BLOG: Rick Kranz
Wild ride with Lutz was part of a great journey
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 2
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It has been a fantastic ride -- driving a wide range of outstanding cars and trucks, meeting incredibly dedicated people and having a laugh or two along the way.
There was the time I rode shotgun with Bob Lutz in a top-down Cadillac XLR convertible some years back. I conducted an interview, yellin ...
Continue reading "Wild ride with Lutz was part of a great journey" » Apr 2, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Chevy hopes to ignite color frenzy with Spark
Posted 3:43 pm U.S. ET, March 23Will Chevy's new minicar spark a color war?
I remember what happened in the late 1960s.
Ford got into a battle with Dodge and Plymouth for color supremacy. Each brand offered a wide range of wild colors with attention-grabbing names. I don't recall which automaker was first to the paint booth.
Continue reading "Chevy hopes to ignite color frenzy with Spark" » Mar 23, 2012 3:43 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Across a big land, Mini motors on
Posted 3:07 pm U.S. ET, March 22Ten years ago, plenty of naysayers predicted that the Mini brand would be a flash in the pan, lasting a few years and fading away.
The conclusion seemed logical. After all, when Mini was launched on March 22, 2002, it had just one model. Who would buy a small, three-door premium car over and over?
But Mini prov ...
Continue reading "Across a big land, Mini motors on" » Mar 22, 2012 3:07 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Race is on to uncover Chevy's newest nameplate headed to showrooms
Posted 4:24 pm U.S. ET, March 16There's a lot of buzz surrounding Chevy's mysterious new model.
I'm betting it's the vehicle former GM product czar Bob Lutz talked about a few years ago.
Earlier this week, Chevy announced that the brand's NASCAR teams will be racing a vehicle that carries a new nameplate. "Impala" is being abandoned at the en ...
Continue reading "Race is on to uncover Chevy's newest nameplate headed to showrooms" » Mar 16, 2012 4:24 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Chevy's Malibu pricing gambit
Posted 4:31 pm U.S. ET, March 8If Ricky Ricardo were a Chevy dealer, he might be telling his salespeople: "We have some 'splainin' to do."
Shoppers lured to a Chevy showroom to see the redesigned 2013 Malibu might suffer sticker shock
Starting Monday, Chevrolet will launch a big advertising blitz for the 2013 Malibu. You'll catch the ads primarily during March Madness, the NCAA playoffs
But unlike a ...
Continue reading "Chevy's Malibu pricing gambit " » Mar 8, 2012 4:31 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Maybe the wrong Fiat got here first
Posted 4:01 pm U.S. ET, March 7DETROIT -- Maybe the fastest car -- that performance model -- should have been introduced first.
U.S. dealers have been struggling to sell that little Italian car, the Fiat 500.
Last year a mere 19,769 Fiat 500s were sold, and, through February, 5,138 have rolled out of showrooms this year.
Continue reading "Maybe the wrong Fiat got here first" » Mar 7, 2012 4:01 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Look up! It's a car about to land in Gotham!
Posted 3:13 pm U.S. ET, March 2Although the automotive world's eyes are on next week's Geneva auto show, the news is starting to trickle in for April's New York event.
Debuts are planned for the redesigned Buick Enclave, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan Altima and SRT Viper, which previously was known as a Dodge.
But all these vehicles seem so 20th ...
Continue reading "Look up! It's a car about to land in Gotham!" » Mar 2, 2012 3:13 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
How the 2012 Camaro ZL1 got its growl
Posted 2:25 pm U.S. ET, March 1ALTON, Va. -- The 2012 Camaro ZL1 is the most powerful production Camaro ever built and rivals the Chevrolet Corvette in overall performance.
Under the Camaro's hood is a supercharged 580-hp V-8 that produces 556 pounds-feet of torque. It's a real head snapper.
Equally important in the car's creation were the e ...
Continue reading "How the 2012 Camaro ZL1 got its growl" » Mar 1, 2012 2:25 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Why Hyundai should let U.S. take redesigned wagon for a spin
Posted 2:34 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 29Lost opportunity or smart decision?
Hyundai's i30 wagon is sold around the globe. Here's it's called the Elantra Touring.
This is a rare car in an industry that has gone crossover crazy. The solid, low-priced, very functional compact wagon has received a long list of accolades from journalists worldwide.
...
Continue reading "Why Hyundai should let U.S. take redesigned wagon for a spin" » Feb 29, 2012 2:34 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Kia's luxury K9 seems bound, eventually, for U.S.
Posted 4:16 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 28DETROIT -- Kia Motors Corp. has taken the wraps off a sporty rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan that will go on sale this spring in Korea.
The car will be the biggest, most luxurious car ever produced by the Korean automaker. The car is expected to be aimed at BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Following Kia's pattern of alphan ...
Continue reading "Kia's luxury K9 seems bound, eventually, for U.S." » Feb 28, 2012 4:16 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Why minivan shoppers are looking beyond roominess, versatility and value
Posted 3:58 pm U.S. ET, Feb. 27DETROIT -- What do minivan owners want? The answer might surprise you.
Since the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, the industry's first minivans, hit the streets in 1983, the top priorities have changed little.
That is, until the past year or so.
Minivan shoppers now want ...
Continue reading "Why minivan shoppers are looking beyond roominess, versatility and value" » Feb 27, 2012 3:58 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
