GT-S.

Unlike the 1981 Celica, the sharp wedge design was futuristic and new for 1982. Gone were the smooth rounded surfaces of the previous car. Exposed pop up headlights that gave the Celica the front the appearance of a distorted Escort were one of the many built in aerodynamic aids contributing to a drag coefficient as low as .34. In America the Celica line up was rather simple, all using the 2.4 liter SOHC four in either a coupe or liftback configuration.

1983 Toyota Celica GT

Both configurations came in base ST or more posh sporty GT/GT-S trim. The rather homely looking ST coupe was a popular low cost secretary’s car that competed with everything from base Mustang and GM F-Body cars to other Japanese coupes like the Honda Prelude or Nissan 200SX.

The GT and later GT-S models were the most appealing to performance enthusiasts. They were the first ones to feature advanced technology (often shown as script across the doors or front fender). These more lavish Celicas competed with costly European imports like the Alfa Romeo GTV6 or BMW 318 (not to mention American V8 powered pony cars).

1985 Toyota Celica GT-S Coupe

Inside the high tech futurism continued with a angular dash that looked like the helm of a space fighter. Tasteful multi textured/patterned cloth seats gave comfortable access to either a floor mounted five speed manual shifter or four speed automatic transmission.

Analog gauges were later joined by digital displays on top of the line GT-S models. Things like cassette decks with music search, electronic tuning and graphic equalizers were all part of a loaded Celica’s entertainment system and looked more impressive than my stereo at home. In Japan where more exotic and powerful DOHC engine configurations were offered, an early form of turn by turn navigation system called Navicom was offered.

GT-S Interior

Despite all of the futurist design cues, underneath the Celica’s rear wheel drive configuration was close in spirit to that of a typical American pony car. Even if by now the pony car comparison seemed less evident. The only difference was that most pony cars of the time might have had an MacPherson strut front system like the Celica, they would not have  had a sophisticated four link rear suspension. GT-S models even had gas shocks all around.

There were various 14 styled steel and aluminum wheel designs. The GT-S could be fitted with an attractive four star alloy design on 225/60 14 tires that would be standard on the Celica Supra. In fact GT-S models would have the same flared wheel arches and other components from the Supra like the rear suspension.

This gave the Celica the handling prowess expected of a rear wheel drive car while it’s suspension offered a better ride and performance on poor roads. It was the best of both worlds, making the Celica a favorite with the automotive press. Drums in the back of lesser models was still common but top trims like the GT-S had disc brakes all around with the front ones being vented.

Power would go up by 10 hp with advancements like electronic fuel injection in in 1984 . The final American A60 Celica would have 116 hp. Even a loaded GT-S was well under 2600 lbs.

1984 Celica GT Convertible

A convertible, prepared by American Specialty Cars (ASC) was available for one year only in 1984. That was also the year all Celicas got a mild make over, mostly in front with a new fully retractable headlight design and horizontal grille treatment that would hint to the up coming fourth gen car of 1986.

The Celica was already moving beyond its pony car aspirations. The Celica Supra was on the verge of becoming its own complete car, leaving the Celica base it had used since 1978. The next generation of Celica would continue a path toward refinement that would see it develop into a sophisticated GT car that had more in common with cars like the VW Corrado than the Mustang GT.

1983 Toyota Celica GT Liftback

2015 Volvo V40

As the owner of a Ford Focus, I was intrigued to learn that Volvo produces a car based on the same architecture. The Global C1 platform has launched a half dozen or so vehicles for Ford, Volvo and Mazda. The architecture is versatile enough that it can underpin everything from performance to luxury cars, so I wondered what a luxurious Focus would be like.

Granted, my car is a Titanium with just just about every option Ford offered when it was new, so I wondered what the next step up – from Volvo would be like. Volvo’s C1 car is the V40. Americans are accustomed the V40 from over a decade ago. From the mid ’90s to about 2004, the V40 was a Mitsubishi Carisma based car that gave Volvo a small family sedan where it had none before.

1995-2004 Volvo V40

The current V40 is not sold in America and gives Volvo another crack at the small family sedan market where it had no real product before. Although it replaces the C30 coupe, the V40 comes is so vast a range of engine configurations that it be both sporty and above all upmarket as is expected of Volvo.

As expected, the American designed V40 does not stray too far from the mount points of the global Focus. Its biggest linkage to the Focus comes in the rear with the stretched teardrop style tail lights. Otherwise the V40 has the look of other Volvos, especially in the front.

The inside is perhaps the biggest point of departure from Ford. Where the Focus interior looks like it may have been designed by teenagers with its transformer face styled center console, the V40 looks distinctly European with all the fussy button array of the Ford wrangled in to simplistic geometric alignment. Chrome accents highlight slightly better dash materials from a more upmarket look overall. Its a magical take on how Audi and Mazda have concealed the complexity of their center stack designs with Zen-like efficiency.

