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All posts for the month February, 2014

The Volvo Concept Estate Is Everything

Posted by commongearhead on February 26, 2014
Posted in: Concept Cars. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Volvo Concept Estate Profile

When will Volvo give us a chance to breathe? After making us swoon with the stunning Concept Coupe and Concept XC Coupe released just months ago, our fair-skinned friends from the great Scandinavian phallus drop this bombshell on us.

It’s no secret that Volvo has been struggling as of late. The Swedish carmaker, famous for it’s safe, reliable, boxes driven almost exclusively by hippies, moms, and tweed-laden professors, is butting heads with it’s new Chinese parent company, Geely. The Chinese overlords want Volvo to compete directly with Mercedes and BMW, but Volvo would rather stick to its quirky, meatball and lingonberry roots, and stay loyal to its customer base. But regardless of whose vision is better, Volvo is still bleeding out profusely. Their sales slipped from 140,000 vehicles in 2004 to around 60,000 in 2013.

Volvo Concept Estate Front

But this beautiful brown shooting brake, the third and final concept in Volvo’s new design studies, is a beacon of hope that maybe things aren’t so bad after all. In fact, they’re drop-dead sexy.

Volvo Concept Estate Open Hatch

Thomas Ingenlath, Senior VP of Design at Volvo, is responsible for all three concepts, and this is the pinnacle of his work. It represents a new direction for the ailing brand, and it’s a strong return to many of the qualities that have made Volvos desirable to so many for so long. It is clearly a modern interpretation of the fantastic 1970s P1800 ES Shooting Brake, but possesses so many characteristics that point to an exciting future.

Volvo Concept Estate Roof

The t-shaped LED headlights are as strong a signature as Thor’s Hammer (I really hope that was the inspiration behind them), and the taillights are distinctive, elegant, and strictly Volvo. I think the panoramic glass roof is one of the best I’ve ever seen, because it looks essential to the design of the car, not simply tacked on to illicit oohs and ahhs from people who presumably haven’t looked up at the sky before.

Volvo Concept Estate Interior

But as elegant and distinctive as the exterior is, the interior is even more promising. Volvo says that this interior design language is essentially a direct preview of things to come, and if so, me likey. The center touch screen is well placed and sized, and is integrated seamlessly into the flow of the dashboard. Nothing is outlandish and terribly bold, but everything is ergonomic, sleek, and practical, as we’ve come to expect from the nation famous for IKEA.

Volvo Concept Estate Rear Interior

Perhaps this is a sign then that Volvo is alive and well and poised for a roaring comeback. They have clearly put the right people in charge of design and brand identity, and assuming they stick to their roots and soldier on, it’s safe to say they have a future as bright as summer in the Arctic Circle.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to lie down on my couch for a minute. And yes, I bought it at IKEA.

 

Cyclists Are Literally the Worst

Posted by commongearhead on February 20, 2014
Posted in: Opinion. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Cyclists Suck

I realize that the title is a bit inflammatory, but after having a very unpleasant altercation with a cyclist while walking to class this morning, I have to vent my frustrations. Let me ease some of the tension by qualifying this statement: many cyclists are perfectly fine individuals with whom I have no quarrel, but just as many are aggressive, self-righteous jackasses who deserve to have their riding privileges revoked.

Allow me to elaborate on my encounter. This morning, at approximately 10:20 AM I was on my way from my apartment to Northeastern University for my first class of the day. Due to the absurd amount of precipitation that has befallen the city of Boston in the last few weeks, the path that I take to class had become very icy. This route consists of a bike path and a walking path that are parallel to each other. Upon realizing that the stretch of walking path ahead of me was much icier than the bike path, I chose to look behind me quickly, and cross over to the bike path side, seeing as to how it was not busy. I courteously stayed to the right hand side of the path, leaving approximately 10 feet of space on my left for any cyclists who happened upon me to pass safely. The large, extensively hairy gentleman walking ahead of me on the bike path, who looked a bit like the guy from Lost, was also thoughtfully staying out of the way.

Enter: Asshat. A blur of black and red flies by me on the left with no prior warning, startling me a fair amount and causing me to reflexively clench my buttocks. He proceeds to coast up to the crosswalk ahead, and stop to wait for the walk symbol. As my furry companion and I catch up to him, attempting to walk by on the small, icy sliver of sidewalk he left us behind his bike and his massive ego, he decides to tell my compadre that “the bike lane is for bikes only, use your brain next time!” As I pass him, he says “you too, asshole!”

