Buick Looking Into The Future

 

Buick has made some great accomplishments in the past few years, that includes the refreshed 2014 Regal. Which starts out at $31,560, and packs the standard 259-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine—an upgrade over the previous and optional original engines—paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Some luxuries you can opted for are a remote start, dual-zone climate system, heated front seats, a sunroof and 18-inch wheels.

But Buick is thinking of another way outside of their usual luxury options and stylish looks draw in customers. The 2013 Encore was an awesome crossover for Buick, but it did lack one feature, that is power. 138 hp just was not enough for a bigger vehicle like the Encore, but its overseas cousin, the Opel Mokka, which was recently introduced with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (with both gas and diesel variants) could find its way into Buicks line-up.

The Buick Verano, a close relative of the Chevy Cruz, could also be a good candidate for a diesel motor coming up in 2014. Either way, a more powerful diesel motor with good gas mileage could be just the attribute that Buick needs to separate itself from companies like Cadillac, Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, etc. -- and bring in new customers.

Corvette Stingray: 2014 Automobile of the Year

If you know cars or at least pay attention to the news once in a while, you know that Corvette brought back one of their most successful cars of all time, the Stingray. The Corvette made a huge media splash at the North American Auto Show in Detroit this year. And the buzz that it created has been following it around every since.


The buzz was so great that the car is now named the Automobile of the Year. This is not a step in the right direction for General Motors, but more of a path in the right direction that they have been going down all this year.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Cadillac CTS was named the Motor Trend car of the year. With GM's redesigned trucks and newly redesigned cars, GM has enjoyed some much needed success for 2013 and going into 2014.

Back to the Corvette; the completely redesigned Corvette has been able to impress consumers with the new stylish outside and inside. The aggressive curves give the car more of a super car look and the interior is said to be more of a durable high quality lay out.

Drive-ability is much more tighter and more fun to drive thanks to a more sophisticated suspension, and acceleration is nothing short of spectacular.  I have seen claims of 1/4 mile times of 11.9 sec, but times more around 12.4 sec is probably more likely, and with a 185 mph (est.) top speed, there is a whole lot of fun that can be had here.

But power, styling, drive-ability, etc., is not the only reason why the Stingray found its way to being named the Automobile of the Year. Impressive gas mileage due to a cylinder deactivation system is also part of the Corvettes success. Not only can this car move out when the gas paddle is hammered on the floor, but it can also provide the driver with an extremely comfortable driving experiences at low rpm's for everyday driving while saving gas (fuel economy: cty//hwy 17/29 mpg.). 

Specs and Stats

Powertrain	6.2L V8 DI engine RWD
Standard Engine	Gas V8
Displacement (liters/cu. in.)	6.2L/376
7-speed manual transmission	Standard
6-speed Paddle Shift automatic transmission	Available
Horsepower @ RPM	455 @ 6000
Horsepower (with performance exhaust)	460
Torque @ RPM	460 @ 4600
Fuel Injection	Direct Injection
Drivetrain	Rear Wheel Drive
Axle Ratio	3.42
Steering/Suspension	6.2L V8 DI engine RWD
Front Suspension	Short/Long Arm
Rear Suspension	Short/Long Arm
Brakes	6.2L V8 DI engine RWD
4-Wheel Disc Brakes	Yes
Brake/ABS System	4-Wheel

"American Graffiti": The Best Car Cruising Movie Ever

This movie emulates a great time in car history. 

Cruising, Racing, Music -- great cars that ended up becoming some of the most wanted cars by American car collectors today. "Wolfman Jack" has his part in the movie, along with many other actors that went on to have well-rounded acting careers. The movie takes place in a more light-hearted time. 

I was much to young to remember that time, but me and a lot of other car guys did have a place to cruise right outside of Detroit -- on Telegraph rd. Unfortunately, the fun of that was short-lived. The fun it created on Fri. and Sat. night probably went on for quite a long time before I got my first cruiser, '71 Skylark (455). The fun died out when younger kids were starting to drive their Mommy and Daddy's funded Rice Burners around. The movie "Fast and the Furious" just came out (a poor representation of the drag race world) and everyone who had a wing on the back of their Honda Civic thought they could fly. 

Drunk Driving, illegal racing for money, car accidents, crotch rocket motorcycles too fast for their own good etc. etc. left authorities no choice but to police the situation.

Even the days of having fun at the world-famous "Woodward Dream Cruise" has became a thing of the past. Miles and miles of traffic that moves about 3 mph when it's not totally stopped, the street is flooded with 90% of the cars being the same cars you see on your way back-and-forth to work everyday and advertisements is the main reason for the event. 