The cabin technology is actually not much different from what’s available in upper trims of the Focus. Things like large multimedia/navigation touch screens, parking assistance, collision warning and sensors for blind spots are probably expected in any upmarket car nowadays.

V40 D4 interior

Presumably the difference comes in performance. Not that the petro and diesel engines offer any more power than what the Focus might. The V40 is certainly no hot rod with 0 to 60 times ranging from 6 to 11 second range. The Focus, already built on a solid handling platform is enhanced more for ride quality than road holding with the V40. Only in the T5 would it approach Focus ST road holding. Other variations come closer to a cross between the standard Focus and the Titanium model with the factory sports handling package.

2014 Volvo V40 T5

There are basically four engine displacements ranging from 1.6 to 2.5. Trim levels are just as sprawling with multiple D and R Design designations. The 1.6 liter four cylinder engine comes in forms offering 150 and 180 hp putting it somewhere between the standard American Focus 2.0. In top T5 trim, the V40 can come with a turbo with about 240 hp or as the typical North American Focus ST.

There’s even an all wheel drive variant called the V40 Cross Country. The Cross Country offsets the added visual bulk of body cladding and bigger wheels with a more powerful 2.5 liter engine that comes in petro or diesel configurations. All V40 are available increasingly with a six automatic or the rare 6 speed manual for the few hard core motorist in the market for a small family car.

2014 Volvo V4 Cross Country

Reviews by the European press have been mostly good. More encouraging though is that, Volvo is planning to wean the V40 off the Ford based platform and roll it out to North America. I’m always in a perpetual search for my next car. Convinced that luxury brands (from Europe) are not worth the money, any new V40 is gonna have to make quite an impression to make me give up my Focus.

As a wanna be snob, I have to admit that the only reason I have bought BMWs or considered other European cars was image and status (putting performance aside for now). My historic bias to European cars had begun to fade. Although I still admire a BMW or Audi, I can’t see myself falling for another one, but I’m not ready to give up on European cars yet. Which means that more understated options are worth considering like Volvo or even Opel based Buicks (I’d never consider a Volkswagen).

A new V40 will have to be better performing, better built and more efficient than my Focus which I see as a standard baseline. If Volvo defines luxury as better efficiency, comfort, performance and reliability than my Ford, then I might be sold.

2013 Volvo V40 D2

If you are old enough, you might remember the Chevrolet Chevette. It was one of my favorite small cars while growing up in the ’80s. That was before the Civic came along and changed my mind about America’s early attempts at small cars. While the Chevette was not as advanced as a Civic, it did have rear wheel drive. That alone would make it special.

The modest sub compact was sold in Canada as the Pontiac Acadian. The Acadian name was once used on a Nova clone based on the Chevy II platform . The whole ideal of the Acadian was to give GM’s Canadian division something smaller to sell in it’s Pontiac-Buick dealer network.

1976 Acadian Rally

It was designed in W. Germany by Opel and eventually rolled out globally under various badges like Opel, Vauxhall and Holden. Usually cars designed in Europe that were destined for the rest of the world usually got dulled when they arrived in North America, but in the case of the Chevette, I think we got the best looking variant. Canada got it’s U.S. built version in 1976, just a year after Chevy sold its first Chevette to accepting audiences in America.

With the introduction of the Acadian in Canada, there were now three versions of the Chevette available in North America alone. Which one you got depended on what side of the U.S./Canadian border you were on. In America the Chevette and Pontiac’s T 1000 were popular choices despite being rear wheel drive in a world rapidly turning to the front wheels for motivation. In Canada the Acadian was identical to the Chevette save for the Pontaic badge and the Acadian script on the quarter panels. In fact the American offshoot of the Chevette, Pontaic’s own T-1000 was distinguished from the Arcadian by it’s more sporting vertical grill. Eventually the Acadian would look less like the Chevette and more like it’s American cousin.

1977 Pontaic Acadian in its element

All Chevette offshoots in North America be they in Canada or American used the 1.6 liter four cylinder engine. These engines used an overhead cam and made around 57 hp with the standard dual carburetor system. Some had more sporting pretensions with a high speed cam, a performance exhaust and a sport appearance package.  These were the most attractive Arcadian (or is that Arcadia), especially in two door coupe form with a pop up sunroof, stripes and a black rubber rear spoiler. You could even get a 5 speed manual transmission. Most however were 3 speed while the most stripped down Scooter version had automatics or a four speed manual transmission.

With 14 seconds needed to reach highway speeds (60 mph), no Arcadia would be confused for a performance car. With 13′ wheels and rear drum brakes, even the most capable versions used the same full coil suspension with front stabilizer bar as the base Arcadia. Most people bought these cars for the their claimed 34 mpg, which was boosted by the inclusion of a 1.8 liter diesel option. That engine with hardly 50 hp offered an impressive 46 mpg on the highway.