This is what set me off. Instead of just riding on by, accepting the natural right of humans to walk wherever they please that is safest and most preferable to them, he has to make an ass of himself and of all other bikers. I told him to “have a nice day” (or something along those lines), and he proceeded to tell me to “have fun going to class in the 70s,” presumably a comment on the leather jacket I was wearing. Then he sped off when the light turned and promptly turned back and gave me the finger.

Now, I understand that commuting on a bicycle is a healthy, environmentally-friendly way to get to work, and that cyclists are often passionate about their hobby. I also understand that cyclists, generally moving at a higher rate of speed than pedestrians with little to no bodily protection, are at a higher risk of injury from cars or falling. But for the love of God, if your method of dealing with this passion and insecurity is being a general ass wipe to the people around you, then you deserve to be hit by the bus.

Driving in the city, I am constantly surprised by cyclists darting out from behind stopped cars in traffic, speeding across crosswalks at busy intersections while the light is green for cars, and lane splitting like they own the road. They ignore red lights, expect cars to slow down dangerously when they’re around, and even ride on sidewalks from time to time to get to their destination faster. If you do this, I hate you.

When you’re on the road, or more importantly on public walking and biking paths, respect the rules of the road, and be a courteous commuter. The fact that you ride a bike to work is no excuse to be a prick to people who are trying to get where their going via other modes of transportation. You are very near the bottom of the transportation food chain, and you should conduct yourself accordingly. Respect everyone on the road, and maybe, just maybe, I and everyone else can begin to respect you.

Heinously Unreliable Used Car Battle of the Week: Late 80s Japanese Sports Cars

Posted by commongearhead on February 11, 2014
Posted in: HUUCBOTW. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Nanika atta, fellow gearheads? In this week’s installment of HUUCBOTW, we journey back to the late 80s for a blast from the past. I wasn’t around to experience it, but the 80s seemed like a great time. I know this, because I’m aware of the Bowling for Soup song “1985,” and I happen to know every word from every movie of the Back to the Future franchise.

“Great Scott!” you might be thinking. “The 80s were a terrible decade! Reaganomics were rampant, the War on Drugs was a’ ragin’, and Duran Duran was considered ‘music.'” Yes, all of that may be true, but the 80s are also responsible for wedgy, debatably awesome cars that I and many other gearheads are quite fond of despite their lack of any redeeming qualities whatsoever (DeLorean, anyone?).

The 80s also began the onslaught of Japanese automakers, many of whom are among the most successful today, despite their tendencies to now turn out beige turdmobiles for suburban Americans. But in the 80s, Japanese cars were fun. They were quirky and different and they drove extremely well and why oh why can’t it just be like that today?!

In honor of my nostalgia for a decade I didn’t even experience, here are two of the best sports cars that Japan had to offer. Which one would you have?

1987 Toyota Supra – $4,200

Supra Front

Supra Rear

Every kid who knew anything about cars and grew up in the 90s knows about the Mark IV Supra. According to The Fast and the Furious franchise, it was basically the fastest and coolest car you could ever have, regardless of what Italy might have to say on that matter. It was curvy, had a ridiculous spoiler on the trunk lid, and everybody wanted one.

This, however, is not that car. This is the Mark III, which is all but completely irrelevant, obscured eternally by the shadow of its younger sibling. Being the predecessor to the mighty Mark IV is like being Eric Roberts. You call yourself an actor, but you’re really just Julia’s older brother and that’s all you’ll ever be.

But despite it’s irrelevance, don’t discount the Supra’s 80s-tasticness. My best friend in high school had a 1986.5 model and it was bad ass. We lovingly dubbed it “Mr. Fuji,” a reference to our beloved Pokémon franchise, and it was fantastic. A 5-speed, rear wheel drive, coupe from Japan as a first car? Sign me up! Sadly, I only had a Volvo…

Now, you may be wondering why a Toyota is included in HUUCBOTW, and you would be correct in wondering that. Generally, Toyotas can be repaired and maintained with some duct tape and crossed fingers, but the Supra is one of the more rare Toyotas, and parts are hard to come by. So suck it, haters, it’s staying on here.

To check out the Ebay Motors ad for this car, click here.

1990 Mazda RX-7 – $4,900

RX-7 Front

RX-7 Rear

I know, I know, this is technically a 1990 model. But it was designed and built in the 80s so get over it. The RX-7 also suffers from “Overshadowed Syndrome” like the Supra, it’s younger sibling being the mighty FD, also of 90s fame, but it’s still a great car and for that it deserves merit.

