Written By: Reilly
April 26th, 2006 10:12 AM
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Long, pointy, fast: Lincoln?
I had the pleasure of driving a 2006 Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan this weekend and it was an absolutely unique driving experience. The Rolls acts and drives like a Rolls should, in that it has impeccable interior appointments, curb presence like (almost) no other and a solid and refined driving experience. It’s really a quiet, fast, and strong sedan. The fact that it’s big but easy to drive is both an engineering feat and proof that every car in the world doesn’t have to be a Porsche 911 to be exciting.
The biggest takeaway from the Phantom experience, however, was a thought bubble for the people who are trying to remake Lincoln. This Phantom is exactly what Lincoln should be going for in the North American marketplace. What Rolls-Royce is doing right now is what Lincoln should be doing right now.
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Written By: Reilly
April 25th, 2006 9:25 AM
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David E. called in and reported the 599 is, not surprisingly, one amazing car. He’s doing his full driving impression when he gets back from Italy this week and we’re to get photos of Peter Dawson’s shoot very soon. We’ll try to post some sneak peeks when we get a chance.
Written By: Reilly
April 12th, 2006 10:23 AM
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Lexus started off this morning’s vehicle unveilings with their new flagship (up-flagshipping the recently debuted LS 460), the LS 600hL, which the company is calling the “world’s best.” Whether or not that claim is true is something we’ll have to leave put until a full test drive, but there is little doubt that this car has some of the most advanced technologies we’ve ever seen in an automobile. That was followed by a discussion of Mercedes-Benz’s new E-class with Bluetec diesel technology.
What’s becoming clear in this new era of Fuel 2.0 (and by that I mean the advancement of non-traditional types of propulsion, including improved gasoline engines, hybrids, biofuel, diesels, et cetera) is that we need to ask ourselves as car enthusiasts if we should care about technology issues that aren’t directly related to performance driving. I think the answer should be a resounding Yes.
Fuel 2.0’s prime drivers appear, at the moment, to be fuel savings, personal self expression, and now, luxury. While improved performance was built into the marketing messages around models such as the Honda Accord hybrid and Lexus GS450h (which has a zero-60 time of under five seconds), they’re not true performance machines; at the moment we don’t have an outright performance model that rides on a Fuel 2.0 technology. In North America, we don’t have barnstorming diesels (like they do in Europe) or hybrid sports coupes, although that will change. Important moments like the Audi R10 Le Mans prototype winning overall at Sebring help to change perceptions.
But until we have hotrod hybrids, we need to pay attention to the technologies and advancements being made in cars and trucks that might not particularly interest us, because what these manufacturers learn today will be featured in performance models in the future.
This is one of the first times in automotive history where landscape-changing technology has not come out of a racing or performance environment. That doesn’t mean this stuff doesn’t matter.
- Reilly Brennan
Written By: Reilly
April 10th, 2006 9:09 AM
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Okay, here we go. This is our first post on the new Winding Road blog. Please check back soon for updates.
Nissan Confirms Upcoming G37 Convertible, 'Mini SUV' 
Ford Readies 2009 Focus Coupe for American Idol Reveal
Ford Planning to Revive F-100?
Ferrari California Revealed!
Lamborghini Picks L.A. for U.S. Headquarters
