In Turbocharged Porsches, Artist Richard Phillips Finds a New Muse

On a balmy March afternoon in Manhattan, the artist Richard Phillips was breaking in the refurbished engine on his 1992 Porsche 965. Mr. Phillips, who is 6-foot-5, just missed scraping his head on the roofline of the white sports car. “For me, the 1992 965 Turbo represents the apex of Porsche design before the 993 came in,” he said, referencing the internal designations of consecutive 911 models. “Those are completely out-of-control cars. I love the automobile because there’s no safety ...

Submited at Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 at 7:02 am by samantha

Previewing the 2012 New York Auto Show

March 30, 2012, 6:00 pm By THE NEW YORK TIMES In Sunday’s Automobiles section, Jerry Garrett previews the New York auto show, which visits the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center next week, with press previews beginning Wednesday. The industry bloomed in step with the daffodils this year, as automakers logged robust first-quarter sales and set auspicious forecasts for the rest of 2012. Rebecca Lindland, an analyst for IHS Global Insight, anticipates sales of 14 million passenger vehicles in the United ...

Submited at Saturday, March 31st, 2012 at 7:00 am by madison

In SoHo, OnStar Stages a Show for Helicopter Parents

To demonstrate its new Family Link feature, OnStar, the in-vehicle safety and connectivity system, employed some method acting in New York this week. A family of four portrayed by professional actors was installed in a five-story SoHo town house, where journalists were invited to meet and greet the fictional brood, called the Kensingtons. The family members were wired into and busily enjoying the benefits of OnStar, though they graciously took time to offer their visitors coffee and cookies.

Submited at Friday, March 30th, 2012 at 7:01 am by madison

Ford Explorer Gets EcoBoost V-6 and a Touch of Swagger

On Wednesday, Ford introduced the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport, a performance version of its bread-and-butter S.U.V. In a media release, the automaker stated the vehicle, which would represent the top of the Explorer model line, was the first-ever high-performance model for its venerable Explorer nameplate. That may be true, though some Wheels readers may remember the Sport designation on a two-door version of the S.U.V. offered in the 1990s and 2000s. The Explorer Sport shares the carlike body-chassis unit found ...

Submited at Thursday, March 29th, 2012 at 7:01 am by robert

BMW Recalls Nearly 1.3 Million Vehicles Worldwide for Battery-Cable Flaw

March 26, 2012, 3:50 pm By JIM MOTAVALLI BMW announced Monday that it would recall about 1.3 million 5 Series and 6 Series vehicles worldwide to fix a potential hazard involving a faulty battery-cable connection in the cars’ trunks. About 367,000 vehicles are affected by the recall in the United States, according to Thomas Plucinsky, a BMW spokesman. In a document dated and sent March 23 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW noted that more than 300,000 of ...

Submited at Tuesday, March 27th, 2012 at 8:00 am by chuck

Don Draper, Gearhead?

In this Sunday’s Automobiles section, Stuart Schwartzapfel profiles Ed McCabe, a real-life advertising star of the “Mad Men” era who was responsible for many of Volvo’s brand-making campaigns of the 1960s and ’70s. Meanwhile, as the fifth season of “Mad Men” kicks off Sunday night after a 17-month hiatus, the show has left the Wheels blog with a few unanswered questions. First, Don Draper hasn’t purchased a new vehicle since he splurged for the Caddy during the show’s second season.

Submited at Saturday, March 24th, 2012 at 3:00 pm by sofia

A Lower-Cost Filling Solution for the Mercedes-Benz ML350 Bluetec

For Sunday’s Automobiles section, I review gas- and diesel-burning versions of the third-generation ML350, the midsize sport utility car from Mercedes-Benz. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, buyers who select the Bluetec 4Matic over the gasoline V-6 version of the ML350 will save $450 a year in fuel. That said, Mercedes’s diesel S.U.V.’s require periodic fill-ups of another precious fluid. And with dealers marking up this pollution-fighting liquid like champagne on New Year’s Eve, refills can cost owners $200 or ...

Submited at Saturday, March 24th, 2012 at 7:00 am by jessica

Motus Motorcycles: Desirable Machines With Dear Prices

Ever since Motus Motorcycles, an Alabama start-up that plans to market a line of V-4 sport-touring bikes this year, blipped onto my radar screen about a year ago, one nagging question took precedence: How much? After a news conference during Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Fla., we know. The two initial models, the MST and MST-R, will be priced from about $31,000, with deliveries of 2013 models promised for this fall. With that breathtaking number out of the way, let’s ...

Submited at Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 at 7:00 am by Alina

For E.V. Drivers, a Stretch of Oregon Interstate to Relieve Range Anxiety

Until better batteries are developed, most electric vehicles will be range-challenged. But with the opening of the first section of the so-called West Coast Electric Highway on March 16 in Oregon, battery vehicles can travel for longer distances, at least along and immediately beyond the corridor. Public charging stations are installed at 25-mile intervals on a stretch of Interstate 5 about 160 miles long, extending from Ashland in the south to Cottage Grove. Located off the highway at restaurants, gas ...

Submited at Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 7:00 am by ethan

Reviewing the Hyundai Azera

March 16, 2012, 5:35 pm By THE NEW YORK TIMES In Sunday’s Automobiles section, Lawrence Ulrich reviews the Hyundai Azera, which sits between the Sonata and Genesis in the ascendant Korean automaker’s sedan firmament. Redesigned for 2012, the Azera is more expensive, but no longer the indifferently styled Lexus wannabe that its predecessor was when it began sales in 2006. As Mr. Ulrich writes, part of the Azera’s appeal lies in its lack of pretension or benchmarking of vehicles that ...

Submited at Saturday, March 17th, 2012 at 7:00 am by sofia