It’s powered by the incredibly wacky but undeniably awesome 13B rotary or Wankel engine. Felix Wankel designed the rotary engine in the early 60s, and for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s essentially a rapidly-spinning triangle that performs internal combustion through some devil magic that I won’t get into now.

The RX-7 is also a Mazda, which means that it is inherently fun to drive. I’ve owned a Mazda3, which I lovingly named “Ruby” and my sister stupidly renamed “Fred II” after the demise of our Volvo, and it was a blast to drive. Pair that nature with a high-revving, rear wheel drive coupe platform, and you have a recipe for success.

But all good things come at a price, and that price is heinous unreliability. If you own a car with a Wankel engine, you can bet your triangles that it’ll crap out at around 80,000 miles. Any Wankel that’s made it further than that mark without a major engine overhaul is cause for concern. But nonetheless, it will certainly be a “rampant rabbit” to drive, in the words of the great Jeremy Clarkson.

To check out the Cars For Sale ad for this car, click here.

Which one would you choose? Let us know in the poll below!

Heinously Unreliable Used Car Battle of the Week: Swedish Sleepers

Posted by commongearhead on February 4, 2014
Posted in: HUUCBOTW. Tagged: , , . 1 Comment

As promised, but surprising nonetheless, here is the second installment of HUUCBOTW right on time! This week, we turn our attention to our socialist neighbors from the phallic north (seriously, Scandinavia looks like a gentleman’s sausage).

The Swedes are famous for many things: pickling fish for the hell of it, making delicious meatballs, IKEA, and churning out beautiful blonde women (just ask my girlfriend). One thing they are not famous for, with the exception of Koenigseggomelettewithcheese(?), are performance automobiles. But fear not, fellow gearheads! With these two sleeper sedans, you too can have all the performance your little heart desires, all wrapped up in a highly unconventional and unreliable Swedish design.

These sultry Swedes will pickle your fish in a heartbeat, because underneath their comfortable, quirky skin lies the pulsating heart of an… ice lion? I don’t know, I’m not really familiar with Scandinavian fauna. Either way, which one would you have?

2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen – $6,000

Saab Front

Saab Rear

The Saab 9-3 Viggen is a version that nobody knows about of a car that not many people like, barring college professors and hipsters who dress like professors. It is Saab’s “hot” 9-3, named for their 37 Viggen fighter jet. Yes, Saab is originally famous for making jets, which is slightly scary because if the jets are made with mid 90s GM parts as well, then I suggest you stay indoors until all the pieces have fallen from the sky and it’s safe to walk around.

But, much like a jet, this car is fast. It packs a 2.3L 4-cylinder making 225 hp with 20 psi of boost from its turbo. The turbo is the important bit here, because all forced induction Saabs have a boost gauge on the dash. That’s right, a boost gauge. Check out how much boost I got, bro. Another Saab quirk is the transmission-tunnel-mounted ignition, which is very fighter-jet-esque. You may knock the keys out of the ignition while shifting gears vigorously, but at least you’ll get to live your dream as a fighter pilot vicariously through your Saab… bro.

Unfortunately, this ground bound war machine is front-wheel-drive only, and with 225 hp on tap, that’s a recipe for massive torque steer. Hit the gas pedal with your hands off the wheel, and you’ll end up somewhere in the middle of Stockholm before you know it.

To check out the cars.com ad for this car, click here.

2004 Volvo S60 R – $6,999

Volvo Front

Volvo Rear

I have a special place in my heart for Volvos. My first car was a 1999 S70 which I lovingly named “Lucille,” and my sister stupidly renamed “Fred.” But as much as I loved Lucille/Fred, she/he was wrought with maintenance issues, to the point where the check engine light was permanently on, presumably because the car was hungry for some herring.

But Volvo didn’t just build unreliable bricks at the turn of the millennium, they also built fast unreliable bricks. The S60 R is an all-wheel-drive, turbocharged, 5-cylinder rocket putting out 296 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. Why a 5 cylinder, you ask? Because even number cylinders are so rest-of-the-world and not fun at all. It’s like an ABBA song, but it’s a car and it isn’t terrible. And even more importantly, it has Volvo seats, meaning your Swedish meatballs will be more comfortable in this thing than in any other car on the planet.

Despite its notorious unreliability, it’s the cheapest, fastest, AWD car you can buy, making it, in my opinion, a pretty Swede deal! (I apologize deeply for the previous pun.)

To check out the cars.com ad for this car, click here.

Which one would you choose?