Still, for a simple car, the Arcadia filled an important void in GM Canada’s small car line up. When Vauxhall Frenza sales stopped in 1973 at Buick dealerships, GM had no small car to sell, leaving it open to the likes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

While not as sophisticated as imports like the Honda Civic or even Ford’s Escort, the Acadia sold well. Sales were so good that the Acadia helped GM of Canada acheive a banner sales year in 1980, despite competitive wave of domestic and import competition.

If you live in the Upper Midwestern states, there’s a chance you might see an occasional Arcadian. In the last few years the Arcadian and Pontiac T 1000 names became interchangeable with GM using both names in some of its sales literature.

Like the Chevette, the Acadian was at its best in its final years. Drivability and power had been bumped up to 65 hp. The body colored bumpers, integrated front spoiler and black out trim was complimented with the select use of bright-work, giving the car a subtle sporty modern look.  Despite being a dated throwback to the rear wheel biases of the past, the Arcadia was a good value to the end, offering reasonable style and efficiency. As a bonus, if you were so inclined, the rear wheel drive setup had more performance potential than any Escort or Corolla of the day.

1986 Acadian

1994 Eagle Vision TSi

The ideal of the sports sedan has come a long way in America since the days of the first Chevy Lumina Eurosport and Dodge Lancer GTS. The arrival of the Ford Taurus SHO showed that a true sports sedan could come out of America that was more than just a blackout trim package.

As the big three scrambled to produce their own version of the American performance sedan, Chrysler decided that it would devote a whole subdivision towards the ideal of offering cars with a decidedly European (or Japanese) approach to performance. The Eagle brand was born with that goal in mind. The most important goal was luring would-be  import buyers into Chrysler showrooms and seducing them (initially) with lightly disguised Mitsubishi or Renaults.

Lamborghini Portofino

Things were a bit rough from the beginning as Eagle’s initial big sedan offering was a Renault built Premier. The Premier was more a proof of concept more than anything else, a kind of placeholder until Chrysler could get its stuff together. Eagle had the right ideal, but the Premier would not be the car to execute it. Chrysler was stuck with AMC’s baggage when it acquired it and Jeep.

Chrysler set off early at designing a successor with a series of concepts. It would be Chrysler’s ownership of Lamborghini that would seal the direction of this new full sized sedan. After Lamborghini rejected Chrysler’s sedan concept called the Portfiono, Chrysler would use it to guide the styling theme for the LH platform. Later it would be would be refined with the Eagle Optima and final Vision show cars.

Eagle Optima Concept Vehicle 1990

The final result was a revolutionary series of cars that would change Chrysler’s fortunes as each of its divisions would get their own version of the LH large car platform. The cab forward design made any LH car look like it was moving while parked with motion implied by the sleek raked windshield. Eagle, in keeping with it’s European inspired image, styled the Vision to look like a four door counterpart to it’s popular Talon sports coupe, although the connection was too subtle to be called a four door Talon.

The Eagle brand got the Vision, arguably the second best looking version after Dodge’s Intrepid. Design-wise the Vision looked more like the Chrysler Concord, with more aggressive wheels and front end. In fact they shared the same tail light cluster. You’d be hard pressed to tell one year from the other because the Vision got very few changes on the outside with the exception of chrome wheels on later models.

As the least popular LH car (based on sales), the Vision had the most exclusivity if not the most distinct personality. Eagle even played on this by proclaiming in ads that the Vision was not for everyone. It came in two trims ESi and TSi. The ESi was the base car coming with a 3.3 liter V6 making 153 hp. A year after it’s introduction engine enhancements would push power up to 161 hp.

Most ESi cars came with 15 in wheels, which looked small on a full sized performance sedan. The TSi bumped up power to 214 thanks to its 3.5 liter 24 valve V6 engine. The SOHC unit’s power rating stayed consistent through out the Vision’s run and was good for a sub 9 second run to 60 mph. All Visions came with a four speed automatic and were front wheel drive. Other Eagle cars with the TSi trim were either turbo, all wheel drive or both.

The Vision was not just about good looks or even speed. It was an attempt to engineer a car from the beginning that could steer and stop with the best of them as well as cruise comfortably on the highway. The Vision made quite an impression on the writers of Motor Trend who named it the 1993 Car of the Year for those reasons. It was fast, comfortable and could be loaded with advanced safety features like anti lock breaks and driver and passenger airbags.

Eagel Vision Tsi Interior

The Vision’s most distinctive feature (in its segment) was its cab forward design. Amoung its LH platform mates, it appeared lighter and more focused due to the lack of lower body cladding In TSi trim the 16 in aluminum wheels filled the wheel wells with a purposeful stance that was made all the more tasteful due to the lack of add ons like ground effects.

