Category Archives: Car
Car: Fiat Abarth Wins Super Bowl Ad Sweepstakes, Edmunds Says
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Long time no Fiat column…
Seems like only yesterday, KC Confidential was all over the triumphant return of Fiat to the United States. You may recall that in addition to covering the return of the Italian carmaker to America – as a result of Fiat’s rescue of the now wildly successful Chrysler – I made an impulse buy and signed on to buy one of the first 500 "Prima Edizione" Fiat 500s, sight unseen, price unknown.
Pretty smart, huh?
As the months dragged on, I reported on the tiny car (seven inches shorter than a Mini Cooper) and defended the little bugger against all comers in KCC‘s caustic, few-holds-barred comments section.
Was I totally gay? Didn’t I know Fiat was short for "Fix it again Tony?" Why not do the right thing and buy a Mini?
Car: Rebirth of the Datsun 240Z; Subaru Poised to Unleash New Sports Rocket
Long time no affordable sports car…
Even if you count the Mazda Miata – not the most manly ride known to man – it’s been decades since a true, affordable sports car has been for sale in this country. Nissan’s 370Z starts at $31,000 and change but the price rises pretty quick.
We’ll have to wait and see exactly how Subaru prices this one but with an expected sticker starting around $25,000 it beats the Z Car by a considerable amount. That said, knowing Subaru’s penchant for offering an infinitesimal array of options and add-ons, it won’t be hard to drive up the sticker price.
The Subaru BRZ debuted today in production form at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Car: The Myth of Fiat’s Slow Start & Possible Sex Scandal
This just in, the sky is not falling on the new Fiat 500...
"Fiat’s U.S. chief ousted after poor Fiat 500 sales start," reads the Nov. 21 USA Today headline.
Unfortunately, as often is the case, the reporting on Fiat’s slower than hoped for re-entry into the North American market has been accompanied with precious little perspective. With more than 20,000 Fiat 500 sales in the US and Canada, there’s no arguing it will not achieve its overly-optimistic goal of selling 50,000 units this year.
Now let’s put that and the controversial ouster of Fiat ‘s North American head Laura Soave in proper perspective.
Car: Honk If You Love Jesus; Top 12 Gay Cars (Don’t Even Ask How Many I’ve Owned)
Don’t take this the wrong way, but…
Between the rancor over Craig Glazer‘s new, sizzling hot Lotus Evora – and the thumping I’ve taken over trading my earth-saving Toyota Prius for an ever-so-humble Fiat 500 – it got me to thinking. Because ever since Fiat’s J Lo TV spots began running during Chiefs games, all I’ve heard is how unmanly the little bugger is.
And clearly, the dudes who like to knock the Fiat most are Mini Cooper worshippers.
That despite the fact that the Mini lists for $5,000 more, has several inches less rear legroom and has 50 percent less trunk space. Yeah, the Fiat’s a bit slower, but it rides better, handles about the same and gets better mileage.
But back to the "manly man" stuff…
If the Mini’s so damn macho, why is it that nearly half its drivers are chicks?
And who exactly is buying all those Union Jack decals atop the Mini’s roof? Could it be women and gay car buyers? Which got me to thinking; am I driving a chick magnet – as some have implied – or a gay-mobile?
Exactly which cars are considered "gay" and are most popular with gay car buyers?
As Greg Hall likes to say, read on…
Car: Move Over J Lo, ‘Wicked’ Fiat Abarth Debuts at Los Angeles Auto Show
Stand down Mini Cooper chauvinists, your Fiat 500 bashing days are numbered….
Make fun of the J Lo ad spots if you want, even though there’s no arguing that the Mini has been a total chick car as well from the get-go. However, as of now the Fiat’s "manhood" can no longer be questioned. Not after the "small-but-wicked" Fiat 500 Abarth is announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
So read it and weep:
Car: Humble Scribe Poised to Purchase Sex Machine aka 2011 Lotus Evora
Don’t look now but everybone’s favorite "humble scribe" is about to go James Bond…
Stanford’s comedy club main man Craig Glazer almost pulled the trigger on trading his Porsche for a red hot new, red Lotus Evora sports car earlier this year, but the deal fell through. However the game is back afoot and Glazer’s a phone call away from flat-bedding in a sleek black Evora from St. Louis Motorsports.
"I like it a lot, it drives great and handles a step up from my Porsche because it’s smaller and lower to the ground," Glazer says. "I think speed-wise it’s about the same. The top speed is like 170."
