Monthly ArchiveFebruary 2005
General Matt on 09 Feb 2005
Special edition Mazda3
At the Chicago Auto Show, Mazda unveiled the Mazda3 SP23, thus exhibiting that their specialty really does lie with designing cars, not with coming up with creative names for them.
The SP23 is available as either a four or five door, with a 2.3l 160hp engine. Cosmetic enhancements include 17″ wheels, side sills, and Carbon Gray Mica paint (the only one available). Other electronic gizmos are thrown in (rain sensing wipers, for example), which combined with the leather interior makes this so much more than your basic budget compact, it moves it much closer to (surpases, perhaps?) VW’s Jetta in the compact luxury class.
News Matt on 08 Feb 2005
Red Bull Racing unveils RB1 F1 car
You F1 fans already know that Jaguar Racing is no more, having been sold by Ford last fall. Red Bull picked up the team, and just unveiled their 2005 F1 car, dubbed the RB1 (Red Bull 1…not very imaginative, but then, F1 car names rarely are). Click here for more, or here for a photo gallery. Jaguar Racing showed promise early last year, but didn’t seem to develop as well as the other teams. Where Red Bull ends up in 2005 is uncertain, but chances are things will be rough for them for a couple years. Look for big things from them in the future though – for years, they’ve invested heavily in .developing American racing drivers, with the goal of placing one of them in the seat of an F1 car.
General Matt on 07 Feb 2005
New “multipurpose” vehicle from BMW
AutoWeek reports that BMW is working on a new “multipurpose” vehicle to be build on the same platform as their X5 SUV. In other words, they’re designing a new station wagon with fair ground clearance and lots of head room.
General Matt on 07 Feb 2005
Dodge Charger Daytona R/T
Ok, it’s not exactly pretty, but these pictures of the new Dodge Charger Daytona R/T are newsworthy for a different reason. They help illustrate how sedans are becoming cool again. While Dodge can’t take credit for that (personally, I credit Subaru and Mitsubishi for their WRX and STi leading the charge), seeing more manufacturers join in gives hope that the SUV fad may be coming to an end.
More pictures here
General Matt on 06 Feb 2005
Car & Driver TV review of the 2005 Lotus Elise
EliseInfo.com has posted a video of Car & Driver TV’s review of the 2005 Lotus Elise. Feedback was positive, though the Elise was criticized for its small interior space and high price.
General Matt on 03 Feb 2005
Incredible! A Fiat I’d like to own?!
Yes, that’s right, the Fix-It-Again-Tony car company in Italy is showing a concept for a new X1/9. I must admit, it’s not all that bad looking. If they get the engineering right, and keep the price low, this may be a fun everyday car to have. If I didn’t live in California, that is…