Robert Hall

Wow..that is a clean Toro..

Friends of mine in Boulder, Colorado have an '05 Prius, '08 Challenger SRT8, and '02 Subaru Outback. As far as in my own neighborhood, down the street there is a driveway w/ a 2nd gen Lexus LS400, '70s International Scout II, and a late model Grand Marquis.

I remember those... saw a red one last month in Cali. I've seen maybe 4 different ones in the last 15 years.

I've been watching them streamed from casttv.com. Both episodes so far this season have been pretty good...the Reliant Robin segment in the 1st episode was hysterical. Some parts have been a bit dull, though, at least compared w/ high points in the past seasons.

I remember that name from magazine ads...seems like they were in the same market as Year One.

It would better without the gray. I despise gray plastic interiors. With some color, or even all black, it would look a lot better...maybe add some real aluminum trim, no disgusting faux (or real) carbon fiber.

Also, part of why both GM and Chrysler have clung to pushrod V8s is because V8 usage in their cars is tied to their needs of their trucks. Interestingly, Ford hasn't had this problem..they evolved and went to OHC V8s years ago for cars and trucks. Not to say there is anything necessarily wrong w/ GM or Chrysler's V8s, but the competition (at least in the luxury and sports car markets) clearly long ago moved to OHC V8s..

hammer

Saw a couple cars on the road today for the first time--a dark red Lincoln MKT and a silver '11 Regal. I had seen the MKT zg a car show some months back and a few Regals at the dealer in the last week, but these were the first I'd seen out and about...the MKT is huge up close... the Regal looks good in motion.

Sounds very unusual...I can remember summers like that in E. Ohio, where it was so dry and the yard browned out, water level in the ponds and creeks went down low...and other summers with constant thunderstorms.. Though I remember the really hot weather coming later in the summer, like late July and August.

Was over 110 a few days last week, so it's cooling off now.. And it's a dry heat Humid also, I assume? Sounds like it's been pretty hot in Ohio also, but w/ occasional thunderstorms..

The cool front continues here: Local Text Forecast for Phoenix, AZ (85014) Jul 7 Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Warm. Low 81F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Jul 8 Tomorrow A mainly sunny sky. High 109F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Jul 8 Tomorrow night Partly cloudy. Warm. Low near 85F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Jul 9 Friday Mix of sun and clouds. Highs 104 to 108F and lows in the mid 80s. Jul 10 Saturday Mix of sun and clouds. Highs 102 to 106F and lows in the mid 80s. Jul 11 Sunday Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 90s and lows in the low 80s. Jul 12 Monday More sun than clouds. Highs 99 to 103F and lows in the low 80s. Jul 13 Tuesday Mainly sunny. Highs 105 to 109F and lows in the low 80s. Jul 14 Wednesday Sunshine. Highs 105 to 109F and lows in the mid 80s. Jul 15 Thursday Plenty of sun. Highs 104 to 108F and lows in the mid 80s. Jul 16 Friday A few clouds. Highs 105 to 109F and lows in the upper 80s.

As far as the current Corvette goes, I really like the styling and proportions overall...it's probably my favorite stylistically since the '79. It looks so good in that dark red (same/similar color I've seen on the Camaro and CTS).

Saw a white Merc S-class Lorinser, w/ black roof, black grille, and giant black and chrome wheels, w/ a vile bodykit. I like the current S-class in stock and AMG forms, but these aftermarket tuner versions are often tasteless, IMHO. Very tasteful was a black '10 LaCrosse w/ dark window tint...it's a car that looks very good in dark colors...

Drove past the local Chevy store--4 new Camaros out front--a black one, orange w/ black stripes, a dark red (love that color) and a white one....the Camaro looks really good in red. The Buick/Cadillac/GMC store had a 3 new Regals (2 silver, 1 black), several CTSes and still have the dark red and white 'grandpa edition' (padded top, gold trim, whitewalls) LaCrosses...

SLP575 575 hp, $23k option...

Fun...I remember quite well riding in those growing up...my Dad bought a new Lincoln every 3-5 years for the family car.. spacious, quiet, and comfortable. The coupe was only offered through '81 or '82 IIRC.

Saw a '57 Chevy 150 4dr sedan at Starbucks. Done in 'rat rod' style, battered, painted primer gray w/ red steel wheels. My sister was surprised to see a car from her birthyear out being driven. It's rare to see anything older than 20-25 yrs old in our neighborhood, let alone 53 years.. Also saw a very clean '83-84 Buick Electra Park Avenue 4dr in silver /w silver top.

The comment about the rear view mirror makes me wonder if they use the same supplier as Ford..I've driven two Fusions this year and they both had the distorted funhouse rear view mirror (objects look taller and narrower than they are). Is mirror manufacturing a lost art? Overall, though, expected some criticisms of it..coupes are a rarity in general these days and are known for their compromises, they tend to bias towards style over practicality. Looking forward to seeing this car in person.

On the freeway heading home, I saw an '85-86 or so dark gray Electra 4dr in minty condition w/ Idaho plates. Haven't seen a nice one of those in eons..

Funny you mention that...the SAAB 9000 was on a platform that was shared w/ the Alfa 164, which was a much better looking car than the Milano, IMHO.. I used to see a couple 164s around Denver.

That was such an awkward looking car, maybe Alfa's worst design of recent decades? The odd upkick of the beltline in the rear quarters to the odd bumper ends. And inside, a random grouping of rectangles..

Satin black 1st gen CTS-v, titanium colored grille, wheels and trim. Dark window tint. Looked evil in the desert heat..

aluminium

How's the rear and side visibility in parking/backing up? Quiet? How's the driver's seat feel on long drives (supportive?). Ease of egress/ingress? Turning radius?