Eagle Vision Aerie Concept Vehicle 1994

The Vision’s distinctiveness was not enough to save it or Eagle for that matter. A new Vision was teased on the auto show circuit with Talon like design cues, but it was nothing more than a styling exercise. It shared the Intrepid’s subtle ground effects and featured a new front end, similar to the Talon. It was a little too late for the Vision and Eagle.

When the LH cars reached their second generation, the Vision would not follow, but it’s spirit lived on in Chrysler’s 300, becoming the banner carrier of European style performance amoung Chrysler’s large sedans. Today the Chrysler leaves that function solely to the 400 which proudly carries that banner.

1993 Eagle Vision TSi

My car in 2010

A few years ago, I started this blog in an attempt to write something about every car I’ve ever liked, from my first fond memories to now. More than five years and hundreds of entries later, I realized that I had not written anything about the best car I have ever owned, a 2001 BMW 325ci (E46).

My ’94 325is was set up to look exactly like this M3

My first BMW experience came with a 1994 325is. The black Florida car was the first car I ever bought online in 1997. After flying down, the drive from Miami to Ohio felt like a victory parade. Everyone seemed to admire the black coupe’s handsome lines, made more attractive with the addition of a M-Technics appearance package (it looked like a M3!). That was a great car with a smooth shifting 5 speed manual transmission, plenty of mid and high end pep (187 hp) and decent gas mileage if you could resist the urge to step on it.

There were few problems, mostly related to trim bits that would come loose often to the point of frustration. In one instance a headlight nearly pop out of its socket while on the highway! That may have been more a result of the “tweaks” made by the former owner than BMW’s quality control. The traction control seemed useless in combination with high performance summer tires, or any tires for that matter. In the winter I usually drove around in a Eagle Talon anyhow (my second favorite car), but the BMW would start regardless of how cold the Ohio winters were.

With many small issues piling up, it became easier for me to fall for a 2001 325ci I bought in December 2002. Just off a short term lease, it too was a 5 speed manual that was loaded with the sport and luxury package. This car combined the great handling of my previous 3 but added a level of refinement and comfort that made my E36 feel like a well tuned Volkswagen (nothing against those). It may not have been quite that dramatic, but there was clearly a leap in engineering and creature comforts going on here.

Even though the E 46 325 had the old car’s 2.5 liter inline 6, new improvements to the Double VANOS system improved efficiency and more importantly low end grunt. My new car was actually down three hp over the E36, but felt far more responsive in city traffic. And then there was that sound, the growl of that engine still makes me smile over 120,000+ miles later.

The highway is where a 325 shines the most. Cruising back and forth from Ohio to North Carolina could be done in one tank even when pushing an average speed of 75 mph. I had no problem that dropping down a gear would not solve when passing fast moving traffic on the hilly sections of the highway. The car was as stable and composed at 80 as it was at 40 mph. This was achieved with BMW’s older engine technology. The 328 and 330 used a newer 2.8 and 3.0 engines with more power that did not sacrifice efficiency too much, in fact they were more powerful and efficient than the engine in my car.

My 325ci has been for the most part very reliable with only small issues. Aside from the infrequent maintenance requirements (the car tells you when to go based on your driving history and conditions). So no two cars would have the same maintenance schedule. I usually required a Level I service once a year (that includes oil changes) based on my -11,000 miles a year average.

The E46 dash design is still one of my favorites

Besides the excellent handling and comfort, the E46 struck an agreeable balance between ergonomic efficiency and understated luxury. BMW like many luxury brands have integrated screens into its dashes better than most makers, but the clean look of pre E90 cars is priceless in my book. Later E46 models did a great job of integrating the optional navigation screens into their dashes, but I never needed anything more than a simple map and common sense to know where I was going.

Thoughtful touches like the faint red light that illuminates the dash at night still amaze me in the level and attention to detail you just can’t find in a most cars, no matter how much kit they might come with. That point is made clear when I’m driving my 2012 Focus Ti, a great economy car with plenty of gadgets, but lacking in the graceful and elegant attention to detail of my old Bimmer. On paper, it has more of what makes a luxury car luxurious, but the magic is in the details. Maybe that explains why a A3 costs more than a Golf GTi.

My 2012 Focus Ti

I could go on and on about how my old 325 can still embarrass an old Mustang or teen raped Civic on the curves of an off ramp or how when it’s all clean and polished up, people think it’s new. The engine seems almost bullet proof and has always started when I needed it to. Even during the below 20 degree temps of last winter it started with no problem even when many newer cars were paralyzed by the cold.

