Nicola Tesla's Fall Back Car

Toyota and Honda have worked very hard to ruin cars with electric motors for me. Yes the Tesla Roadster is an electric with serious performance and very few compromises, but for every Tesla that I've seen on the road there's at least 1,000 hateful hybrids. Let's put it this way: the Prius is so bad that I've come to hate cars driven by batteries.

Now I've driven the Nissan Leaf. From appearances alone, this is a Prius and Insight competitor. The ungainly curves and goofball headlights make for something only less ugly than the Nissan Juke, but slightly better looking to my eye than the bland hybrids. It reminds me of an unattractive Honda Fit.

Moving on to the interior, there's no surprises here. The materials are cheap but clean, with comfortable seats and well placed pedals and wheel. The shifter is laid out exactly like the Prius', with drive to the left and down, reverse to the left and up. The only difference there being that the park button is better placed on top of the shifter in the Leaf rather than in a different location on the dash as in the Prius.

Here's what seems to make the biggest difference: the Leaf is all electric. There's no gas engine, so unlike the Prius or Insight, no matter how deep you dig into the throttle, the Leaf always remains quiet and composed. In the Prius it feels as though the electric motor is present only long enough for the gas engine to hum to life and deliver you with any expediancy. In the Leaf, there's an immediate response to your input. This difference is on the order of AC/DC versus ABBA.

That acceleration from the Leaf has endeared it to me. Yes, the steering is of the unfortunately numb electric assist variety, and the suspension is designed, apparently, by the same engineers behind the covered wagons that crossed the Oregon Trail. But there's something magical about the instant torque of an electric motor that the Prius and Insight overlooked entirely. Nissan has certainly done their homework here.

Overall, I like the Leaf. I'm terrified of the unpredictable range (maybe 50 miles, maybe 20) generated by lively driving, but for a daily commuter, I'd have no problem trusting the Leaf to get me to and from work without problems. And yes, I hate front wheel drive, but until the Tesla or Fisker Karma are available for less than $30,000 I don't consider them to be viable rear wheel drive electric options.

In short, if you're considering a Prius or Insight, I'd strongly encourage you to drive the all electric Leaf and discover the joy that electric cars can be.

Grade: A-

2008 Chrysler 300 SRT8: Meh?

This week I drove a 2008 Chrysler 300. On paper, I love these cars. I like independent rear suspension, torquey V8 engines, big brakes, and posh interiors. In person, I'm always reminded why you can't drive paper. The 300's heavy steering, soft suspension, lethargic transmission and low-rent interior materials conspire to diminish what could have so easily been a fun driving experience.

But this was no regular Chrysler 300. This model had the 6.1 liter V8 (instead of either a terrible 6 cylinder or a much better 5.7 V8), huge family-pizza-sized brakes, and a much firmer suspension. Sure, the interior still suffers at the hands of indifferent bean counters who surely got bonuses for keeping the cost low, and the steering is still borderline manual, but the exhaust note alone is heavenly enough to compensate.

That exhaust note. Imagine a lion roaring through a megaphone into a canyon. Then imagine 425 horses launching you towards the horizon, thus making that sweet symphony of angry attached to the primal fear of the brutal acceleration. It still raises the small hairs on my arms.

Yes, the brakes are too numb to inspire any level of heel and toe ballet work. Yes, the suspension is now composed of granite rather than marshmallow. And yes, that damned steering wheel will build forearms of Popeye proportions. But that motor will make a Hawaiian style sunny day of even the grayest of a Seattle winter.

Would I buy one? Well, yes, provided it were used (new pricing, at least in the greater Seattle area with the idiotic Adjusted Market Value, is absurd), clean, and black.

I give the 2008 Chrysler 300 SRT8 a B+.

If Bruce Wayne were a car, he'd be a Cadillac XLR.

Today I had the distinct pleasure of delivering a Cadillac XLR. With a DOHC 4.6L V8, fully independent suspension, and even A/C equipped seats, this ride is one of luxury. Then you dip into the throttle and learn exactly what the car is willing to do.

