Images: Author

Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say “Godzilla?”

For most it is the star of childhood monster movies that feature horrible voice-dubbing. For the true auto enthusiast it means one thing – Nissan GT-R.

I took delivery of a 2012 GT-R for Super Bowl weekend and despite a few little things, this is one SUPER car.

GT-R is the North American version of the Skyline GT-R, Nissan’s answer to the likes of Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and ZR-1.

The 2012 model GT-R generates a modest 530 horsepower and… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

This is not the car I was driving when I won my title

How did you  spend your Saturday?

I spent it behind the wheel of a 2013 Lexus GS 350 F, ultimately winning the title of “Fastest Woman in Vegas” while driving on a closed course at Las Vegas Speedway. The GS350 really impressed me because it was the best of both words — fast and sleek like a sports car, but large enough for a family and totally decked out.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Kev and I are headed to Las Vegas to spend a day at the Motor Speedway and watch the superbowl, where Lexus will run their first-ever Super Bowl commercial for the 2013 Lexus GS, called “The Beast”.

The :30 second commercial features the all-new 2013 GS as it breaks free from containment, illustrating the company’s move in a new design direction for the brand. The spot also hints at the additional new vehicles Lexus will unveil later in the year, which are waiting in the wings for their turn to burst onto the scene.

“The all-new Lexus GS is showcased in this ad because it’s the first model to feature the new look of Lexus and it’s also the first of nine new or updated models we’ll launch this year,” said Brian Smith, Lexus vice president of marketing. “This spot looks very different than anything Lexus has done before and demonstrates to the 50-million-strong Super Bowl audience that 2012 will be a breakthrough year for Lexus.”

Images: Toyota

Toyota is working feverishly to recover from a few setbacks in global production last year. Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the automaker in the Asia-Pacific regions in 2011, and at a time when Toyota was releasing new or redesigned product.

One such re-launch is the 2012 Yaris. Toyota has found that 70 percent of new car buyers in the subcompact segment prefer the liftback (hatchback) body styling. It is because of this that the Yaris sedan is gone from the lineup with 2012 models arriving in base LE three-door or, as in the case of our recent tester, a five-door SE model.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Images: Author

With the new year upon us (and nearly a month down already) I feel it is time once again to answer that question I hear all-too-often: “David, what is your favorite vehicle?”

At the end of the day when it is all said and done (and money is no object), my fave still remains the flagship of the Land Rover fleet – the Range Rover Supercharged.

And most recently, the pride of Solihull, England and the guardian of her royal majesty has found its way back into my life, albeit for a mere half a fortnight.

Range Rover is billed the most capable AND luxurious SUV in the world. When… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

For some automakers, reinventing the wheel seems to be a common theme for certain model lines in order to remain competitive. For Nissan and its Xterra sport ute, the wheel works just fine.

Aside from a mid-decade styling makeover and switch to the Nissan’s new truck-based F-Alpha platform, Xterra has continued to prove itself worthy in the contemporary “daily driven offroader” segment that includes the likes of 4Runner and Liberty.

Nissan gives Xterra most of the modern amenities found across its utility and truck line of vehicles while not abandoning a rugged architecture for the full-out adventurists in the world.

Hot Wheels Camaro Concept (All images by Author)

As the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit gets into the full swing of things I am still recuperating from the whirlwind adventure known as media days.

NAIAS played host to more than 5,000 media representatives from all over the globe during the first two days of the annual event in Motown. Some 35 press conferences and many unofficial or private events highlighted the 48-hour blitz on D-Town.

Falcon F7 (VIA Motors VTRUX in background)

“The buzz is back,” proclaimed Bill Perkins, chairman, NAIAS 2012. “Press… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Ford no longer wants to be known as “just” an automaker. Ford Motor Company would like the world to think of them more as an innovation or technology company. Innovation is no stranger to Ford as its namesake, Henry Ford, accomplished many more things than just creating a car company.

And now technology plays more of a role than ever at Ford who recently announced plans for a new technology center in the heart of Silicon Valley so that the brand can better position itself to work with potential partners such as Stanford University, Google (who recently purchased the first Focus Electric… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Image: Dodge

Dodge has chosen the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to introduce its new expansion of Beats by Dr. Dre Audio System that will be coming soon to 2012 Charger models.

“Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine have built their careers on revolutionary and forward thinking decisions that formulate trends in music, popular culture and technology,” Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Dodge Brand. “Our goal in partnering with Beats by Dr. Dre is to integrate their recording-studio quality audio experience for our Charger enthusiasts to feel and hear their favorite music as it was intended – all while heightening the street performance and technology assets of the new 2012… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I continue to love having a car with tons of tech baked in. I love the keyless entry and ignition, am blown away by the quality of the speakerphone, am enjoying the heck out of streamed music from my iPhone and the nav system… well you can read about it here. When I was a month into driving my new wheels (and still acting like a kid in a candy shop) I commented to Elana that I could not imagine where they would got from here. Seriously, I thought, what else could they possibly do short of actually driving for you? Well, as luck would have it just a week later we received a list… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

It wasn’t broke, so why did Honda (try to) fix it? That is a question many have had for Honda after they released the 2012 Civic earlier this year.

As with the rest of the model lineup, the sporty Si was made over for 2012, enhancing a low, sleek athletic appearance with a long windshield rake, one that raises some criticism due to the design and construction challenges because of it.

Honda continues to employ the split-level instrument panel in the new model and as such some folks will continue to admire it while others are polarized away from that emotion.

A week ago Michael Anderson posted a thought-provoking article here about the National Transportation Safety Board showing data that tended to support the notion that hands-free cellular use was just as hazardous as using a handheld phone. That the NTSB was mulling a recommendation for total cell phone/hands free ban was dire news indeed, both for automakers who spend huge sums on developing hands-free car technology and for us as the driver/talkers. In an abrupt split from his department however, NTSB Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters on Wednesday:

“The problem is not hands-free. That is not the big problem in America. Most people don’t put Bluetooth or Sync in their cars because they can’t afford it. Everybody

Want to see the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion sedan? Ford has an app for that.

The automaker has released iOS and Android smartphone and device apps to tease the eventual unveil of the vehicle that will occur in the app simultaneously as it does on stage at two stellar events.

The 2013 Ford Fusion (which has been named the official car of CES 2012) will be unveiled at both the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month as well as the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

These are two of the biggest shows held in the U.S. each year and Ford has been utilizing CES more and more each year as technology in vehicles has progressed.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

New research suggests that even hands-free phone use while driving is a significant risk. A recent study by the NTSB says that your brain becomes heavily engaged in that function at the expense of attention paid to driving. The NTSB study shows that regardless of the source of distraction, the result is the same.

From a report on the study at the Omaha World Herald site:

The scientific evidence, however, is generally with NTSB, researchers said.

“There is a large body of evidence showing that talking on a phone, whether handheld or hands-free, impairs driving and increases your risk of having a crash,” Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the

Images: Author

As automakers have pared down corporate structure in recent years due to market demands, economy and even government oversight, consumers have had to say goodbye to nameplates and models they’d become loyal fans and admirers of.

So how does a division like GMC survive when brands like Plymouth, Pontiac and Mercury are kicked to the curb? All GMC makes is trucks or SUVs and each of those is on a shared platform with a Chevy counterpart.

GMC has been making trucks since 1901 when it was first established at the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and was responsible for developing the earliest commercial trucks ever designed. RMVC was purchased by GM in… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...