Today I'm in Portland, Oregon, to drive the all-new 2013 Lexus ES. My review is still a few days away -- embargoes, dontcha know -- but I will tell you that more than a few of us hacks were discussing the new 2012 Hyundai Azera. One of the Toyota staffers from Japan seemed surprised that we would consider the Azera a serious threat to the Lexus ES, and considered it more of a competitor to the Toyota Avalon. And that brings up an interesting question: The Azera certainly rivals the ES for its luxurious design, but would buyers who are thinking about a Lexus even consider a Hyundai? So I figured I'd ask you.
Let's set aside issues like quality, value-for-money, resale prices, etc., and just stick with the issues of design and brand name.
Related:
Photo © Aaron Gold
Last week, you saw my test drive of the Scion FR-S; today we have that car's near-identical twin, the Subaru BRZ. The question I'm sure you're wondering about is: What are the differences between the two cars? But in writing up this test drive, I found myself asking a more important question: Why the heck hasn't Subaru done something like this before? Get the full story in my 2013 Subaru BRZ review. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
Hot on the heels of my Scion FR-S test drive, Subaru has let me have a go in their version of the car, the BRZ -- this time a week-long test drive on my own stomping grounds. I'm just putting the finishing touches on my review, but I thought you might want to have a closer look at the car -- check out my 2013 Subaru BRZ photo gallery, and stop back tomorrow to read my full review. -- Aaron Gold
P.S. If you need your daily 86 fix, I suggest these two articles from our friends at SniffPetrol.com:
Photo © Aaron Gold
Carroll Shelby, famed racer and car designer best known for his AC Cobras and Mustangs -- not to mention a series of wicked front-wheel-drive Chrysler products -- passed away this past Friday at the age of 89.
Unlike many of my lucky colleagues, I never got a chance to meet Carroll Shelby in person; luckily, I have a friend who knew him -- John Clinard, a forty-year Ford veteran. I asked John if he would share some memories. John wrote about the first time he met Carroll Shelby, in the pits at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1967:
"As you would imagine, the place was a beehive of activity that Carroll was presiding over, but, when Bill and I were introduced to him, he focused entirely on us as if we were the only people in the world. Here I was, a college kid he had never heard of, and he listened intently while I told him of a friend's GT350 I had recently driven. As you would imagine, that moment won me over to Carroll Shelby. That this man with a million more important things on his mind would so focus on me was unforgettable."
Five years later, John started his career at the Ford Motor Company, and would up spending a lot of time with Mr. Shelby.
"Through all of these encounters, Carroll was the consummate ambassador, giving everyone the same attention I had experienced decades earlier. His autograph was gladly written on countless glovebox doors, t-shirts, model cars, and anything else that fans brought to him. All of this spoke to his undying enthusiasm for his cause and love for people."
For more of John's insights into Carroll Shelby, please check out the essay that John was kind enough to write for this site, Carroll Shelby Remembered.
Rest in peace, Mr. Shelby, and thank you for all you did for us gearheads! -- Aaron Gold
More about Carroll Shelby:
Photo © Ford