Comfortable seats, a retractable hard top, and heads up display (the car's speed is visible on the windshield at all times) make this a road tripper's dream. I found myself digging into the throttle just to hear the ferocious exhaust crackle.

If I were to criticize the Cadillac in any way, it is that the car seems almost too staid in exterior styling. Like Bruce Wayne, it seems mild-mannered. Very few people have experienced the full on craziness that lurks just below the surface, though.

Would I drive a Cadillac XLR? Yes. I'd just have to be on the constant lookout for purple clouds of poison gas from villains.

The 2012 Fiat 500 and other hateful things.

To your standard redneck's world view, no purse should not cost more than your first car. Many people started our driving careers in vehicles that were valued at $500 or less, and by this standard there are far too many purses for sale on the open market that are severely over valued. Here's a picture of a $600 purse:

I know that my sister, as elegant and refined as she is, could easily describe to me what makes the above pictured item vastly superior to a brown paper bag or a good JanSport backpack. I won't pretend to understand the distinction, though. To me, a small but expensive item better have a purpose other than looks.

Which leads me to the following item:

That's a 2012 Fiat 500. Many of you have already made some noise resembling that of the audience to a puppy's first steps. I understand that small cars are very cool right now. Fuel economy is nice, I get it. But that car is $20,000 USD. That's a Toyota Yaris and a Harley Sportster. That's a slightly used Corvette Z06. For $20k, you could get a real car.

Let me explain my distaste for the 500. I picked one up for the local Fiat dealer recently to perform some repair work to the smashed front fender. Snagging the keys, I was drawn into a conversation by the salesman about how I liked the Fiat's looks (I used neutral language; it wouldn't do to lose his business over so small an issue as honesty), whether I'd driven one yet (I have), how much fun they are (I was biting my lip so hard I could taste blood), and how excited the entire United States of America was for the upcoming Abarth edition (the glossiest of lipstick on this pig... er... 500).

I got out the door before my mouth lost the account. Quickly, I dove into the car and pulled the hood from my sweat shirt over my head. This instinctive response was born of the fact that driving these cars (and I've driven enough now that I wear a hooded shirt daily just in case) is so massively embarrassing.

Then the dealer knocked on the window.

He asked why I was wearing my hood. I confessed that the car was, in my eye, a designer purse and that I felt very embarrassed by it.

Our conversation covered all the bases, from why a reverse lockout on a 5 speed manual transmission is stupid and irritating (the 500 has one), how front wheel drive is great for commuting but awful for sportiness (the 500 is FWD), and who exactly the 500 is made for (women).

The dealer seemed saddened by the revelation (he honestly thought straight men liked 500s), but cheerfully reaffirmed when he and I both decided that 500s need not be practical, inexpensive or manly. Fiat 500s are the automotive equivalent of a $600 purse.

If you're reading this, Sister of mine, might I suggest you buy the automatic 500. Actually, I'll shut up. I honestly don't understand these things.

Top Gear loves the Karma too!

Henrik Fisker and Fisker Automotive Group are racking up quite the list of awards this year – and their pile might just about be complete with their latest accolade. The UK’s immensely popular Top Gear TV show just named the Fisker Karma the “Car of the Year” and Top Gear Magazine named the extended range electric vehicle the “Luxury Car of the Year” – an award that has previously been graced upon such high end autos as the Mercedes-Benz CLS Coupe, the Jaguar XJ and the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe. In our recent interview with Henrik Fisker about his groundbreaking luxury design he noted that he just wanted to show the public that green design can be cool, and from the looks of it he is certainly succeeding.

