New Cars 2010/2011: Acura ZDX

When Acura launched in 1986 as Honda's upmarket division, it beat soon-to-be rivals from Nissan and Toyota; Lexus and Infiniti bowed in 1989 and 1990 respectively. In the 1990s, Acura had a good reputation for building quality, nice, ordinary looking upscale vehicles for people who were too sophisticated for an Accord or Civic. Cars like the "bargain Ferrari" NSX, the TL, and the RL all helped build a solid reputation that would hold through the decade. That reputation held up fine until the demise of the brand's only remaining "youthful car", the RSX, in 2007. Then 2008 rolled around, and the question arose: What happened to the Acura the automotive industry knew and loved?
For one, the smooth, grown-up looks had been replaced with garish and "techonolgy influenced" designs; vehicles that made the public turn their heads in horror instead of amazement. Instead of praising the svelte styling of cars like the once-decent TL and rather good looking TSX, the motoring world was left shaking their heads in disbelief. And Acura's new crossover is no different.
Onlookers are greeted with a profile that resembles a BMW X6 drawn by a four year old, complete with ungodly low rear roofline, and hidden rear door handles. Are Nissan Pathfinder rear handles supposed to be cool or something? Oh wait, they're "unique". That very word can also be used to describe the unsightly front "grille" which is nothing more than a aluminum look shield bearing the Acura logo. Clever, eh?
If you're ever stuck behind one of these turd in traffic, you'll know it instantly. Not only will you be graced with 'ZDX" and "Acura" badging, you'll also be fortunate enough to realize that whoever is Piloting this rolling blasphemous turd cannot see you behind them. But.. but it's trendy to have a high backlight and low visibility. Yeah, trendy enough til the ZDX's driver backs into your car because he or she didn't opt for the rearview camera.
Oh what $60k large buys someone these days. I blame the BMW X6 for starting all this coupe-SUV crap, and until someone takes the hint that sedans are not supposed to be SUVS (aside from Subaru, but that's a different story), the roads will be filled with ZDXs and their clones. Thankfully, even in yuppietown, MN, people are smart enough to realize these turds are not cool. Beside this lone brown one (appropriate color, no?) I don't think I've seen very many.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevy Monte Carlo Z34 "Brickyard 400 Pace Car"

Yeah, I know. A bland, modern, GM. It's not really that interesting right? What if I told you there were only 400 of these built as replicas? And of those 400, less than half survive today.
In mid 1994, Chevy introduced its replacement for the semi-aging Lumina coupe, called the Monte Carlo. Unlike the Lumina it replaced, the Monte Carlo promised a more luxurious feel, and a sense of upscale motoring under the Chevy brand. Like the Lumina, the Monte Carlo would do battle on NASCAR circuits around the US. So, to promote this fact, GM designed another vehicle to add to their ever-growing Pace Car stable.
Finished in a generic white that is believed to be the most common color, these cars had decals added to them at the factory. Under the graphics, though, the stock Monte Carlo Z34 remains untouched. Leather, floor shifter, 16" wheels, and a 3.4L V6. Okay, so it isn't really all that special mechanically or otherwise, aside from the graphics. What is pretty remarkable that not only is this example is a) still living, especially considering the rust-hell that we call winter every year, and b) rust free. I cannot tell you how many W-bodies (Monte Carlo, Lumina, Regal, Cutlass Supreme, etc) I see slathered in rust and peeling paint. To see one that looks showroom fresh is simply a miracle. The fact that it's a rare piece probably helps a bit, too, ya think?
While the current owner babies it to no end (I see it parked under a carport where it lives sometimes), I worried about what the owners' son will do. He has a Bonneville of similar vintage on 22s or 24s, and unsurprisingly, stock white, peeling paint. I just hope he doesn't acquire this car after his dad passes. I'd love to see this particular W body end up either in a museum, or in the hands of a collector who will appreciate it for what its worth, FWD or not.

