Fashion's Night Out with the Ford Fusion

On a warm late summer night last Thursday, The Garage was invited by Ford to be a part of Fashion's Night Out with the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion. The event was called a 'pop-up' and was no simple display of just a new car. The concept originated from Donna Karan as a means to show how sustainability and environmental friendliness are working in the fashion industry'and the new Ford Fusion. This is actually a part of a web series known as Random Acts of Fusion. If the notion of high fashion and a mid-size American car sound, well, odd, bear with me.

New York City has been an easy train ride away my entire life, but I've never been to the Meatpacking District where Ford was hosting the event. I'm no stranger of the intensity of NYC, but that night it was times two. In talking with Ford's PR staff, I was told the emphasis was on the topic of sustainability. What the means in real talk is Ford is taking lengths to use more environmentally friendly and renewable resources in constructing their cars. And it just so happens the new Fusion is, in my opinion, drop dead gorgeous, so the car hardly looked out of place in the midst of high fashion and models.

Ford has flown me to their headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan twice this year. First to see the global reveal of the new Fusion, and again for the Go Further conference. This was the first time I have seen what Ford had been telling me from the comfort of their home office in person. Ford feels the next generation of car buyers see cars differently from anyone currently above the age of 30, and they are right. Stats show younger generations are gravitating to the city. Technology is a must, not a luxury.

Back to Gansevoort Plaza in the heart of the Meatpacking District. Next door, TV's Oxygen Network is having a private party for a show I know nothing about, but there are velvet ropes, red carpet and people holding clipboards. Everywhere there are huge men in black suits. Across the street there is a club with a line 50 people deep waiting to get in. And then some random protest group making noise, about what, I could not tell you. Music was pounding from all directions. I had spoken to Ford, taken my pictures. I needed a break.

I found a place around the corner without a line, and sat with a $9 pint of Heineken, and tried to contemplate what just happened. Across the street from me stood a fleet of Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7-Series awaiting their owners. The Ford Fusion competes against the most common cars sold, the Camry, Altima, and Accord. Yet, at what seemed to be the epicenter of hip New York social life, people were checking out the Fusion. In droves. What struck me was that people were checking out a car that will sell just fine in Kansas City, Missouri to an average middle class working family, but some of these people were dressed in outfits that probably cost as much as my first Volkswagen.

I had time to spare, but I wanted to go home. Back to my family and bungalow by Long Island Sound. I hailed a cab, and when I told him to take to me Grand Central Station, he sighed 'Thank God, I have got to get out of here!' That says a lot from a NY cabbie. Even sporting my trusty Doc Martens and a sharp plaid shirt, I was hopelessly out of place. We cruised through Chelsea, where I've attended other auto events, which were much more my speed.

If it sounds like I had a bad experience, I did not. I was here for an assignment, and I learned a lot about how Ford is marketing their pride and joy. I questioned if they expected any of these socialites would buy a Fusion. But if anything, they are aware of it, and that it appeared to seamlessly meet their extremely high standards of style and fashion speaks volumes of the work J Mays and his design team has put into the Fusion. In my opinion, it was a success, and raised an awareness of a car this crowd never would have given a second thought to.

On my quiet train ride home, surrounded by exhausted New York businessmen playing with their smartphones, I am again impressed at the lengths Ford is going to reach out to new markets, and especially the ever elusive Generation Y. Having a plush Lincoln MKT awaiting me made the quick ride to home all the better, where I comfortably slipped back into my family life again.

Related posts:

1. Going Further With Ford Part II
2. New to The Garage: Fusion Race Cars
3. The Garage Goes Further with Ford
4. Inside the Ford Brain Trust, The Garage in Detroit Part III
5. Drive a Ford Edge around a Detroit parking lot

Monterey Car Week 2012

(Above: Can-Am and Le Mans legends take to the track at Laguna Seca.)

Every August, the small seaside town of Monterey, California, briefly becomes the center of the automotive world. With the historic races, now officially known as the 'Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion', at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the legendary Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and a multitude of auctions selling collector cars of all kinds, there's something for everyone. It feels like every corner you turn on the Monterey peninsula reveals another 'once in a lifetime' sighting of a car you never expected to see outside a museum.

(Above: Charles Wegner's 1959 Ferrari 250LWB.)

