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Mni's get a bad rap in some of the less-accepting corners of the car world. They're not big or powerful or visually impressive, but they are fun and tossable and, in the hands of the right driver on the...
May 22nd, 2012
In early May, Mini released sketches of the Editor-of-Vogue-designed, floral-print, purple Mini Roadster that looked like the prize in a Lakers giveaway. Mini has now released official photos of the Life Ball (an AIDS charity) Roadster and, honestly, it's...
May 22nd, 2012
We just took delivery of a car that is made for spring: a "Mars Red" SLK250. This two-seat convertible is just what the doctor ordered to get us out of the winter doldrums. And if the cold weather reappears, our SLK has a folding hardtop, heated seats, and the automaker's exclusive "airscarf neck-level heating system," which features vents in the head restraints that blow warm air on your neck. It's a nice touch that we really liked in the last SLK, and its SL big-brother we tested.
What's new with this generation? Joining the Audi TT and BMW Z4, the SLK is now available with a small, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The new SLK engine puts out 201 hp; we equipped ours with the six-speed manual transmission.
As with many things, the fun in the sun comes at a price. We fitted our SLK with several options that boosted its $42,500 base price, including parking guidance, dual-zone climate control, and the Premium 1 Package. Adding those items resulted in a $48,045 bottom line.
The last SLK we tested was fun to drive, with quick, communicative, and well-weighted steering and a direct and smooth-shifting manual transmission - traits we normally don't experience in a Mercedes. We look forward to seeing if the new generation measures up.
Stay tuned as we put on break-in miles with our SLK and get ready to test it against the Audi and BMW... and maybe another competitor.
May 17th, 2012
Falling in love can be dangerous, especially when it's at a used car dealership. Bethany Porter's heart went all a-flutter once she laid eyes on a black '99 Saab 9-3 convertible with 98,000 miles on it sitting at the Geoff Rogers Autoplex in St. Peters, Missouri, home of the "price smash." She was ready to dump her 2001 Nissan Pathfinder for it. They had gone 175,000 miles together, good miles, but she was ready for a little more thrill in the driver's seat. Her human lover, her husband, cautioned her against jumping in too eagerly as they walked into the dealership... So did having stars in her eyes leave her burned behind the wheel? And how can what she learned help you save big on your next car purchase? I reached out to two car salesman experts to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the deal went down.
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May 17th, 2012
If you're anything like me, you hate Dax Shepard. First, he was the worst guest start on the old Adam Carolla radio show here in LA and he was on ALL THE TIME. Second, he's dating Kristen Bell. Third,...
May 16th, 2012
Are you in the market for a small, light, open-air roadster that would be just perfect for early summer evening ice cream runs through Mill Creek Gorge between Lanterman's Mill and the Goldfish Pond? If so, have I got a deal for you!
No, it's not
George Jetson's midlife crisis car, though given its cool midcentury retro-future vibe you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was. This is the "Simca Special" designed and built by Car Lust contributor
Virgil M. Exner, Jr. Mr. Exner designed it as his master's thesis in fine arts at the
University of Notre Dame. The design got him his M.A. degree
and the University’s Emil Jacques Gold Medal of Fine Art--while it was still just a 1/4 scale fiberglass model and a bunch of scale drawings! After getting his degree, Mr. Exner decided to build a working model in what is sometimes called "12 inches to the foot scale." He started with a full-size clay model from which the fiberglass molds were made.
The chassis came from a Fiat 1100, and the drivetrain (and the name) from a Simca Huit sedan. Larry Shinoda, the GM designer who did the Corvette Stingray, saw the clay model while Mr. Exner was making the fiberglass molds, and it's pretty obvious he got some inspiration from it for the 'Vette's front end.
Mr. Exner exhibited the car on the show circuit and it was written up in Motor Trend, Road & Track, and (of all things) Vanity Fair. Mr. Exner sold it to Chrysler dealer, who later sold it to SCCA racer Beau Hickory. Mr. Hickory did a "restomod" which replaced the original bubble canopy--cool to look at, but uncomfortably hot on sunny days--with the more practical windshield and T-top arrangement it has today.
The car changed hands a few more times, was neglected and restored again, and eventually reacquired by Mr. Hickory, who owns it today. Somewhere along the way a Datsun B210 engine replaced the original Simca prime mover.
The Simca Special will be up for sale this Saturday at the Mecum Spring Classic Auction in Indianapolis. If you're interested, empty out your piggy bank and cash in your savings bonds, because it's expected to sell somewhere in the six-digit range.
If our office MegaMillions pool comes up lucky this week--real likely, I know!--I'd be sorely tempted. Indianapolis is not that far away from me.....
--Cookie the Dog's Owner
Mr. Exner provided the photo of himself sitting in the car under the original bubble canopy and the photos of the donor car and the development models; the other photos are from the auctioneer's website.
May 16th, 2012
