Car Throttle

The Chicago auto show is upon is, which means... well, some facelifts, some new models, but not huge news like Detroit or Geneva.  Still, new stuff!   Inside: Two new Acuras, perhaps the world's most powerful 4-seat production convertible, minor facelifts for a Datsun, a big ol' GMC, and a sweet new Kia they need to make pronto.  Oh, and some bad news on Fisker. Acura officially debuted two new production cars - the ILX (pictured above) and the new RDX.  The ILX takes over for both the Canadian-market CSX sedan (Civic based), and will replace the US-market TSX sedan (Euro Accord-based) as Acura's entry-level model.  Why don't they call it the Integra?  Dunno.  Power comes from three sources.  The base model has a 2.0L I4

If you're a car guy, chances are one of your past times is Craigslist. The free online classified ad website that has been running since 1996 is the perfect place to find everything from a sitter, to a new dog, to furniture, to your soul mate, to... a car!  Heck, my last car came from craigslist - friendly, knowledgeable seller, cool car, good price.  And while most stuff on craigslist is a bit normal ("2003 Camry, Grey, 86k, call Jeff...") occasionally you'll find something cool.  Here's what turned up with a quick perusal of my local CL. Don't tell me you're not tempted.  What is this heap?  Why, it's an Alfa Romeo Milano!  And what the hell is that?  Well, it was Alfa's competitor

This was a question that came to me today, as I was perusing an old issue of Motor Trend. And by old, I mean before I was born - 1984, to be precise.  They were testing the new-for-1984 Buick Regal T-Type with the recently introduced Grand National package.  By now, of course, the Grand National is the stuff of legends - that turbocharged, tire-smoking anomaly in Buick's mostly boring history.  It's the Darth Vader of cars - slightly spooky when you pull up next to one at a stop light, and your chances of winning a race against one are pretty low, unless you're in something like a 911 Turbo.  Heck, without the Grand National, the GMC Syclone wouldn't exist - which we all know was

Big shoes to fill.  Very big ones.  Big, black menacing shoes to fill.  They look like this... Because any time Buick makes a high-performance car with the "Regal" nameplate attached, it has that to live up to.  It's an unfortunate comparison for Buick's new Opel Regal, but it's not necessarily a valid one.  The whole automotive world knows the Grand National was awesome - a turbocharged, tire-smoking musclecar that liked a steady diet of Corvettes and 5.0 Mustangs.  The new hot-rod Regal GS is not the drag-racing Darth Vader-mobile some of us might wish it was.  But it is a high-tech, thoroughly modern turbocharged sports sedan - it just happens to have a Buick badge. It is pretty.  The Regal is a carbon-copy of

Auto enthusiasts and members of the press often have a desire to see European models brought over to the United States. With General Motors deciding to keep Opel in the corporate stable, the Opel Insignia is being brought over as the Buick Regal. Needless to say, it has garnered a lot of attention, with questions about a sport wagon variant and a GS performance model that was shown at the North American International Auto Show (shown below). The Regal is a unique situation for Buick - the car is being produced in Europe and that brings up the situation with fluctuating currency exchange rates. Especially with non-luxury models, this makes it harder to turn a profit.  For this reason, many manufacturers are moving production to the United

Since the restructuring of General Motors, all the existing brands have started to transform. With only half the brands they once had for the US market, GM needs each of it's divisions to cover more of the market.  And if ever there was a sign that GM is not afraid of change, and the future in general, it's gotta be this: the Buick Regal GS "concept." You've probably already had an earful on the new Regal by this point.  If you haven't, here's the cliff notes:  Take one Opel Insignia, mix with Buick grille and badges, and bam - instant Regal!  This isn't the first time GM has slung Adam Opel's wares as Buicks in the US (Remember the old Buick-Opels?  Buick-Opel-Isuzus?), but it's probably going to

The new Buick Regal has definitely succeeded in getting Buick back in the news. Enthusiasts are excited about the possibility of potential performance GNX models, a sportwagon and a manual transmission. It seems as if you can check the last one off of your list. Jalopnik reports that Buick's chief engineer, Jim Frederico, told assembled journalists at a Regal ride-and-drive that the manual transmission will be an option available on the car a few months from launch. Given all the press the launch has received, I'm sure they will be dragging out these launches in order to continue with the widespread coverage. This comes as very good news for Buick. An affordable European-sports sedan available with a manual transmission seems like a very attractive proposition.

Buick has been dominating headlines lately - and thankfully, it is for all the right reasons. The introduction of the Buick Regal is a welcome change for the brand. The Regal is sourced from General Motors' Opel, which was just announced that GM would be keeping. In typical fashion for those in the automotive blogosphere, we're always looking forward to the next thing - particularly when it comes to performance. The standard Opel Insignia has been brought over as the Regal, but Opel also has the OPC (Opel Performance Center) performance model that many are pining for. Speculation about future Regal models has mainly centered around bringing that model over here as the Regal GNX. Car & Driver talked to Bob Lutz about this possibility at

Editor's Note: this is a new series I'm starting, called "You're Doing It Wrong."  It's focused around cars that look good on paper, but in the real world it just doesn't add up.  Let me know what you think. To most domestic enthusiasts, the moniker "SS" carries some weight with it. Chevrolet has been using the SS (Super Sport) designation for it's hot-rod versions of standard models since the dawn of eternity.  Or at least the 60's.  SS has always stood for large amounts of horsepower, some blinged-up trim, nice wheels and tires, and some more horsepower. Classic SS Chevy's like the Camaro SS396, Chevelle SS454, and Nova SS's demand unusually large values for what are essentially overmuscled underdeveloped cars.  People these days are nostalgic for cars built

I find that, for the most part, cars pretty much sound like what they look like. A Dodge Challenger has that offbeat, staccato dull roar of a huge high-compression V8.  A Honda CRX usually sounds like a weedwhacker on methamphetamines.  A Chrysler Minivan usually sounds like an iron lung patient struggling to jog.  A Ferrari sounds like an angel playing the high notes on a trumpet, yadda yadda etcetera.  It's true there's something of a "pecking order" when it comes to exhaust sound, and everyone loves an interloper.  Here's my top ten incongruous car exhaust notes - in other words, cars that if they pass by at wide open throttle, might confuse you into thinking it's something else entirely. 10) Oldsmobile Aurora Well, yes.  On the outside,