Glazer test drove the Evora yesterday in St. Louis and has an offer on the table.
Car: 2012 Toyota Prius Gets Geek Chic w/ Body Kit, Sound Effects, ‘Creepy’ Commercial
Not that long ago Toyota’s Prius was a lifestyle statement for nerds…
People who didn’t care much how frumpy and/or dorky they looked when they spruced up for a night on the town. Let alone how ungainly their fuel-sipping ride looked as they lumbered about saving the earth and promoting world peace.
Then came the 2010 model year…
Just like that the pabulumy Prius was transformed into a green machine that not only averaged 50 mpgs, actually looked halfway decent.
Car: Butt Kicking Alert; ‘Fiat Sells More 500s Than the Mini Cooper’
I ask you, would I make this shit up?
The above headline is from respected auto scribe, autospies.com. I realize this is going to be a little difficult for some to swallow, but let’s proceed.
"In a piece of copy published by that infamous New York paper, the story reads that the new 500 ‘essentially matched the sales of its chief competition, the Mini Cooper.’ " autospies says. "The 500 actually sold MORE than the Cooper if you discount the 600 or so Countryman pseudo sport-utility vehicles."
The numbers do not lie.
Car: Libyan Rebels Liberate Gadhafi’s Tricked Out Fiat 500
Like it’s been said, it’s been a long, hot summer…
Seriously. I spent like two weeks bouncing around Tucson in mid July, taunting locals about how cool the desert was compared to here. It was, too because it was monsoon season. I thought for sure I’d dodged the 100 degree temps and humidity bullet until I got back and Mother Nature spanked the you-know-what out of us for two more weeks.
Now it’s time to really get back to work and make KC Confidential bigger and better. And what better way to start than restart the Car coverage with a stunning scoop – props to WhiteMamba – about the Fiat 500 being the ride of choice for ousted Lybian strongman "Muammar el-Qaddafi.
But first a local update on the 500 and a shout out to comments dude Rogger…
Car: The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350, Hombres Welcome!
From my car review in The Hills – that upscale magazine you’ve probably never laid eyes upon unless you reside in Mission Hills Sunset Hill or the ritzier parts of the Plaza or Ward Parkway corridor – I give you my review of the new Merecedes SLK.
*******
The wind in your hair, the bugs in your teeth – the summer sun beating down – what’s not to love about a convertible sports car?
Passion, romance, sex appeal, excitement – free from the aforementioned worldly distractions. That’s what upscale sports car buyers are looking for and that’s what Mercedes 2012 SLK350 roadster has to offer. At an affordable price, no less.
Car: Driving the 2012 Fiat 500 Prima, Solid but a Little Souless
Think deja vu revisited…
It didn’t take a genius to predict that $4 gas was coming again. Hey, I did it. Nor did it require a long memory to think back to 2008 when car dealers were drowning in unsellable, gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. The only thing that’s spared us high dollar gas since was a worldwide recession.
And now here we go again…
Americans standing in line to buy Honda Civics and Toyota Prius cars. Hybrids almost impossible to find – thanks to consumer demand and the earthquake in Japan.
Fortunately affordable options like the new Fiat 500 exist.
I took delivery of one last month and with 1,500 miles on it, here’s what I can report.
Car: Ford Strikes Blow for Parents, Teenagers Take Hit
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I’m not a die-hard Ford cheerleader,..
But I was impressed with the look and technology in the 2010 and 2011 Fords.
My Dad was a Ford guy. And my father-in-law recently bought a Ford product because the company didn’t take any Obama money.
And on two recent road trips in a 2011 Taurus, the features in the car sparked my interest to do more research. So I sat down with Chris Gorup at Shawnee Mission Ford and Chris kept bringing up Ford’s MyKey system.
MyKey debuted as a standard feature on the 2010 Ford Focus and is now a no-cost feature on nearly all Ford and Lincoln models
MyKey allows parents to access and set MyKey limits through the vehicle’s message center.
Meaning that when your teenage vampire inserts a programmed MyKey into the ignition, the system reads the transponder chip in the key and then sets limits on what sort of mayhem your kid can get away with. Or not.
It’s wickedly Big Brother!
Car: Kelly Blue Book’s Top 10 Green Cars & Fiat Delays KC Opening
This just in…
Far be it from me to write something that might cause Car section comments dude Rogger to burst into tears (or flames) but here goes. I’ve been feeling a little down since getting my new Fiat 500. Because by giving up my Toyota Prius, I’m going from nearly 50 miles-per-gallon to 40 – if I’m lucky.
