Meanwhile, at the Boeing 787 Dreamliner owner's forum...

Lotus has to be careful where it spends its money. It probably developed an engine management program for the older GR engine that just can't be used on the newer direct-injection engines. I always felt like Lotus and Mazda should get together. A rotary Evora would be cool, as would a SkyActiv Elise successor. Mazda,…

This is the same basic engine Renault used in its Alpine cars. They were turbocharged by the factory to nearly 200 horses in 2.5 liter form and 250 in 3 liter form. Definitely an appropriate upgrade.

I like the X1. It works. This does not. It's hideous. For example of how to design a compact fastback 5-door, see the Saab NG900/9-3. A deeply flawed car, sure, but it remains attractive and relatively timeless, and embodies almost everything BMW is trying access at this end of the market, right down to the…

Only the French would invent something with all of the good stuff:

The Willems weren't the only people to cross the Congo in the last 20 years. J. Michael Fay traversed 2,000 miles of the Congo Basin in his 1999 MegaTransect. Of course, he was on foot, so it took more than year.

U.S. racing colors (Cunningham stripes). He's clearly making fun of 'Muricans again.

Ugh. Can't believe I actually thought about buying one of these hideous turds. Still looking for a low-mileage 5-door Viggen...it might exist.

The IOC specifically bans motorization, and for good reason. The whole question of whether auto racing is "athletic" enough for the Olympics is one the IOC would logically lose, given that a number of Olympics events are based more on skill and coordination than speed, strength, or endurance. Table tennis or sailing,…

If you think the Mexican VWs are bad, try one assembled in Westmoreland, PA. The most reliable VW I've ever had, and I've had a bunch, was a Fox built in Brazil. Fairly bad to drive, fairly indestructible. I think the whole "built in Germany" legend is overrated. Sure, they generally built the engines well, but they…

Unless they come with some sort of warranty, I wouldn't buy one unless it's 50% off. I recently toyed with the purchase of a new 6MT 9-3 in black with 2.0T and most options. It was the last manual Saab on the lot. The price? Under $21K, and this was at a dealership offering a warranty. The original MSRP was more than…

Is that really the interior of an Infiniti? I thought it was a luxury brand.

Audi has an original Type C in its Ingolstadt museum. But that's it, unless you count their Type C/D hillclimber as well. No Type As or Bs remain.

You must be joking. Really? I always felt the BMW Bauer conversions were hideous as well.

Agreed. A V6 for cars doesn't get much bigger than this (4.3 Vortec?). In their trucks, GM did build a 7.8. That's pretty big. For a tiny V6, see Mazda's 1.8.

Subarus are not without their problems. Personal experience with an Outback Sport and a bottom end replaced after 40k miles of gentle driving.

Ah, there it is. But the emphasis is on high-tensile-strength steel. Nothing about a new engine. If they incorporate the whole "suite" of SkyActiv tech, then great.

No discussion of fuel economy? The rumored 1.3 turbo? The Miata isn't terrible, but with 28mpg highway on premium fuel, it could do a lot better for its 167 horses. A new 911 gets better highway miles. If Mazda isn't able to somehow get some SkyActiv tech in the Miata, or refine a small turbo engine, they could run…

I agree with all of this, except #3. BMW only sold about 13,000 Z4 coupes, and each one was about $4-5K *more* over base price than a similar Z4 convertible. Mazda can't get away with a premium like that, especially when they already have a convertible hardtop that gets the attention of cold weather drivers. Besides,…

Good choice, even with the steep premium. Hyundai's getting a decent amount of power out of a 1.6, but the car's way too heavy for it to be enjoyable. And forget about getting 36 mpg if you have to flog it all day just to get around.