Time however and the Ohio winters have been a cruel mistresses to my car. A small rust spot has developed on the passenger door, due to a flaw in the door seal design that allowed water to settle. It was a common problem with the 2001 models. Other small cosmetic issues have developed like the liner fabric on the passenger A pillar unfurling, rubber seals around the doors coming loose, the list goes on. Yet despite all these little flaws, my car still manages to make me smile. Recently some of my dash warning lights were stuck on. Swapping the instrument cluster with another car helped a little, but it made me realize that the point of diminishing returns may have arrived. I replaced the front windsheild due to a crack from a highway rock. I just got a new battery, but most of my repairs/replacements have been routine maintenance.

To top off all the issues, one of my streets developmentally challenged kids crashed his bike into the front, breaking part of the M-Technics front spoiler. I ghetto patched it up, but it forces me to decide the fate of my beloved 325, perhaps sooner than later.

At some point the car will need to be replaced, likely because I’ve had my eye on a E92 coupe for sometime. Its my understanding that new BMW’s are not the sporty cars they once were. The prices are insanely high new and BMW still nickles and dimes you for options that are becoming standard everywhere else. On top of that they have become soft in some respects and have lost much of the edge they had before. You have to buy a M car to really get that back and I don’t have 60K laying around for a new car.

The competition has been nipping at BMW’s heels and has caught up in many respects. BMW’s still offer the best combination of handling and ride comfort out there for the money, but even that is becoming a fleeting claim. In all honesty, brand heritage or snobbery might be the only tool BMW has going for in a market that sees cars as lifestyle accessories. I have owned Honda’s and Diamond Stars that have held up better over time than my beloved 3 Series. Despite that few cars have managed to still feel special like it has, even after the first decade of ownership.

In the meantime I will have to decide what I’m gonna do with my E46. It’s mechanically sound enough to warrant my keeping it (all maintenance is documented), but I have three cars and only need one (or two). Parting has never been so difficult.

2016 Scion iA

Have you ever attended a party where the person who made it worth going to arrived late and just before the lights went out and doors closed? That’s the curious dilemma of Toyota’s Scion brand. Created to appeal to hip urban youth who were making the transition from video games to their first new car. SCION started with a bang thanks to a boxy pair of car things that in many ways defied categorization and spawned a trend. Other models followed before peaking with the sporty FR-S. Then, gradually the Scion line up would be pruned. First the capable but odd looking tC, leaving the brand with a few odd looking compact cars (save for the FR-S).

Then came the iA. The subcompact sedan is Scion’s first and gives the brand a badly needed shot in the arm, just as its about to run its course. Despite the iA’s late arrival, Toyota is still slated to end SCION brand and perhaps roll its products into it’s main line.

The FR-S coupe and once trendy xB put the brand on the map with different subsets of it’s target market, but sales have been declining in recent years. The exciting FR-S which catered to tuner-boys is not enough to sustain a brand. The other products from Scion either missed their targets design, affordability or fun factor targets.

It’s too early to say if the iA will make a dent in the sales of segment leaders like Ford’s Fiesta, Nissan’s Versa or even Toyota’s own Yaris just yet. Unfortunately for Scion the iA just might be too little too late for that despite being the most exciting car outside of the FR-S sport coupe on Scion lots. It’s even better than the non ST versions of the Ford Fiesta, a car that once shared a platform with the last gen Mazda 2 in the US (which is now gone).

Scion iA (left) and  Mazda 2/Demo (right) comparison

Much of what makes the iA so fun to drive is the fact that it’s based on the new Mazda 2/Demo. Having Mazda roots these days means that the iA has some performance chops, even if it does not wear it on it’s sleeves. Much of the Mazda Skyactive technology such as the excellent 6 speed manual or automatic transmission, well calibrated suspension and feisty 106 hp 1.5 liter four cylinder engine make the transition to Scion unscathed.

The iA also gets a wonderfully simple yet elegant variation of the Mazda interior that makes the iA look and feel more expensive than it is. At just under $18,000 for all the must have infotainment gadgets like bluetooth, touchscreens and phone integration, the iA shames far more expensive cars in the standard kit for the dollar category (I’m talking about you BMW and Audi).

The sparse optional choices are limited to one trim level in either automatic or manual and go from there, but not too far. Like other Scion cars, the iA can be customized at dealerships despite the few options from the factory.

iA  interior

The little iA is swift, but not likely to win any stoplight matches with a 9 second 0 to 60 time. Of course that is not what the iA is about. Despite its great handling and refined ride, it is designed for entry level buyers who want considerable value – the original ideal behind the Scion brand in the first place.

Ironically just as the brand has rolled out a fun car that compliments the FR-S and the Miata in spirit, the iA will never get the chance to lure young buyers to Toyota’s youth division experiment for long. Had it been offered years ago, it might have saved the brand. If The iA becomes a Toyota badged car, it will slot below the Corolla and possibly above the Yaris. It’s much more fun to drive than any of those, but may appeal to a slightly different market.

