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1975 Corvette

2009-12-03T00:30:58Z

By Vern Parker

Long before Guy Hahs became a Sergeant Major in the U. S. Army he was bitten by the Corvette bug.

He recalls seeing his first Corvette as a pre-teenager in Stuttgart, Ark., as he cut through an alleyway on his way home from school. The car he saw was a second generation Corvette that had seen better days but it captured the attention of the 12 year old.

By 1990 Hahs took action and began searching for a vintage Corvette. After a couple of years he found a sad-looking 1975 Corvette coupe in Little Rock, Ark., in the spring of 1992. “It was next to a basket case,” Hahs says, “and it had been bubbasized.” Even so, Hahs bought the derelict because the price was right.

As the Army is wont to do Hahs was transferred to Maryland in 1993. He left his Corvette in Arkansas and sure enough he was reassigned to Arkansas in 1994.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

2009-12-03T00:24:35Z

By Nick Yost

If an automaker wants to build a successful sports car or sporty coupe, there are three important targets to hit – price, performance and presence.

The Genesis Coupe, latest entry in the upwardly mobile product portfolio of South Korean manufacturer Hyundai, pretty much scores a bull’s eye in each category.

The pricing starts at $22,750 for a generously equipped coupe powered by a turbocharged 210-horsepower, four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

2010 Mazda Miata

2009-11-16T18:48:40Z

By Nick Yost

Oh, how often it is that we enthusiasts rue the passing of so many simple driving pleasures.

Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that there is no reset button on the calendar that lets us erase our travel through time as if it were nothing more than miles accumulated on our car’s trip odometer

There is, however, a way for those of us hard-wired to the automotive adventure to slip back through the years and recapture, at least briefly, the simple joy of hopping into the car and taking a spin just for the fun of it.

Our time-travel ticket is the Miata. A light and lively two-seat roadster that Japanese manufacturer Mazda has been building for the last 20 years. It combines superb driving dynamics with the tactile pleasure of top-down motoring.

2010 Nissan Armada Platinum Edition

2009-11-06T17:19:42Z

By Ted Orme

There’s a little “bad boy” in most car nuts, even those of us drawing Social Security. And in this era of economic recession and environmental correctness, what could be badder than spending a surf-fishing vacation in a monster SUV that costs more than my first house, tips the scales just shy of three tons, and is powered by a 317 horsepower V-8 that leaves a heavy carbon footprint? That’s the top-of-the-line Nissan Armada Platinum Edition 4, and like most sinful extravagances, it was wonderful.

No, I wouldn’t recommend this beast as a single driver commuter vehicle that you can’t stuff into many underground urban parking lots. But as a versatile, ultra-luxurious, feature laden people and cargo hauler, top rated tow vehicle and adventure ready off-roader, the aptly named Armada is tough to beat..

1973 MERCURY COUGAR

2009-11-05T15:44:50Z

By Vern Parker

Jerry Laski hasn't always owned his 1973 Mercury Cougar XR7 convertible . His first new car was a 1971 Ford Torino GT but after that car was totaled in November 1983 he began looking for a replacement.

After months of searching for a suitable replacement Laski saw a newspaper ad offering the Mercury for sale. “I drove to Great Falls, Va., to inspect the Cougar,” Laski says. His attention was captured by the Gold Glamour Poly-colored stylish convertible with white leather interior.

Original documents with the well-equipped car indicate that it was ordered with options including a 351 Cobra Jet engine, a C6 automatic transmission, Traction-lok differential, power steering, power seat, air conditioner, AM/FM radio, body side molding, intermittent windshield wipers, appearance protection group, color keyed racing mirrors, tinted glass and power side windows.

2010 Porsche Panamera

2009-11-05T15:34:32Z

By Brian Armstead, Autosense

When I first saw press pictures of the all-new Porsche Panamera, I thought: "it looks like a giant roach." Recently I had a chance to see it up close. What a difference in person! Not only does it not look like a roach, it's absolutely stunning in person.

The Panamera is the first ever sedan (technically a four-door harchback) from Porsche, and their marketing tag line for the car is "Four, uncompromised." It is a true Porsche in every detail, and should have no trouble swaying even the most diehard 911 owner to at least test drive one.

Porsche has not always been successful in straying away from the "pure," rear-engine layout that made the 911 a legend. The 924 was tagged a VW in disguise and the 944/968 and 928 were blasphemed for having water cooled, front engine layouts. Boxster and Cayman arrived with true Porsche DNA, and the Cayenne literally saved the company. With that trio, the so-called mistakes of the past had been corrected. And now, a Porsche sedan.

2010 Nissan Versa

2009-10-03T04:16:48Z

By Nick Yost

Examiner Auto Writer

Okay, It’s not exactly what you’d call a looker. If it were a teen-ager, you might conclude that the Nissan Versa hatchback is at the awkward age, suddenly tall but not quite filled out in all the right places.

But don’t be deceived by its appearance. This competitor to the subcompact Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit has qualities that make it a lot more car than its outer appearance might suggest.

That seemingly tall exterior pays big dividends inside the cabin. Four adults of almost any size will fit comfortably, more comfortably than they would in a lot of cars that are significantly bigger.

2009 Car Show Results

2009-10-03T04:09:33Z

By Vern Parker

Thanks to several generous sponsors the Street Dreams invitational antique car show was a successful free event on September 6, the Sunday before Labor Day.

A total of 90 spectacular old vehicles ranging from a 1911 Chase owned by Douglas Tomb to a 1984 Oldsmobile owned by Chad Coombs were on display for the enjoyment of the many spectators at the Spring Hill Recreation Center in McLean, Va.Antiques from France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Japan were represented as well as American cars.

1966 Plymouth Fury III

2009-10-03T03:48:09Z

By Vern Parker

For 17 long years Joseph Friedl's father drove a 1937 Plymouth. While reliable it was showing signs of aging in the post-war years. It was at that period of his life that young Friedl swore off Chrysler products forever.

But that was then and this is now. After attending the 50^th reunion of his high school class in Athens, W.Va., he began thinking about getting an antique car.

He was interested in finding a car large enough to haul five grandchildren around in, he says. Additionally, he wanted a car that was ready to drive. “I was not looking for a big project,” he says.

1974 Lamborghini Espada

2009-09-03T16:10:02Z

By Vern Parker

Marc Trahan was only 14 years old when his parents took him on a trip to Canada. There was no shortage of things to do and sights to see when visiting Montreal but he discovered something not listed in the guide books for tourists.

On the floor of an indoor automobile showroom was a red Lamborghini. He could not take his eyes off the sleek Italian car. “It left a strong impression,” he now recalls four decades later.

Over the years Lamborghini has manufactured various models. For ten years the Espada model was produced. From 1968 to 1978 a total of 1,217 Espadas were built.