2.27.2013

UPDATE: I-17 Chase North Of Phoenix (VIDEO)

A long and fast-moving chase from suburban Phoenix into a remote area north of that city Wednesday (2/27) afternoon...3 suspects in a stolen Honda Civic. Here's how it ended live on NBC affilate KPNX-TV:

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2.26.2013

120 MPH L.A. Police Chase (UPDATED VIDEO) Including Suspects & Possible Motive

Click here for much more video of Tuesday's (2/26) high speed chase in Los Angeles, including the arrest of the two suspects, from FOX11.. Use the buttons below the picture to instantly share this on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or by e-mail.

BREAKING VIDEO: 120 MPH Chase On 6 L.A. Freeways Ends With Sideswiped Bus


View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

120 MPH on the freeways, 70 or better on the surface streets. Just another day in L.A.

The driver, caught after bailing out of the car, hit a city bus and narrowly missed, at various times, a boy on a skateboard, a baby in a stroller and a little girl who was pulled to safety at the last second.

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2.25.2013

First Look: Can Rolls-Royce Revive The Big Fastback?

White line drawing on black background of the silhouette of the new Rolls-Royce Wraith.


Rolls-Royce will be unveiling the new Wraith at the Geneva Auto Show and has been teasing bits and pieces of it. Today, perhaps the most important part...the silhouette.

It's been a long time since RR has attempted anything resembling a fastback, though Bentley has certainly had success with it since their divorce last decade.

In a news release accompanying the artist's rendering (okay, line drawing), Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Design Director Giles Taylor says:



The purposeful fastback profile is Wraith’s defining element.

Inherent in the graceful line that sweeps from the top of the screen to the very rear edge is the promise of fast, yet effortless touring. Yet, perhaps my favourite aspect is the expressive gesture that comes from the side window graphic, gliding through Wraith’s glamorous coach door.

It works with a strong sense of linear purpose from the shoulder line, which has the promise of potential like the athlete in the starting blocks. In contrast, the line that cuts through the shoulder line is a little more artful and adds that certain air of effortlessness to Wraith’s dynamic statement.

In my view the most successful designs always come down to three or four lines.





What say you? The Comments section is always open here at TireKicker.

New Car Review: 2013 Lexus GS350 and GS350 F SPORT



Front view, tilted, of 2012 Lexus GS350 driving toward the camera on two lane winding road
The 2013 Lexus GS350.

The styling of the all-new Lexus GS350 promises so much. It's a study in aggressive angles, a clear and direct contrast to the soft shapes of the GS that Lexus produced up until this year.



Tan leather with black dashboard 2012 Lexus GS350 interior featuring huge center dash nav screen
The 2013 Lexus GS350 interior.

The promise continues when you slide behind the wheel. The GS, so old-fashioned as recently as 2010 to have sported a cassette tape player in the dash, now has an utterly contemporary interior in which to do business, including a gargantuan video display in the center of the dash (clearly inspired by BMW).

The specs are promising...3.5 liter V6, 306 horsepower, 277 pounds per foot of torque...six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, 17 inch 9-spoke alloy wheels and the usual assortment of Lexus luxury and safety items for a base price of $46,900. Thanks to the six-speed automatic, that brings with it EPA estimated mileage of 19 city/28 highway.

New Car Review: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

White 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid front 3/4 shot driving along a two-lane Arizona highway
The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid whispers its green credentials rather than shouting them.
 
The de-gimmickification (give me until this afternoon to make a Wikipedia entry) of hybrid vehicles has been a tricky thing. As we noted in our review of the Toyota Prius C, the vast majority of hybrid buyers seem to want to call attention to themselves. The "big" (compared to the Prius C) Prius has attained a good chunk of its best-seller status by being instantly identifiable as a "green" vehicle. Honda, a strong candidate for major player with the environmentally sensitive, has struck out with its hybrid offerings thus far, the Impact and CR-Z being too small to be practical and mainstream and the Accord and Civic hybrids having been virtually invisible...looking for all the world like regular Accords and Civics with "hybrid" badges on them...never mind what was under the hood and what wasn't coming out of the tailpipe.
 
So it's a huge surprise to this writer that Volkswagen, out to conquer market share in leaps and bounds, has taken the Honda Civic approach with the Jetta Hybrid.
 

2.24.2013

New Car Review: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo

Front 3/4 view of Silver 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo driving on rural road at dusk
Can the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo lure drivers back from the imports?



It's been a long, long time since "Malibu" was the cool answer when someone asked what kind of car you drove. As in about 41 years. No question, the past few years have seen Chevrolet take some amazing steps in the right direction with their family sedan. The exterior styling and interior appointments are way better than what they'd been doing and, frankly, better than many thought they could do.

For 2013, both those areas get some more polish and there's a bold step under the hood, too...as the performance model comes with a four-cylinder engine.

2.23.2013

UPDATE WITH VIDEO: Horrific Crash at Daytona; 33 Spectators Injured







It happened on the last lap as the leaders approached the checkered flag. SPEED had the best coverage, hands down and continues to update online. Go there: http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/nns-tony-stewart-wins-amid-chaos-at-daytona-nascar-nationwide

First Look: 2014 Jeep Cherokee (UPDATED with more photos)


Dark blue 2014 Jeep Cherokee at the seashore

We knew Jeep was going to do something different. This is the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which will replace the Liberty.

2014 Jeep Cherokee driving on mountain road


Chrysler (Jeep's parent company) is promising best-in-class capability, it will be Trail Rated and it brings back a beloved Jeep model name.

Head on shot of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee driving on a two-lane road

But the styling seems to be a love it or hate it thing, based on early response in the Twitterverse. Our guess is it's going to look great (if a tad cartoonish) in dark colors with the right wheels, but may not work so well otherwise.

What do you think of it? Comment below.