Minnepaolis Street Sighting: Chevy Corvette Stingray

This Corvette Stingray is a special post for me; no, not because it represents x number of posts, nor is it in uber-fantastic condition, but still drivable. It's my first Corvette shoot-ever. Kind of odd, really, considering the number of 'vettes modern and otherwise I see driving around.
Like most of my shootings, this classic Stingray was seemingly abandoned until the day after I shot it. Since these photos were taken, I haven't seen it a single time. Maybe it got restored, maybe it didn't. All I know is that it isn't collecting dust under a tree anymore.
With this Stingray, I can't really assess paint condition, since most of it was buried under a thick layer of dust, grime and tree sap. Beneath all of mother nature's wrongdoings, the paint color looks like it would be extremely gorgeous when cleaned up. I will say that the chrome appears to be in decent shape though. That alone makes me wonder how long it had been sitting before I first noticed it in March. I didn't get a great look at the interior, and since a few people were approaching me, I didn't step in for a closer look. I should have, though; I'm wondering whether this car is a 4 spd or auto; either way it's extremely fast with the 454, even with "only" 425 horses, which is likely an underestimation.
As a car nut, I hope I see this thing returned to its former glory, and for all I know, it might just need a good afternoon with a claybar and extensive amounts of automotive cleaners. Who knows, perhaps the owner is getting ready to so over the winter. One can only hope, right?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Eldorado

Over all the blogs and shootings I've done, for the most part, classic Cadillacs seem to elude me. Either I see them too late to shoot, or they're in unblogworthy examples. In some extreme cases, both conditions apply. That's not the case with this sweet Eldorado, though.
I've been car-stalking this thing for since the beginning of May, and just recently I caught up with outside an upholstery shop on the west side of the city. No doubt it won't stay stock for long, if the vehicles inside the shop were anything to go by, so I shot it for memories' sake.
The paint on this thing was in great shape, showing no wear and tear; nary a rock chip even. Blue on the outside, white on the inside, I bet it's gonna get some ice cream paint job. Blech. It looks great as is. Despite the guy's crap taste in music, he seems to keep the car in pretty good shape. Interior, too, is relatively stock save for the crummy-ass Grant steering wheel. What was wrong with the original wheel? Not tight enough dogg? It seems to be in great shape mechanically, too, which is a shock, considering I've seen this thing driving hard, bobbing over speed bumps, and peeling out (yes, it's FWD.)
To be honest, though, this generation of Eldorado is far from my favorite-- perhaps it's my least favorite. Everything works design-wise except for those taillights. Although I can't fault Cadillac alone for this styling blunder. 1969 (which I think this is) was a lame year for GM in general. While some of their cars looked good, others were merely so-so styling-wise; Camaro, Chevelle, Cutlass, Firebird, LeMans, Malibu, and a few others I can't think of. I much prefer the 1971-1972 cars from GM as a whole. Slightly chunkier styling on heavy cars works. Maybe that's what I prefer the Challenger to the Camaro. But I won't go into that. I'll just let this Eldorado be enjoyed in its former glory, and save my Camaro bashing for another time.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: VW Beetle convertible

Some vehicles have a stereotypical "vibe" to them. The Ford Mustang is the iconic ponycar, the Corvette the iconic sports car, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are iconic economy cars, and the Beetle, well, that gained a cult following for a variety of reasons. Hippies loved them for the cuteness, hot-rodders loved them because they were cheap and RWD and good alternate "hot rod", VW fans loved them because they brought "cheap speed" to the masses. In all, the Beetle is one of very few cars that has a wide spectrum of fans. So why is it that so few good classic examples are seen today? Rust problems plagued the Beetle from the start, and then there's the whole "Hitler" issue, which I won't delve into.
The example featured above is a much later car, evidenced by the ugly, Brazilian built interior and those ungodly wheels that resemble a really bad trailer wheel pattern. As the classic Beetle aged, attempts to keep it modern were relatively futile. Sure, you had the ever changing array of funky colors, but the wheel choices got worse as worse, as did the interior.
As the 1960s wore on, new safety standards emerged, meaning changes for some of Beetles most distinguishing features. The turn signals got bigger and bigger, as did the taillights, not to mention the bumper. For me, this is the worst Beetle generation I can think of. Everything that made the 1949-1964 cars awesome was all but gone by 1973. The slim, chrome bumpers were replaced with heavy, ungainly units, the wheels had been restyled and now resembled low-rent trailer or lawnmower units. Even worse still, the addition of new cues, and new script. An attempt to make the legendary little vehicle modern destroyed it in my book. VW knew it couldn't keep ruining a legend, and in 1979, finally killed the "classic Beetle".
From 1979 onward till 2006, the Beetle stayed alive south of the border, as did its stablemate, the VW T2 and T3 van, or VW Bus as its commonly referred to as. Gaining new features since 1980, like catalytic converters, and (gasp!) finally, an airbag. In 1996, VW Mexico did away with one of the car's most recognizable styling cues. Chrome bumpers. I've never seen a "new" classic Beetle, but my guess is that it looks downright awful compared to pre-1964 cars.
While I despise this generation of VW Beetle, I do admit that this one is good shape. The paint is a great color, and is in awesome shape, save for a dent in the front fender. Again, even though I hatehatehate those wheels, they're in decent shape, and have not (surprisingly) rusted through yet. Even that terrible interior seemed to survive the elements. Well, it was living in California for most its life. Maybe that explains it. Is it bad I almost want this one to rust away? I loathe this generation, and will forever do so. Give me a 1961 instead, thanks.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Mustang

