Car FYI

Photo Credit: Chevrolet On April 11th of 2019, the sports car world was mesmerized by a sight roaming the roads of New York City. A camouflaged version of the upcoming 2020 Corvette teased what would be one of the boldest iterations of the sports car seen the vehicle’s nearly 67-year history. For 2020, the Chevrolet Corvette will operate with an engine mounted behind the driver and passenger for the first time. The Corvette’s retention of a front engine had been viewed as a personality trait for the American performance machine Opening new possibilities in aerodynamics and handling, the notion of a Corvette using this powertrain layout has actually been debated for decades. As the new car debuts on July 18th of 2019, the moment marks the conclusion of a historic battle within General Motors and Chevrolet dating back to the early days of the Corvette taking place with many forms. The first seeds of a mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette were planted in 1960 through the creation of ...

Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 aficionados in recent seasons have been witnessing a renaissance of the Silver Arrows in a manner not seen since the 1950s. Returning to the series as a constructor in 2010, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula 1 team hit a masterful stride in the prestigious open wheel racing tour in 2014 when a new series mandate for a hybrid gasoline/electric powerplant came to fruition. As of September 12th of 2017, the Mercedes-AMG team has taken victory in 60 of the 72 events since the current hybrid power unit specifications came into effect. As is the case with any automaker who uses motorsports to define their brand, Mercedes-Benz’s performance division naturally wants to directly transfer success on the track to the street. A single-passenger, open-wheel race car designed to run a main feature race no longer than two hours is starkly different from a production vehicle seemingly limits the amount of technology that could be shared. Unveil...

Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. How many of us have envisioned ourselves in a different time or place. To see or relive a moment in history in a manner you would not think possible or perhaps to be present with those we admire or love is to many the ultimate form of exploration. While time travelling is yet to be realized, many of us find ways to capture the essence of the past. This can be quite a difficult feat for those birth came after a time period. Automotive design has been no stranger to recompile their past for a future creation. At the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one corporate attendee chose to show up in a mid-20th century costume. A youngish brand born in 1989, Infiniti introduced a 1940s-1950s inspired concept car melding the past, present and future. Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. Classical in appearance, the Infiniti Prototype 9 is a vehicle that adapts its own image to a historical era of motor racing. The Prototype 9...

Years ago, there used to be general expectations for luxury cars with big and expensive garnering the most attention in high-society. However, in this new age of motoring, premium vehicles are judged with a much broader, more complicated scope where size no longer (in fact rarely) justifies a car's claim to fame. Seeing concept as well as production examples of small car luxury supplied by Lexus, Cadillac and Lincoln, the Infiniti Etherea design study debuting at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show furnishes other enlightening presentation to luxury vehicles. Formulated through a simple brush profile which Infiniti released ahead of the vehicle's unveiling, the Etherea is indeed created with a small but enchantingly shape. Only about 168 inches long, the Etherea take a car form but echoes styling cues found on the Infiniti FX crossover platform. Given a tall roof line that helps maximizes cabin comfort, Infiniti clearly states that the Etherea is not a crossover vehicle. As a matte...