The Rolex Reunion has a featured marque every year, and this time it was the Shelby Cobra. 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of Caroll Shelby's iconic car, and in the aftermath of his sad passing, this year's events in Monterey became a celebration of the great racer and builder's life, as well as of his cars. At Laguna Seca, 45 original competition Cobras took to the track in their own dedicated class, including one of the six original Daytona Coupes, several others appeared in other classes, and hundreds of Cobras were on show in the pits, paddock, and camping areas. Quite a few significant Cobras were on show across town at Pebble Beach, as well.

 

(Above: the Cobra class pace lap passes through Turn 6.)

 

(Above: Just a few of the many historic Cobras on display.)

Classes at Laguna Seca represented almost every period of auto racing before the current generation. From the dawn of motorsports in the early 1900s, to the peak of performance at Le Mans and in IMSA in the 1980s and 1990s, and with everything from Mille Miglia-style GTs to historic NASCAR stock cars, just about every form and era of road racing was on track.

(Above: 1950s and '60s sports cars and GTs dive into Laguna Seca's infamous 'Corkscrew.') 

(Above: The Ford GT40 probably needs no introduction! This 1966 example is from the Collier Collection at The Revs Institute.)

(Above: James Alter's 1952 Jaguar XK120.)

(Above: 1991 Mazda RX7 GTO IMSA car. One of the most modern machines of the weekend.)

(Above: This BMW E9 3.0 CSL was driven by BMW North America's chairman, Ludwig Willisch.)

(Above and below: Dick Deluna in his 1917 Hall-Scott 'The Four'.)

(Above: Rob Fisher's 1957 AC ACECA.)

(Above: Ranson Webster's 1976 Porsche 956.)

(Above: This Porsche 935 was recently 'rescued' from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum and restored by renowned collector Bruce Canepa.)

On Sunday, the Pebble Beach country club, a few minutes away from Laguna Seca, hosted their famous Concours d'Elegance. This is one of the most prominent events in the classic car concours world, and the event was filled with owners, fans, manufacturers, and celebrities. In addition to the Pebble Beach show proper, several manufacturers of high-end cars showed off their newest concepts, and some had stands displaying their current models.

(Above: A beautiful Ferrari 250GT LWB Scaglietti Berlinetta. This car belongs to David Cottingham, in England.)

 

(Above: Cars of the Maharajas were featured at Pebble Beach, and 1910 Brooke 25/30HP 'Swan Car' was a crowd favorite')

(Above: 'especially since it was accompanied by this companion car! Both can be found in the Louwman Museum, in The Netherlands.)

(Above: Dodge's new Viper GT-S.)

(Above: Lamborghini's 'Sesto Elemento' prototype. This carbon fiber trackday monster weighs less than 2300lb, and will make around 600HP in production form. Too bad it won't be street-legal!)

(Infiniti was the title sponsor of Pebble Beach this year, and their EMERG-E electric supercar concept attracted quite a bit of attention. Infiniti hasn't confirmed production, but there are two fully-functional 'mules' being tested, and it would certainly make an impressive rival to Lexus's LF-A and LF-LC.)

Auctions are also a major part of the Monterey scene. Gooding, RM, and Mecum are just some of the events held during the week. Gooding's auctions, held at Pebble Beach on Saturday and Sunday, set a new record for total sales at an event auction.

(Above: This 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototype crossed the block for $6,000,000, at the lower end of the estimate.)

Stay tuned for future features on the cars and events from Monterey 2012!

Related posts:

1. Gallery: 2009 Monterey Sports Car Championships presented by PatrÃ'³n
2. The Garage visits 2008 Monterey Historics
3. Friday Freeway
4. As If It Couldn't Get Any Better
5. Rennsport Reunion IV

British Classics Found in Coastal New Hampshire

What state has the shortest coastline of any in the US? That would be New Hampshire, with a tiny 13 mile strip of exposure to the Atlantic Ocean to call its own. On a picture perfect summer evening, we snaked our way from cheesy Hampton, boasting gorgeous beaches and surf  (think New Jersey Shore, but it's in New England) to our digs in Portsmouth, a chic small city which many affectionately call a 'Boston in miniature'. I might disagree, as I find Portsmouth has a character unique to itself. She's an old port city loaded with charm and charisma.