Cylon Raider

About the only bad thing about the iA might be it’s looks, the front in particular. The big grill looks like a Cylon raider’s helmet and looks too heavy for a car with such petite proportions. While not a deal breaker, it will take most some time to warm up too.

Fortunately the elegant lines of Mazda’s KODO design philosophy are mostly intact on the sides and back of the car. The original 2 in it’s new form is so attractive, Toyota should have just turned the grille upside down and called it a day.

The TARDIS effect of  being big inside and small out has been a Japanese car staple for years now and the iA carries on that tradition with modest headroom and space for rear passengers. This trend has resulted in many small cars today having high side profiles. On the iA it makes even the standard 16 inch wheels look small.

Visually there’s little to bridge the iA with any current Toyota product except for the gaping pinched mouth front ends of some Lexus cars. It will be interesting to see how this car will fit into the Toyota family and if it will get a nose job as a result. As a inexpensive small car that’s fun to drive, has Toyota’s backing and reputation mixed with Mazda’s excitement factor, the iA will be tough to beat under any name.

2016 Scion iA

Challenger Superbird (2013?)

This is the time of year when many Americans swell with nationalistic pride. As the birthplace of the pony and muscle car (or super car as they were called back then). Americans have taken the front engine rear wheel drive concept to many extremes (often at the expense of other concerns).  It’s these extremes that many Baby Boomers tend to romanticize. When it’s not a Mustang, the cars that are part of these daydreams are often Chrysler products. Think Charger, Daytona, Barracuda, Road Runner, Duster and the list goes on.

The legacy of the muscle and pony car is one of the few marketing assets that the Chrysler-Fiat group has to lean on in America. Dodge with it’s He Man V8 powered bad boy line up arguably makes America’s most extensive homage to the muscle car. Maybe that’s why cars like the Dart or Chrysler’s 200 can’t seem to get a grip in the market because Dodge is where America gets big cars and even bigger trucks.  Whens the last time you saw a bad guy in a film driving a dart or Chrysler 200?

Every since the new Challenger appeared in 2008, Dodge has been cashing in on it’s performance heritage with a 70′-74′ Challenger/Barracuda inspired design. Even it’s big sedan was oddly named Charger and looks like it could eat a Civic or Imprezza.
Despite it’s street cred with those who remembered the 60’s and 70’s pony cars, Dodge was always the third wheel sales wise. As such much attention was placed on the Mustang and the Camaro. The void left by the departing Trans-Am was filled with numerous conversions that essentially carried the Pontiac spirit into GM’s post restructuring period.

Dodge had created a viable successor to the storied MOPAR cars of old, but no one was rushing to create new custom Barracudas or Superbirds.

The Plymouth Superbird/Dodge Daytona was a one year experiment in aerodynamics. Made street worthy to fulfill NASCAR homologation rules. It took the racing by storm, showing that advanced aerodynamics could win races. Richard Petty’s wins would amount to sales for just one model year in 1970. Since then the wedge faced high wing coupe has been the stuff of good olde boy legend.

Original 1970 Dodge Daytona (background) and Plymouth Superbird (foreground)

Flash forward to 2008. The Camaro and Mustang are selling briskly with retro themes, while a new Challenger rolled out to much fanfare and initial success. Still, Dodge knew the versatile LC platform could be the basis of new muscle and pony cars from it’s vast historic ccatalogf historic names.

But as usual, market conditions and Chrysler’s almost periodic downturns would hamper efforts. The two door Challenger was a natural candidate for the aero facial treatment of a new Daytona. Although it was a big car with more stout proportions, the even heavier four door Charger was out of the question.

Just before Chrysler nearly went belly up again (before Fiat stepped in), the folks at Dodge commissioned Heide Performance Products of Madison Heights Michigan (HPP) to build a prototype of what a modern day Superbird might look like. The completed prototype was on the edge of approval for production, just before Chrysler announced it’s financial difficulties and the project was scrapped.

HPP had already developed the tooling and decided to continue the project on their own, rolling out a working prototype at auto show events in 2008. The Superbird kit could be purchased as a complete package for under $17,000 or could be assembled piece by piece. The most important part, the aero front end was made of epoxy resin and urethane. As part of a base package that included pop-up headlights, aluminum hood and 20 inch rims, it was enough to turn any Challenger in to a Challenger Superbird.

Challenger Superbirds in various stages of development

The full kit included a three piece wing, a functional shaker hood and a rear tail light treatment reminiscent of the 1970 car. Except for some exhaust swaps, HPP made mostly body modifications, but at some point the company turned over it’s designs for the Challenger Superbird to Richard Petty’s Garage based in North Carolina. HPP no longer maintains a web site, it’s  last Tweet was in 2012, so I don’t know what became of the company in it’s original form.

