Although there’s a myriad of good reasons to avoid a V12 engine when buying a luxury barge, let’s face it — you want all twelve cylinders. Thanks to the way internal combustion works, they have a silky-smoothness that just can’t be matched by smaller power plants. However, because of the price premium they command, combined with the recent importance of fuel efficiency, the V12’s popularity has been dwindling. As a result, BMW says they’re not certain the next-generation 7-Series will have a 12-cylinder option.
What’s the greatest motorsports livery ever raced?
Those of you who follow motorsports will probably agree with me that racecar livery is quite important. No, not important in the go-fast sense, but rather by making the car stand out. Many liveries have even become iconic over the years, such as the John Player Special colours from Lotus’ Formula 1 team, or the Martini Racing warpaint featured on all sorts of cars over the years. So, that got me thinking: what’s your favourite racing livery?
Cadillac reportedly axing the CTS wagon
Gentlemen and ladies, a moment of silence, please, for yet another excellent wagon. If a report by Car and Driver is to be believed, then Cadillac is reportedly scrapping the CTS wagon when the next-generation model comes around — including the 556 horsepower, rear-wheel-drive CTS-V Sport Wagon.
The trickle-down effect: What expensive technology do you want to see go mainstream in the future?
Cruise control, anti-lock brakes, traction control – these are all examples of technologies that started life in high-end cars commanding more money than the majority of us could afford. But nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find a car that doesn’t come with them all. The same is likely to happen with many technologies that are currently out of our reach. But which one of these technologies would you most like to see trickle down to cheap cars in the future?
Traffic congestion: What on earth are we going to do about it?
If you live anywhere near a major city, chances are not a day goes by without being stuck in a traffic jam of some sort. That’s certainly the case for me here in Toronto, which has been rated among the most congested cities in North America on an alarming number of occasions lately. And traffic congestion is bad for quite nearly everyone – it causes more pollution, lower fuel economy, longer travel times and increased stress. So clearly we’re in need of a solution, but what’s it going to be?
Automakers respond to my pleas, roll out lots of diesel goodness at LA Auto Show [UPDATE]
Just last week I wrote my plea for more diesel cars here in North America. If you haven’t read it, to make a long story short, diesel is awesome and we don’t have enough in North America. But it seems the automakers have been listening! The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show has barely kicked off, and already there are three manufacturers planning to bring new diesel cars to this side of the pond. Let’s have a look at them.
UPDATE: We have official confirmation of the Mazda6 diesel, scroll down to the original information for more details.
AOL Autos announces 2012 Technology of the Year finalists – here’s my pick
Awards can be pretty important in the automotive world. Give an automaker an award and they’ll bang on about it for a pretty long while, before hopefully moving on to another one. And in this day and age, what more appropriate award than Technology of the Year? AOL Autos has just such an award, and is asking for people to vote on it from their list of finalists. Here’s what I voted for.
Power to the People! Ford bringing another hot hatch to North America, the Fiesta ST
Hot hatches have long been a European treat, which we as North Americans rarely get to experience. But the fantastic folks at Ford were looking to change that when they brought out the latest Focus ST. And now they’re ready to give us another peppy hatchback: the 197-horsepower Fiesta ST.
Sebastian Vettel takes his 3rd consecutive driver’s championship at Brazilian GP
The 2012 Formula 1 season has been an absolutely phenomenal one, with some very close racing. Because of just how close things were, the driver’s championship came down to the last race today, the Brazilian GP. It was between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. But after all was said and done, Vettel managed to clinch his third consecutive championship. Congratulations!
If you could only own one car your whole life, what would it be?
Part of the beauty of the automotive industry is undeniably variety. Cars of all sorts have been produced over the years – daily drivers, weekend toys, workhorses, and a wide range of others. But if you could only have one car for your whole life, what would you choose?