But I digress. Our car for the trip was an Infiniti G37S four door, bestowed with a six-speed manual. On our trip back to Portsmouth, ocean on our right, with mansions costing millions of dollars on our left, the sights were breathtaking. With windows down, and sunroof open, the music of Jimmy Buffet reflecting our relaxed demeanor, the Infiniti proved to be a fantastic end of summer vacation car.

Yet, soon our road diverged from the coast, where we came upon Brit Bits, a seller and restorer of British cars in Rye, New Hampshire. If I see a row of British sports cars, I must stop, and I did. What a treasure trove of Brit cars. Plenty of MGB's, Midgets (one had a hardtop with portholes, ala T-Bird), a well worn Jag E-Type, a Morris Minor my wife was smitten with, in addition to other beloved cars in various states of repair. Readers, I hope you enjoy the photo gallery as much I did admiring these cars.

Related posts:

1. St. Patrick's Day Classics in Connecticut
2. A pair of delightful British machines
3. 2009 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance: The British
4. Superbird found in a field will visit The Garage soon
5. British Ultima GTR supercar destroys Top Gear Ferrari FXX lap record. Without The Stig!

Fiat Announces 500 Turbo

Instead of a convention center at an international auto show, Fiat chose Concorso Italiano, a huge Italian car show in gorgeous Monterey, California during the week of the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'elegance to take the wraps off of the newest member of the 500 family, the Fiat 500 Turbo. The 500 Turbo essentially bridges the gap between the 500 Sport and the more intense 500 Abarth.

The heart of the 500 Turbo is in the engine bay, of course, where you will find a 1.4L turbocharged, intercooled four cylinder rated at 135hp, paired to a five-speed manual. Despite the extra oomph, Fiat predicts 34MPG on the highway. Visually, the 500 Turbo makes itself known with a unique front fascia, side skirts, blacked out headlight and parking light bezels, spoiler and rear diffuser. A sport tuned exhaust and beefed up suspension round out the package. The 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo goes on sale this Fall with a starting price of $19,500USD.

No related posts.

Watch a kid crash his Mom's M3 in the desert

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that handing the keys to an M3 and sending him out on a twisty desert road will not end well. Add in a GoPro and you have a recipe for a record of the impending disaster as the kid attempts to prove just how fast he really is. In this teaser clip from an upcoming episode of Mischief TV, we see just how badly this scenario can play out on a road in rural Arizona.

Related posts:

1. Single Moms pair up for Desert Rally
2. Watch Will crash and burn at Thunderhill
3. Massive rally crash caused by missing roof vent!
4. Motorist dies in bizarre crash with a deer
5. Incredible capture: Mike Conway's Indy 500 crash

Review: 2012 Nissan Armada

When I was asked what car I was currently reviewing, I replied it was the Nissan Armada. The question that followed was 'Oh, what do you think of it?' As someone who talks about cars in paragraphs, not short sentences, I paused, and replied 'Well, it's like a Chevy Tahoe, except made by Nissan.' That may upset fans of the Bowtie, or perhaps maybe even Nissan. But the reality is the Armada and Tahoe compete head to head in a shrinking market for full-size, truck-based SUVs, so the comparison is inevitable. After living with a Tahoe for a week last December and an Armada this past July, the similarities and differences became clear.

The Nissan Armada as we know it is no spring chicken. Introduced as a 2004 model, in today's automotive arena the Armada is ancient. In its favor, the styling of full-size SUVs moves at a glacial pace, so in spite of its eight year old design, it still manages to look current. In spite of its size, the Armada is quite understated compared to the stern, serious face of the Tahoe. Chunky 20' alloys and enough, but not excessive use of chrome trim lent just enough elegance to justify the price of admission. Our test car, finished in Galaxy Black did an excellent job of masking the Armada's most glaring design flaw. From the side profile, the roof of the passenger cabin rises and swoops downward, where it is met by the cargo area, where the roof is flat. In brighter colors, it looks like two different design committees designed the Armada, and never met to compare notes for a cohesive design.