Richard Petty Signature Series Superbird #001

In addition to the HPP body work, Petty’s Garage would make all kinds of suspension and engine modifications to turn your already highly customized Challenger to a special car with power to rival Dodge’s own Hellcat variants. In fact deep pocket MOPAR fans could go beyond the Hellcat. It was all limited to the budget and imagination of the client.

Petty’s NASCAR inspired Challenger Superbird

As such no two Challenger Superbirds are alike or stock Challengers leaving Petty’s garage for that matter. Any number of modifications from mild to extreme could occur while the cars might appear similar externally. Besides mechanical enhancements, stock Challengers could get custom seats and other interior bits. Petty’s Garage customizes a growling list of cars and is no stranger to tweaks to everything from sedans to pickup trucks.

Example of Challenger Superbird interior treatment

The most interesting thing about the Challenger Superbird is how well HPP’s designers managed to make the aero clip work on such a large car that was more upright than the original Daytona with it’s low long shape. While the Challenger Superbird was a popular oddity at auto shows and SEMA events, it never gained the traction to become an official Dodge offering. It did become a dealer option in some markets, but remains a rare site on the street or in car shows.

With the LC platform starting to show it’s age, Dodge is once again considering rolling out a new version of one of it’s storied muscle cars. The Barracuda promises to be smaller, lighter and more efficient, things the Challenger was not. It might also be a good basis to study the ideal of a new Daytona/Superbird- assuming that Dodge finds a new old name for it’s big sedan. Polara anyone?

Richard Petty poses with a Challenger Superbird at Petty’s Garage

Modified late 300ZX

There was a time when the name Nissan (or Datsun before it) stood for performance and attitude. Even as far back as the late ’70s it was known for building dependable, exciting and affordable cars in all price ranges. Before trucks and SUV’s began to dominate the market, Nissan made sporty coupes and sedans well before it became fashionable to do so as a brand attribute.  In fact the term “4 Door Sports Car” (4DSC) was made popular by the

1991 Maxima SE

Maxima in the late ’80s.

Since that time Nissan created one performance hit after another: the Sentra SER, 240SX and the 300ZX. Even their SUVs like the XTerra had better acceleration than many cars and was regarded as a good handling machine on or off road.

Then something happened, or started to. While the company never stopped making the occasional high performance car, eventually bringing the mighty Skyline GTR to America, the rest of it’s line was not holding up it’s end of the aesthetics or performance bargain.

Juke

Sure spunky anomalies like the Juke would come along and shake things up, but Nissan was loosing it’s soul while they were too busy building the Armadas, Pathfinders and Titan trucks they figured Americans wanted.

Even the Maxima grew soft and blended in the shadow of the bloated Altima. The gaps left in the performance line up meant that buyers were forced to choose between the skateboard thrills of the Juke or the extreme performance of the Skyline GTR. The Z car had kept up much of the middle, but was growing old and beginning to show it’s turn of the century engineering.

Datsun 510

Performance aside, Nissan lost the image it once had as a Japanese Pontiac – that being the maker of exciting cars. Honda was known for practicality, Subaru safety and Toyota for mass market reliability. Nissan had all of those elements, yet held a special place in the heart of motor heads for rear wheel drive cars like the 240Z and a string of cars with the “SX” suffix at the end of their names. Even fans of small cars could point to a long history of sub compacts with a sporting edge that went back to the Datsun 510 of the 1970s.

1991 Sentra SE-R

The last time the company suffered a slight performance deficient was during the Z car gap. During that transition from the last 300ZX in 2000 to the first 350Z in 2002, the company leaned heavily on it’s performance heritage in it’s marketing campaigns. With the 240SX ending production, the Maxima and Sentra SE-R were all that was left of any excitement. Nissan’s line up had a distinctive look and image still attached to it even while it’s premier halo car was still in development.

240/180 SX

Today with it’s performance line much smaller and overshadowed by truck and crossover offerings, Nissan has not made any major attempts to cash in on it’s sporting heritage. The reputation of the amazing Skyline GTR itself is enough to launch the aspirations of a million Sentras, yet Nissan has made no  connection recently by omitting a SE-R version from the line up. Instead it chose to create an awkwardly proportioned car that aspired to be upmarket while missing the important details that Honda or Toyota has nailed. Safety, one of it’s current marketing points is boring and should be a given in any modern car.

Safety can be exciting if accident avoidance due to a well tuned suspension, steering and brakes system is whats being highlighted. Nissan so far has missed that opportunity, even as Volvo, a safety leader is beginning to lean in that direction. While most Nissan cars are not easy to look at (current Sentra for example), it’s trucks are improving (when they are not copying old Ford designs) or just straight up knockouts (Murano).

