vLane Blog

Articles Matching “Feature”

• Car brands: Who owns what

  Banovsky on October 23, 2009

  With all this global automotive industry turmoil, it seems as if vehicle brands are trading hands like poker chips. How will you know if you're buying a British car…if it's owned by an Indian automaker?

  Here's an updated list for the major automotive manufacturers in the world.

  Read full article | Comments (2) | Filed under Future, Feature, WTF, Goodyear, manufacturers, 2009, Original

• Videos: Why you should love the European Hill Climb Championship

  Banovsky on October 19, 2009

  A few spare hours here and there will uncover some amazing things. I knew the European Hill Climb Championship existed, but haven't seen it on TV or in person. What to do? YouTube.

  

  Let's catch some air, shall we?

  Thanks to hillclimbfans.com for capturing these great videos. Without further adieu, click through for a few videos of this amazing form of motorsports.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Event, Video, Feature, Europe, motorsport, Original

• The secret world of cars and tents

  Banovsky on October 16, 2009

  It started with the photo you see below. A Sunday morning browse of Chrysler's press photo archive turned up a photo of the "Magic Camper" package, available on the 1985 Plymouth Voyager. "Hmm…" I wondered, "How many car companies offer tents for their vehicles?" The results may surprise you.

  

  1985 Plymouth Voyager "Magic Camper" package

  If I'm honest, I gave up searching for OEM tent packages. There are simply too many. From laughing at the Chervrolet Nova 6 "Hutch" package (that turns an open hatchback into a three-sided cheese slice tent), to marvelling at the ingenuity of the Honda Element's available "curtains" — it seems outdoorsy people work at nearly every car company.

  So without further adieu, click through for a gallery of my favourites.

  Read full article | Comments (6) | Filed under Classic, Feature, WTF, Saab, Misc, Toyota, Ford, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, Dodge, LOL, GMC, From the web, Original, Camping, outdoors, Weird

• Feature: The Porsche Cayenne, on-track and off-road

  Banovsky on October 12, 2009

  If I had a better memory, I could have told you when I first heard Porsche was making an SUV. I do remember I wasn’t pleased. Actually, I was so upset I’d drafted a letter to the head of Porsche Cars North America. It sits, never sent, on the hard drive of a computer long deceased.

  

  The Cayenne Turbo S on-track at Mosport

  Since, I’ve driven the Cayenne on several occasions. And what I feel for Porsche’s SUV is very much parallel to my own life: that youthful rage and sense of purpose has subsided, into a more adult-like sense of responsibility.

  Not unlike Porsche itself. It’s taken them 50 years to come from giant-killing sub-2.0-litre race cars like the 550 Spyder and 904, to producing a vehicle in the relentless pursuit of profit. For years, the company was happy to earn extra cash, helping fellow automakers by providing engineering assistance; a kind of high performance know-how that resulted in 90s rockets like the Audi RS2 and Mercedes-Benz E500.

  And when faced with the realization their whole model range rested on the back of the legendary 911 sports car, a rarified market that comes and goes during each global recession, the company did the same thing I’d do if I made cola: invent a product that had less of the expensive syrup (sports car capability) and more filler (profit margin.) Let’s call it diet…

  Click through a hot lap video and more photos!

  Read full article | Comments (1) | Filed under SUV, Feature, Porsche, SUV, tracking, 2009, Original, Cayenne, race track, Mosport, David Empringham, 959, GTS, Turbo S

• Finally, some old school Mercedes-Benz tuning!

  Banovsky on August 28, 2009

  I just love this car. What's the point of throwing 24-inch rims on a brand-new S-Class when everyone on your block is doing the same thing? So much of the appeal in modifying a vehicle is doing something unique, and this 1983 Mercedes-Benz 560SE by Inden Design is exactly what I'm talking about.

  

  The 1983 Mercedes-Benz 560SE by Inden Design

  Ok, so this isn't a recently tuned vehicle. Back in 1991, Inden Design tuned this, their first project car. With a new (1986) front clip with the rest of the car from 1983, even in '91 it wasn't a new car!

  The mods list is simple, subtle, and timeless. Blacked-out everything, lowered suspension, widened fenders, 18-inch wheels, steamroller rear tires, warmed-over 6.0-litre V8 with 368 horsepower, and AP Racing brakes.

  Inside, it's all class: a black leather interior, different wood trim, and sport seats.

  Since Inden design decided to photograph one of their earliest models, we've decided to put up a small collection of photos, after the jump.

  

  Click for more photos!

  (via carscoop.blogspot.com)

  Read full article | Comments (1) | Filed under Classic, Feature, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Photos, Germany, Inden Design, 560SE

• The Wilcraft ice fishing car is awesome

  Banovsky on August 4, 2009

  Secret: I live in Canada. And I've been ice fishing. Well, once. It was awful. Dangerous, cold, and boring, ice fishing is for the truly dedicated. But what if you had a machine that made things more simple?