Inside, the Armada offers the level of quality and ease of use we've come to expect from Nissan. All controls are simple to use and easy to understand. Seats front and rear offered plenty of room and were quite comfortable. Our Armada was capable of seating up to eight, although the top-spec model with second row captain's chairs drops that number to seven. What I appreciated about the Armada was the amount of interior storage and cubbies available, whereas the Tahoe seemed lacking. While some complain the Armada offers less cargo room, I'll counter with this. If you to want access that extra cargo space in the Tahoe, you'll have to physically remove the third row seat to get to all of it. The Armada? Press a button, and the third row seat simply folds flat. I'll take the latter option, thank you. To sum, the cabin of the Armada seems far more family friendly.

Just as the Tahoe is based on the Silverado pick-up truck, the Armada is based upon Nissan's top-dog truck, the Titan. All Armada's are powered by a 5.6L V-8 pumping out 317hp, mated to a five-speed automatic. Buyers have the choice between rear wheel and all-wheel drive. Our test car was a 4×2, with EPA fuel economy estimated at 13/19 MPG city/highway. In mixed driving, our Armada's trip computer was showing an average of 14 MPG, so she is one thirsty girl. In a 4×4 Armada, expect about a 1 MPG drop. Towing capacity in our Armada is an impressive 8,200 lbs, while a 4×4 can tow up to 9,100 lbs. Acceleration from the V-8 is strong, and makes the right sounds, and is without doubt more refined than the Tahoe's mill. Despite its size and weight, the Armada is very easy to drive and wiggle your way through town or highway traffic. Yes, it handles like a truck, because, well, it is, but that is not to say it lacks refinement or is at all crude. If you expect the creaminess of a Nissan Murano, you're missing the point.

The Armada is available in three trim levels: SV, SL, and Platinum. Our test car was the mid-level SL. While I was thankful for being spared the bling of the chrome 20's on the Platinum, I was incredulous that if you want navigation on your Armada, you must choose the top-spec car. Standard on our SL was a leather interior, power, heated front seats, 11 speaker Bose audio, XM Radio, Bluetooth, rear sonar, rear view monitor, dual zone and rear auto climate controls, and power rear liftgate. Options on our Armada included a rear DVD entertainment system, replete with wireless headphones, remote control and 8' screen, and power moonroof. Including destination, our Armada carried an MSRP of $48,965USD. Hardly cheap, but the price is on par for full-size, well equipped SUVs. Still, the lack of navigation, even at this price just seemed wrong.

So when asked about the Armada, equating it to the Tahoe was the simple answer, but as you've seen, it is far more complex. Appearance is subjective, but I'd have the say the Tahoe is by far more handsome. It epitomizes the look you want from an SUV of this size. On the other hand, the interior of the Armada was much more family friendly. Comparing how they drive, the Armada felt more nimble. But as always is the case in the car business, it's the sales that matter. By the end of July,  2012, for every Armada Nissan sold, Chevy sold nearly four Tahoes. In spite of this, I would say these two trucks are evenly matched enough they merit comparison shopping. So before you drop that check off at your Chevy dealer, you may want to make a detour to Nissan first.

If you do, to quote the Rolling Stones, just 'Paint It Black'.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Nissan Armada Offers Simpler Packaging, Better Value
2. 2008 Nissan Armada spy pics
3. Review: 2012 Nissan Maxima
4. Review: 2012 Nissan Versa
5. 2009 Nissan Armada: Road Trip Warrior

NASCAR ' Biffle Takes the Checkered and the Points Lead at MIS ' Hendrick Motor Failures Cause Concern

Greg Biffle performs his celebration burnout at MIS after winning the Pure Michigan 400

Ford has not seen the checkered flag at MIS in 7 consecutive races.  In real life terms that means 3 and a half years.  The last time a Ford had been to winners circle was back in 2008, in the Michigan race after Dale Jr. started his winless streak.  Greg Biffle decided that it was time for change.  Running int he top 10 for most of the day the #16 Roush Ford car looked strong.  As the final laps wore down it was beginning to look like another good day for the Chevy crowd.  Then on lap 195 Jimmie Johnson lost his engine in spectacular fashion in a cloud of smoke.  The restart had a Dodge (Kesolowski) , 2 Chevy's (Dale Jr and Kasey Kahne) and a lone Ford filling the front 2 rows.  All 4 cars had been fast all day, Kahne had recovered from an early spin in the Mark Martin wreck and everyone was itching for the win.  When the checkered flag dropped and the cars roared across the line, the crowd actually fell silent for a moment as they waited for the outcome.  It was the Ford of Biffle that took off into the clean air and no one could catch him.  Biffle may not have led the most laps throughout the day, but he led the one that means the most as he crossed the line taking the checkered flag in the Pure Michigan 400, and ending the drought for Ford in their own back yard.

