Notes From The Driveway
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I got into this business in late 2001. At the time, I couldn't wait to drive the Jaguar XK. It was a beautiful swoopy coupe that looked, for the lack of a better word, special. Then I got into it, and it didn't feel special. It felt like any other Jaguar sedan of the day--not too sporty, with an upright seating position and nice but not top-notch interior materials. It certainly wasn't a sports car. It was a grand tourer, and really more of a boulevard cruiser. Jaguar continued along that path for about a decade, but then a couple years ago this quintessentially British brand took a sporty...
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Notes From The Driveway: 2016 Mazda MX-5 MiataIt was only a month ago that I drove the fourth-generation (ND) Mazda Miata on the canyon roads of Southern California and wrote a First Drive review for Motor Authority. In that review I concluded that the Miata is an absolutely fabulous car with plenty of power, brilliant handling, and a ride...
Kirk Bell -
Notes From The Driveway: 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider
I was lucky enough to go on the media drive programs for both the Alfa Romeo 4C and the 4C Spider. Held at Sonoma Raceway and Laguna Seca, respectively, my time in both versions of Alfa Romeo's pocket supercar was pure, unadulterated fun. ALSO SEE: 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe: 2015 Frankfurt...
Kirk Bell -
Notes From The Driveway: 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S
It's not very often that something as special as the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S comes rolling into my driveway, so I was excited to spend the last week piloting Mercedes' new Porsche 911 fighter. Prior to my test drive, I had only been behind the wheel for one glorious lap of the Road America road...
Kirk Bell -
Notes From The Driveway: 2016 Volvo XC90
My colleague Bengt Halvorson calls the 2016 Volvo XC90 one of the most important production introductions of the year. Let me clarify that for you. To the industry, the second-generation XC90 is just another luxury three-row crossover SUV. But to Volvo, it's the vehicle that could make or break its...
Kirk Bell -
Notes From The Driveway: 2015 Chevrolet SS
Brought to you by the good folks at Chevrolet, this week's ride has been a 2015 Chevrolet SS. Chevrolet delivered the car so I could make the 600-mile roundtrip from Chicago to Cincinnati to attend the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Full disclosure: In addition to the car, Chevy also gave me...
Kirk Bell -
Sometimes good fortune smiles upon you. That's what happened to me this Fourth of July weekend, as I found a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette parked in the driveway. Outfitted with the Z51 suspension, the Magnetic Ride Control dampers, and an eight-speed automatic transmission, among a host of other goodies, the car's sticker price was a cool $72,550. CHECK OUT: Mid-Engined Chevrolet Corvette Spied; Is It The Zora? Driving a car on Chicago city streets and on I-94 between ChiTown and Milwaukee gives one a different perspective than is possible on press preview test drives. While those events are run...