With recent numbers out of the Technischer Üeberwachungs Verein (TÜV) that gave the Karma an impressive 112 mpg rating, it is one of the greenest cars on the road. With a price tag for the basic model at $95,900, this is no family vehicle but a serious sports car with a body of undulating curves that perfectly match its uncanny ability to take a bend in the road. Top Gear writers and TV hosts recognized the car’s driving skills, masterful aesthetic and innovative design with these two well deserved awards.
“Cleverness abounds in the Fisker and adds to the air of intelligent luxury. It works well, it looks good and it must be a genuinely exciting thing to own,” said Charlie Turner, BBC Top Gear magazine editor. “It’s the top-of-the-line spec that features no leather, just textiles and reclaimed wood. And it’s more convincing than it sounds, managing to look, feel and smell premium without any cow peel in it at all,” he added.
In response to the awards Henrik Fisker said, “it is fantastic news that the Karma has won two awards from Top Gear. We realize that we are at the beginning of our journey and awards like this remind us we are on the right road – building enticing green cars that people actually want to own.” Fisker added that he was especially excited that this was a European award for an American-made car, “it’s a triumph that American engineers have designed and engineered this ground breaking car at our global Headquarters in Anaheim, CA and that there is now a new American car option that is bold, beautiful, smart, and environmentally responsible."

Source: http://inhabitat.com/fisker-karma-named-top-car-of-the-year-by-bbcs-top-gear/fisker-car-of-the-year-5/

Best of 2011 Nominees

I'm getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, and in developing a mental list of things that I'm thankful for, a list of the best of 2011 is emerging. I'll put up the potentials, you let me know what you think and we'll have a list of the best things a Pusher Truck enthusiast experienced in 2011 by year's end.

Man of the Year:

1. Ron Swanson/Nick Offerman

On Parks & Recreation, Ron Swanson is a breakfast enthusiast Libertarian with a weakness for women named Tammy and a strong sense of self reliance. The actor portraying Ron may not be so different.

Nick Offerman, the man pictured to the left, is an accomplished wood-worker and has an impressive body of work. Check out www.offermanwoodshop.com for more info.

Pros: A man's man. Very little drama. Not afraid to get dirty.

Cons: He's still a fancy-pants actor.

2. Henrik Fisker

Henrik Fisker teamed with Bernhard Koehler to create an electric car that didn't suck. They surveyed the automotive landscape and saw only a sea of beige in the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. Sure, the Tesla Roadster was available, but one does not waft to the country club in anything built on a Lotus Elise platform. The Fisker Karma, on the other hand, brings refined elegance with its performance. Henrik Fisker, thank you for saving us from both boredom and hippies. Check his work out at www.fiskerautomotive.com/en-us

Pros: 981 ft/lbs of rear wheel drive torque. Stunning beauty. Leonardo DiCaprio has shunned his Prius for one.

Cons: I can't afford one.

3. Colton Lucas

Colton, a 12 year old resident of Kitzmiller, Maryland, shot and killed a 376 pound black bear. Of the more commendable aspects of killing so large a man-eating-predator is the fact that Colton had to drag that 376 pounds out of the woods, skin it, clean it and eat it. So, in addition to making this world a little safer from bear attack, young Mr. Lucas also provided for himself and his family. Very manly indeed.

Pros: One less bear equals one less bear attack.  Pulling the trigger was the easy part.

Cons: Nothing comes to mind.

Car of the Year: 

1. Fisker Karma

Pros: Electric, rear wheel drive, 981 ft/lbs of torque, American made, and, well, just look at it.

Cons: Price tag.

www.fiskerautomotive.com

2. Icon BR Series

Pros: Modern drivetrain, no rust, manlier than sipping beer through a mustache while watching UFC in your underwear in a room that you built of mahogany and cedar.

Cons: If the other models are any indicator, Icon charges a gob of cash for one.

www.icon4x4.com/overview/coming-soon

3. 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Pros: You can almost drive this thing over any natural solid. It is reasonably priced, now has 285 horses (thank you, new 3.6 V6), both manual and automatic transmissions are solid, and has selectable lockers front and rear. Oh, and it's cheap.

Cons: Maybe 20 mpg.

So, those are the things that impressed me most this year. What do you think? Anything to add? Change?

How an NSX changed the way I evaluate cars.

Today I was given the chance to drive an Acura NSX. I almost peed myself. Allow me to explain why.

When I was 11 years old I noticed that a weird off shoot of Honda popped up calling itself Acura. I was a car geek even then, reading every Car & Driver cover to cover when it showed up in the mail each month before I got from the mailbox to the house. I was eager to drive in the same way that sharks were eager to devour the entire cast of Deep Blue Sea.