That is if I drive so slow bluehairs in 20 year-old K cars wanna run me off the road. I let my lead-footed Asian girlfriend drive the Fiat a few days and got just 36.8 mpg on my first tank. But I did get some good news today.
Kelly Blue Book came out with its Top 10 Green Cars and the little Fiat made the grade.
Car: First KC Fiat in 28 Years Sparks Harrowing Flashback
The eagles have landed…
For the first time in 28 years – most of the ’80s, the ’90s and well past the first decade of Y2K – a new Fiat was been sold and delivered in Kansas City. It went down around 10:30 a.m. today when chef Jasper Mirabile helped peel the wrapper off a 2012 Fiat 500 Prima Edizione in front of Jasper’s Ristorante, clambered aboard and sped down 103rd Street in Watts Mill.
Fortunately, Mirabile’s virgin victory lap was less eventful than his previous heart-pounding Fiat fling…
Car: Fiat 500 Primas Hit Kansas City for Better & Worse
It’s not about me – it’s about modern automotive history….
And as of yesterday – for the first time in 28 years – new Fiat cars were for sale and on the ground in Kansas City. That’s right, eight Fiat 500 Prima Edizione cars landed at the dealership soon to be known as Fiat of Olathe just off 119th Street and I-35. They’re lined up as we speak, awaiting conclusion of their sale by Fiat of Olathe’s sister dealership in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Car: Case of the Missing Fiat 500 Prima Edizione Cars Continues
One of these days, Kansas Citians will be able to walk into Fiat of Olathe, sign on the dotted line and skip away in a critically-acclaimed, eco-friendly Fiat 500…
But don’t even think about that fantasy for at least another month. Not where the ongoing launch of the 500 is concerned.
Clearly Fiat fucked up.
First the company didn’t name dealers until mid-late November right before the holidays. No way those dealers could complete the paperwork, build studios to Fiat specs and be open by January, as Fiat suggested.
Kansas City’s dealer, for example, remains at the mercy of its Shreveport sister to deliver 10 Prima Ediziones to buyers.
"Very frustrating!" says Vladimir Liska of Omaha. "I was reading on Facebook some guy just hit 1,000 miles on his Prima… (Mine) better show up at the dealer on Tuesday!"
Car: 2011 Ford Taurus Limited Delivers
I had the pleasure of driving a 2011 Ford Taurus Limited twice last week courtesy of Budget Car rental…
Then heading out on a pair of 400-plus mile trips. I’m here to report the Taurus kept me entertained, comfortable and safe.
Let’s take a closer look.
Curb appeal
The 2011 Taurus was my favorite at the Greater Kansas City Auto Show earlier this month.
Car: The Curious Case of the Missing Fiat 500s
To paraphrase Paul Revere, The Fiats are coming, the Fiats are coming!
But while that’s undoubtedly the case, for many, if not most of the 500 souls who plunked down $500 deposits for a limited edition Prima Edizione model of the tiny Fiat 500, the question is, when?
In December, Fiat North America head Laura Soave told Prima buyers, "Delivery should occur in mid to late February…In the meantime, dealers are busy putting the finishing touches on our Studios."
Less true words seldom have been spoken…
Car: Trouble in Paradiso, Pissed Off Prima Owners in Fiat Funk
The honeymoon’s over for some of the Fiat faithful…
Those being the 500 enthusiasts who signed on to become owners of the first new Fiats sold in this country in 28 years. Like me, buyers plunked down $500 deposits last summer and fall – sight unseen, price and options unknown – for a special numbered edition Fiat 500 called the Prima Edizione.
At that tender stage, there were no Fiat dealers. They would be courted and signed 2 months later.
Fast forward to three weeks ago when the eight Prima Edizione Fiat 500s arrived at a local rail head for delivery to area buyers .
There they remain – in automotive limbo – delivery dates unknown.
"It’s a mess," grouses Prima buyer No. 446 buyer Jeff on a Fiat 500 blog site.
Car: Ford’s Mulally Cheap Shots Fiat; Lawrence
At first blush, it doesn’t make much sense…
Why would Ford CEO Alan Mulally – poised to break the auto industry compensation record of $73 million – diss the critically acclaimed new Fiat 500? Before it goes on sale no less.
Yet there the sandy-haired, former Lawrence resident is on AutoGuide.com bagging on the Italian micro stallion. Under a headline that reads, "Fiat 500 Will Fail, Says Ford CEO Alan Mulally."
