Gimmickry and retro design cues have always been part of the beguiling formula for Mini—especially ever since the brand was resurrected by BMW earlier last decade, and up to present day and the 2016 Mini Cooper S Convertible we drove around Los Angeles earlier this month. It’s just that...Read More»
General Motors [NYSE: GM] has officially previewed its 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible; and while it’s hardly surprising how this drop-top pony car looks, GM has detailed a series of features and structural upgrades that should make it a big step forward in refinement and general driving...Read More»
What replaces BMW’s entry-level Coupe and Convertible, the 1-Series? That would be the all-new 2014 2-Series; and BMW has all at once confirmed some key information and details about it, released plenty of pictures, and even set the basics around pricing—all for a vehicle that...Read More»
If you've ever owned and enjoyed a convertible—or even just rented one—understand that open-top models are about more than just feeling the wind in your hair. They're also about the freedom you show and feel, in driving a vehicle that might not hit all the marks for practicality. Not...Read More»
Forget for a few minutes about your urge to make the absolute smartest fiscal choice. Yes, the economics of diesel ownership often take many, many years to work out as positive. Yes, diesels, as in the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI, do generally cost thousands more initially; and yes, diesel fuel...Read More»
Kia made one very large leap near the front of the crowded small-car class with its Forte family—introduced last year first as a sedan, then as an especially stylish Forte Koup two-door. Now, for 2011, the Forte is back with a couple of very significant changes. The first is a third, all-new...Read More»
It's Wednesday, which can only mean two things: (a) we're halfway to the weekend, and (b) we're feeling a little punchy. What better time to mention Renault's campaign to raise awareness of its new Wind convertible among strippers, exhibitionists, and famejunkies? The gist of the campaign is pretty...Read More»
Here at High Gear Media, we've talked a lot about the stunning Porsche 918 spyder. Most recently, we learned that it's officially making the leap from concept to production, and it's going to be more powerful than expected. Yesterday, we saw Jay Leno and Arnold Schwarzenegger smitten by the...Read More»
What's it take to get a perfect 10? Back before she became a thinky conservative, Bo Derek laid it out the rules for us all. Actually it's just one rule: you don't have to be particularly talented or smart, just quintessentially, no-excuses gorgeous. Get it right, and you can even put noisemakers...Read More»
One of the founders of the Smart brand has died. Nicolas Hayek, the chairman and founder of Swatch Group, passed away in Switzerland at 82, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hayek led the company that reinvented the Swiss watch (conflated into "Swatch") with an inexpensive, stylish range of plastic...Read More»
Volkswagen has been pushing the online angle pretty hard in its launch of the 2011 Polo. Among the automaker's standout efforts have been a joint ad campaign and website, and an intriguing "Marco Polo" Facebook page. Now, VW has returned to Facebook to hype the sporty Polo GTI, and we're happy...Read More»
Mercedes-Benz has tried its hand at apps and social media several times in the past year. Some of those efforts have been, well, less than thrilling, but others have proven pretty useful (at least for buyers). Now, the luxury automaker is giving it another go with apps for Facebook and the...Read More»
This is all we got: "Be one of the first to view the new 2011 Mustang commercials showing on American Idol tonight! http://bit.ly/bBlmvO" It came from the Ford Mustang Twitter account. And since that account, like most other commercial news streams, is all about hyping company products, we didn't...Read More»
It's Wednesday. It doesn't really matter if you woke up on the right side of the bed, or if the weather is perfect, or who may or may not have tainted your Cheerios, the fact remains: it's Wednesday. Time for a mid-week pick-me-up, and this time it arrives in the form of a new commercial for the...Read More»
Let's cut to the chase: The new 2011 Mustang GT is about as badass as you can get in a normal production car. In this case, one with a bargain bottom-line price tag as low as $30,495. The first time you see—or hear—a new Mustang GT open up the throttle, you'll understand why we call it badass...Read More»
Starting at less than $23,000, the new 2011 Ford Mustang V-6 is, surprisingly, one of the best bang-for-the-buck performance coupes. We're surprised here, because the Mustang V-6 has never been a very pulse-raising drive, rather the option for those who want the look but don't care much about the...Read More»
One year ago, Honda was ramping up for the roll-out of its 2010 Honda Insight hybrid. The company made big predictions about the Insight, boasting that it would outsell the 2010 Toyota Prius in showrooms around the globe. Sadly for Honda, those dreams didn't come true -- not by a longshot -- but if...Read More»
Robert Matthew Van Winkle is a busy guy: world traveler, restorer of vintage cars, avid motocross rider. And in his spare time, he grabs a microphone and performs under his stage name, Vanilla Ice. Love him or hate him, Rob's smash hit, "Ice Ice Baby", defined a moment in pop music history. If you...Read More»
The Ford Mustang is one of a handful of cars rightfully called icons. Since its first spin on a car-show turntable at the World's Fair in 1964, it's been the auto industry's standard measure of overnight success. And for at least some of its wild youth, it was the cautionary tale of what happens...Read More»