Murano

Maybe the era of performance cars as a brand aspiration is passe (I’m looking at you Dodge). If it is, Nissan should lean on it’s performance engineering heritage and apply it to crossovers and trucks as the new performance machines. It did that to a small degree with the XTerra, but that vehicle was doomed in a world of uni body trucks that acted like cars but were high enough off the ground to make its owners feel safe and anti-minivan.

Xterra

Other trucks like the Pathfinder, one of Nissan’s original SUVs made the switch to a full crossover in 2012, leaving the body on frame crowd of manly tree pulling trucks and never looking back.

That leaves a sea of crossovers in various forms from which the company can easily apply performance car like virtues to. The Murano is easily one of the most attractive crossovers on the market an could easily become the performance and image leader for Nissan despite being smaller than the Pathfinder.

A performance version would do wonders in sprucing up the image of the entire line. Although the Skyline is a halo car, a tarted up truck or SUV will resonate with more buyers as an aspirational vehicle since most of what sells today is some truck like vehicle anyway.
Here’s to hoping Nissan get it together soon.

Skyline GTR

2016 Honda Civic EX-L

Every since it became my first car, I have always been partial to the Honda Civic. In the recent past there was little reason to be excited. Sure they had the reliability and quality that comes with an attention to detail that went beyond their price range, but they had become boring to drive and more so to look at. It wasn’t always that way. The announcement of a new Civic once came with high expectations that were always met or exceeded.

All the news reports and pictures suggested Honda might be on to something. Now that the real deal has been available for a few months, it think its safe to conclude that Honda seems to have got its mojo back with the new 7th generation Civic. longer, lower and wider, it’s as big as some early Accords. The new TRON inspired styling is a hit and the performance and efficiency is where a Civic should be – right near or at the top of its class.

The Civic get the details right inside and out. The exterior is sleek and sporty with a fastback design that mimics the Audi A7’s profile. At other angles the sedan looks like Nissan’s new Maxima. All of its visual references put it in good company, but it’s the interior where the Civic seems to shine the most.

The sweeping dash with a flowing center console looks like the interior duds of a much more expensive car. It’s great to see Mazda and Honda offering compact car buyers interiors that don’t look or feel like cheap compromises.

Civic Touring Interior

In addition to the nicely proportioned sedan, there is a coupe and four door hatchback. Arguably, it’s the sedan that is the most attractive of the trio. The coupe is less graceful in its overall execution, especially the busy rear. The compound angles and geometric creases look as if they run out of canvas too soon, not as pleasing as an Audi TT profile, yet just as conflicting. Allowing a longer rear overhang as in the sedan might have solved the problem. As is, it’s a taunt sporty look for the most part that reminds me of the pretty/ugly dichotomy presented by some Accord coupes before Honda ironed out it’s aesthetic issues – not for everyone.

Civic coupe and sedan profiles

The hatchback sedan is another mixed bag with proportions that look a bit bulky from the side profile. Photos of the hatch in Si trim look impressive while the standard car was less so. Interestingly, the hatch does not resemble the 2016 European car of the same configuration in any way (that might have been a good thing). Still Honda’s track record with four door hatch cars (remember the Crosstour?) has been hit or miss. The hatch is a welcomed addition nevertheless and has the potential to be the most attractive of the Civics by virtue of its versatility.

2017 Honda Civic Sport Touring / Si Concept

The sedan would have been a better starting point for a trick hatch design in much the way Audi’s A7 is a hatch, but hides it in a sleek sedan shell. Honda would have a knockout if it took this same path. I’m willing to bet that the typical Civic buyer would have sacrifice some cargo volume for style in this instance. Seeing the actual car in person might change my mind…

Civics come in a wide number of trim levels. A fully loaded top line Touring model can set you back nearly 30k! That price point was almost unheard of a few years ago for a compact car without a Audi or BMW badge on it. With a loaded Mazda 3 or Ford Focus reaching the 30k mark, the new price point is becoming the higher end norm.

With two engine choices at the moment, the Civic line promises high efficiency and some level of performance. A 2.0 four cylinder with just under 150 hp and joined by the first turbo in an American Civic, a 1.5 liter four with 174 hp. Both engine choices can come with a six speed manual or continuously variable transmission.

As with Civics, efficiency is important and even with the more powerful engine EPA highway figures reach the magical 40 mpg mark. It’s slightly higher with the continuously variable transmission. Kudos to Honda for still offering manuals, even though most people don’t want them. The maker of the NSX realizes that there is some marketing street cred in offering them to enthusiasts.

The new Civic faces an increasingly tough compact car market in America as Mazda, Hyundai and others are increasingly upping the level of polish in their small cars. The Civic has already made a good impression on the automotive press who have praised it in as a return to form. For the Honda faithful, the Marysville, Ohio designed Civic was just what the doctor ordered just as Honda’s most popular car was going through a mid-life identity crisis.