Unfortunately, the last time I was at the cruise spot, I was arrested, along with 250 other people who all received tickets for loitering. My Camaro was towed to a place down in Detroit, and that cost me a lot to get out. The only fun thing about that night was when it came time for all 250 pissed off people to show up in court, I believe authorities may have thought, maybe this was not such a good ideal.

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Cadillac CTS: Motor Trend's 2014 Car of the Year

With great safety ratings and inside and out styling, this Cadillac deserves the crown.

	2014 Cadillac CTS4 2.0T	2014 Cadillac CTS 3.6	2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport
BASE PRICE	$46,025	$54,625	$59,995
PRICE AS TESTED	$65,345	$67,470	$60,095
POWER (SAE NET)	272 hp @ 5500 rpm	321 hp @ 6800 rpm*	420 hp @ 5750 rpm*
TORQUE (SAE NET)	295 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm	275 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm*	430 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm*
ACCEL 0-60, MPH	6.0 sec	6.3 sec	4.4 sec
QUARTER MILE	14.5 sec @ 93.5 mph	14.7 sec @ 96.7 mph	12.8 sec @ 111.9 mph
BRAKING 60-0, MPH	115 ft	111 ft	98 ft
LATERAL ACCEL	0.81 g (avg)	0.85 g (avg)	0.94 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	26.8 sec @ 0.65 g (avg)	26.7 sec @ 0.66 g (avg)	24.7 sec @ 0.78 g (avg)
EPA ECON (CITY/HWY)	19/28 mpg	18/29 mpg	17/25 mpg
REAL MPG (CITY/HWY)	20/30 mpg	18/32 mpg	20/27 mpg
*SAE certified

	2014 Cadillac CTS4 2.0T	2014 Cadillac CTS 3.6	2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT	Front engine, AWD	Front engine, RWD	Front engine, RWD
ENGINE TYPE	Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head	60-deg V-6, alum block/heads	Twin-turbo 60-deg V-6, alum block/heads
VALVETRAIN	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT	121.9 cu in/1998 cc	217.5 cu in/3564 cc	217.5 cu in/3564 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO	9.5:1	11.5:1	10.2:1
REDLINE	6500 rpm	7000 rpm	6500 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER	14.3 lb/hp	12.0 lb/hp	9.4 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION	6-speed auto	8-speed auto	8-speed auto
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO	3.27:1/2.19:1	2.85:1/1.97:1	2.85:1/1.97:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR	Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar	Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar	Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO	16.2:1	16.5:1	15.4:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK	2.8	2.5	2.5
BRAKES, F;R	13.6-in vented disc; 12.4-in vented disc, ABS	13.6-in vented disc; 12.4-in vented disc, ABS	13.6-in vented disc; 12.4-in vented disc, ABS
WHEELS	8.5 x 18-in, cast alum	8.5 x 19-in, cast alum	8.5 x 18-in, cast alum (Vspt fr), 9.5 x 18-in, cast alum (Vspt rr)
TIRES	245/40R18 93V M+S Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season	255/35R19 96V M+S Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season	245/40R18 93Y (fr), 275/35R18 95Y (rr) Pirelli P Zero
DIMENSIONS
TURNING CIRCLE	39.0 ft	36.7 ft	36.7 ft
SEATING CAPACITY	5	5	5
HEADROOM, F/R	39.2/37.5 in	39.2/37.5 in	39.2/37.5 in
LEGROOM, F/R	42.6/35.4 in	42.6/35.4 in	42.6/35.4 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R	56.9/54.8 in	56.9/54.8 in	56.9/54.8 in
CARGO VOLUME	13.7 cu ft	13.7 cu ft	13.7 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30	1.6 sec	2.3 sec	1.6 sec
0-40	2.8	3.4	2.4
0-50	4.3	4.8	3.4
0-60	6	6.3	4.4
0-70	8.2	8.3	5.6
0-80	10.5	10.4	6.9
0-90	13.2	12.8	8.5
0-100	16.9	15.8	10.3
PASSING, 45-65 MPH	3.5	3.1	2.1
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH	1800 rpm	1500 rpm	1500 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL	Yes/yes	Yes/yes	Yes/yes
AIRBAGS	Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee	Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee	Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee
BASIC WARRANTY	4 yrs/50,000 mi	4 yrs/50,000 mi	4 yrs/50,000 mi
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY	6 yrs/70,000 mi	6 yrs/70,000 mi	6 yrs/70,000 mi
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE	6 yrs/70,000 mi	6 yrs/70,000 mi	6 yrs/70,000 mi
FUEL CAPACITY	19.0 gal	19.0 gal	19.0 gal
RECOMMENDED FUEL	Unleaded premium	Unleaded regular	Unleaded premium

The Stats speak for themselves.

It's a car that can give you luxury and sportiness in one show.

Motor Trend makes a good choice.