  

  The Wilcraft ice fishing vehicle and its inventor, Tom Roering. [Photo credit: David Friedman Photography]

  I spied this inventor and the Wilcraft as a profile piece on David Friedman Photography, and had to share. So how does this contraption work?

  
  

  Here are some stats:

  • Powder-coated aluminum construction
  • Approximately 500 lbs vehicle weight, 600 lbs capacity
  • 11" of ground clearance
  • Ground pressure approx. 2 lbs/in2
  • 305cc engine
  • Two-speed gearbox with reverse
  • Locking differential
  • Hydraulic disc brakes
  • Three 10" fishing holes
  • 20mph top speed
  • MSRP $10,495

  Still confused? Click through to view some videos!

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Environment, Feature, WTF, Crossover, Misc, Technology, Design, LOL, ice fishing, Wilcraft

• Driven! 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2012 Ford Focus EV

  Banovsky on August 4, 2009

  This guest post was prepared by esteemed green car expert John Voelcker, editor-in-chief of GreenCarReports.com. He also drove both the Volt and Focus EV test mules…lucky guy!

  

  The 2011 Chevrolet Volt prototype (nee-Chevrolet Cruze)

  Well, the big day has come and gone: Now we've driven a 2011 Chevrolet Volt prototype. More than 18 months before buyers can walk into a Chevy dealer and test one, we got behind the wheel.

  What's the Volt like? It's remarkably ... unremarkable.

  And we mean that as praise. General Motors has managed to build a radical car that seems so normal it'll make the average American driver completely comfortable with electric drive.

  For half an hour today, we drove a Volt "mule" – a Volt powertrain installed in the body of a 2010 Chevrolet Cruze subcompact – around the roads of the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. It uses "production-intent" components and, said vehicle line executive Frank Weber, provides about 80 percent of the capabilities of the final car.

  Click through for more.

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under GM, General Motors, Environment, Future, Green, Mileage, Feature, Ford, Ford, Chevrolet, EV, Grant, Detroit, 2011, Cruze, Electric car, Guest post, Focus

• Week in review, July 3-10

  Banovsky on July 21, 2009

  Let's take a look back at some of the stories we talked about here at vLane.

  

  The new 2010 Audi A5 Sportback made headlines…

  Features:

  • The New GM: Do We Have a Say?
  • vLane's Michael Banovsky on the CarDesignFetish.com Podcast

  Road tests:

  • Ride and Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

  News:

  • 2010 Audi A5 Sportback
  • Mercedes-Benz S400 Experimental Safety Vehicle
  • Hennessey Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Z700
  • Former GM CEO Rick Wagoner Gets a Nice Pension

  vLane Community:

  • Our Informative Cash for Clunkers / CARS thread
  • Community Review: 1998 Toyota RAV4
  • Recap: #carchat 19
  • 2010 Chevrolet Equinox Discussion

  Weird:

  • Volvo Motorsport Clothing…For Kids!

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under News, Feature, Link, Discussion, vLane, Cash for Clunkers, Car Allowance Rebate System

• Tonight: Autoline After Hours #16, 7PM EST

  Banovsky on July 16, 2009

  Tonight's AAH features Michael Sprague, Vice President of Marketing at Kia, joining the crew discuss this week in auto industry news. Tonight, Scott Burgess, Auto Critic at The Detroit News, also joins us to fill Peter's (DeLorenzo) seat while he is out of town. David Welch from BusinessWeek also makes a return appearance along with host, John McElroy.

  

  Click through to participate from right here at vLane!

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Event, News, Feature, Misc, Advice , This week, Discussion, Autoline Detroit, Detroit, US, vLane

• Week in review: July 3-10, 2009

  Banovsky on July 10, 2009

  Let's take a look back at some of the stories we talked about here at vLane.

  

  This Jaguar XKR Goodwood certainly got our attention!

  News:

  • Crowdsourced Car Design from Local Motors
  • 2010 Jaguar XJ
  • Sportier XC60 R-Design from Volvo
  • Romero Britto x Bentley Continental GT
  • Sportec Porsche SPR1

  vLane Community:

  • Our Informative Cash for Clunkers / CARS thread
  • Community Review: 2001 Kia Sephia
  • #carchat 18 Recap, July 8, 2009
  • Poll: Is the Lexus SC430 Too Old?

  Features:

  • The Future of GM Part 3: 2011 Buick CUV

  Weird:

  • The Porsche Design Barbecue
  • US Air Force is Recruiting with…Muscle Cars?

  Read full article | Comments (0) | Filed under Event, Government, Future, Green, News, Feature, WTF, Misc, Advice , Humor, Link, This week, Porsche, Discussion, Social Media, vLane, Cash for Clunkers, Jaguar, Car Allowance Rebate System, CARS