Biffle credits the jump he got on the restart to Dale Earnhardt Jr who started behind him in row 2 on the final restart that allowed him to earn his 18th career win.

'Junior gave me a huge push for that win,' Biffle said. 'I have to thank him for that. I saw Brad laying back [on the restart] like always, and he got a little jump on me.'

'We're going to make a run at the title,' Biffle promised. 'I know they don't talk about us a lot, but they will when we get to Vegas.'

Brad Kesolowski gave it everything he had but just could not catch the 16, especially since he was in a heated battle for 2nd with a hard charging Kasey Kahne.  Finishing .417 seconds behind the leader Kesolowski was disappointed with his result at his home track.

'This is my home track,' said Keselowski, who has finished second in two consecutive Cup races. 'I want to win here just as bad as I want to win a race in the Chase ' probably more. There was a stretch where I felt like we were going to win it. I had some goosebumps going on.

'But it wasn't meant to be, and I'm still very proud of the effort. ' I just want to get that one more spot. I want to win races, and we've been running solid ' and I'm proud of that ' but we want that one more spot, too.'

Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top 5.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Jimmie Johnson looking concerned after his engine failure in the final laps of the Pure Michigan 400

Hendrick Motorsport engine builders will be doing a lot of head scratching this week as they try to figure out how they lost 4 engines over the weekend.  Two of those engines belonged to Jimmie Johnson in the #48.  Having issues on Saturday they opted to swap their engine out and start from the rear of the field for Sunday's start.  They looked fast as they moved through the field and were in the top 10 by lap 97.

Then early in the race the #14 Stewart Haas entry driven by Tony Stewart started sounding rough, later to be determined that he lost a cylinder due to a valve spring breaking.  With 4 of the Hendrick engine builders looking at the engine they patched it up and sent him back out for points but he was no longer a contender.

45 laps later it was the #24 car that suffered the same issue ending Jeff Gordon's chances for a win and continuing the 4 time champion's streak of bad luck that has been following him around throughout the season.

The last and final straw was right at the end of the race as the #48 lost their second engine of the weekend with only 5 laps to go in the race.  In a cloud of smoke the 48 fell back through the field before pulling behind the wall in a rare DNF for their team.

'[I was] just running along there and, all of a sudden, dropped a cylinder,' Gordon said. 'The No. 14 [Stewart] had that same issue. This is a tough place on engines. We rarely have these issues. ' When you come to Michigan and you turn these kinds of sustained RPMs on this fast of a track, it's always of concern here.'

'It's just a bad day, not the norm, for sure,' said Stewart, who radioed that it felt like his car was running on seven cylinders early in the race. 'We have the best engine department in the world, in my opinion. We had three engine tuners down there [in the garage] trying to get it fixed for us. [Sunday's result] wasn't for lack of effort.'

The failures were also a cause for concern in the 88 camp of Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Crew chief Steve Letarte waited patiently for word on what the cause of the failure was as he watched his driver moving forward through the field.

'Without a doubt [I was worried],' Letarte said. 'One doesn't bother you. That's part of racing. But when the 24 had their issue, the concern went up.

'I'm disappointed for the motor guys. I know they work tremendously hard. This is one of those places where, as fast as we're running, it's just hard on equipment. We'll get back to the shop, look into them all, and I'm sure we'll have good direction coming to the Chase.'

Related posts:

1. NASCAR ' Biffle Holds the Points Lead and Takes The Pole Heading Into Bristol
2. NASCAR ' Stewart Makes it 2 For 2 in Championship Chase and Takes the Points Lead in the Standings
3. NASCAR ' Edwards Takes Vegas, Stewart Has a Late Race Pit Stumble But Ties For First in Points Lead
4. NASCAR ' Kahne Takes The Checkered Flag in Charlotte For His First Win in the #5
5. NASCAR- Greg Biffle Takes the Pole And Feels Like He Can Win It