Throughout this whole journey, I've featured nary a first generation Mustang, and with good reason. While the 1971-1973 cars are first generation Mustangs by technicality, they certainly look quite different than their earlier siblings. Like most "common" classics, a good number of the first generation Mustangs I see are usually sporting modern wheels, matte paint, and have various tasteless body mods done to them; seeing a pretty stock example is a treat to the eye.
Unlike most classics I blog up here, the paint and trim on this vehicle looks pretty immaculate; no bondo, no misalignment, and certainly no bubbles peering through the paint. The same story goes for the wheels, which I am thankful for. I am one of the few that seems to appreciate stock wheels on vintage Mustangs. Not that Torq Thrust, or Bullitt style wheels look bad, per se, but it seems like every "modded" classic Mustang, first gen or otherwise, has the same wheels. It's quite refreshing (and quite better looking) to see an old pony still using stock fare.
The interior, too, was in excellent shape. Hard to believe this example is more than forty now. Interiors of the 1960s to about mid 1970s have this certain "timeless" appeal to them; they looked good when new, and look relatively modern today. While the non-airbagged steering wheel, and possible lack of seatbelts wouldn't meet today's requirements, I can see where the idea for the new Mustang's interior came from. Still, though, I'd like to see more "retro" interiors in cars without making it gaudy (attention Chevrolet Camaro.)
I can only hope this example stays clean, and undonked/gangstered/thugged/whatever. As a car enthusiast, I am hurt by the lack of classic, unmolested classic cars now. It is my believe that over 50% of the classic cars on the road today are in the hands of "ballers" who have no idea about the history of "the whip". I'm glad the homies don't like the Mustang, and it makes me happy to see a stock looking non-generic color still on the road today. Let this little pony live another forty years. I know it can do it!

New Cars 2010/2011: Mazda 2

Like it's sister car, the Ford Fiesta, I have been anticipating the Mazda 2 for well over a year. In fact, I checked Laird Noller's site almost every day of the week to see when they were coming in. The minute I saw one pop up, I had to go down to check it out.
As with the Fiesta, the example Laird Noller had on display wasn't the greatest; it wasn't even midgrade. This model, with hubcaps, and cheapo tires was exactly that-- the basest model Mazda offers. Oh but it has an automatic transmission. Despite that niggle, I''m still quite fond of the little guy. I have a Matchbox or five of Mazda 2.
On the internet, I've searched and searched for pictures of the 2, and despite all my picture findings, this is one of the few cars that surprised me in person. It really does look like its smiling at you, and not with the silly grin on the 3 either; the 2 looks happy to see its owners. You could say it looks happy to be in US, even.
I didn't get a chance to check out the interior, but I am saddened that no leather is offered at all. It does have the obvious power amenities, though, which is nice. Even without the leather, the 2s interior is well thought out for a car of this class. And look, the gauges are in the proper position!
While I have only seen the base model so far, I have quite high hopes for this cute little bugger. I only hope the Fies2wins do as well over here as they have done in Europe. Bring on the small cars, and fill our roads with these instead of Expeditions, please. :)