Acura was a collection of front wheel drive boredom until 1990, when they offered a Ferrari competitor. Imagine Lifetime channel airing Ultimate Fighting Championship and you'll understand the departure that the NSX represented from the rest of the lineup. The critics couldn't stop singing praises for the weirdly excellent mid-engined barnstormer. I couldn't read enough about the home run that Honda had just hit over the fences of all the exotics from Lamborghini to Porsche and even the most hallowed Ferrari. Meeting one in person gives me the same tingle sensation that I assume my buddy Justin Barksdale experiences when meeting Mariners athletes.

So, here I was yesterday with the keys in hand and a destination in store. I was to drive a childhood hero, and I was getting paid. I felt a little guilty.

The guilt lifted, though, when I tried to climb in. I don't fit into Acura NSXs. I can put my wide butt into the seat. I can put my trunk-like feet on the pedals, but in the end I'm 10 gallons of crap trying to stuff myself into a svelte 5 gallon container. The NSX was an extra small tank top, I was the portly gal wearing it while waddling through the aisles of Walmart with no apparent sense of shame.

I wept bitterly, then drove the damned thing anyway with my head tilted to the side and my elbow jutted way out the open window. Yes, it is finger-tippy (the steering wheel reacts beautifully to input), the pedals are refined and precise, the shifter a proud evidence of intelligent life on planet Earth, and that motor? Oh, that motor. Honda, I thank you.

Now make the new NSX big enough for grown humans.

I want one I want one I want one.

SIAS again.

Masters and I just got back from SIAS; my second visit, his first. I had a second glance at the Fisker, and a more in depth look into some other rigs.

The Fisker is clearly the most exciting American car in attendance this year. From the electric drive train to the stunning looks (both inside and out), it made sense that this car drew a crowd all day. I've walked past it more than a dozen times in two days now, and each time there was a crowd at least two people deep around the monster. And this while only 100 feet from the new Audi R8 Spyder (which consequently had no real crowd drawn). Well done, Fisker. Now let me drive it and we've got a deal.

The Americans seemed to have some pretty big victories, actually. The Cadillac CTS, CTS4 and CTS-Vs were silently seething with pure villainous intent from the center of the lower floor. Mazda seemed duly intimidated by the rear drive hooligans. Ford had a steady line waiting to sit in the Mustang Boss 302, while the SVT Raptor alone had more people in, on and around it than Kia had in its entire booth. Sure, people were milling around the Ferrari and Maeserati booth, but the Chrysler/Dodge booth drew the real numbers thanks in no small part to the 6.4L Charger, 392 Challenger, Rubicon Wranglers, and the regrettable Fiat 500s. Chevy's Camaro and Corvette were crowd favorites, and I heard close to a dozen people commenting on how they wanted to sit in the locked ZR-1. I even saw a security guard stop to take a photo of the 638 horse Vette.

So, what did I walk away with? First, American cars are once again something that we can all take pride in. Well, except those wretched GMC trucks. Almost as lousily made as the Toyota pickups. Second, you can make eco-mental cars that are beautiful, exciting and even sexy. Third, I learned that sitting in a car and touching the materials in the cabin offers way more information than does reading statistics online.

Finally, I learned that Americans are eager to buy cars that cause a fizzle, the kind that James May described. We want to be passionate about our cars again. We want flash, pizzazz and verve. Build us more Boss 302s, Ford. We don't want Fusions. Follow the CTS leader, GM. We aren't into Buick Regals. Give me more SRT8 Challengers, Dodge. I don't care about the Journey.

If you build it, we will come.

2011 Seattle International Auto Show

I went to the Auto Show today in Seattle. As I am a little overstimulated still, I'll try to write more tomorrow. Here's the highlight reel from today's smorgasbord. Sorry for the low quality cell phone pics.

Ferrari 458

Fisker Karma

Fisker Interior

Lamborghini Aventador

Audi R8 Spyder

Mercedes SLS AMG

Jaguar XK Convertable

Camaro SS 6 speed Manual