Car FYI

  My personal experience playing Sony's Gran Turismo 7 has involved about a hour a day earning wins and vehicles or the credit to purchase in-game vehicles. With over 500 vehicles available in the auto racing simulation, it's been a pleasure to have the virtual sense of driving a whole array of cars. High performance monsters such as the LaFerrari and the Pagani Zonda-R, purpose-built racers such as the McLaren MP4/4 Formula 1 car and the Sauber Mercedes C9 or wild concept cars such as the Renault Espace F1 or the Chevrolet Corvette CX have been a few cars brought under my control through a Sony Playstation controller. Besides exploring the thrill of speed in the virtual world, I've found Gran Turismo 7 to provide an engaging opportunity to test my somewhat middling artistic skills. The customization program within the game isn't perfect but it provided the right amount of challenge and reward when working on a creation. After some time learning the tools and limitati...

Ferrari HC25 (Photo credit: Ferrari S.p.A.) It’s an unmistakable fact that ownership of a Ferrari instantly bestows a sense of exclusivity. Understanding how any driver almost needs to prove their worth to possess such a vehicle exhibiting masterful Italian performance and design beauty, it’s particularly intriguing to envision a Ferrari being shaped to an owner. Last week’s Ferrari Racing Days event that took place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas served as coming-out party for a one of a kind creation developed to showcase a unique spirit for the Prancing Horse.   The Ferrari HC25 was constructed by  the sports car company under the commission by an unidentified customer through what the brand describes as their Special Projects programme. This organization exists in Ferrari to specifically tailor their vehicles to the desires of an owner. Built on the basis of the discontinued Ferrari F8 Spider, the HC25’s two-tone, dynamic exterior design definitely as...

Just recently, I posted an article chronicling a mid-2000s attempt to resurrect the Studebaker name for a sport utility vehicle. As I was writing this topic, I was conflicted on how I wanted to present it. For more than 25 years, it has become commonplace for me to share my work in the form of written articles (dibbling into the occasional photography when permitted to). A first for me, I have also assembled a video presentation for the Avanti Studebaker XUV. For many years, I've grown to envy the ability that numerous individuals have shown in showcasing similar content through narrated videos. Bright Suns Film, Defunctland, Ruairidh MacVeigh, nascarman History, IT'S HISTORY and Big Car are among some YouTube channels that have gained my admiration for consistency creating some sensational documentary videos.  I've proceeded to upload the video to first to Dailymotion. My reason for that is that I am still sore over the treatment I received from YouTube years ago. In earl...

  Photo Source: Matt Fraver/IMS Photo and Penske Entertainment With one week remaining before the 110 th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 33 competitors rose to what is the first major test for their worthiness to hold the prized Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional Memorial Day motorsport classic. Assembling the fastest average speed in a four-lap run was the challenge presented to the drivers and teams qualifying for the 2026 edition of the 500-mile event. Rain on Saturday at Indianapolis caused the rescheduling of all qualifying activities for Sunday. Although every one of the 33 entries for this year’s event were effectively guaranteed a starting position for the Indy 500, the multi-layer time trial delivered some suspense for the pole. After all the drivers set a single four-lap qualifying attempt, positions 13 to 33 were locked in. The fastest 12 cars advanced into a second round of qualifying with the 6 top finishers from that con...

During the late 1990s, the recognition of the popularity for sport utility/crossover vehicles sparked a gold rush in the auto industry. The vehicle type’s adventurous off-roading physique, decent mechanical equipment and a design that maximizes interior space for abundant passenger comfort and cargo room evolved from being appreciated by a loyal niche to appealing to a mainstream. This growth also coincided with the luxury car category being disrupted by a vehicle known as the Hummer that became a new status icon during the turn of the century. The Hummer’s allure around the turn of the millennium encouraged brands such as Lincoln, Cadillac, BMW and Porsche to make their first forays into what would become a vibrant luxury sport utility sector. Along with these existing brands entering the luxury sport utility marketplace, one company envisioned using the category in reviving the name of an old American automotive icon. In the early 1960s, the Studebaker Corporation was struggling ...